Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Pointed my spotting scope at a Warden

One of my pards and I were running and gunning coyotes on some cranberry bogs last Friday. It was my turn to do the scoping while he did the calling and shooting. We were set up in a prone position on top of a dike with an excellent view of some bogs. Three deer broke out across a dike about 250 yards out. Shortly after I noticed movement along the edge of a bog. Swung the spotting scope over to the object and there was a guy standing in some shoulder high brush looking at me with binoculars. He melted back into the brush and I whispered to my pard not to shoot left of high noon in that direction.

A few minutes went by and were about to move our set when a warden came up behind us and another one further off to our left. The first warden finished checking our licenses and the second one arrived cussing at us for pointing a loaded rifle at him. When he finished his tirade I reached down into the grass beside me and showed them my mounted spotting scope. There was a pause then the warden lectured me about pointing the mounted scope at a hunter or another person.

I could see his point because at a distance the scope set resembles a gun with scope. I told him, first of all, I do not make it a practice to scope another person because of the perception and secondly, I will continue to use the setup for varmint hunting and wildlife observation. End of discussion.

Do you think I should discontinue the use of my set up?

Only if it's too stinky after you shove it up his azz.

Pretty damn good idea for spotting, IMO. Cut the forearm off as far back as you can without messing up the point of mounting it on a stock, and paint that stock bright orange.

I'd be pissed if I saw some do pointing something at me I thought was a hot rifle..

No

I don't have a problem with what you did.

But I also see the issue the warden has. from his distance he couldn't tell what you were pointing. I get an uneasy feeling when the scopes are pointed my direction in a gun shop and they're mounted similar to yours.

I suppose you carry the thing "hot" too, right? (Everyone please note the )

That's what they get for sneaking around in the woods and not making their prescience known. I don't think you were at fault at all..!

There is a camo condom that goes over the scope. If the stock is painted bright orange wiley coyote is going to mark me pronto. However, I agree with your concern about a potential loaded rifle pointed at me.

If the Warden would not have been hiding and sneaking it would not have happened either. It was a spotter, so no harm no fowl

Sorry, I see nothing wrong there. Yes it might be a bit disconcerting to the spotee, but once the true nature of the item is known that should have been the end of the discussion IMHO.

Spot on as usual

That's my point, too. When the warden realized he had not had a rifle pointed at him, he should have manned up and let it go, rather than trying to save his manliness and chew somebody out. He acted like a little kid.

Works both ways , under the right conditions the warden with his binoculars could have looked like someone pointing a scoped rifle at YOU.


Mike

Some people have to have the last word no matter what, right & wrong has no bearing on it, simply proving in their mind they have power.

I agree but having spent time in the crosshairs of an idiot I can find sympathy for the way he felt. I am thinking there might have been a bit more adrenalin still flowing around in his blood than normal. I would not be too hard on him for feeling the way he did.

If I'd been the warden and saw a 'gun' aiming my way, I'd have hit the dirt. However, he had no business chewing on anyone for using a scope after he found out what it was.

I'd re-think this setup. Suppose you pointed your spotting scope at another hunter, and he thought you were pointing a rifle at him, and he got angry and started shooting at you. Things could go south quickly.

I'm not saying your setup is right or wrong, just think about your own, and your partner's, safety.

N
O

We're on the same page. I wouldn't have been too hard on him either; I'd have just chewed back or laughed at him.

Roundoak,
I guess thats the "like it or lump it" position and your probably quite within your rights to stick to that stance.

However, playing Devils Advocate for a second, if the position were reversed, how would you like it?

Also, could using that set-up result in further hassle? I'm thinking what if somebody called a LEO because they felt you were using a "rifle" inappropriately?

Sometimes, just because you have the lawfully right to do something, doesn't necessarily make it a good idea so to speak...

Anyway, away from the "ethics aspect", what mag is the scope?
And is there any particular reason why you choose that set up over a conventional tripod???

I have a Nikon 50ED with a x27 eyepiece and while I can hand hold it using my stalking sticks as a steady, putting it on a tripod makes it far more effective..

Regards,

Peter