Worst Start Ever

[z118]

I got out of work early and figured I'd get a jump on my season with a little evening swing time. I headed to my absolute favorite spot; a local school I have hunted some 40 times before. I ended last season at this spot with some great finds and figured it would be neat to start the year here. I was dang near giddy on the way there with the excitement of getting back into the dirt!

Long story short, after digging my very first plug (admittedly a BIG one) a guy comes along, asks me what I doing and states that You can't just come on our property and start digging holes. I told him I always refill the holes and he replied So then would it be okay for me to just show up on you front lawn and start digging? At that point I knew there was not much point talking to this guy so I said no, I guess not and he told me to make this hole my last. I did.

Very annoying way to start the season! Of course I wanted to tell the jerk it was public property, that I had as much right to use it as anyone and that in the course of digging some 3,000 targets or so in the past few years at this spot I've never left one noticable hole and have likely picked up more garbage from the property that any maintenance worker. Ugh.

I'll certainly go back. But next time I'll go during less likely hours.

[Jason in Enid]

I would have given the guy a piece of my mind. Public is public as long as you aren't dstroying anything. I can't believe you gave up like that.

[z118]

I'm not very good at confrontation, and with my luck it would have only escalated the situation. As is the guy probably feels like he won and hopefully he won't think twice about it. And I certainly will hunt there again, just during off hours. Had it not been my first hunt of the year I would have been more wary anyway and likely never would have caught his attention.

[Epi-hunter]

I'm sorry to hear that z. That seems to be going around lately, at schools anyway.

I think you did the right thing.

[coinnut]

It's an omen to try somewhere else. I think it's time to venture out a bit. You did right.

[MT]

Good Job...You did the right thing.
There's always one like that lurking around.
HH,
MT

[CBnKansas]

I am with you to avoid a big confrontation. I have not had a problem so far but would tend to just move on. My buddy Mike digs a huge plug and it scares people, but they are solid so when he replaces them they are perfect. He shows people if they will listen and if that does not satisfy them he tells them he is not going to leave and to shut up and go call someone if they have a problem. He has never had to leave a hunting spot. I don't want the attention myself.

Hope it blows over for you.

cb

[SeabeeRon]

You did the right thing Z, just go back during off hours like you said. That place has been good to you, don't give up on it!

[RickO]

Well, you handled it the way you wanted to. If it were me, and he was just Joe Citizen, I would have done differently - but to each his own. I just do not like arrogant, bossy people who enjoy pushing others around. HH RickO

[z118]

Well, you handled it the way you wanted to. If it were me, and he was just Joe Citizen, I would have done differently - but to each his own. I just do not like arrogant, bossy people who enjoy pushing others around. HH RickO

I don't think he was Joe Citizen, he was Joe Groundskeeper or Joe Supervisor or some other type of school district employee.