Dirt Road Manners

[kawboy]

Last night after dark I was heading off the hill. There is a lot of dirt road to travel before I make it to town. Right off the bat I get behind a vehicle who is going pretty slow. I crept up on him so he knew I wanted to pass, then backed off so because I didn't want to be rude. I followed for a long time waiting for him to pull to the side. He never did.
So after a couple miles of this I was getting quite frustrated. I gradually got closer, making my hint more obvious. I was wanting to go much faster than this individual was willing to go. On one turn I thought he finally got the hint. He slowed way down and was going to the outside. I eased to the inside to pass and the Prick swerved at me like he was going to run into me! Knowing I would be unable to stop, I swerved to put my wheels in the bar pit and stomped on the gas to avoid the collision. I knew I would roost his vehicle, which looked like a nice ride, but I had no other option.
Was I wrong?
I feel like I gave this guy TONS of opportunity to let me pass. I know when someone pulls up behind me on a dirt road, (they are obviously going faster if they catch you) I always pull over and let them go.

What would you have done?


I'll tell you who it was . . . it was that D@MN Sasquatch!

 

[Zigga]

Road Manners in general

For some reason, people take it personally when they get passed. I see it daily. I had a female Highway Department foreman slowing me down so I passed her on a dotted line not going over the speed limit and when we got to her construction zone she radioed to the flagman to stop me and she chewed me out. She told me I couldn't pass in a construction zone and I reminded her that we were not in a construction zone at the time of the pass. She must have been confused and soon realized she was being stupid.

What gets me is people traveling at the speed of smell until they get to a dotted straight away and then they kick it up to 85 mph. WTF? Dirt roads or paved, it doesn't matter. People are stupid.

 

[Randy11]

This drives me insane.

Most of my hunting is done in the same drainage I've hunted since I was a toddler. There's about 15 miles of dirt in to where I usually park and take off for the day. I drive this road FAST, as It's still an hour or two before light when I'm driving in, and I know the road like the back of my hand.

It never fails that if I get late, and it's only 45 minutes to an hour before light when I'm running the road, I'll get stuck behind some ##### going 10-15 miles an hour, getting ready for his day of road hunting. Of course he won't let me by because 'he was here first', but christ man, I'm not going to ruin your roadhunt by being 2-3 miles back when light cracks.

 

[Model_70_Guy]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-03-10 AT 10:37AM (MST)[p]I agree about how some people just cannot stand the thought of letting you pass them and I have another pet peeve when it comes to dirt roads.

When you are camped next to a dirt road and some inconsiderate a$$hole decides to drive by doing about 50 mph kicking tons of dust really pisses me off. Whenever I drive by people that are camped or even if it's a group of parked vehicles and hunters standing around and talking I always slow down and try to keep the dust to a minimum.

Just one of those things that ticks me off...

 

[justr_86]

People are dumb and there's no reason not to pull over at let someone by, especially after dark!

I would have done the same thing you did.

 

[ID_hunter27]

if your gonna go slow and you dont have a trailer pull the .... over that is some real bs when people do that. i understand when your pulling ya

but if your just being dumb and driven 20 miles an hour get the hell out of my way i got spots to get to

 

[mywifeishotterthentiffany]

Yeah!! please pull over if you are going slow and let someone else go by. Another on people should consider is to pull to the right of the road as you top hills on gravel roads. There is always some jerk taking (in our area from Minnesota or Washington) his half out of the middle. Also slow down and pull a little to the right when meeting someone so you are not giving another guy rock chips. And my last one is don't stop on the road (to do what ever) right after a hill. Do it on some strait away.





"Let's keep things in perspective.I mean for Peet's sake there are kids in Africa that don't even hunt....hello" Jimmy Big Time

 

[middlefork]

There are other vehicles on dirt roads?
The way a lot of people drive they don't seem to think soX(
LOL

 

[Castnshoot]

Alot of people come out of the more urban areas. They don't know
proper dirt road edicate. It is just plain disrespectful to pass someone on a powdery dust road. There is a certain speed you should travel depending on the condition of the road.

If you see the guy coming up behind you is leaving a huge dust cloud because of excessive speed then no you have no obligation to let him pass so you can eat his dust. At least not until you are sure he has his panties in a wad. Then just smile and wave when he goes by. That really gets them.

 

[HorseCreek]

I always pull over for the vehicle behind me especially atv's. The dust is the one that pisses me off the most. Either on the wheeler or in my truck...I can't stand eating the dust of some D-bag that won't pull over.
Traditonal only >>>------->

 

[Lifetimehunter]

I always try to pull over asap to let people pass. But what gets to me is when they do pass and get just far enough past you too clear your car then pull over right in front of you and slow down.

 

[alp75]

I agree with the post, but unfortunately this little rant won't change a thing, cause all those that should pull over are one of 2 types of people.

1 Oblivious

2. Jerks that don't care

 

[Lifetimehunter]

Your right alp75, I think I'd rather talk about opening day fourth hunt in Co.

 

[Zeke]

>Alot of people come out of
>the more urban areas. They
>don't know
>proper dirt road edicate. It is
>just plain disrespectful to pass
>someone on a powdery dust
>road. There is a certain
>speed you should travel depending
>on the condition of the
>road.
>
>If you see the guy coming
>up behind you is leaving
>a huge dust cloud because
>of excessive speed then
>no you have no obligation
>to let him pass so
>you can eat his dust.
>At least not until you
>are sure he has his
>panties in a wad. Then
>just smile and wave when
>he goes by. That really
>gets them.



Dumb!

Regardless of the dust, the guy driving faster should be able to get past you. Why be a jerk about it? If you don't like dusty roads you should stay on the black top! Respectfully, my thoughts.

Most of the people who post on this site probably are NOT the problem drivers.

Zeke

 

[Deuce]

A dusty camp is the worst but, being courteous on the roads or around camps is just common sense that some people lack.

 

[IdahoSmitty]

I have another etiquete issue: The area I hunt has some roads that are very narrow. And when I come to a wider spot and need to let another truck by I will turn my lights off and leave my parking lights on so that my headlights are not shinning right into their eyes while they navigate around my truck. I cant stand it when I am going up the hill and a truck has pulled over for me and I have to drive around their truck with a huge cliff to my right. Kawboy, I dont think you were wrong but maybe flashing your lights at the rig would have clued the guy/gal in on the situation.

 

[eelgrass]

LAST EDITED ON Oct-03-10 AT 09:43PM (MST)[p]I was comming off the hill on a windy dirt road one day and I was in a big hurry for some reason. I don't remember why, as it was years ago. I came to a blind hard left turn and I was completely taking the left side of the road trying to straighten the curve out. (I did some stupid things when I was younger). Well it just so happened that an unloaded logging truck was comming up the hill going hell bent for leather. It also just so happened that he was completely on my side of the road, or what would have been my side of the road if I had been where I was supposed to be. It happened so fast we just passed each other like nothing happened. Neither one of us had time to react. After we passed I realized that if either one of us had been in the right place I would have been dead. I don't know what he thought.

One of those weird twists in life.

Eel

 

[RELH]

Sounds like you got behind a slob road hunter. They will not let you pass for fear you will get in front and see a deer before them and get a shot off.

Happens all the time here.

RELH

 

[B_BOP_A_LU_LU]

How bout the Lezbaru that doesn't want you to pass because they're afraid you'll leave some dust or Diesel ashes on their car?

I love not acting my age,
Damn I love my NASCAR race,
And Hell yes I love my Truck!

 

[EVILNR]

Here's an idea, if your always in a hurry.
Leave earlier, dont drive like an idiot and you'll
still get there. Lack of planning on your part does
not constitute an emergency for me.

 

[justr_86]

Does me driving a little faster than you make me more of a jackass than you with a line of trucks behind you?

 

[mywifeishotterthentiffany]

Justr +1



"Let's keep things in perspective.I mean for Peet's sake there are kids in Africa that don't even hunt....hello" Jimmy Big Time

 

[EVILNR]

OHHHHHH, now I understand.
Get out of "your" way.
I apologize, so sorry.

 

[Zeke]

>Here's an idea, if your always
>in a hurry.
>Leave earlier, dont drive like an
>idiot and you'll
>still get there. Lack of planning
>on your part does
>not constitute an emergency for me.
>
What a Putts!

Get the heck out of the way!
You may drive whatever speed you like but don't be a biotch to the rest of us.

PULL OVER YOU INCONSIDERATE TURD.

Who are you to tell someone to drive slower? I would NEVER tell you to drive faster. I'm only saying to just pull over and let someone past!

Try being a little less judgemental and a little more human!

Love, Zeke

 

[woodruffhunter]

I was driving on Ant Flat Road (near Hardware Hardware Ranch) a few months back. Its about a 13-15 mile strech of dirt road.
Myself, along with my wife and kids, get behind some low life kids. They are just crawling down the road. So I go to pass and they speed up. Then they would slow down again.

They finally get ahead of us and pull over. We give them a "what were you thinking look" and they stood there and flipped us off along with some other obnoxious things....

We just kept on going. I guess it was better not to start anything with my family there... There are a lot of pricks out there on the road. And I hate to admit that the majority reside in my home state of UTAH!!!

 

[rutnelk]

We had a problem similar to this on Saturday morning. It was about 45 minutes before light and we came up on a truck following a rhino going about 8 miles per hour (not an exaggeration). We assumed the two were together, but after following them for about a mile and a half, the truck pulled over to let us pass. The rhino continued on at 8 mph and would let us pass. We turned our high beams on so they would definitely know we were behind them; still no courtesy. After about 2 more miles we came to a wide spot in the road and tried to pass them. They cut us off and after we almost hit them the slammed on their breaks in the middle of the road. After a few choice words, they finally pulled over and let us pass. What a way to start a beautiful day in the mountains.

If they had just let us pass in the first place, we would have been miles ahead of them and our dust wouldn't have been an issue for very long.

I don't understand this mentality. Anytime someone comes up behind me, I pull over and let them pass. Mostly because I can't stand someone to be right behind me. If you want to go slow, go right ahead I don't think anyone cares about that. What they care about is having to ride behind you for miles when it would be very simple to pull over and let them go.

I too live in Utard nation.

 

[albubba]

I was riding in my rhino last week road hunting about 45 min before light when these guys came up behind me. Well I was there first so there was no way I was gonna let them past and scare all the deer. So I continued to drive smack dab in the middle of the road. Then these DBs tried to pass me, so I stopped and got off for a fight. Those chickens***s drove right passed. I guess they was scared. They guy on the passenger side looked like a big wuss.

 

[Zeke]

You tried to block them? Really?

You got out to fight? Really?

How old are you?

Think about it!

 

[albubba]

Sorry Zeke,
I forgot to mention that my post was tongue-in-cheek for rutnelks post. I was with rutnelk that morning. I am not confrontational. Although the guy driving the rhino probably did think the passenger was a wuss.

 

[NV4Life]

I can't belive I missed this post...

This is one of my biggest pet peeves ever! I know people have different comfort levels when it comes to driving on dirt roads. I have no problems driving fast if the conditions are right (probably comes from years of racing dirt bikes). But to not pull over when someone catches you is a di@k move; I don't care if you don't want to get your precious mall crawler dirty while you're towing your trailer full of rhinos. If someone pulls over I take it easy around them and do my best not to kick up dust, but if they insist on driving in the middle of the road at 10 mph I will have no issues going through the bar-ditch and dusting them to he!!. Its common curtsey, it's the same as not letting someone merge onto the freeway from an onramp.

 

[Zeke]

>Sorry Zeke,
>I forgot to mention that my
>post was tongue-in-cheek for rutnelks
>post. I was with rutnelk
>that morning. I am not
>confrontational. Although the guy driving
>the rhino probably did think
>the passenger was a wuss.
>

Now I feel stupid(er)! The joke went over my head! LOL

Sorry,
Zeke

 

[Utah400Elk]

Here is a little bit of a twist... What if the guy is simply trying to beat you to an elk you have seen and he hasn't?

This year while hunting a LE elk unit in Wyoming, my friends and I were told about a guy who (during the archery hunt) had chased elk through five different canyons and out of the unit. The guy was driving a quad and "was trying to get his girlfriend an elk". The "girl" was trying to get her first elk with a crossbow. I could not fathom a person chasing a herd of over 100 elk through five canyons (about four miles as a crow flies). My friends and I chalked it up to a new archer/hunter. I have always believed that if you bump elk to leave the area and not chase.

Fast forward about nine days. The last day of our archery hunt. We go to the top of a mountain and start glassing the valleys. We notice that shortly after day light there are two people on a quad racing up and down every ridge top. They are not spending any time glassing. I would guess not more than one minute at any one spot. I looked like they were rifle hunting and just trying to jump elk. My friends and I glassed for about 45 minutes before we found a solo elk (four miles away) in a great spot for a stalk. We started down the ridge in a truck to get to about 1 1/2 mile before striking out on foot. Our mistake was we were more than a little excited about the size of the bull and the conditions for the stalk. The two on the quad took notice!

As we were driving down the ridge and about half way down the quad races up behind us. The quad has a crossbow on the front and the rear passenger was a girl. When we got to a sage flat the guy and girl zip past us by ridding through the sage. It was clear they were just trying to beat us down the hill. Long story short we figure the morning hunt is a bust and start out. We end up driving by the guy and girl. The guy parks within 100 yards (direct line of sight) of the bull and he is racing off up the hill with crossbow chasing off towards where the elk ran. The girl is still at the quad.

We find the guys truck a little later (we had seen him park). My friends and I put two and two together and call game and fish. Turns out the guy is from Rock Springs and was trying to "get" his wife her first elk with a crossbow. He is a known poacher and the game and fish are watching him. He was hunting on his wife's tag. We saw him twice on the rifle hunt by himself with a gun. The Wyoming game and fish were always within about 1/2 mile from the guy. This was the same guy trying to get his girl an elk that had chased the elk out of the unit previously.

I guess it was karma because my friend took his biggest bull to date on the opening day of rifle, a 340 class 6 x6. The elk was shot within 200 yards of where the guy parked his quad during the archery hunt.

I am all for dirt road etiquette but this was a circumstance wherein somebody was simply breaking the law and used his quad to race around us. We later went to where the two were parked during the archery hunt and you could not see where the elk had been from his glassing spot.

Note: For the guy in the maroon Chevrolet with the 4 county truck plate and a green polaris quad that is hunting around little mountain with his wife?s tag, just thought you should know that your plate, quad description, rifle and crossbow description has been given to the Green River game warden. They know who you are and are watching you. Also it was a good idea you did not do anything to our truck on opening day of rifle. Both the game and fish and we were watching you. That was almost your second biggest mistake

 

[mtmiller]

>Alot of people come out of
>the more urban areas. They
>don't know
>proper dirt road edicate. It is
>just plain disrespectful to pass
>someone on a powdery dust
>road. There is a certain
>speed you should travel depending
>on the condition of the
>road.

Thanks goodness we have this clown dictating proper "editate" and speed. What a joke.

 

[NotNew]

I think we all know that the faster you drive on nasty bumpy washboard dirt roads the smoother the ride is. If you are going slow you bottom in every bump.

People who have driven on dirt their whole lives and are comfortable with it go MUCH faster than people who drive on dirt once or twice a year.

If people who don't feel comfortable driving fast would just pull over then the dust from the faster drivers would quickly dissipate as they will quickly pull much further ahead.

When someone comes up on you, just pull over at the first available spot and let them by, get it over with....can't we all just get along .

Seriously.. I try to adjust my schedule so I am traving earlier or later than most drivers to avoid the traffic on those nastier dirt roads.

 

[bearman]

God this is a good topic. Just last year a guy went around my home town bad mouthing me because he said I road his azz all the way up the mountain until he moved over. He said I woke up late and then wanted to get there first. When I heard this I called this bar fly and was so pissed I couldn't talk strait. It wasn't even me it was my uncle, I was the second truck back. But this jack azz was going five miles an hour up the hill. My uncle had to ride his butt for a long time before he would pull over and let us pass. I hate it when people have no respect to pull over and let the faster pass.