weed plantation in National Forest????

[Ranger Al]

I guess everyone have their favorite spot to hunt. I personally, hunt in National Forest in California it is about 45 minutes drive from where I live. I only heardd about it on the local news that the cops are raiding weed plantation (the illegal ciggarette). I didn't pay any attention to water holes running from the side of the moutain to where ever it lead to. I just know the place is loaded with deer and squirrels! I normally get my limit withing a few hours and if I am lucky I would get to tage my deer too!

The other day I shared my spot with a relatives and he too got his limit and decided to explore the area. He claimed he came across a garden where people pants marijauna (not sure of the spelling). He said, he could see that the irrigation holes lead to the garden and luckily it have been harvested and he didn't get to see any plant but could see that they left the stump onto the ground. This got me really wonders if I should go there myself or continue hunting at the same place.

Anyone have any suggestion? Get a hold of the Game warren? I am not sure if I want to go there anylonger. I am wondering if he is pulling my leg cause it is such a good spot or he is telling hte truth. I've always told to stay the "hell" away from the place if I seen such. I am not sure my relative is trying to give me a scare for my spot or he is telling the truth. I want to go and find out myself, but certainly don't want to tangle with the people who do their garden there. I am sure they are fully armed.

any sugguestion would be appreciated..

Ranger Al

[PT111]

First notify the police. They may already be aware of it since it has been harvested but let them know about it. Second keep your butt away from it and if you run across another one be careful getting away from it. Around here they are fairly common in National Forests and are usually booby trapped with deadly accuracy. If you run across the "farmer" tending his crop most will not hesitate to eliminate you.

[davlandrum]

Might be one of those great urban myths, but I "heard on the internet" (OK, so now I just figured out it is probably a myth...) that a Forest Service (or was it DEA...or FBI) helicopter got shot down by growers in Northern Cali several years ago.

Several years ago I had the opportunity to guide some rafts on the Klamath and there were guys in the river working their gold claims. The way they looked at you as you were just floating by thier claim, they would probably shoot you if you stopped the raft :eek:. And I doubt anyone would ever find you.

That was the only place I was ever really nervous about people "in the woods". I always wondered how many of them had little gardens just beyond the river bank and a gold claim was just a good reason to be armed and dangerous.

Meth labs are also bad news in the woods. If you encounter chemical containers, etc - get the heck out and report it. The crude they use to make meth is everything bad - toxic, flamable, probably causes male baldness as well.

[Mannlicher]

Meth labs, ganja gardens and moonshiners. The woods are full of them these days.
A prudent fellow carries all the time, even in the wilderness. Don't forget those awarness skills either.

[BIGR]

Lots of wacky weed grown on government land. Watch out for any traps and watch for the meth crazies. In my neck of the woods your liable to find a moonshine still while out and about. You never know who you are going to run into in the woods.

[Yellowfin]

+1 for packing at all times when out in forests or along rivers fishing.

[SavageSniper]

The Meth labs are soo bad around here that a Deputy Sheriff told me in his on words " we see a mushroom cloud from an explosion nowadays we just finish our lunch first then ease over to check it out" Pot fields are not that common since most of it is grown inside houses. If I was to come up on a pot field on public land I would be very carefull and get out of Dodge. If they are stupid enough to grow it on public property then they are crazy enough to try and shoot you. Private property would be a different story. Either you have permission to be there and you know who's crop it is or you do not have permission to be there and now you have a death wish. Public land- Call the cops and maybe get a reward.

[Ranger Al]

It is really ashamed, cause thats my favorite spot. The only place there is water. Lots of wildlifes go there for water and I guessed growers uses the water for their crop! I'll have to get together with the Game Warden and draw him a map and ask him to check it out. Thanks for the advice fellas!

Al

[biglabsrule]

man that's to crazy, I live in Upstate NY and have heard of people growing marijuana on state land but never came across it. I don't think it's worth killing over, but you are alone in the remote fringes, would be a scarry situation.

I'd just leave(same way you came to find the crop, as you don't want to run into boobytraps or whatever) and stear clear. If the crop was already harvested I would think they wouldn't come back untill the spring right? They must harvest it sometime in the fall, before snow for sure. maybe wait untill say november to go there from now on?

[PT111]

You may not think it's worth killing over but there are plenty that do. Several years ago my next door neighbor went missing. About three months later they found him stuffed in the trunk of an abandoned car.

[davlandrum]

I would not think that people who go far enough over the line to grow or manufacture drugs would worry about killing someone if they thought the operation was in danger.

[SavageSniper]

I agree with Davlandrum

[Fat White Boy]

Out here in Calfornia, the Mexican Mafia is usually responsible for the Marijuana being grown in the National Forests, although some of the locals get involved. Usually they are spotted by helicopters flying over the areas, looking for them....

[CamoCop]

notify local law enforcement

[Double Naught Spy]

Stoned deer are easier to hunt, I understand. It could still be your favorite hunting spot.

Do notify the local police. Your local growers are not interested in your safety or being caretakers of your hunting spot. In other words, they are not good neighbors and are not good custodians of nature. They are there for a profit and you, as a hunter, may be a threat to their profit which means you are a threat to them. That isn't good.

[C Philip]

A bit off topic maybe, but what kind of traps are likely around such an area? What should you be on the look out for if you come across a drug plantation? Pungee pits? Home made land mines? Trip wires that fire a hidden gun? I want to know what I should be especially careful of in case I come across something like this when hunting.

[buzz_knox]

A bit off topic maybe, but what kind of traps are likely around such an area?

The ones I've heard of include bear traps, trip wires to crossbows, punji sticks, and the like. Generally, whatever can cause injury/death without attracting a lot of attention.

[Ranger Al]

called the local Sheriff detective, he is going to check it out and give me a call back. Although, he said there are garden everywhere in the National Forest and he was at the area a few months ago and didnd't see anything weir about the place. What scared me the most are the booby traps and the grower. A local local Warden warned me that these people do not have concern to law enforcements and Game warden have been shot at a few years ago. I guessed thats why Fish and Game warden carry automatic rifle as well as their shotgun and sidearm.

[glockman19]

Call LEO. If you have GPS get location. Beware of Bobby traps. Take along a AR just in case the crazies try to mess with you.