Honestly I feel like you and try not to do anything at that time of year to interfere with hunters out there. I know I don't like it. 

But, there are tons of people out there making noise and participating in other sorts of recreation. I run into people shooting, cutting firewood, or just zooming around making noise. In reality once you are a couple hundred yards off the road and heading further back in I don't think it affects anything at all. At least in most cases.

You will have these type of problems no matter where you go or what time of year it is. How about the hunters that don't sight their rifles in until 6pm the night before the hunt starts and they do it where they are camped at on the mountain. You also have to figure that the person that was shooting may not of known that he was in a area that someone was bow hunting in. I know that the area that I target shoot in is not very far from some good hunting areas and I am sure that you can hear the shots while you are in the hunting area. The big thing is that I wouldn't worry too much about it. Deer and elk are used to all kinds of noises and while if it is close enough they may be startled and ran off by it. But if it is far enough away they may not even care anything about it.

That's a tough question.  I'm all about courtesy when enjoying the outdoors, whether that's hunting, hiking, fishing, backpacking, etc.  Unfortunately, the courtesy I try to expend to others insn't returned most of the time.  When possible, I prefer to hunt in areas that have few others in the field.

I too try to not to disrupt other's seasons.  But I wouldn't expect most others to extend this same courtesy.

I hunt where illegals are crossing the border and dopers are backpacking loads of dope in.
I try to avoid them all but chances are I will not see another hunter only people committing illegal activities and their pursuers. Make for some interesting times. As for courtesy, I try to extend it but don't expect it in return.

Great replies.  I understand that a public area may be the only area possible for sighting in a ML but as a hunter I would not be doing so on opening day in an area that other hunters are trying to fill their tag.  I just think that would be common sense.  Go earlier or go elsewhere for sighting in.

So, I would hike in deeper if it were an option.  However, many of the places I am trying to hunt in my deer unit this year are small chunks of public land intermixed with private.  As soon as I think I am getting in deep enough to get away from some of the people, I am already coming out the other side.  I knew that was the problem with this unit before applying for this tag.

For the non-hunting crowd, I don't expect any kind of hunting-related courtesy.  In fact, I don't really expect much in terms of general manners or good behavior in an outdoor setting from the non-hunting crowd at all.  For hunters, I guess I hope that they know better.  I tend to hold hunters to a higher standard of behavior, regardless of if that double-standard makes sense or not.  

might have been intentional to scare game away. This fellow might plan to hunt that area in a late blackpowder season and was doing his best to make sure no deer were killed there opening day....

Personally, i would try to steer clear of the area.  However, I won't fault someone for doing something that they are well within their right, lawfully, to do.  Our decision to pursue game is not any more or less important than his/her right to practice their activities on public land.

Common sense would say to wait, or find another place, but whose to say he didn't try?

Good thread, I look at these kinda of things as what makes it hunting and not shooting. There are always unknown variables and challenges to deal with it. A few years ago I was hunting from a ground blind in a state park in NY when a hiker walking a dog walked past and her dog began to sniff me. I politely informed her that I was there even though she was slightly startled to hear a voice having not noticed me sitting there she asked me not to arrow her dog and walked off nonchanlantly down the hill.  About an hour later as it was just getting dark I see her trotting back past me again even though it was a round about way for to get back!! I'm still not sure if see was dumb, impolite, or both!