I’ve been lucky. The only complaint I’ve ever had was “haven’t you got your 4 contacts yet?” Fair enough, it was a bit chilly 
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And it was your xyl, wansn’t it?
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Andy @G8CPZ answered the question for me in his following post, but I’ll respond anyway. Yes, I consider working CW less impacting than voice modes because the operator remains totally silent. Thanks to working CW with earbuds, I’ve had the pleasure to witness wild life righ in front of me while I was making QSOs. This has happenned in at least 3 occasions and it would have never happenned should I had been shouting out loud to the microphone, as I usually do.
73,
Guru
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This! 
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Wild life, yeah, me too - a clegg (horsefly) determined to bite my bare legs whilst I was trying to key.
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And she still is 
though some winter SOTA trips test her endurance (with me, not the walk)
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Oh, well. When I wrote my post I was about to add an “insects excluded” note because I knew there would be people referring to them as wild life, which they actually are, but less enjoyable than seeing a female wild boar with her 4 little piggies or a big male wild boar (about 100Kg) with impressive teeth or having a beautiful little weasel coming close to me to see what I was doing.
The wild boars may seem scary to someone, but I never felt scared of them at all, rather delighted with the privilege of seeing them so close to me in their own environment.
73,
Guru
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I thought that was probably your point. You may find this odd, but in my experience animals and birds tend not panic at the sound of a human voice, though often they will pause and look. It is movement that causes them to flee. I remember one occasion when a vole was scurrying around my feet and at one point actually ran over my foot. I called it a silly b****r when it did that, but it ignored my voice as it had my operating - but it was off like a streak of lightning when I reached for my camera (probably looking for its agent!) Another occasion I was looking over a gate at the view while talking to my XYL when a muntjac deer ambled past, and again only ran when one of us moved. For me it is one of the regular pleasures of SOTA when my stillness emboldens wildlife to show itself, and I only operate on phone.
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Sounds like the plot of an episode of Scooby Doo. All we need is some “pesky kids” 
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Gerald and I have had a few… foremost in my mind is on Cuilags, GM/SI-097 on Hoy where having struggled up the incredibly long and steep heather-covered flank of the hill we were greeted with the severe displeasure of a couple who had already laid claim to the summit and thought it disgraceful that anyone else should dare climb it… and that was before we set up our stations! I’m sure Gerald better remembers details of a few more…
73 Paul G4MD
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Well surprisingly few actually. In respect of the Cuilags incident I recall the phrase being, “we thought we’d have the summit to ourselves”. I was tempted to ask what they thought they’d get up to, but thought better of it.
The only other significant incident was on Y Garn GW/NW-004 when a hill runner started gobbing off about technology in the wilderness. It was lunch time and there were at least 20 people on the summit at the time and with one accord they all told him to shut up and go away… which he actually did, thank goodness. There have been a couple of instances when people have thought we were leaving our antenna installations at the summit, which were easy to counter.
The flip side to this is the level of interest generally that has been expressed by members of the public. Several times I’ve been asked to take my headphones off and turn the volume up so the other side of the QSO could be heard. A guy on Great Gable G/LD-005 was especially interested, as was a lady on Seatallan G/LD-025 who asked me if she could join me in the summit shelter and when I suggested that I move out to finish off my activation would have none of it, saying she wanted to listen to the conversation.
.
As for wildlife, I’ve found birds in particular very inquistive. My activation of Shobden Hill G/WB-017 stands out as I recall having to turn the volume up in my headphones as I couldn’t hear the incoming audio because of the chattering of the Long-Tailed Tits in the bushes around me.
73, Gerald
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If I wasn’t so polite (and wanting to preserve the good image of our hobby) I would have been tempted to throw that remark back at them by saying “Yeah, so were we”.
No doubt standing there wearing his hi-tech running clothes and running shoes with mobile phone in his back pocket. What a hypocrite!
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+1 for that. Often spent a few mins explaining to people about SOTA and Amateur Radio in general. People seem genuinely interested.
I’ve only had one person disgruntled at coming across my Radio paraphernalia.
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Agree with this. Have had some great conversations about amateur radio whilst doing SOTA and other portable activities. Maybe not everyone has been impressed, but many have genuinely seemed interested.
A Slim Jim on a 4m pole aroused no negative comments on Stiperstones today, including from any chasers.
A couple of people came over to ask what I was up to but they were just the usual interested passers by.
There’s a noticeboard at the start of the path by the car park and I couldn’t see any mention of any prohibited activities or bylaws.
On pole bank this morning, 2 people on a bobcat thing bombed past me on the gravel path just as I was packing up, no comments/queries from them either.
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Same happened to me yesterday. Young female Ranger with greyhound told me to remove the mast and gear because I didn’t have permission and it’s against the bylaws on a site of scientific interest. Plus it encourages people to put up tents and destroy the area. Apparently she had come across several SOTA activators in the past.
I asked her would it be ok to use the rocks or the worn area near them but again her answer was no. Yet at the same time several dogs were roaming free, people climbing the rocks and a bloke relieving himself in the heather.
Next time I’ll take a backpack antenna and see what happens.
Neil G0WPO
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Stiperstones is covered by Natural England, see:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/shropshires-national-nature-reserves/shropshires-national-nature-reserves
From the “Stiperstones” section:
“Recreational events such as orienteering, mountain biking and rock climbing are by permit only.”
I think Shropshire Wildlife Trust have some involvement in managing it too, and they do own some of the land on and around the ridge (eg Nipstone Rock reserve on the southern end of the ridge). The wardens may be SWT employees / volunteers.
From earlier discussions on the Reflector, I haven’t refered to “SOTA” on the rare occasions that I’ve been challenged (never on Stiperstones), I’ve simply explained that it is “amateur radio” which is, after all, what I am doing at the time.
Happily, Stiperstones has excellent take off, and can be easily qualified using a hand-held radio on VHF / UHF at most times.
Edit: I haven’t personally tried to get a permit, but I have operated amateur radio from Stiperstones summit as part of events organised by others, so it may be quite straightforward to get permission if you particularly want to use a larger antenna…
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So much misinformation seems to be given by those involved. The curlew issue is one such aspect. Breeding curlews have declined because of agricultural improvements, mainly draining wet pastures. Nothing was done to stop this and grants were given to undertake the work. We have the same situation here in mid Wales. The idea that this horrendous decline can resolved by hounding a few radio hams is manifestly ludicrous. Those in NE who sat back and let the drainage happen are the real culprits.
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Probably the same one,Follow ZL4NVW’s course of action. Ask for the specific reasons and ask for name, rank and serial number and manager’s name.
The right of way is still available and not included, operate from there.
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