Hunters Etiquette! Why me?

[Finlander]

I must attract the dumbest hunters imaginable! I get to a public WMA at 4:30am so I could get the best spot in the area! I set up my 40+ Canada goose decoys that I hauled in on my deer cart and was all set up in no time. Go and get the blind set up and wait an hour and 1/2 to shooting time. Well at 5:30 I see a car pull up to the parking area and a few minutes later I see a flashlight shining coming in my diresction. So I pull out my 1 million candlepower flashlight to let this so-called hunter that I am here. Well he proceeds to go on the other side of the field and sets up 100 yards away directly downwind from our blinds and in line form where we would be shooting when the geese come in. So I walk half way across the field and ask him if he would like to join us to hunt in the better spot rather than him getting hit by T-shot that my buddy is shooting and he didn't reply or anything so I tell him we are going to shoot in his direction when they come in and sure enough here comes 3 geese directly in line of the dumb-hunter so we did't shoot until the geese were off to the side a little and were able to drop only one rather than all three if we would have shot where we should have, but you can't teach stupid! I must attract

"Dum Hunters"!!!

[hunter322]

thas the problem with public land, everyone and their brother is out there. and with the numbers come he idiots and people who dont care about anyone else but them. heck even where i deer hun on my dads property we have to deal with this. for instance: my dad owns 40 acres and care takes another 20. of which about 90% of it is fields. so we hunt the edges. i have my treestand a few feet from our property line and have had it there for like 8 years. then 3 or 4 years ago a tree stand shows up on the neighbors property less then 20 yards from mine. grant it i cant tell him he cant hunt there but come on, have a little respect and comon sense! just goes to show ya they are everywhere.

[TruthWalleyes]

I gave up hunting ducks/geese on public land for this reason, the other reason was BB's...which are pretty much the same senario.

I will float rivers and hunt private only, and the 2-4 days of hunting I do all season now, compared to the 3 times a week i used to do is much more enjoyable IMO. I used to be Gun-Ho about ducks/geese, but too many instances that keep me away from the busy public lands full of people that you mention.

[jonboatjunkie]

I can totally relate to you, Finlander! I was hunting some public land south of the Metro area Sunday evening. We had our decoys set out and the boat blind in position and had been hunting for over an hour. About 3 hours before shooting time ends, a group of three guys show up and start throwing decoys out only 100 yards from where we were. It was a large area to hunt but they decided to hunt really close to us. It ruined our hunt because they had way more decoys than we did so all the geese that came by naturally went to them. Another thing that made me mad was that they didn't care where they were shooting to get a goose. The first one they shot, they were shooting in our direction. We had to take cover just in case we got pelted. Luckily that didn't happen.

I don't know why hunters can't be courteous and ethical. I think it was a dad with his two teenage boys out hunting. We could hear everything they were saying. They didn't know how to be quiet. IMO, the dad should have said to his boys, "Since this spot is already taken, let's find another place to hunt. " But obviously he doesn't have any ethics and that only teaches his boys the same thing. I would hunt strictly private land if I had access to any...but I don't. So, I'm stuck having to put up with moronic people that care for nothing but themselves. It's sad...

Not everyone is like that. Unfortunately, it only takes a very few to ruin things for the many.

[Finlander]

There should be something said about ethical hunting and safe hunting distances between hunters in the regulations but I don't think they want to otherwise they would lose valuable ad space!

[Scott M]

It happens guys. As long as we're venting, it happened to me on Labor Day. Got out there at 4:00 a.m., set up at legal hours. And right at legal hours 2 guys take the point 70 yards opposite us and cut off half the flocks headed our ways. We killed 4 birds that were in range, they crippled 2 and sky busted and missed about 4 others. They also had the audacity to tell me to "J.C., control your dog!" when during a slow spell I let her chase off a couple teal from the decoys. You get all types, but it won't stop me from hunting public. It happens at sporting events, parking lots, malls...any public place really. If you love something enough, you put up with faults and I love fowling enough to put up with the bozos.

[kgpcr4]

You cant fix stupid. What a bunch of jerks

[Stringerless!]

Oh the stories I could tell you about CarlosAvery !

[goblueM]

plenty of stories like that from public land...

what bothers me the most about your story is that you were real nice and offered to hunt together, which usually ends up being beneficial to both parties, and they gave you the cold shoulder

[bobbymalone]

Oh the stories I could tell you about CarlosAvery !

you should try rice lake in the mvnwf near savage. try early season, when its still warm and on a saturday morning. you are certain to see some jack hole moves, so i just accept part of the blame for choosing to hunt there. i prefer to go elsewhere and my buddy has access to some private land.

in addition to jack holes, you might get treated to a real life maroon as well. My favorite story, I was pass shooting a little strip of land next to the lake and I see a guy come out in a full on sprint with a 10 gauge for about 100 yards to get a clear shot at a group of swans. I started yelling, "SWAN! SWAN!" but he emptied his gun on them. Fortunately, they were cruising at the edge of outer space and his shot fell several miles short. On the way out, after shooting time, when I walk by this guy and his son still hunting I asked him if he knew those were swans. He just looked at me like I was speaking Latin.

[squeeb27]

My pops and I were out at Pelican Lake two years ago Sunday opening weekend. We decided to pack up following a dismal hunt. We came into the landing and there stood the CO, after checking us out another guy comes in. I would like to thank this guy for paying a lot of money to conservation. He had no license, no stamps, was boating with loaded uncased guns, possessing lead, no plug, and the last shell in his gun when the CO unloaded it was a slug. Needless to say I was pretty shocked, how did you not notice you loaded a slug.

[Stringerless!]

I@ Bobby, I have hunted there although I think it was over 25 years ago. @ Squeeb, I remember reading that story in the cuffs and collars ! Believe it or not I kinda enjoy the carnival scene on public land. Watching the fools gives me something to do when nothing is flying. I have only had to pack up and leave from there once in 15 years.

[YoMan]

Something crappy happened to my dad this Sunday that reminded me about this thread...

Two honkers come in and he downed the first one. Another group of hunters down the river connected with the second one, but my lab went after the 2nd one (theirs). So the guy comes over and grabs the one my dog brought in, and another guy in their group wades out and grabs the one my dad had shot.. They kept both of em without even saying a word.

My dad actually kept his composure and didn't go off on them, due to doctor's orders but really? At least they should of thanked my ol man and lab...