TOO Waterfowl Chronicles

[bowhunter1023]

Started back the trail to the blind this morning and met my buddy halfway. He drops a bomb: "There are guys setting up right by the second blind." I asked if they were in a boat knowing that was unlikely and sure enough, they came in from the other side. (I'm certain they don't have permission to park where they did.) So I throw on my waders and head out to confront them. Four guys from Noble County who just got permission yesterday. Despite knowing someone else had permission, they decided to get right to hunting.

Guy says "first one here gets to hunt" to which I replied: "Had I known I was in a race this morning, you'd be headed back to Noble County." I was starting to lose my composure and decided to cut the conversation short and left. I contemplated calling the law as they don't have written permission, just verbal. Decided starting a pissing match wasn't a good idea just yet. They apparently know the LOs nephew real well, which is how they got permission. We've hunted there for 3 years and these ass wipes made it their own in 24 hours. Just ain't how you go about it in my book.

So after fighting off tears of frustration, cussing a lot, considering ruining thwir morning by high balling and shooting at every duck within a mile, we left for breakfast. After steak, eggs, coffee and a healthy grumpy, I decided to put rubber to the road. 90 minutes later we were watching 46-48 mallards and 2 drake pintails float on a pond that we should be able to get on. We'll know for sure Monday. Its got crop fields adjacent to it and is within eye sight of the river. In reality, it is better than our blind.

Fingers crossed that our shitty morning leads to a great discovery.

 

[rsmith]

Started back the trail to the blind this morning and met my buddy halfway. He drops a bomb: "There are guys setting up right by the second blind." I asked if they were in a boat knowing that was unlikely and sure enough, they came in from the other side. (I'm certain they don't have permission to park where they did.) So I throw on my waders and head out to confront them. Four guys from Noble County who just got permission yesterday. Despite knowing someone else had permission, they decided to get right to hunting.

Guy says "first one here gets to hunt" to which I replied: "Had I known I was in a race this morning, you'd be headed back to Noble County." I was starting to lose my composure and decided to cut the conversation short and left. I contemplated calling the law as they don't have written permission, just verbal. Decided starting a pissing match wasn't a good idea just yet. They apparently know the LOs nephew real well, which is how they got permission. We've hunted there for 3 years and these ass wipes made it their own in 24 hours. Just ain't how you go about it in my book.

So after fighting off tears of frustration, cussing a lot, considering ruining thwir morning by high balling and shooting at every duck within a mile, we left for breakfast. After steak, eggs, coffee and a healthy grumpy, I decided to put rubber to the road. 90 minutes later we were watching 46-48 mallards and 2 drake pintails float on a pond that we should be able to get on. We'll know for sure Monday. Its got crop fields adjacent to it and is within eye sight of the river. In reality, it is better than our blind.

Fingers crossed that our shitty morning leads to a great discovery.

Dang man, that must have sucked to come to that this morning. Sometimes it's hard to take the high road in the heat of the moment it's hard too but it seams like it worked out for the better. I do believe though that if you know someone is hunting a spot you should try and contact them to see if/when they would be their and the way they did it was wrong. Shoot he should have just said " why don't we just both hunt this spot?" I would contact the LO though to make sure they do have permission though just to make sure

 

[Carpn]

That sucks man. But its pretty common in the waterfowl world . I get back doored and beat to spots every season . If I think its possible I occasionally ask for exclusive permission . Doesn't always happen but sometimes it works out . If i don't have exclusive permission and theres a bunch of birds there and I don't have a good plan b and plan c spot I get there super early and hope I don't see lights there already. If i get beat I'll touch base and move on . If I'm the first one there I expect the other group to offer the same respect. It surely sucks when you get backdoored.




I didn't hunt this morning instead I opted to wait till this evening and goose hunt . I didn't know what to expect with conditions being poor but we tried anyways since theres been a few snow geese in there . Well , the geese never came and we got skunked. Maybe next time .

 

[bowhunter1023]

They did offer to let us hunt with them, but 7 guns in that spot is 3 too many. Rarely do birds come in groups bigger than 4-5. I'll be calling the landowner on Monday, if not tomorrow. I will be "that guy" and lease it if I have to.

 

[rsmith]

They did offer to let us hunt with them, but 7 guns in that spot is 3 too many. Rarely do birds come in groups bigger than 4-5. I'll be calling the landowner on Monday, if not tomorrow. I will be "that guy" and lease it if I have to.

Ohh, I gottcha. Yeah in a situation like that then I wouldn't want to share either. And if it is that good of a spot and you guys have been their for that long I don't think the LO will have a problem with some cash in the pot for a exclusive access spot

 

[Curran]

I had a spot that exclusively mine for the past 6 years. Guess what? Somebody else got permission this year. Does it suck? Yep. But it's the stuff that you're going to have to get used to dealing with. I pulled in next to the guy, talked to him, exchanged numbers and things are fine. In fact, I don't think there will be much of a conflict at all.

Chances are that if a LO gives you permission, they'll also give it to somebody else. It is what it is.

Just have fun and don't let that stuff get under your skin.

 

[Boarhead]

Yea that sucks Jesse but like Curran said don't let it eat at you or pretty soon it won't be fun anymore.

 

[bowhunter1023]

You guys have to understand where I'm coming from to see my perspective. I've never shared primary hunting ground with anyone. In my life. Ever. Only place I've ever had shared permission was when Greg and I hunted the same farm together and it was more or less a free for all. I've been spoiled to date. I also have an expectation of how things should work. IMO, these guys fell well short of that.

I'll get over it and it'll work out, or it won't. I do know this, we'll own a boat before next season. No if, ands or buts about it.

 

[Milo]

Sorry Jesse... That's hunting in ohio. And the exact reason I quit.. The hunting isn't that good and there aren't that many birds or spots. Burned a lot of gas doing that shit for just a few birds. Deer taste better anyway

 

[jagermeister]

You guys have to understand where I'm coming from to see my perspective. I've never shared primary hunting ground with anyone. In my life. Ever. Only place I've ever had shared permission was when Greg and I hunted the same farm together and it was more or less a free for all. I've been spoiled to date. I also have an expectation of how things should work. IMO, these guys fell well short of that.

I'll get over it and it'll work out, or it won't. I do know this, we'll own a boat before next season. No if, ands or buts about it.

I don't know man. Duck and goose hunting is just different. Everywhere I've ever waterfowl hunted in this state, or out of state for that matter, it's been every man for himself. Unless you're paying money there's usually no such thing as exclusive duck hunting rights. It's just a matter of getting permission and being the first ones there. Let's be honest, it was only a matter of time before someone else moved in on you in that river spot. It's just the way it goes man. It fuckin sucks... no doubt about it... but it happens and you move on. Like Jake said, getting beat and getting back-doored is commonplace up here. Duck hunting is not like deer hunting. When it comes to hunting deer, it behooves you to contact the other guy with permission because if you're not on the same page you risk pushing the deer out of the area. With ducks, they're either there or they're not... and if you're not there when they're there you're missing out. So... if you get permission, even after someone else already has, you go hunt that spot when you see an opportunity. Period. I personally don't feel like those Noble County guys did anything wrong. I know that's not what you want to hear but seriously, what did they do? They located a spot, tracked down the LO and got permission, and set up to hunt. Hopefully, for your sake, they ended up having a shitty hunt and they'll be less inclined to make that drive in the future.

 

[bowhunter1023]

What they did wrong IMO is not trying to contact the people who already had permission. Maybe in the world of waterfowl that is acceptable. In my opinion, it is disrespectful. It's called common courtesy. I wouldn't have hunted there until I had made attempts to track down the people who already had permission.

If what I'm suppose to learn from this is that I need to leave respect and politeness at the door to hunt when/where I want, I can do that. It's just not how I like to do things normally. I've always disliked the "assholish" nature of waterfowl and I'm not looking forward to getting wrapped up in it.

 

[JOHNROHIO]

Jim and jake nailed it, sucks but it is what it is. You just gotta have back up spots, hell we cover ground in 4 county's up here, and burn alot of fuel keeping up with scouting between us.

 

[bowhunter1023]

I don't have back up spots for lack of effort. I've burned a ton of gas in the past two years look for places. So far I'm 1 for 21 on private ground. If I get these 2 spots I'm eyeballing, I'll have 4 spots and 3 will be public with 2 of those being on the other side of the river. I'm shelling out $132 on Monday so I can hunt WV.

 

[Bigslam51]

I had a spot that exclusively mine for the past 6 years. Guess what? Somebody else got permission this year. Does it suck? Yep. But it's the stuff that you're going to have to get used to dealing with. I pulled in next to the guy, talked to him, exchanged numbers and things are fine. In fact, I don't think there will be much of a conflict at all.

Chances are that if a LO gives you permission, they'll also give it to somebody else. It is what it is.

Just have fun and don't let that stuff get under your skin.

X2. I don't have any spots exclusively too myself. Count yourself lucky for not having to share with anyone else for all these years.

 

[Milo]

I don't have back up spots for lack of effort. I've burned a ton of gas in the past two years look for places. So far I'm 1 for 21 on private ground. If I get these 2 spots I'm eyeballing, I'll have 4 spots and 3 will be public with 2 of those being on the other side of the river. I'm shelling out $132 on Monday so I can hunt WV.

Up here, we had a standing courtesy that if a guy had a field, we all respected that and moved on. That only lasted about a 5 years and that went away when the newbies showed up. If a guy had a hot field and I had the field next to him. He called and invited me knowing they would bounce and return of that favor would only be a few days away. You Never even crossed our minds to go ask where other people were hunting.

 

[Mao]

That sucks Jesse, but it happens. The way it is around here is whoever gets there first hunts it. That's why you have to get set super early if you got a hot spot. Waterfowl is cutthroat. If I get permission somewhere, I don't worry about who else has it or has had it. No one else does either. Just the way it is. I don't feel like I am disrespecting someone else, nor do I when I get beat to a field. Nature of the beast I am afraid. Like you said though, when you get your boat you will have to deal with it a lot less. My uncle has been known to pull darn near all nighters to hold a spot if need be. It does suck though when you have put the time and effort into a spot like you have.

 

[Mao]

Hunted the Ohio for the first time this year today. It was pretty slow but we saw birds. They just didn't want to cooperate. We had lots of small groups cup up, swing past then land 50 yards from the decoys then float away. We only scratched out two birds. One of which was a black hybrid. The pic is of my buddy 2 mins before he face planted in 2 feet of water picking up decoys. After we made sure he was okay, we laughed hysterically.

 

[Kaiser878]

Jesse.....

Welcome to the world of waterfowl. Its every man for himself. Knock down drag out. How can u get one up on the next guy. There is no etiquette when it comes to arriving at a spot. I've slept in my truck..... set up decoys at midnight. And slept till 2 and got on my blind and finished sleeping there. Just to prove a point.......

Just last week Brett and I were gonna hunt a field close to home. Got there... guys were setting up..... me being the hot head I am..... I said fuck it....I talked him into going across the river and stood in the over grown field the birds were flying over when they left their roost. The field thwy were landing in was about a mile from where they were roosting.

Dick move? Sure was..... but guess what..... its the way it goes. They packed up at 9...... the funny thing was the birds didn't fly till 10. They wouldn't have killed anything anyway because they were dumb asses.......

There is no rules on who shows up first.

In waterfowl.....that's the name of the game. Getting there first.

 

[GoetsTalon]

We would battle all the time on the bay. Sometimes we would have to spend the night to be first. Guys got pissed and would run through the middle of our layout spread like it wasn't there. Then we started talking about skipping deer slugs off the water and sinking boats and i knew my days as a duck hunter were growing to a close lol!!!!

 

[Boarhead]

Dam n this bird hunting sounds like it is for the birds.Seems like their are a bunch of Douchecanoes doing it.lmao