Sponsors should be screened. I see Banded as a sponsor on Waterfowl.

[johnnyaustin44]

Its because they are tying up land that is open to the public that is the main issue I believe.  eliminating spots the average Joe can show up and hunt. diminishing opportunity for a lot of waterfowlers that don't have the time or opportunity to secure private spots.

[h2ofowlr]

Christian,
When we talk about leasing, it wasn’t something I wanted or planned on doing.  I was lucky enough to have several of the farmers call and let me know that someone was offering them payment for my spots.  You got it, the guide service.  So, my hand shake, a few smoked salmon and a little work on the farm got expensive really quick.  So, in order to continue the tradition that started with my great grandfather, grandfather and father, like yourself, I was forced to pull money out to hang onto my spot.  I guess we look at it slightly different.  I have been fortunate in the fact that I had money to offer or I wouldn’t be talking about a lease.  The bad part is I can’t compete on funds that a guide service offers as they get $250-$300 for each guy.  They may be able to offer farmers $2k - $20K+ per spot for a season, but most can’t or won’t do it around here. 
I imagine that you have fairly large tracks of land you lease up for your guide service?  We have a lot of houses in Western Washington, you should come out sometime and see what it looks like.  It’s vastly different from Eastern Washington where a guide service may have 50k to 150k acres worth of land to hunt on.  Those are varying size tracks that cover multiple towns / counties in many cases.
You can sit from the comforts of your house and watch the Banded guys hunt.  They just placed a new pit blind as well, so clients can also watch you have coffee.  Good stuff.
Thanks for the civil rhetoric.  If we met on different terms and your outfit wasn’t on the back of Chad we might see things differently.  The guy is a glorified car salesman with the blood of a snake, so it’s unfortunate you’re trying to ride the Chad wave.  A lot of true waterfowl hunters hope he goes away like Mc Hammer.

[CCurtis]

I'm asking this to learn...

In the state of Washington, an individual can lease state owned public hunting ground?

[h2ofowlr]

CCurtis,

Yuo seem like a ridiculously stand up guy, answering all of these questions with great patience.

Welcome to the site.

(It does seem silly, perhps even hypocritical, for a guy to "tie-up" duck hunting property and then get all bent when somebody else does it.)

Dan,
I take it your not a duck hunter.  You get bent over by the guide services, you are forced to pay or you loose your spot.  Many guys didn't have the money, so they are getting booted out of spots they have hunted since kids.  The farmer would call you to get the ducks out of his field.  Now a sign greats you that warmly says NO TRESSPASSING.  Don't know if you have scene one of these.  Guess what, there is a ton of them in every little spot that all the locals have hunted in for a decade.  A lot of them literally went up in the past two years.  I know a dozen guys that have hung up there gear in the last year due to loss of spots.  Not hypocritical, just trying to hang onto a sport that I love, why a group tries to comercialize duck hunting in your back yard.  It's sh**y that you have to pay a fee to cross your fence to shoot a duck.   

[bearpaw]

I'm asking this to learn...

In the state of Washington, an individual can lease state owned public hunting ground?

No, I think it was meant that a WDFW employee was trying to lease the ground. There is a state program where they use funds to open private land for hunting by the public. I think that is what he was referring to.

[h2ofowlr]

I'm asking this to learn...

In the state of Washington, an individual can lease state owned public hunting ground?

No,  the state was leasing private ground from farmers for the public to use.  Prime duck hunting spots for all to use.  Banded Hunts has come in and is trying to tie several private spots up that the public have been hunting while using there hunting license fee's in the form of a grant to give back to the hunters.
License fee's took a sharp rise.  They alocate a specific amount.  The state goes in and offers farmers a fee to allow access to the public in specific blinds locations with safety zones.  The farmers aren't bugged constantly by people knocking on doors and the state covers the liability of the land owner incase an accident were to take place.  The farmer wouldn't loose his home or be sued.  Banded have taken several of those spots.  Everyone in the area is loosing out from that deal as it is first come first serve.

[CCurtis]

I didn't make it clear in my previous post but we are no longer in business...the mighty Mississippi made sure of that but we had one 1200 acre block of ground. 

I guess we do look at things different.  I see it as an unfortunate natural progression.  As the population grows and houses are built as you describe, there are logically less places to hunt all the while more duck stamps are sold.  So you have more hunters with less places.  You have farmers that are tired of answering the door 500 times per season from hunters asking for permission and the opportunity to receive payment for a desired commodity (Obviously their land) and the comfort of not being bothered by people beating on their door.  So to fault a guide for offering money to a farmer or faulting a farmer with a desired commodity for taking payment seems odd.  Maybe this practice is just reaching your area but it is all I've known.  The US is covered by duck clubs that rent ground that are way older than either of us.

As far as Chad going away like MC Hammer...that is a classic!  I will definitely be using that one!

[bone collector 12]

It may be like that all over the US but in the last couple years the economy has taken a plunge and the avg joe cant afford to go and pay for a spot,but you (ccurtis) not being from Washington you don't know how hard it is to even find a public spot to hunt,and now throwing a greedy guide into the mix just doesn't help, if its such a great guide service why wouldnt they just keep the land public and do public land guiding like alot of the guide services i know of do,and they do very good,

[CCurtis]

BC, you are correct.  I am not from Washington and have never had a chance to hunt in Washington.  So you're right, I shouldn't be talking about Washington specific issues like this.  For that I apologize.  I just know how it is here and most of the other places I have been. 

I realize that you and the other hunters that have lost their ground or are in fear of losing their ground to Banded Hunts will never buy our products.  I hate it, but realize it.  Hopefully though, we can continue to have good discussions about duck hunting on here from time to time. 

[firefighter4607]

 

Lighten up on Banded, guys.  It's a company trying to find customers where they are.  Dale provides the vehicle for that and hopefully gets enough out of it to make it worth his time to keep this great site open for all of us to enjoy.  Who cares if that Chad guy is a complete toolshed or not - you don't have to deal with him on any level if you don't want to.  Don't like Banded for whatever reason?  Just don't click the link - but dogging out a company because of their marketing strategy is a bit much.  It's like saying you'd never buy a Chevy truck because that Bob Seger concert you went to back in 1984 was terrible. 
And, as ridiculous as it is, I watched that whole truck-washing commercial.  With the sound off.  No frickin' idea what Banded sells from that ad, and don't care.  Hot girls, garden hoses and white T shirts get a couple minutes of my time. 
Welcome to the board, Christian.

x2

Welcome to the site! Sorry about other members whom are refusing to accept your company because of a person who you sponsor. I agree with Skillet, maybe we should boycott Subway if we don't like Apollo Ono(sp) olympic skater or maybe we shouldn't buy Fords if you dislike Mike Row.

I am glad you and your company decided you sponsor this site! You doing that keeps this site FREE to use for the 11k+ members. Thanks again. People will clam down as soon as hunting season starts.

[Skyhigh]

H20 I am with you all the way man .... we think alot the same ... there is another Banded Hunts in my area and I think he is trying to be like Chad ...I do not like it because of the reason you have already mentioned ...These guys leasing up this land to hunt waterfowl is killing us and landowners are catching on to it ...it will not be long and we will have nowhere to go unless we have money to tie up some land ....not for it and never will be for it ....

Me to H20.........

[Curly]

If Banded hadn't leased those lands, some other guide service/hunting club would have leased it sooner or later.  Hunting clubs have been tying-up duck hunting lands for decades in this state.  I don't like it, but I wouldn't hold that against Banded.

Just look at big-game hunting in this State too.  Now we have to buy a discover pass to access DNR lands and timber companies are now charging access fees.  Access to all hunting lands is getting harder and more expensive every year.

[DBHAWTHORNE]

H20 I am with you all the way man .... we think alot the same ... there is another Banded Hunts in my area and I think he is trying to be like Chad ...I do not like it because of the reason you have already mentioned ...These guys leasing up this land to hunt waterfowl is killing us and landowners are catching on to it ...it will not be long and we will have nowhere to go unless we have money to tie up some land ....not for it and never will be for it ....

Me to H20.........

It's called capitalism. 

[jackmaster]

being an outside eye here, i think the differance is, H2OFOWLER, ties up land and takes people huntn for free, and not sure but probably lets people hunt there for free, when banded ties up land do they take people huntn for free, will they let people hunt their leased land for free, these are just questions..... hey h2ofowler, i have some private land that has some good duck huntn on it, well i just found out that it was turned into a no shootn zone, well a cop came to my house and made me aware of it but also said that it would be fairly easy to go to a county council meeting and get it to where a guy can atleast shoot shotguns, he even said he would accompany to these county council meetings, if i set somethn up and can get it back to a shotgun zone, i would be willing to let you use my land for your duck huntn service for free.

[pianoman9701]

Welcome to the site, Christian. You sure sound like a stand-up guy to me!