Ethics - Set The Example

[sakoshooter]

Two weeks ago I hunted Nisqually. Got up early to get the spot I wanted plus I had to play the tide. Fog was horrible so it took me a while to find the spot I wanted. I didn't get the spot I wanted to so after exchanging flashlight beams I turned around and set up on a spot about 500yds down from that spot and those folks. Decent spot. I figured I'd get a few birds if I was patient. Setting decoys etc 2 hrs before light, listening to ducks overhead and relaxing with a hot cup of coffee with a good dog is always cool.
10 minutes before shooting light brings two(2)high speed duck boats past me in the dark and very heavy fog. No lights on either boat by the way. Must have had GPS to drive like that in that fog/darkness. Very dangerous.
They went past me to find that other group I'd already mentioned in the spot I wanted so they came back half way between us and set up directly across the mouth of the Nisqually River from me. Basically setting across from my decoys. Both boats anchored on the river channel in full view of any birds looking at my spread. They threw out a dozen decoys and started shooting at everything within 250 yds.  At first I thought they were just shooting at birds I just couldn't see but as the fog lifted, I realized that these guys were shooting at EVERYTHING including the flocks of cacklers that regularly pass overheaad at approx 200yds. Every time they shot, all 4 hunters emptied their guns. It sounded like a gun club most of the morning. Every bird that attempted to come in to my decoys flared because of their constant shooting.
I forgot to add the vulgarity most of the marsh had to listen to. One of the dog owners constantly screamed at his dog in a LOUD voice using very foul language. This happened every time they shot because his dog broke at every shot. They finally killed a bufflehead in a barage of gun fire and after a few more cripple shots they were able to make a retrieve.
I was high and dry in my boat as the tide was low all morning. I did ask them once if they'd gotten a new 30.06 for Xmas and just had to try it out. An hour later I asked if they were out of 30.06 ammo yet. No reply to either question and no slowing on the shooting.
At approximately 11am they opened up on a hen widgeon that was crossing the river to my decoys. As it came across the opening in my spread, I stood up to shoot, they fired their last shot at it(I'm not exagerating one bit), I shot it at about 25yds. One duck. One shot. A half hour later two Indian boats showed up right next to me to tend nets so the jerks left and I did also not long after.
Folks: That 200 yds mentioned in the hunting regs is TOO CLOSE and is also dependent on terrain. 200yds in flat open terrain is almost in your lap. Do not do this to other hunters and do not tolerate it from others.
Also: We've all seen ducks flare from the shots fired from other hunters many hundreds of yards away. Remember this when you want to take those marginal shots. Your shooting could very well be flaring ducks coming into another hunters spread. He could be calling, working and patiently waiting on a group of birds only to have them spooked off by another group's errant shooting.
Gun ranges are for shooting. The duck marsh is for hunting - two very different things. Please practice this and please pass this along to fellow hunters and to those young ones learning from our examples.
Sorry for the long rant but hunting is entertainment to most of us and none of us want our "night out" ruined by someone else.
Please be respectful of other hunters and demand the same in return. We are the only ones out there that can police our sport. LEO doesn't enforce ethics. 

[sakoshooter]

I will also add that this was a Sunday and that week Wednesday a buddy of mine hunted just down from the spot those jerks set up at and hid his boat at about the spot the jerks set up at. He called me to let me know about his day duck hunting and also mentioned that there were about 200 empty shells laying about where those jerks were. Stewards of the land? I think not.

[krzy4elk]

    WOW!!! Sakoshooter, Nothin like a bunch of  "jackwagons"  to ruin a guys day out on the water.  I'm 63 yrs. young, have'nt hunted [ Rifle Deer ] for over 10 yrs, thought I would like to try to just get out there to spot some Elk.   After reading what you & the previous post about the " so called Hunters " in the Packwood area. Trying to chase the Elk back on to private land.  Really having second thoughts about this whole hunting idea; in this state anyway.  Tried gettin out the past 2 yrs. but the buds that were lined up to join me sort of backed out at the last minute.  Found some Hunters on this site that I will be joining tomorrow for my 1st Elk hunt,  GMU 667    area.  YIKES !!!   Hoping all goes well , & we all return safe & sound.  Best of luck to everyone out there!   P.S.  Really grateful that this site exits, have gotten some excellant tips from all the  great posts !  Hirshey really amazes me with her excursions into the wilds .

[sakoshooter]

   WOW!!! Sakoshooter, Nothin like a bunch of  "jackwagons"  to ruin a guys day out on the water.  I'm 63 yrs. young, have'nt hunted [ Rifle Deer ] for over 10 yrs, thought I would like to try to just get out there to spot some Elk.   After reading what you & the previous post about the " so called Hunters " in the Packwood area. Trying to chase the Elk back on to private land.  Really having second thoughts about this whole hunting idea; in this state anyway.  Tried gettin out the past 2 yrs. but the buds that were lined up to join me sort of backed out at the last minute.  Found some Hunters on this site that I will be joining tomorrow for my 1st Elk hunt,  GMU 667    area.  YIKES !!!   Hoping all goes well , & we all return safe & sound.  Best of luck to everyone out there!   P.S.  Really grateful that this site exits, have gotten some excellant tips from all the  great posts !  Hirshey really amazes me with her excursions into the wilds .

I wish you luck with the guys you're going with for elk.

I'm not the person that posted about elk hunters and private land. "so called huters"?

[BiggLuke]

I think you handled the situation very respectfully and classy... unlike those other guys .
I got to say I would have been much less nice to those yahoos.

Good for you man. Rant away.

Those are the "Hunters" that should of just stayed home. Do not like those kinds of guys.

[BOWHUNTER45]

That's why I do not duck hunt like I used too ...to many beeps beeps out there 

[hdshot]

That's why I do not duck hunt like I used too ...to many beeps beeps out there 

I found out real fast 90% of the fun to others is to screw the other guy or chase you off for next time so they don't have to get out early.  It's a rush when I play by the rules and ethics while others don't and still get birds while they don't.  Some times will holler I got a banded bird to needle the living crap out of them.  If another hunter gets out late but uses ethics and rules I will do my best to help them out by not calling at their birds or shoot when birds are interested in their decoys.  For the ones who don't care about others a spot light might work best when birds start to like their spread?   

My Dad got real upset one time in the blind with me about harassing hunter laws but I said that's right they are harassing us.  I ended up buying some fresh batteries for the next hunt.  It was funny to watch those clowns build and re build their blind after every group because they flared every time because they set up so close.  Then my Dad about peed his pants because he was laughing so hard.             

[vandeman17]

I have had a few times where my patience was tested by unethical hunters. Most of the time it seems to happen on opening weekends, go figure... 

I try my best to make the best of the situation and truly hope that they just don't realize how much of a DB move they are pulling. If I do end up with the feeling they knew darn well what they were doing then I have no problem with flaring their birds or letting them know how I feel about things. Worst part is when safety becomes an issue when people set up too close and that is where I draw the line. I have had people set up directly across me in a pond not more then 100 yards across.  One group was a bunch of yahoos who showed up like 5 minutes before shooting time, couldn't figure out how to get their decoys out and called at every blackbird, seagull and crow that flew over. Needless to say they only shot one bird the whole time and we did pretty well. I could even hear them talking and trying to figure out why I was calling in more birds and shooting more birds. At least I only had pellets rain down on me once but I am pretty sure it was stormy in their blind all day long. 

[JJD]

I would like to be able to claim that the OP's situation is not the norm. 
I am fortunate in being able to hunt week days where I don't have to deal with a lot of the idiots out there.
Gave up hunting water on weekends some time back, got to where it just was not fun anymore.

May ya all enjoy your best season ever.

[sakoshooter]

Gasman and I hunted yesterday near the spot the dirt bags set up in so we took the time during the slow mid day period to pick up their garbage. Those jerks left approx 200 empty hulls and the empty boxes plus a Remington Oil Wipes container. Gotta wipe down your barrel after firing off that many shells. Filled up my hunting stool pouch and a grocery bag. I hope someone from that group reads this so he can kick his partners in the nu &^%teeth.

[irishevox]

try being set up early and then having someone set up right where the ducks fly from less than 100 yards away!!! and the guy has his kid with him!!!!! I was pissed! some people plus people calling over you piss me off to