Waterfowling going to the birds?

[Skillet]

It looks to me that waterfowling in Washington is in bad shape, if I judge by the number of threads about poor etiquette by waterfowlers on here.  That a fair statement?

What do you guys think is the real cause of this being such an issue for waterfowling and not as much for other aspects of hunting?  The lack of space?  D.B. celeb's on the TV shows and guys want to emulate them?  Duck populations down?   Are most of these complaints coming from guys who are shore-based and the guys with boats don't have as many problems?  FWIW, I know they have problems too - I've hunted Potholes out of my boat blind on the opener before...

All of these threads really make me glad I got out of the duck and goose game years ago, though.  That's just not the hunting experience I care to have.

[Curly]

I think poor etiquette has been happening for a long time.  I think we just hear about it more now that we have more social media.

[Skillet]

Good point.  I was lucky as a kid since I hunted private with my Grandpa, so this all seems really odd to me.

[Duckhunter14]

I think you're going to hear much more about the negative then you are about the positive. It is definitely getting more and more competitive and therefore many of us don't flaunt pictures to avoid someone being in our spot the next day. There is no shortage of birds in the state. I can assure you of that. I can also confirm there is no shortage of D-Bags out there screwing up others hunts either. Scout hard, hunt easy. 

[vandeman17]

I think it is a combination of a bunch of factors but the main ones are:

-lack of scouting/prep work so guys have one predetermined spot they are going to hunt so if there are already people there they have no backup plan and just set up on top of them
-More hunters and less public land which is self explanatory
-Sense of entitlement i.e. "I have been hunting this spot for years so I am going to hunt it even if you are already there"
-Too much emphasis on trying to shoot a limit instead of the emphasis on an enjoyable experience in the duck blind.
-Plain and simple laziness and/or being unprepared. This leads guys to show up at shooting time or later, hold down spots illegally, skybust at birds working other people...

There are plenty more issues but even with everything mentioned above, I will continue to chase waterfowl because I have a passion for it. I have ran into my fair share of DB hunters but just remind myself why I am actually out there and try not to let it ruin my hunt. Life is far to short to let stupid stuff like that get under skin. I pick my battles and unless my immediate safety is compromised I generally just let things roll off my back as best as possible.

[singleshot12]

I think most of the good ol boys of waterfowling have either quit or died off. There is a whole differant generation now, alot have moved here from Cali and other states. Some are on drugs and others are just plain uneducated on duck hunting,ethics and respect for the land and wildlife.

Greed, bloodthirstiness and the Duckmen wannabee mentality hasn't helped much either

[lokidog]

I think poor etiquette has been happening for a long time.  I think we just hear about it more now that we have more social media.

I have to agree with this.  I remember lots of days of getting shot rained on me, guys coming in ten minutes after shooting time and setting up downwind, skyblasting, tearing apart blinds on private land, etc. and this was 30 years ago.

I think to avoid a lot of this BS, you have to get creative.  Try finding spots that are not necessarily on the X because everyone wants to be on the X.  Maybe you will go home with fewer birds but they will mean more when the work getting them was harder and the hunt will be more enjoyable when not dealing with a bunch of morons.

 

[singleshot12]

   That too

[GrampasGuns]

Duck hunting is a special kind of beast. Being that public land with good waterfowl habitat is not so abundant. Loki hit the nail on the head, Ive shot some great birds and had a great time trying to scratch out my own spot in some less desirable places but had a blast all the same. Switch it up, keep scouting and never let someone else ruin your day. My worst day duck hunting was 10000x better than my best day at work ever. Its not all bad Ive met a lot of great guys hunting public spots.

[270Shooter]

I really think that in the past few years the number of duck hunters has increased dramatically. Used to be you could roll up to the local spots at 4 and get just about any blind you wanted. Now it's like you have to be there by midnight or else you're screwed. Also I feel like some guys feed off of the competitive nature of waterfowl hunting. They like being the one to kill all the ducks when hunting the local refuge, and they will do anything to beat you there. I always try to shoot my limit and I can say this year there was no shortage of birds, especially mallards.

[Badhabit]

Waterfowlers in WA have a slice of heaven here as compared to CA and some Southern states. Social media gives a larger audience to the whiners and complainers IMO.

[Tealer]

There are more birds then there has ever been. Though more people too. I don't see near the problems I used to, maybe because I avoid those places. I think the hunting has actually gotten better.


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[shorthair-on-point]

I really think that in the past few years the number of duck hunters has increased dramatically. Used to be you could roll up to the local spots at 4 and get just about any blind you wanted. Now it's like you have to be there by midnight or else you're screwed. Also I feel like some guys feed off of the competitive nature of waterfowl hunting. They like being the one to kill all the ducks when hunting the local refuge, and they will do anything to beat you there. I always try to shoot my limit and I can say this year there was no shortage of birds, especially mallards.

[fair-chase]

This is nothing new. I quit seriously pursuing waterfowl in the lower basin back in the late '90s due to this very same behavior. It does appear from the outside that it is getting more widespread, but that could just be perception. But it has always been there to some degree as long as I can remember.

Nowadays whenever I have an incidental run in with one of these marsh warriors; I just chuckle to myself and thank the Lord that I never became seriously addicted to bird hunting. 

[NW-GSP]

I have had some bad experiences this year but I have also made some new friends while out hunting.

[sakoshooter]

I"ve been waterfowl hunting since I was 12. Let's see - that was 46 yrs ago. Unethical jerks have always been out there but not near in the numbers as today. I have a passion for duck and goose hunting and I prefer a quality hunt over a quantity hunt any day and I'm not about to give it up for any of the reasons listed in previous posts.
As for social media giving the "whiners" more audience - maybe but that really doesn't answer the OP's questions.
Social media has given the average Joe and average jerk a place to find out about all the hot spots for most anything in the area. Duck hunting included.
There are many more waterfowlers today than I've ever seen. I hunt Nisqually, Potholes, Moses, Willapa, Longview and Cathlamet. Everyone of these locations has seen an increase in the number of hunters using them. I'm talking about "boat" hunters, not walk in hunters. I got up early and paddled my canoe long distances for many years to avoid competition and finally this year bought a duck boat/motor setup. The same way high performance boats have taken over the fishing world, the same has happened to duck hunting. It's not unusual to see a dozen large boats with very large motors and flood lights so they can drive 50mph in the dark to get their spot before you at the boat launch on any given weekend morning.
Too many hunters for too little area. Every time a 'no shooting' zone is established, those hunters have to go some place. Some place is getting crowded.
Also, a lack of enforcement agents to handle many of these jerks. Ethics is not enforceable but shooting at ducks with other hunters directly in the line of fire is.
The name of our US Fish & Wildlife Service Enforcement Officer is: Dan Huckel, mobil phone: 360-292-3500, daniel_huckel@fws.gov
Feel free to contact him about your concerns. He seems to be a good guy but is spread darn thin across western WA and part of OR. I've spoken to him a few times and met him at Nisqually. He wants to hear about the problems so he can address them.

[h2ofowlr]

It's like they say if you do good by someone a few might know.  If you piss someone off everyone will know.
Seems those that run into an issue have to vent about it on a forum these days so everyone knows.  I have ran into the same type of d-bags in the field, but move on.

I have had many great hunts this year.  Hunted with a lot of people, I don't post about it.  As you never know, someone will end up with hurt feels, think I'm bragging, hunt to much, etc.  Damned if you do damned if you don't.

If you get that frustrated with waterfowl hunting, than pick a different hobby.  I've realized that it's not for everyone.  The lazy ones that take shortcuts can make it difficult for all. 

[ghosthunter]

I think it is a combination of a bunch of factors but the main ones are:

-lack of scouting/prep work so guys have one predetermined spot they are going to hunt so if there are already people there they have no backup plan and just set up on top of them
-More hunters and less public land which is self explanatory
-Sense of entitlement i.e. "I have been hunting this spot for years so I am going to hunt it even if you are already there"
-Too much emphasis on trying to shoot a limit instead of the emphasis on an enjoyable experience in the duck blind.
-Plain and simple laziness and/or being unprepared. This leads guys to show up at shooting time or later, hold down spots illegally, skybust at birds working other people...

There are plenty more issues but even with everything mentioned above, I will continue to chase waterfowl because I have a passion for it. I have ran into my fair share of DB hunters but just remind myself why I am actually out there and try not to let it ruin my hunt. Life is far to short to let stupid stuff like that get under skin. I pick my battles and unless my immediate safety is compromised I generally just let things roll off my back as best as possible.

Well said.