Rant....two hunts ruined in one day

[Night goat]

Little bit of a rant here

So, spent all of Saturday rigging decoys, getting the blind and jon boat loaded up and ready to go... Went to the store in oak harbor, and drove past the  pond, picked out some spots to set decoys, just prep for an early Sunday hunt... Came back past the pond on my way home and there was a truck parked at the pond, and a string of decoys out in the water... Figured somebody just wanted to get a quickie in before hunting hours were over for the day... No big deal. Got up at 4am, finished loading up, went to the pond..... Same truck was there and the decoys were out... Drove back and forth, looked in the truck and nobody was in there, took the spotlight and scanned the pond.... Decoys were still there.... That SOB set the decoys out the night before, hogged the only blind available on the pond, and yeah... Totally not cool. We went home and went back to bed because I only live 10 min away.

Got up a few hours later and loaded a boat I had for sale up and hauled it down to stanwood to trade it for a truck... Got the truck, and figurwd we had 2 hours left and went to the public hunting area down by the old Pacific highway right outside of stanwood, just north of town off of old 99. Cool, figured could do some pass shooting.

Pulled into the parking lot and saw 2 cars there. No big deal. We started selecting our decoys, putting the waders on, and saw a flight of snow geese flying over the parking lot.... Then we heard POPPOP....POP....Poppoppoppoppoppop.... Figured somebody was just taking a cheap shot from the parking lot..... But maybe didnt have the plug in thier gun... Then a few minutes later poppoppoppop.... So I finally said " ya know this a parking lot right?" And this 20 some yeae old girl walked up over the ditch, we parked a ways away, and she was carrying something tactical looking like a carbine or ar or something, like one of those guns that take pistol mags... She claimed she was hunting, she was wearing yoga pants and tenis shoes and a pink tank top and it was at that point she walked back to her car and her (I assume) boyfriend started walking towards us asking what was up and what our problem was, and we told him we were just being friendly and letting them know they were shooting a gun in am unsafe manor, in a parking lot, and his answer was "well we are hunting, isnt this public hunting? All smug and punk kid like, and we flat out told him that he was doing something illegal and if he didnt believe us, I'm sure the game warden or sheriff would be more than glad to educate him, and he just kept getting more aggressive, we of course had our shotguns out and visible at this point, not touching them, but in arms teach reach leaning against our trucks, and we kept getting more and more attitude and we held our composure and repeated to him what he was doing was wrong and they eventually left.... We called it in, and I collected some of his brass....


He was letting his girlfriend skybust with a .40S&W carbine. Must have popped off 15+ rounds at flights of geese


We still went out and set some decoys... Only got 2 shots off myself... But yeah....kinda ruined my weekend hunts


Forgot to say that it was also my girlfriends (a true sportswomana) first experiance with waterfowl hunting.... So much for a first hunt

[JimmyHoffa]

   Man, I hope you next trip is a lot better.

[Mfowl]

Reminds me of why I don't hunt the westside. Sorry about your hunts!

[hunt4life]

Sounds like big ditch!! Full of crack heads and guys who don’t know how to hunt!! Good place to take a leak is about all that place is worth!!

[Wanttohuntmore]

Did you see them shoot in the sky with the 40?  Crazy folks out there.

[pianoman9701]

If the guy with the pick-up does it again, call him in.
Decoy Restrictions
IT IS UNLAWFUL TO:
• Place waterfowl decoys prior to 4:00 a.m.;
allow or permit waterfowl decoys to be
unattended or not in your immediate
control for a period greater than one hour;
or fail to remove waterfowl decoys within
two hours after the close of established
daily hunting hours on days open to
waterfowl hunting on department owned
or controlled lands, waters, or access areas

[HaydenHunter]

If you get out there at O-dark-thirty and decoys are out with no one in attendance you could always do the old trick of picking them up and setting your decoys.  Can lead to confrontation but you are in the right and this can be very fun.  If they are going to ruin your hunt by breaking rules / laws at least you can cop some joy by returning the favor. 

[Jpmiller]

If you get out there at O-dark-thirty and decoys are out with no one in attendance you could always do the old trick of picking them up and setting your decoys.  Can lead to confrontation but you are in the right and this can be very fun.  If they are going to ruin your hunt by breaking rules / laws at least you can cop some joy by returning the favor.

I'm usually a little more non confrontational with folks I know are armed and are ok with breaking laws, just in case.

A call to a warden would be in order from me though

[pianoman9701]

  A good duck spot isn't worth getting shot in the face over.

[Night goat]

A good duck spot isn't worth getting shot in the face over.

Very true, considering that this is basocally in my neighborhood, although out in the country... No bad blood... Although next time I see this, i might just add to my decoy collection

[h2ofowlr]

I wouldn't say ruined hunts.  Your going to combat hunting areas, so you have to work around the expected, lot of hunters.  By naming the spots you will have others check those spots out as well and be looking to try them.

You ran into the norm for both spots.  It is what it is.

[hunthard]

Call it in, these jerks don't learn other wise.

[Fishnclifff]

If you get out there at O-dark-thirty and decoys are out with no one in attendance you could always do the old trick of picking them up and setting your decoys.  Can lead to confrontation but you are in the right and this can be very fun.  If they are going to ruin your hunt by breaking rules / laws at least you can cop some joy by returning the favor.

Did this in Stanwood years back. Got to the blind, 3am, decoys out.
Picked up all the decoys, tossed em in the bushes.
The guys came out before shooting time, got all huffy, we called WSP.
Gamie came out, sided with the other hunters, they were friends.
WSP came out, in the mud, not happy, told the other hunters to gather their decoys and go to his car, told the gamie to meet him at his car, ask to see our license, told us to have a good hunt.
Wrote to the gamie's seargent, had a meeting, didn't go so well for him.
He still doesn't like me.