skybusting at smith farms!

[NW-GSP]

Im glad I was not hunting ducks there on saturday, I was watching guys trying to shoot ducks that had to be atleast 120 yards straight up, just made me glad to give up on hunting ducks on public land and switch to upland hunting. I might be hunting planted birds but atleast I dont have guys messing that up while Im hunting.

[ducksdoom12]

tell me about it. i was up at lake terrell and there was a guy accros the lake who kept shooting the water (apperently at ducks sitting there). or shooting at ducks 2-3 hundered yards up. he ruined 4 or 5 groups that we had working

[singleshot12]

The crazies and the fools are always out in full force on opening weekend. The worst part is most are drunk and make it dangerous for everyone, and all the garbage they leave behind sucks too.
Maybe they will go away when the weather gets cold.

[NW-GSP]

Its always upsetting when you get up early and setup your decoys then someone else shows up and skybusts the birds that are working your decoys. you would think that they would realize after missing dozens of birds that they arent even close to being within range. I will not hunt ducks unless Im on a boat or private land.

[coyotemadness]

I feel for you guys. Same thing happened to me on Sat.

[lokidog]

You'd think with shells at $ .50 to $3.50 each, people would be a little less wateful of shot and crippled ducks.

[teal101]

You'd think with shells at $ .50 to $3.50 each, people would be a little less wateful of shot and crippled ducks.

Most only go out on the opener so its not a big expense all season long for them.  Its typical opening day...

[snocohunter]

It's pretty much a given when hunting public land. You just gotta learn to deal with it. Funny you say it made you switch to upland hunting, I quit upland hunting because I was tired of getting peppered with shot, and guys whose dogs came runnin lose across the field while they chased after them.

[NW-GSP]

It's pretty much a given when hunting public land. You just gotta learn to deal with it. Funny you say it made you switch to upland hunting, I quit upland hunting because I was tired of getting peppered with shot, and guys whose dogs came runnin lose across the field while they chased after them.

I have seen that also and its a pain but so far this year that has not happened. I would be really pissed about getting peppered, I wonder what he legality of shooting back is? If it happened more then once from the same guy Im not sure what I would do,

[steeleywhopper]

This is the reason I quit going out on opening day. I used to get out there well before daylight to get a spot, only to have someone show up 2 minutes before shooting light trying to set up on top of me. I will wait until the cold weather hits and hunt the weekdays. I love working night shift.

[TEX-X]

i hate having to hunt public....but oh well i enjoy hunting... this weekend i was pheasant hunting on saturday.  I have a GSP that is a long ranging dog...well he went on point about 200 yards from me...so i started hustling towards him...out of the corner of my eye i see a black lab running full speed at my pup...he tboned him and pretty much rolled my dog...my pup got up and looked at me like "what the hell"  let just say the man running his dog got an ass chewing...his excuse was "He's just a puppy we came out to train"  i told him that you don't train during season on release sites.... all in all the bird flushed and flew into the trees.... some people just don't have any respect for other hunters...

[npaull]

I had the same awful problem on the Skagit on the opener - drunk yahoos skyblasting 70-90 yards regularly. Lots of winged birds coasting way out into the bay. They shot a seagull too... unbelievable. I called WDFW.

[jordano]

I had the same awful problem on the Skagit on the opener - drunk yahoos skyblasting 70-90 yards regularly. Lots of winged birds coasting way out into the bay. They shot a seagull too... unbelievable. I called WDFW.

that is absolutely ridiculous!!!!   i have hunted on Winchester Wasteway by Moses Lake and Potholes and there is this one lake that there are two spots on and they are probably 600+ yards apart... but we have had ducks start coming towards our decoys and the other guys just shoot, just to shoot.... you would think that if they wouldnt do that they would get their birds and we would get ours and everyone is happy.. but no they shoot like that and no one gets any birds.... absolutely ridiculous...

[Ray]

While we are bickering... I hate it when I shoot a bird and some jerk sends his dog after my bird. Then when someone else tells him his dog fetched my bird he said he in fact had shot it. What a jerk. Yeah public land sucks and that is why people buy boats and secure private property. It's hard to connect on birds in some places because people like to buy dead coyote, black cloud and full chokes shooting 70 yards.

Next time someone sends their dog after my birds I am going to pepper them birds with a whole batch of shot.

[HoofsandWings]

In the past, I have seen 'hunters' target practicing opening morning. It turned out they were part of an anti-hunter group. Some of those sky-busters may also be anti-hunters doing their part to mess up opening day.
I think they figure instead of getting arrested for protesting, they can mess up hunting by sky busting target practicing, etc.