WOW! Somebody is upset!

[lokidog]

The growing guide trend has ruined many great traditional hunting and fishing grounds (private and public) over the last few years. Guides tend to lose respect for other sportsmen that aren't their clients and paying them.   I would love to see guides banned but that will never happen. I agree that destroying their blinds isn't right either and people should just try get to the blind early if they choose to play the public land game.
Private land?  I'm guessing already about 80% of the prime land is already tied up by the guides. It's getting real hard to find places to hunt and fish anymore unless you do it the pay to play way..    

Just read an article in Outdoor Life about local guys back east that live in the big buck areas not being able to hunt, even on relatives' land as it is all getting leased up.  Kinda sucks when the animals are a public resource.  IMHO anyone profiting from a public resource should be held to higher standards than the public. 

Maybe it is time to push for a per client guide fee that goes to a dedicated account that looks to increase public access to private land?

[400out]

Would it be out of line to get a bunch of guys togetherand head out just a tad early and occupy all the blind that can be found 

[woodywsu]

This is the reason I quit waterfowl hunting. There is a lot of competition just amongst the hunters. Plus it is hard to compete with guides who are offereing $50-$100 a gun to the private land owner to bust some geese.

[Glockster]

The issue of not being able to knock and talk your way into a free private land hunt has just as much to do with abuse of the privilege by previous 'average joe's as it does with guide services bidding up the cost of leases. 

Why would you let a stranger on to your land for free when the previous time you did that they left all the gates open, littered, and drove where you asked them not to?  Or why would you want to open yourself up to the liability of letting strangers on your land when there are people willing to pay you for access?  People who are bonded/insured and have business licenses.  (of course all guide services are not above the boards, but the big ones have to be).

[7mag.]

Why not just get in the blinds first and keep the guided hunters from using them that way, rather than destrying the blinds. It is first come, first serve. Public land, so they are public blinds, no matter who built them.

That's exactly what you should do. Public land is public land, to be used by the whole public, even outfitters. It is, however, first come, first serve.

[groundhog]

Competing for duck blinds at the Potholes has been going on for at least the last forty years. When I was a kid we used to spend the night out there just so that we could get certain blinds. The same goes for the Columbia if one of the blinds is really producing you better be out there early or expect to see a flashlight when you pull in.....  Its all part of the game. If you don't like seeing flashlights at your blind all you have to do is get up earlier.

[400out]

Competing for duck blinds at the Potholes has been going on for at least the last forty years. When I was a kid we used to spend the night out there just so that we could get certain blinds. The same goes for the Columbia if one of the blinds is really producing you better be out there early or expect to see a flashlight when you pull in.....  Its all part of the game. If you don't like seeing flashlights at your blind all you have to do is get up earlier.

The blinds are not restaurants or starbucks to the ducks! They will not just go to them, There are lots of places to go these blinds are just the easiest to get to and already set up! do a little homework and build a temp and you can do just as good.

[ducks55]

Beat the guides to the blind if there's that much of a problem! that will end any and all problems.

Problem is the guides pay guys to go sit in the blind all damn night so that no one else can get them in the morning. And have any of you seen half the blinds out there? They are huge, obvious, and flaring birds not only because of there shear sizer and appearance but because they are hunted day in and day out. Has anyone heard of wearing a spot out? Ducks hold on the reserve and when the reserve becomes full of ducks, new ducks start looking for new areas. Wellll when there is so much pressure every where else the ducks leave the area completely equaling crap hunting for the remainder of the season. My thought on the entire thing is limit the hunting on potholes and surrounding area to weekends and Wednesdays only. This will give birds time to rest in a lot more places, they wont be pressured nearly as much and the hunting will be better all around. This benefits hunters and ducks.

[MtnMuley]

It's all about the C-Notes these days folks.  Sad, but true.  Even for the non-guided public land hunters -- having to pay more and more each year to play.

[Bigtine96]

I love it, that is awesome whoever put that up.

[400out]

I forsee something happening if the trend continues! The game dept will make it to where you can't occupy a blind before 4 am! Just like a decoy spread   Hard to enforce but they may do it

[sakoshooter]

Everyone here seems to think that 'beating the guides' to the blinds is the answer.
What about the simple fact that these guides saturate the area with a lot of 'pay to shoot' folks. These are people that wouldn't be out there sky busting and ruining the day for everyone around them if a 'guide' hadn't put them in a spot for a profit on OUR land? Gun clubs are for shooting. The marsh is for hunting. There is a difference.
How about the problem of the guides motoring around 'on the hour' to retrieve these same clients ducks disturbing YOUR hunting because his route takes him past your spread coming and going each trip every hour or less?
I've hunted Potholes for many years and still do. I do not agree with anyone guiding on public land or building any type of permanent blind. My opinion is that they should have to guide on private property and secure the permissions to do this. I'd even like to see 'licensed' guides have certain ethical criteria to adhere to plus file a end of year report.
Knock on a few doors in the Moses Lk area and you'll most likely find that a guide has already secured the fields you're asking permission to hunt by 'buying' them. One of my hunting partners and I have first hand experience at this. Good for the guide and land owner. Bad for the average Joe.
This situation is getting more prevalent every year. Public land should not be encroached upon by private parties looking to make a profit for whatever reason.
I've had my share of bad experiences hunting Potholes and this is my opinion.

[somethinsmellsfishy]

WOW and I thought it got crowded over here on the wet side!

My boat is my blind and I can put it just about anywhere I want it to be and if I ever find anyone not invited in it there is going to be one helluva problem!HAHa

That said, if you restrict guided hunters then you would have to restrict guided fisherman and I don't see that happening in my lifetime.
My guess is that the resort has more blinds available for their clients and if there is a problem with one of the guides I would complain to the resort. I'll be they don't want to make too many enemies and would bend over to make sure people are happy, you never know when you may need the other guy.

Fishy

[Packers10]

Everyone here seems to think that 'beating the guides' to the blinds is the answer.
What about the simple fact that these guides saturate the area with a lot of 'pay to shoot' folks. These are people that wouldn't be out there sky busting and ruining the day for everyone around them if a 'guide' hadn't put them in a spot for a profit on OUR land? Gun clubs are for shooting. The marsh is for hunting. There is a difference.
How about the problem of the guides motoring around 'on the hour' to retrieve these same clients ducks disturbing YOUR hunting because his route takes him past your spread coming and going each trip every hour or less?
I've hunted Potholes for many years and still do. I do not agree with anyone guiding on public land or building any type of permanent blind. My opinion is that they should have to guide on private property and secure the permissions to do this. I'd even like to see 'licensed' guides have certain ethical criteria to adhere to plus file a end of year report.
Knock on a few doors in the Moses Lk area and you'll most likely find that a guide has already secured the fields you're asking permission to hunt by 'buying' them. One of my hunting partners and I have first hand experience at this. Good for the guide and land owner. Bad for the average Joe.
This situation is getting more prevalent every year. Public land should not be encroached upon by private parties looking to make a profit for whatever reason.
I've had my share of bad experiences hunting Potholes and this is my opinion.

You say "on OUR land".....and you are correct it is your land and the guides land and the person that is paying the guides land too.  From a landowner perspective (and I think this was mentioned earlier) it is much nicer to have a guide pay to hunt your land that has insurance and in general will take much better care of it than the "average joe".  Unfotunately a few bad apples (average joes that don't follow the rules) are the problem when it comes to private land access IMHO and not the guides.

[gasman]

So, do you want to stop big game guides in the Wilderness and NF areas also