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