what would you do?

[vandeman17]

Yeah in my experience people are usually out very early on the public spots, sometimes they camp by a blind to be the first ones there.  Probably smart to just move on as they could have had some emergency and had to leave before you even showed up or maybe they forgot something.  They should have picked up their decoys, but what would you do in that situation.  I can't see people leaving expensive decoys out like you described and not having a good reason to leave them.  Then again they could have been sleeping and didn't set an alarm 

We have done the get out there early and sleep by the blind plenty of times. For the opener we usually get there the night before to get our spot. I feel like we made the right move because so many things could have been the reason that all the stuff was there. I just wish I knew so that if it was some jack wagon holding his spot and breaking the law we could have let him know it wasn't legal. Now he might think he got away with it and will do it again... 

[Gopher]

Unless I missed it, Vandeman17 didn't say he was on WDFW lands or WDFW controlled lands waters or access areas.  That's the only place the 4AM and over night restrictions apply.  If this was on WDFW lands, a call to the game warden probably would have resulted in a ticket to the offender.   

[400out]

If he didn't come back to them then hunt over his dekes, and if he came back and was a dick then shoot every sitting duck   

[sakoshooter]

An hour and a half before shooting time is not getting there very early in my book.
This is definitely after 4am and they could have been gone for less than an hour based on what you have described. 
I think you did the right thing by moving on. If you had been there at 2 or 3am, different story.

In this situation as described and based on the knowledge you have at the time;  There is no call to make, no decoys to move and no option other than to just move on.

I ageee. They might have had to make an emergency run somewhere.

[vandeman17]

Ya, there were alot of scenarios that we talked about as far as "acceptable" reasons for the person not to be there. I just hope it was a valid reason and that he or she was not breaking the law on purpose.

[Gopher]

Again, breaking what law?  Was this on WDFW owned or controlled property.  If it wasn't, there was no law broken as far as I can see.

[vandeman17]

Again, breaking what law?  Was this on WDFW owned or controlled property.  If it wasn't, there was no law broken as far as I can see.

If it has the WDFW sign where we park to access the property then does that mean it is WDFW land?

[ICEMAN]

Any overturned boats nearby?  



Yeah, too many variables to be mad at someone for the dekes and abandoned gear. Someone could have had a medical emergency or...?

[vandeman17]

There is no boat access, it is strictly walking so that isn't possible. It would have been one thing to leave your blind that you built and even your little chair out there but to have your decoys set, your jerk cord and pull string decoy set and all seems fishy. I find it highly unlike if there was some kind of "emergency" that he would have come back and hunted it by 9 in the morning. Something smells fishy... 

[Gopher]

If it has the WDFW sign where we park to access the property then does that mean it is WDFW land?

Sounds like WDFW land alright.  That would make it illegal if the stuff was left over night or set before 4AM or left unattended for more than an hour.

[somethinsmellsfishy]

I was not there but I am "smellsfishy" so do not hold that against me!

I am new to waterfowling but follow the rules in all the sports I take up and this would have been a difficult call for anyone. After hiking in and finding this scenario I am not sure what I would have done but I think you did the right thing with the new hunter and all.

Good on you for taking the high road and hope that karma looks their way and yours.

Fishy

[Fishnclifff]

The fed rules apply to all lands.
We encountered the same scenario years ago.
Dekes were out at 0315.
We gathered them up, threw them in a pile in the bushes.
When the owners showed up, we had  a, uh, chat about the regs.
they called the gammie.
they were issued 2 citations.
We had a good hunt.

[vandeman17]

The fed rules apply to all lands.
We encountered the same scenario years ago.
Dekes were out at 0315.
We gathered them up, threw them in a pile in the bushes.
When the owners showed up, we had  a, uh, chat about the regs.
they called the gammie.
they were issued 2 citations.
We had a good hunt.

Sounds like they learned the value of reasing the regs. I thought that the rules, like the 4 am rule, applied to everyone and everywhere but didn't know for certain. We don't know if they were out before 4:00 but we do know that nobody was there so the unattended law could have come into play. We ended up having a good, fun hunt so all ended well.

[Madison]

The fed rules apply to all lands.

would you care to post the federal law on time of decoys placement? 

This law does not apply to all Lands. 

[Fishnclifff]

My bad . it is a state rule.

According to  RCW 77.12.047, the commission making up these rules , can apply the rules to private land as well as public land.