Public Land Stories

[Smoke68]

Well, I don't see a whole lot of stuff to read about ducks dying on this forum. So I thought I might start a thread about public land stories. Particularly ones that show the wide variety of "personalities" out there hunting public land.



Last season in January, I was hunting a certain wildlife refuge that went to a weekend draw 4-5 years ago. Puttering in, I saw that a spot I wanted to hunt was taken (saw a light) and took another spot nearby. I wasn't planning on hunting this close (about 100 yards) but was waiting on shooting light to move further away in order to avoid someone setting up between me and this other group.

ANYWAY, right after we parked the boat 100 yards away, here comes a boat puttering in to the hole where I saw the light. No big deal I thought. Must belong to those guys as this is a common strategy to get a hole. Well then I hear decoys getting thrown out. 20 minutes later, another boat comes by and goes into that same hole as the other boat.

All hell breaks loose. GD that. F this. I was hunkered down ready to hear shotguns blasting. I assumed that second boat arrived and wanted the hole just cause they felt like it was theirs.

I talked to the boys later on from the first boat that I saw (who ended up hunting the hole). Apparently, the second boat to arrive had been there first, thrown out decoys, hung a headlamp on a tree limb, and left to go pickup the rest of their crew. Seeing that headlamp was enough to turn me away, but not that boat that puttered in. When that boat arrived, they saw that while there were decoys and a headlamp hanging on a limb, there was no one there. Fair game. They got setup. In comes the boat that owned the headlamp and they were apparently confused about what it takes to hold a hunting spot.

[teul2]

We went to a place opening weekend many years ago. Got there at 1AM thinking we were tough to be there that early. Only to arrive and find that we were far from "hard core" as the hole I wanted had been occupied since 9PM the night before. And every hole in the immediate vicinity was also occupied. We were closer to 7th place "hard" than 1st. So, on to plan H. We get into the 2nd hole and there are decoys already setup with no one in sight. It is illegal to leave decoys on public land overnight. So we nicely and neatly wrapped up and placed his decoys in the brush.
So, it's now about 230 and we start to cook some breakfast in one of the boats. We were all sitting together eating and hear the wings of a duck ripping through the wind. And then, a whack, and splash. Grab a light, and there sits a drake wood duck that had apparently come in because of being disturbed by a hunter, and he flew into a tree. About the time the light hit him, he jumped and flushed yet again.
So, about 4AM, the two owners of the decoys arrives in their boat bitching that their decoys have been replaced with ours. One of our party and I calmly, but firmly, defend our position that we were here first. To which he retorts "Well I thought WE were since our decoys were in the hole". We tell him it's illegal to leave decoys in the hole. This does nothing but infuriate him. I feel sure he was about to get out of the boat and start fighting. This is when four more of our party turn on lights and step out of the bushes. The men immediately start to back pedal and dang near stutter. They begrudgingly picked up their decoys and left.

I have no recollection of how many birds we killed that day, but I'll never forget it.

[Smoke68]

2 weeks ago, it was hot weather and early in the season. I had a spot I had only seen on satellite and wanted to hunt/scout it just to see. Didn't bother arriving at 2am since I didn't expect much of a hunt. As I pulled up to the area where one would park to get to this spot 1 hour before shooting time, there was a truck with 4 guys in it.

I went to ask them where they planned to hunt, and sure enough it was the spot I was headed to. No sweat, on to plan B. They actually gave me a suggestion on a good walk-in spot since I came without a boat. Before I left though, curiosity got the best of me.

"Look guys, I'm not planning on sprinting out there to beat you to the hole, but why are you sitting here in the truck instead of going to the hole?"

Answer: "We just pulled up and got to talking."

Good enough.

Went to plan B, the spot they suggested. Got a few wood ducks. After the hunt, came back to the parking area and their truck was gone. I decided to walk in and go check out the hole.

Bone dry. Hope they decided to walk in with some time to spare.

[Agua]

Hunted a certain spot about 7 years ago that had just turned draw that year. Very low turnout that morning in late January and got a prime unit. Couldn't have been 15 hunters total on a 2,000 ac wma. Limited ATV access and hunting with a disabled partner so muled in 4-5 doz decoys and a homemade screen blind in about 300 yards from the main road. Set up just off the near levee about 200 yards from the boundary of the hunting unit to our right. Wind coming from left to right. About 15 minutes before shooting time we notice a single headlalmp coming up the levee from the road then turning into the unit immediately to our right. Actually thought he was probably in our unit. Turned our headlamps back on so he could see where we were, but was going to wait until we could see better before confronting him. As it gets lighter, we see he wasn't in our unit but sitting about 30 yards out from the bank, squatting in the water, and maybe 10 yards on his side of the boundary marker in the middle of the unit. Ducks were interested in our spread, and after they'd sail with the wind then turn over his unit to come back towards ours, dude would blast em. Dude didn't bring a decoy one, call .... nothing but his gun and waders. After watching him knock down 4 of our swing birds, we packed it up and left. Didn't figure it was worth a fight nor that he'd be interested in joining us in light of the success he was having at that spot.

[novacaine]

[feather]

[cupnglide]

I'm seeing a theme. Let me carry it forward. Four years ago, two friends and I headed off in the 4AM sprint to hunt a public timber area. One friend had scouted a pretty hole in some new water. Some young boys took off and left us three old farts on the walk in.

We get near the coords and see head lamps flashing us from the hole. No problem, the youngsters beat us fair and square. We angled around crosswind and found a decent hole ~250 yards away. We get set up and wait for legal light.

Shooting time comes and we start working a few. The youngsters are wailing away on their new cutdowns. But there's no shooting going on over there. Over the next hour, we noticed a mojo seemed to be moving through the timber, getting closer to our set little by little. By the time we decided to pack up, they were 72 yards away, directly downwind, shooting at every treetop duck trying to get to our hole.

Texas tags on that truck...

[msbigdawg1234]

Well Ill join in on the action. As there are so many of these scenarios all being bout the same ole set up close by .u in my hole etc... the one that sticks out the best .. we were hunting at certain WMA before the draw when full of corn we were set up in the middle just off the road and our group of 3 had a great hunt.. Now as the morn started to slow after the 9 am flight and we were fixing to start picking up we noticed a truck pull up right behind ours. This guy gets out grabs his bag of couple dozen dekes, mojo and gun . He wades out about 30 yds from the levee in the wide open water pours his bag of dekes out, take in mind he did not scatter them just dumped them out , stuck his mojo up in the middle next to him. Now that he was set up ..ha .. he then pulls out that nice $150 lime green call and starts a routine that almost compares to Champcaller and GH22 at a Willow Brake outing.. as we stood there in awe laughing and watching looking to the skys for any movement .which there were none, we picked up and walked out passing right by him.. He never stopped hailing on that call holding an old side by side standing next to that mojo in couple dozen dekes... that will forever be burnt in my mind along with numerous other PL stories

[QuacknStrut]

I'll share one. We found a lot of birds in a WMA, easy to scout from the road (only a couple of miles from our camp), but close to a city in the North Delta. We saw a couple of scouters and knew it would be a zoo.

We humped in as soon as legal and paddled to beat the walkers to our spot. Spot A and B taken, but C was perfect for the wind as well. Get set up and late 3 young guys walk in and set up straight downwind from our dekes - maybe 120 yards. We were not sure as their light was fairly dim. We walk down to see exactly where they are and they come up on the levee to meet us. We let them know they are a little close and kind of cutting off or ability to shoot. They say "No problem" and " sorry" and ask how far they should move and we picked out a spot together that would be safe for us both.

At first light, it is pretty dang full of folks, mostly young uns. As the birds start working, we notice NO SKYBUSTERS in any cell. We also notice that people would call to birds and then tone down when the birds would work a nearby cell/hunters. It was the most amazing display of how to crowd a bunch of hunters with only a decent number of ducks and be respectful of everyone around you. This was last year. We did not limit, but everyone I saw killed some birds and had fun. We thanked every person we saw as we walked out for making it an enjoyable hunt for everyone. It was truly amazing. There was a good mix of locals, out of towners and out of staters. Even made friends with a couple of young uns and invited them on a snow goose hunt the next day(which is really what we hunt the area for). They had lined up a duck shoot and could not make it.

Just wanted to say that, sometimes, it works out well, even on public land. Makes you feel good about the future for sure.

[tha bugman]

Hey Smoke you want me to stand your mojo back straight?


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[Smoke68]

[tha bugman]

Oh alright so me and smoke were hunting a spot of public land doing a little duck killin. Everything was just fine when so boys start coming towards us they drive right through the spread, snagged the jerk cord which popped like a banjo string pulling the mojo it was attached to almost into the water. Smoke yelled out DA$@!!! They stopped asked us if we had been seeing any ducks. After a brief discussion and giving them exact GPS coordinates to our favorite spots they looked back before leaving and said "y'all want us to fix your mojo?"


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[tha bugman]

As I recollect...I believe them boys had roll tide written on the back of their boat


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[Wildfowler]

Here's my story from way back when:


viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1211

[novacaine]