Look out, its that time of year!!

[CaptnT]

I don't read or post here like I used to. I miss the good ol' days when you could come here and find a friendly argument now and then.

One thing is the same. You can measure the season by the posts you read. Good shootin', happy posts. Bad days no ducks, bunch of grouchy bastards. Lack of sleep, too much coffee and no ducks are a BAD combination.

I hunt a public spot in NW MS that is usually loaded with boats, but the high water this year has scattered most of the hunters. I have been "sharing" the area with another fellar and whoever he brings on a given day. He has alot of new decoys and two robos. Some days he does well, others I do, but we always seem to get a few. He calls good, and lets the birds work, and I do the same. All in all it has worked out pretty good. Then one day I came in a little later than normal (my brother decided I should wake him up and watch him get dressed) and started to set up in "my" spot. Well, this fellar decided he would come by and ask me why I was setting up so close to him. I told him that I had always hunted this spot, and I wasn't leaving. (I can't blame the guy, I wore him out two days in a row) That day was his, the wind favored his spot and we didn't kill a duck. I never fired a shot.

The next day I came in at the same time the other guy got there. We set up in the dark less than 100 yards from eachother without speaking. When the sun came up, the wind was in our favor, and a large group was cupped up and headed for our boat. BOOM! A single shot from the "fella". I turned to look at him and he was looking in my direction, then starts to feeder call. I have to admit, I lost it. It seemed like to me he had shot once to flare the birds, why else would he shoot once, then start to feeder chuckle? Anyway, I yelled at him, he yelled back, and later he watched me limit out while he didn't shoot again.

The next day I get there nice and early, and guess who is in my "spot"? I didn't let it bother me, I just set up in another spot. I had been thinking about it the night before, and I felt bad about the confrontation we had. I know he has a young boy in the boat with him, I guess its his son, and I hope I didn't teach him something bad. I wanted to make sure, so I went over (in the dark) and apologized for the way I had acted the day before. Although I had used no profanity or even disrespect, I had made a conclusion more influenced by sleep-deprivation and frustration than anything. Its hard to watch a flock cupped and dropping in the dekes, only to have someone shoot and flare them. I had no real proof that he had done so intentionally. If he did, I hope his son learned it is the wrong thing to do. If he didn't, well, I hope his son learned that all duckhunters aren't jerks. I felt better about it, and my brother, who is duck-hunting for the first time this year, also learned the right thing to do.

Guess who was in there to greet the fella the next day at 4:00?

If you read this Ralph, we only shot three.
[img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[Wingman]

I didn't know you could claim a spot on public ground.

Wingman

[Stano]

I too under the impresion....First Come First Served.....Seems setting up a 100 yards from the guy was a little wrong IMHO?

Go Figuer

[CaptnT]

I'm not claiming any spot. He was in there the next day and I went on.

Maybe I should have mentioned this guy came up on me after a successful hunt, saw my birds and set up where he "thought" I was the next day.

If you know the spot, and have hunted in there regularly the past 10 years, 100 yds is being considerate. I have had people set up within 30 yds from me with no complaints, as long as they let the birds work. The area is a big stand of cypress that the birds will really work over if you let them. Somedays the shooting is better when there are more decoys, calling.

I guess you guys mistook what I meant by "my" spot. I put it in quotations to show its just what I call it, I am under no illusion it belongs to me.


grouchy, grouchy, grouchy [img]images/smiles/icon_mad.gif[/img]

[Dutch Dog]

HMMMMM. Sounds like you and me hunt some of the same water CapnT. You hunt in NW MS and so do I. Where I normally hunt you can't hardly get to. There are normally 3 to 4 groups of people trying to hunt the same hole with a couple of them being the folks who heard us shooting and have come a looking. I am not the "other" person you are referring to, as I don't have a son that hunts with me. I hunt with 1 or 2 other fellas that I have hunted with for the past 10 years or so. Do you normally access your place by boat or 4-wheeler?

[Welldoggie]

Dutch Dog,
I think we must hunt the same area...seems like 4 or 5 groups getting cozy in the same area. There is some fella in there that likes to hoot on his call like he's blowing a kazoo...worse yet, he calls alot. Our nickname for him is the Joker.

In previous years we access by 4 wheeler (before that we used to hump in the decoys and slog in), then we started dragging a jon boat on a pvc sled that I built. Now only access is by boat right off of the road.

Sound familiar?

[Stano]

I know a couple of big stands of cypress in NW MS as well Dutch and I ocassionally hunt together.... I have set up what I thought was a tad too close depends on the area and the situation but never under at least 200(really to close) yards. Just shouldn't do it ever( again IMHO) usually screws the hunt for both parties. NW MS has plenty of water right now finding a spot and not crowding is no problem at all right now but heck the ducks aren't co-operating right now anyway......sigh......

[goosebruce]

Capt T, sorry bout shooting and running yur ducks off. Just kidding, it werent me. Just welcoming you back. Good to see ya in here. Man don't ever set up anywhere next to stano though, hes either really good, or really lucky, or both... He must have ducks cause I been IM him for 3 days and he aint answered.... Boy shoots pretty good for a white boy too. Whutdja shoot last time at clays stan?? Oh yeah, 5 less than me! (actually, it was the ONLY time I ever beat stan, and I wont shoot him again). travis

[damnyankee]

That CaptT will squeeze you out whenever he gets a chance.
I've seen him pick up and chase gunshots...

[CaptnT]

Yeah, I chase splashes when I fish too!

Welldoggie, I think I met your party last year opening day. I had a large party with me and we were just setting up when you came in on two four-wheelers to set up. We set up almost within spitting distance from eachother and while it was a little touch-n-go for awhile, we made out alright, didn't we?

I access the spot by boat when I can, and walk in when I can't.

We all need to plan a hunt together some time. I tell you, some of the best days I have had in there have come when there were four to five groups of hunters in there, everybody calling and alot of decoys out. At least we know who to blame if things don't go right. [img]images/smiles/icon_wink.gif[/img]

Welldoggie, I know the fella you are talking about, I call him Bozo, because I too say he sounds like a kazoo. I call as little as possible, my favorite call this year is the drake grunt. My brother and I let a large group land just outside the decoys earlier this season, and watched them call to the flocks circling. You know who called? the drakes. Seemed like the suzies kept quiet while the drakes all grunted. That taught me something.