Ethical practices

[tknight]

Our lease and blind is about 500 yards from our neighbor's lease and blind and I am wondering at what point do you put the call down and just let them try to get a shot on the ducks? We are constantly calling at the same ducks and I can pull some from their area as well as keep em off their water to try and get them over to us. I guess what I'm asking is, when are they my ducks and they should be quiet and when are the ducks theirs and we shut up?

[sportsman450]

Can't wait ta hear the response ta this one. There's a big part of me thinkin that if your skills with a call are superior to theirs and if you're actually workin the ducks and not swing shootin, then it's a let the better man win kinda thing.

[h2o_dog]

Our policy on calling is the same regardless if competing with a member's blind or our neighbor's: everybody calls their butts off right up until the shooting begins. That is part of the sport as far as we're concerned...and it has been that way for generations. May the best caller succeed.

[Seymore]

Few years ago I set up at my favorite Public area and was there well before another group showed up. This group had started homesteading this particiular spot, it was their by God, and they dared anyone to show up in it. knowing this, I set up several hundred yards down. Ducks started flying and there were more ducks than I've seen in a long time. Ducks working both hole when this a--hole hollers at us to quit calling their ducks. More words were exchanged and I just left. Not worth a confrontation.

[tunica]

Guess I'm alittle different fella's I dont mind sharing birds, if the next fella follows that thought then we both get a good hunt. I dont understand the satisfaction of keeping birds off someone else. To each there own.

[Ducks be us]

They're " yours" at 50 yards or less. In a perfect world y'all would talk between yourselfs, but, you can generally tell where the dux WANT to be

[GordonGekko]

They're " yours" at 50 yards or less. In a perfect world y'all would talk between yourselfs, but, you can generally tell where the dux WANT to be

Amen....

Also in this situation shut up if the birds are working his spread...don't try to call 'em off or flare 'em (in other words don't "test-fire" your gun)...common courtesy...as for blowing a call if you think you can call a duck in from 500 yards go for it, you've got better lungs than I do....

[Anatidae]

It depends on how the other folks act. If they are intent on trying to work birds that are over you, then all bets are off. Otherwise, it ought to be obvious what' within 'working' range and what's not.

If your blind is 500 yds apart, then generally I would think if you can't turn a group before they rech the 250yd mark, they aren't gonna work you anyway.....let'em go a hope somebody else kills'em for being so stubborn.

Tom Wiley and I were trying to get to the same spot one morning. Trouble was, we weren't hunting together. Anne and I got there, first. Tom and his partner that day came-in a little later. When they past by us, we heard one of'em say, "They're right where we wanted to be". They knew it was us (cause of our vehicle) and since we know each other and get along well, they knew it wouldn't mess us up if they went-on down the slough about 200yds. When ducks worked them, I shut-up and when they were lookin' at us, he left'em alone until I either killed'em or lost'em. I remember one duck that looked at us and started over toward Tom and Barry. It was about 75yds and stroking toward them. I started to just let'er go.......but in the spirit of friendly competition, I gave her one more try and the duck turned and came-back just as they started to pick her up and start working her. They put their calls down and never hit a lick.

Later-on in the morning we heard some honkers coming down the slough. I couldn't see'm but it sounded like they might peel and miss us both, so I pulled the honker call out and tried to help Tom and Barry get'em back on-line so one of us might have a chance at'em. After I was convinced they were coming again, I heard the honkers were on a better line to Tom and Barry than they were to us, so I shut-up. They kept calling and got'em to fly right over them and they got one of the birds.

You just gotta know what's within your limits (and in some cases, ability) and respect that of your fellow hunters....especially the ones you know pretty well. And be willing to give each other the benefit of doubt when things could go either way.

Both of us had good hunts that morning, and it was because there just were enough birds to keep it from being such a cut-throat situation. It helps when there is mutual respect between the parties involved and consideration for 'space'. That was the area the birds were working at the time, and there was room-enough to 2 set-ups if eveybody played it right.

Now, the day the jerk (not T.W.) came through our decoys and set-up 60 yds from us?......he got a calling clinic. Anne and I called everything over the hole into our decoys (despite the guy trying to steal'em on the last pass), and killed a 2-man limit of gads, teal and mallards. The only bird the guy got a shot at was out of the last group we shot into to finish-out......one duck flew over him and he had to shove his dog outa the boat to go get it. Dog took it to the bank and ate it.

The next day, the guy told me I wasn't very sportsman-like .......that I called all his birds off him and his companions .......I told him the best way to avoid that from happening again was to make sure he stayed at LEAST 200yds from me. I further went-on to tell him (with several young hunters / on-lookers standing close-by) that, if I ever heard of him setting-up that close to any one of these young fellows, I'd wait until he left the ramp, follow him to where he was going that day, give him the allowable 200yds.....and STILL call all his ducks off him. 'Told him, I didn't know where he was from, but that down here, we don't set-up on top of someone else.

So, with the two instances above, you can see that there are differeent ways to deal with 'situations'...........

But the best way to keep someone from setting-up too close? .........earn their respect. As in the case with "Mr.Sportsman' (as we have affectionately 'dubbed' him)
........he'll never 'get-it'.....but he hasn't set-up close to me recently, either.

[h2o_dog]

Guess I'm alittle different fella's I dont mind sharing birds, if the next fella follows that thought then we both get a good hunt. I dont understand the satisfaction of keeping birds off someone else. To each there own.

No satisfaction in keeping them off the next fella, and common courtesy is applied when it makes sense...but none of the groups I hunt around expect it from each other.

Everybody wants to limit first, so as to get out of the next group's way - and it happened a lot more back in the days of 3-4 duck limit....and, come to think of it, the courtesy thing probably gets applied more frequently than it used to.

[tunica]

[quote="h2o_dogNo satisfaction in keeping them off the next fella, and common courtesy is applied when it makes sense...but none of the groups I hunt around expect it from each other.

Everybody wants to limit first, so as to get out of the next group's way - and it happened a lot more back in the days of 3-4 duck limit....and, come to think of it, the courtesy thing probably gets applied more frequently than it used to.[/quote]


You should of included that then in your post.

NOW not directed at anyone person

Calling birds that you have no hope in getting or calling birds to attempt to pull them from someone else when you know their committing is just like: Filling you last plate at a buffet without even eating it. The child that was never taught to share. The person that moves into a town and never wants to meet anyone. Bottom LINE its petty and greedy. NOW IF I HIT ANYONES NERVE THEN LOOK WITHIN YOURSELF. I am not saying anyone in particular thats added a comment, I'm talking about so unbunch your panties.

[weimhunter]

Let the best caller decide!

[BRFII]

I think Anatidae is right on; really depends where you are hunting. I have hunted both public land and leased land for more than 30 years since I was 10 years old. Public hunters seem to compete more and pull ducks off others. Mature(age wise) leased hunters know from experience that some days ducks want your place and some days they don't. Also, somedays calling works and somedays it don't. Where we lease there are three clubs that border each other. Two of us hunt with respect to each other and have great hunts even though our blinds are 400 yards apart. The third club has young hunters who "test fire" and "crack calls" when we have birds working us. Their blind is 200 yards away and is 20 feet from our property line, but that is the only spot that holds water on that property so we don't complain. However, there is one older guy that hunts that blind ethically and we both have limited out early several times.

Each situation is different. Pay backs are hell and nobady wins. Personally, I don't find joy in spooking ducks off others and will not lower my character to do so or teach my 11 year old daughter that it is ok to "spook em" even when someone does it to you.

[DUKPRO]

I am wondering at what point do you put the call down and just let them try to get a shot on the ducks? We are constantly calling at the same ducks and I can pull some from their area as well as keep em off their water to try and get them over to us. I guess what I'm asking is, when are they my ducks and they should be quiet and when are the ducks theirs and we shut up?

They aren't anyones until they hit the water!

[skywalker]

It sucks when there is no respect being shown. We had geese working us last Sat and a group was shooting at them over 125 yards to keep them from finally committing to our spread. Group has older guys and younger guys......they couldnt call worth a crap, but didnt want us finishing the birds.....Still enjoyed the hunt as much as possible.

skywalker

[tunica]

I am wondering at what point do you put the call down and just let them try to get a shot on the ducks? We are constantly calling at the same ducks and I can pull some from their area as well as keep em off their water to try and get them over to us. I guess what I'm asking is, when are they my ducks and they should be quiet and when are the ducks theirs and we shut up?

They aren't anyones until they hit the water!

spoken like a true sportsman