Duck Hunting SKY BLASTERS!

[EastTx]

I woke up at 2:00 a.m. Saturday and headed for the lake to make sure we could get a spot we scouted. There were 8 trucks already there at 3:45. We got lucky and ended up getting the spot we wanted and were setup by 4:30. We took a nap in the boat while we were waiting on lst. About 15 minutes till, another boat drove right through our decoys and set up just a couple hundred yards from us. We were kind of ticked off for the lack of courtesy but decided we would try to make it work. We killed a few early while they were putting out decoys but once they were done it was over for us. Any time ducks would begin to circle our spread and get lower, the other boat would shoot at them when they passed over them. It was very frustrating. The shots they were taking were impossible shots. I had to calm my hunting partner down who was ready to go have words with the other boat. If they would have just been patient I am sure that both of our groups would have done well. We ended up leaving after working in a large group that were locked up headed straight to our decoys. When the group crossed in front of them they unloaded. The ducks were at least 80 yards across the cove from them when they shot. My buddy hollered a few choice words at them and they returned with a few words of their own. I decided it was time to go. I do most of my hunting on private land now but I do enjoy hunting public land some times. I have ran into some sky blasters before but nothing like this. My buddy hunts public land a lot more than me and said it is actually pretty common to run into guys like this now on the lakes. One thing I will give them is that they wore the coots out! Is it like this on all public water???

[canny]

Comes with the territory. It doesn't happen all the time, but unfortunately there are those that either don't care or are just ignorant to what they are doing. I exclusively hunt public land in East TX and understand your feelings.

[Low Fence]

I live 5 min from Fork. I haven't shot a shell over it in years. Would rather take an #$$ whippin than duck hunt it, or most public water for that fact. It almost calmed down...almost, then duck dynasty hit. Everyone grew a beard, bought a $20K boat,and got em a 200 pound lab with a head the size of a buffalo. 9 cases of 3/12" and 14 duck calls. Set up every 100 yrds or less to hunt 10 ducks that were there the week before and end up with 1 ringneck, and a mud hen after shooting 75 shells.

Private land or nothing for me as far as ducks go.

[Sleepy]

I live 5 min from Fork. I haven't shot a shell over it in years. Would rather take an #$$ whippin than duck hunt it, or most public water for that fact. It almost calmed down...almost, then duck dynasty hit. Everyone grew a beard, bought a $20K boat,and got em a 200 pound lab with a head the size of a buffalo. 9 cases of 3/12" and 14 duck calls. Set up every 100 yrds or less to hunt 10 ducks that were there the week before and end up with 1 ringneck, and a mud hen after shooting 75 shells.

Private land or nothing for me as far as ducks go.

I think that is about the best description of todays duck hunting that Ive heard in a while.

[Texas Grown]

Not on all Public water all the time. But there can be rude people any where at any time. I pretty much hunt only big water for the most part. And have run into all kinds out there. Some good, some rude and self centered, some no good.

[Felix40]

Nearly got in a fight last day of the first split when a guy pulled up next to us as we were walking to our spot and wanted to race me. After I outran him he said he would give us some space then threw out his dekes 50 yards from my spread. If people would just be decent and work together it would be better for everyone.

[Bonesplitter]

It's been that way for years. There's always those couple groups.

[d_e_smith]

Ya ain't gonna hit nothin' if you don't shoot.

[TICK MAGNET]

Yeah, I called it quits on public land 5 years ago! Got tired of fighting the teenagers.

[backbone]

We had two guys get mad at us for hunting the stand we built. We were not going to leave so they sat on the ground beside the blind. It was pretty intense at first but in the end we all shot some birds.

[EastTx]

Ya ain't gonna hit nothin' if you don't shoot.

Was that you on Palestine Saturday morning?

[Grumpy1911]

I live 5 min from Fork. I haven't shot a shell over it in years. Would rather take an #$$ whippin than duck hunt it, or most public water for that fact. It almost calmed down...almost, then duck dynasty hit. Everyone grew a beard, bought a $20K boat,and got em a 200 pound lab with a head the size of a buffalo. 9 cases of 3/12" and 14 duck calls. Set up every 100 yrds or less to hunt 10 ducks that were there the week before and end up with 1 ringneck, and a mud hen after shooting 75 shells.

Private land or nothing for me as far as ducks go.

HA. That's a perfect description of it.

Top waters.

[Chase This!]

Ah, the joys of public land. Where were you? I like to laugh at them through my mallard call.

[EastTx]

Ah, the joys of public land. Where were you? I like to laugh at them through my mallard call.

Lake Palestine.

[Chase This!]

Lake Palestine.

Gotcha. I occasionally hunt Brazoria NWR and it's the same thing. It's annoying, but better than sitting in the office or house.