Run in with duck hunter?

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Drundel
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Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Drundel »

I can't find it online, figured somewhere here would know, but I was told of a run in this week in Matty with a duck hunter and a kayak fisherman and the GW was called out.

There was supposed a post on Facebook with pictures and details. Anyone know the story?

Thx
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Damn. Hope nobody got shot. Isn’t this stuff supposed to RECREATIONAL?! And people wonder why I shun human interaction when I’m out fishin’!


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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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I have a east Matty duck hunter at the house right now, I asked if he knew anything and said no not him. He did make the comment that duck hunters he knows and hunts with hate to see kayakers out there and that they are not welcome in area. Man that was disturbing to hear , we all share the water ways and it’s this guys age thas makes him and his crowd ignorant . I talked to him but he’s one of those people that know all and can’t be told anything.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Guy sounds like a real piece of work. Entitlement isn’t just for the kids these days!


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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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Yak Dog wrote:I have a east Matty duck hunter at the house right now, I asked if he knew anything and said no not him. He did make the comment that duck hunters he knows and hunts with hate to see kayakers out there and that they are not welcome in area. Man that was disturbing to hear , we all share the water ways and it’s this guys age thas makes him and his crowd ignorant . I talked to him but he’s one of those people that know all and can’t be told anything.
I wasn't there to hear how the guy you spoke to said it, but to be honest, if I'm set up in a duck blind with decoys out (or not) an hour before most paddlers even leave the house and was waiting for sun-up, only to have a kayaker paddle over my spread when the ducks were still moving, I'd hate that too. You would not be welcome there. It is not only a matter of disrupting my hunt, but a matter of your safety. We share the water, yes, but he who gets there first has the right to hunt or fish that area without disruption. It may seem to you that you are quiet because redfish swim lazily under your kayak, but to a group of ducks approaching by air, you stick out like a sore thumb. That would obviously not excuse a hunter shooting at or near you on purpose, but stern words and demanding you respect their hunting area is not going too far.

About a year ago, as I was wading the Boggy shoreline in a fog, I unknowingly walked within range of a group of duck hunters. They hadn't been calling or talking and it was a thick soup of a fog. They unloaded about 8 shots between what I would see later was 4 hunters and the shot from one of the barrells hit 20 yards away from me. Had it been on line, it would have hit me. It would not have been the first time I got peppered, but the other times was duck hunting in crowded public places and it was another group. I was in the wrong, however accidentally, and they didn't even see me, but they were pretty cool about it when I let them know I was there and then I waded another 25 yards out away from them. It was all good and I caught a few trout a some flounder to boot :D
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Drundel »

I would hope its common sense that its first come first serve, but with today's youth, I don't see that happening 100% of the time.

I don't know the full story, but I would like to hear the kayaks side of it. He (she?) called the GW after fishing in an area where duck hunters were there first, so something must have happened and the hunters got tickets.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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I do my best to stay away from any humans on the water also, especially duck hunters. But one thing that had me absolutely baffled a few weekends ago, I was at Drum Bay, and you guys know where the kayak launch is I'm sure. Someone had setup and was duck hunting on that little island just 100 yards from that launch. I could not believe that they had set up so close. There were many shots fired also and by the time I came in around 1 pm I could still hear them making duck calls from there.
I don't think that is acceptable to be that close to a designated kayak launch.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Drundel »

Cityfisher wrote:I do my best to stay away from any humans on the water also, especially duck hunters. But one thing that had me absolutely baffled a few weekends ago, I was at Drum Bay, and you guys know where the kayak launch is I'm sure. Someone had setup and was duck hunting on that little island just 100 yards from that launch. I could not believe that they had set up so close. There were many shots fired also and by the time I came in around 1 pm I could still hear them making duck calls from there.
I don't think that is acceptable to be that close to a designated kayak launch.
Probably not legal also. There has to be a certain amount of distance from stuff likes roads, etc. might be the same for public launches.
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Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Youth has nothing to do with it. Yesterday, on the water, I had an older fart roll up within 20 feet of me in his bass boat and start casting. I pedaled away and he called out to “Don’t let me scare you off!” I ignored him and then caught 3 bass as he watched from a couple of hundred feet away. He took off after about 10 minutes. Lack of common sense and civility is the rule of the land these days.


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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cruisin_Cuda »

i've pretty much given up on people having courtesy, ethics, or being a good sportsman. just this last weekend i woke up at 12:30 am, launched my yak at 2:30, paddled about a mile into a BIG marsh (in the thick fog) was set up by 4 am. (shooting time was about 6:20. I do this b/c i don't have the luxury of waking up and launching a boat and motoring to a spot 30 mins before shooting time. out of 4 "boats" including me the other 3 came in and set up less than 100 yards away surrounding me on three sides. I shined every group and even yelled to them they were too close as i could hear decoys clanking and them talking with little to no wind. one group moved maybe 50 yds further and the other two told me to kiss their you know what... every bird was either getting high balled at, and or shot at (no matter how high they were) before they even got to me. this isn't a rare occurrence, and it's gotten to the point where i'm just about ready to let them have it before i end up in cuffs....
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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Don't look with disdain upon the 90% of the Duck Hunters, fishermen, kayakers, and pleasure boaters because of the inappropriate, ignorant, butt heads that comprise 10% of each of those groups. Unfortunately, due to the rapidly increasing population (definitely along the Texas Gulf Coast), the 10% is growing exponentially as well.

Duck hunters have always been at odds with fishermen during hunting season. And, frankly, although I'm an avid duck hunter, my patience is sorely diminished by the presence of the damned air boats. The addition over the past ten years of hundred of kayaks on the water has added an entirely new dimension to the mix.

Not much we can do about it other than giving our fellow sportsmen and women the benefit of the doubt. We should display our courtesy and proper sporting manners whenever possible...,as difficult as it may be at times.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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Well a duck or a fish is not worth a life or even getting in a confrontation over . I hope we can all use common sense when I head out , good fishing and good hunting to all of you.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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Cuervo Jones wrote:Youth has nothing to do with it. Yesterday, on the water, I had an older fart roll up within 20 feet of me in his bass boat and start casting. I pedaled away and he called out to “Don’t let me scare you off!” I ignored him and then caught 3 bass as he watched from a couple of hundred feet away. He took off after about 10 minutes. Lack of common sense and civility is the rule of the land these days.


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I was fishing off a pier today trying to get rid of what was left of my dead shrimp from Saturday. The pier runs out from land about 300 feet, then turns 90 degrees and runs another 200 or so feet. All of that 200 or so feet is facing a huge oyster bed (usually great fishing off that pier). it was about 9:00am and I was the ONLY person there, all the way at the very end of the pier. This old man (73 years old to be exact) comes trotting out dragging a wagon with an ice chest, some rods, and a chair. As he's walking, he just keeps getting closer and closer, and he stops 10-15 feet from where I'm standing, plops out his chair, sits, and castout with some cut bait on bottom and just lays his rod down. I had my shrimp on the bottom on the corner of the pier, and was throwing plastic in about a 15-20 degree radius from where I was standing. He was so close, that I threw over his line on about the 3rd cast.

He was being really friendly and chatty, which I'm ok with, but it hit a nerve. As I was leaning over him to get my lure over his line back onto the pier, I asked "I dont mean to be rude, but this whole pier is empty, would you mind telling me why you came all the way out here to the one spot I'm fishing to throw your line out?" He apologized, and while he didnt move he started throwing away from me.

I just dont get it. There is literally 500' of pier no one is fishing from, and he comes and sits 10 feet from me. I was on the end of the pier, standing about 15 feet from the end. Some people just dont think.

As for the duck hunters, I've gotta say, I always carry my pistol when I fish from my kayak (when I go anywhere other than a bar really). If someone starts tossing shotgun blasts in my direction, I'm going to consider that a threat on my life, and return fire. I'll call the cops when the threat stops. I will do my best to avoid anyone hunting, because I am courteous and I'm not stupid, but accidents happen and if I dont see them I dont see them. That's no reason to start shooting at me. As soon as I realize my mistake, or they say something, I'll apologize and move on, just dont shoot at me.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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I have accidently come up on a decoy spread only to realize they were not real. I just slowly back off and go in the other direction.
On the original post, have not heard of the confrontation. As usual, the truth lies somewhere in the middle.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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If duck hunting you use blinds most of the time and cannot be seen. How is a kayaker supposed to see them if the ducks can't? Does not make sense that the kayaker is at fault when the kayaker is on a BODY OF WATER. Hunters have the land and fisherman have the water. The duck hunters are the INTRUDERS here. Sorry but that is my opinion and I will swear by it and you will never change my mind.
I will not carry or move my kayak around any hunters while on land. That is my responsibility to look out for them during the hunting season. I'll be damned if I am on the WATER and have to look out for hunters. Just like I would look out for them on land, they need to watch out for kayakers on the water. Can't be any more of a simple fix to please everyone. Common sense and courtesy.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Salaqua »

Last year around this time, I took my son and nephew to Boggy for their first time kayak fishing. I figured easy launch and nearby drains would be the best chance for anything to catch. I noticed birds on the water between the first and second cut at Boggy (the first cut being the one that on the launching area). We got within 100 yards or so and were yelled at by a two or more hunters hidden in the brush.

I am a courteous angler and would never knowingly intrude on someone's hunt or fishing. This being said, there is also some common sense needed when choosing locations to hunt or fish. Hunting a few hundred yards from a pretty well known wading and kayak launch is probably not the best idea.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cruisin_Cuda »

kickingback wrote:If duck hunting you use blinds most of the time and cannot be seen. How is a kayaker supposed to see them if the ducks can't? Does not make sense that the kayaker is at fault when the kayaker is on a BODY OF WATER. Hunters have the land and fisherman have the water. The duck hunters are the INTRUDERS here. Sorry but that is my opinion and I will swear by it and you will never change my mind.
I will not carry or move my kayak around any hunters while on land. That is my responsibility to look out for them during the hunting season. I'll be damned if I am on the WATER and have to look out for hunters. Just like I would look out for them on land, they need to watch out for kayakers on the water. Can't be any more of a simple fix to please everyone. Common sense and courtesy.
i've seen enough from you on the forum that tell me you're a good angler, but this statement clearly shows you know little to nothing about duck hunting. I'm not going to argue back and forth but I am going to point out where you're wrong. Three main reasons...

1. a ducks life revolves around water, they are hatched in wetlands, they feed in flooded crops or areas where natural forage and water mix, they roost in water, and they die (either by shotgun or natural predators in/near water). comparing duck hunting to land and fishing to water is completely false.

2. any public land/water is shared by ALL outdoors men and whoever is there first has the right to use the area. i'm going to bet you weren't out there fishing at 4 am or earlier. should a situation ever arise and the game warden shows up it will be you who gets the ticket (unless the hunter also does something illegal after things escalate). go look up the sportsmens act in texas.

3. the last sentence of your statement clearly contradicts your opinion. if common sense and courtesy is the "simple fix" then common sense says the hunters were there first and courtesy would be for you to not ruin their hunt.

i'm not saying hunters are never wrong, usually newbies who are scared of the dark/fog will set up in main cuts or channels making it impossible for people to pass through without disturbing them. that's their fault, and they don't represent the majority. i've never met anyone who had a problem with someone passing through an area, but it's another thing to start fishing within earshot/eyesight once you know they're there. good indicators are ducks that don't fly off after you see them (if they were real they'd see you and take off) especially if there's a few with a pole in their butts that continually flap their wings and don't move.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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I was merely pointing out that there can be a solution instead of angry hunters and anglers. Like I said it comes down to common sense. If hunters lose their common sense for kayakers then I will stop fishing where they hunt. Common sense. If they are courteous and look out for kayakers then I applaud them and will fish the same areas I do all year. Why should I stop fishing in comfort and safety becasue a hunter moves in and is not watching for others? Easy to courteous but it is easier to just be an idiot and not think about others. Even as a hunter it is YOUR responsibility to know what you are aiming and shooting at. YOU have the gun. Not the kayakers. Can't be more clearer to me. Weapon=responsibility for others as you could kill them. Fishing=no responsibility as you are merely fishing. Understand what I am saying now?
Common sense of others and the responsibilities that you have in the endeavor you are seeking.
God forbid if I ever ruin someone's "hunt" by getting shot and killed becasue a hunter was irresponsible with his weapon.
I wont throw a lure at you. Don't shoot me!
Common sense for those of us that understand the quality of life.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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"If hunters loose their common sense for kayakers then I will stop fishing where they hunt".

I'm not arguing any point. I'm not saying you are wrong about anything. However, this is a serious subject during this the of year, and I would be interested in what you mean by that statement.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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If I fish an area all year long and catch fish I will come back to that area to catch fish any time. If it is hunting season I will be looking out and listening for them. My responsibility. I have no other but to fish. If I hear them fire near me or if I can see them firing in my general direction I will leave the area as fast as I can. They can stand up and look around easily in the comfort of their stand or jon boat and see if anyone is around. If they don't then they are not responsible to me and I am out of there!
I will stay away from that area for the hunting season and go fish in quiet somewhere that I don't have to look out for someone with a gun.
I'm pointing out more than once the fact that hunters have the gun. Not the fisherman. The angler cannot kill the hunter with a lure. A hunter can kill a kayaker with a gun. In my mind that makes the hunter the person that should be MORE responsible.
Common sense.
I am not being mean to hunters. Don't get mad. Please understand. You hunters need to understand the ramifications for not being responsible with a gun. I have not hunted in a long time but I own 12 guns in total. When I go hunting I will ALWAYS be on the lookout for humans. Common sense to me is not ruining someone else's life becasue I was not responsible for my actions.
We can debate this as much as you like but the most important factor is that someone can get killed by a gun and people have to know how and when to use it. No one can argue that point.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by karstopo »

I just stay away from duck hunting zones during the season. There’s others places to fish where they aren’t allowed to hunt.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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I haven't any argument with what you are saying. However, I can assure you that the instances of a hunter aiming his weapon and firing at a kayaker are probably more rare than getting struck by lightening. I just don't see the relevance of the gun vs lure comment.

I'm sure that a small percentage of hunters are not nearly as courtesy or as weapon safe as they should be. The same holds true for kayakers with reference to courtesy towards duck hunters. I would bet that there are more than a few kayakers with very limited understanding about duck hunters and duck hunting.

You have provided a succinct answer to avoiding any confrontation. The duck hunters are probably in position long before the kayakers arrive. They clearly...,in most instances...,have the 'right of way', and all boaters should stay a proper and courteous distance from their spread. Yet, that old, tired adage of, "you can't change stupid" is still quite pertinent.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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Kayak Kid wrote:I haven't any argument with what you are saying. However, I can assure you that the instances of a hunter aiming his weapon and firing at a kayaker are probably more rare than getting struck by lightening. I just don't see the relevance of the gun vs lure comment.

I'm sure that a small percentage of hunters are not nearly as courtesy or as weapon safe as they should be. The same holds true for kayakers with reference to courtesy towards duck hunters. I would bet that there are more than a few kayakers with very limited understanding about duck hunters and duck hunting.

You have provided a succinct answer to avoiding any confrontation. The duck hunters are probably in position long before the kayakers arrive. They clearly...,in most instances...,have the 'right of way', and all boaters should stay a proper and courteous distance from their spread. Yet, that old, tired adage of, "you can't change stupid" is still quite pertinent.
If I paddle unknowingly into someone's spread, I have no problem with a simple "We're hunting here". I'll apologize, and get out of their way as quickly and quietly as possible.

I DO have a problem if they come off with an attitude, or start shooting while I'm there. If they come off with an attitude, they'll get one in return, and if they keep it up, I'll drop anchor.

Whether or not they're firing directly at me is also irrelevant. The #1 rule of firing a weapon is to always identify your target, know whats around it and what is beyond it. If they are on public waters, before they pull the trigger, they need to look. If they start shooting before I've had a chance to leave the area, I assume they know I'm there and just have complete and total disregard for human life.

The odds of anything like that happening I would hope would be rather slim. I dont get out much this time of year in my kayak anyway, because quite frankly I dont like being cold (to me, below about 60 is cold). So, I dont think I'll have much of, if any, issues to deal with, but courtesy goes both ways.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cruisin_Cuda »

kickingback wrote:I was merely pointing out that there can be a solution instead of angry hunters and anglers. Like I said it comes down to common sense. If hunters lose their common sense for kayakers then I will stop fishing where they hunt. Common sense. If they are courteous and look out for kayakers then I applaud them and will fish the same areas I do all year. Why should I stop fishing in comfort and safety becasue a hunter moves in and is not watching for others? Easy to courteous but it is easier to just be an idiot and not think about others. Even as a hunter it is YOUR responsibility to know what you are aiming and shooting at. YOU have the gun. Not the kayakers. Can't be more clearer to me. Weapon=responsibility for others as you could kill them. Fishing=no responsibility as you are merely fishing. Understand what I am saying now?
Common sense of others and the responsibilities that you have in the endeavor you are seeking.
God forbid if I ever ruin someone's "hunt" by getting shot and killed becasue a hunter was irresponsible with his weapon.
I wont throw a lure at you. Don't shoot me!
Common sense for those of us that understand the quality of life.
if you had put it like this instead of hunters are "intruders" and they can kiss my hind end it would have been much better received. totally agree about the safety portion as well, it's so much ingrained in me from such a young age i forget that not everybody had that teaching growing up and it's not the case for everyone. you're also right that people getting heated on the water won't lead to anything good either, however it is really simple solution. duck season is about 3.5 months out the year if you count teal season. most of this time in the winter is when the number of anglers hang up the yak until spring. they will almost always be out there first, so they should be able to hunt the small area without people fishing right on top of them. as i said before, there's usually no problem with someone passing through, just don't stop and fish within eye/ear shot of them once you know they are there. however the number of A-holes that would actually shoot at you are a lot smaller than you'd think. there may be cases where you could be "peppered" by complete accident because a high brass 12 gauge shell can chunk steel a good ways and they may not know you're there either. that's why it's just smarter to not fish in areas that are commonly known for hunting during duck season. not saying that people "must stay away" but it kind of goes along with an old saying that i've used many times when dealing with a ton of different situations, it goes "i'd rather be wrong and alive, than be right and dead".
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cruisin_Cuda »

bigred90gt wrote:
Kayak Kid wrote:I haven't any argument with what you are saying. However, I can assure you that the instances of a hunter aiming his weapon and firing at a kayaker are probably more rare than getting struck by lightening. I just don't see the relevance of the gun vs lure comment.

I'm sure that a small percentage of hunters are not nearly as courtesy or as weapon safe as they should be. The same holds true for kayakers with reference to courtesy towards duck hunters. I would bet that there are more than a few kayakers with very limited understanding about duck hunters and duck hunting.

You have provided a succinct answer to avoiding any confrontation. The duck hunters are probably in position long before the kayakers arrive. They clearly...,in most instances...,have the 'right of way', and all boaters should stay a proper and courteous distance from their spread. Yet, that old, tired adage of, "you can't change stupid" is still quite pertinent.
If I paddle unknowingly into someone's spread, I have no problem with a simple "We're hunting here". I'll apologize, and get out of their way as quickly and quietly as possible.

I DO have a problem if they come off with an attitude, or start shooting while I'm there. If they come off with an attitude, they'll get one in return, and if they keep it up, I'll drop anchor.

Whether or not they're firing directly at me is also irrelevant. The #1 rule of firing a weapon is to always identify your target, know whats around it and what is beyond it. If they are on public waters, before they pull the trigger, they need to look. If they start shooting before I've had a chance to leave the area, I assume they know I'm there and just have complete and total disregard for human life.

The odds of anything like that happening I would hope would be rather slim. I dont get out much this time of year in my kayak anyway, because quite frankly I dont like being cold (to me, below about 60 is cold). So, I dont think I'll have much of, if any, issues to deal with, but courtesy goes both ways.
very well said, and you are mostly correct, the number of people that would actually do that are a very small portion and they should be dealt with by any means necessary. the only thing is you shouldn't assume anything unless it's blatantly obvious. depending on the area and range of steel shot it's entirely possible that they may not know you're there and the same warning should be given. there's only been one incident in the almost 20 years i've been at it where i was hunting a small flat and a guy was fishing in an adjacent back lake about 100 yards away. i had a group come in and i let them have it not knowing he was back there. he wasn't hit, but it made him pucker the cheeks a little and he hollered out that he was there. i stopped shooting in that direction until a few mins later he came paddling over and i of course apologized and neither one of us knew we where there. we chatted for a couple of mins, he was saying how he'd always wanted to try duck hunting and now he's one of my hunting buddies.
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