Run in with duck hunter?

Tombo
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Tombo »

I am still wondering about the original post. I bet other boats and duck hunters make more of a racket coming up on other duck blinds than a kayak would.
The silliest place I saw a duck blind was in the Sailboat channel in Aransas Pass, a narrow navigational channel.
Thankfully, for the most part its nothing but a bunch of hot air.
Anyone that sets up in a duck blind hours before sun up in the fall and winter can have that space.
As the cooler temps approach, most fishing guides don't launch until 0930-1000 to let the shallows warm up.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Ron Mc »

I made the mistake of fishing Tejas Camp on the opening weekend of dove season. Like many Corps of Engineers access points, there's a box to sign-in and hunt. I was wading down the limestone and happily catching bass after bass, when shot rained on my hat. Pretty sure there wasn't a bird flying at the time. So I busted on down to the trees.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Drundel »

Cruisin_Cuda wrote: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....
Damn bro, you are way more mad at them than I am. The most I do is getting up about 2 for a long drive to a public marsh for a mile hike back in there. Well then during e-caller, all bets are off as I do love watching snow geese decoy like champs.
Tombo wrote:I am still wondering about the original post. I bet other boats and duck hunters make more of a racket coming up on other duck blinds than a kayak would.
The silliest place I saw a duck blind was in the Sailboat channel in Aransas Pass, a narrow navigational channel.
Thankfully, for the most part its nothing but a bunch of hot air.
Anyone that sets up in a duck blind hours before sun up in the fall and winter can have that space.
As the cooler temps approach, most fishing guides don't launch until 0930-1000 to let the shallows warm up.
Yea, I didn't mean to start an argument, was just curious about what happened. I never could find a fishing matty facebook group.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Yaklash »

Salaqua wrote: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.
That is the very spot I encountered the duck hunters I spoke of. They couldn't see me the fog was so thick. Otherwise, I think they would have let me know they were there. I agree that it would be about the last place I would set up for a hunt, but they seem to go there a lot; probably a lack of better options for a quick and easy (and cheap) duck hunt.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Seems like the original story was #FAKENEWS. Was it by chance first mentioned by a certain, prolific tweeter-in-chief?


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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by tastywavescoolbuzz »

Cuervo Jones wrote:Seems like the original story was #FAKENEWS. Was it by chance first mentioned by a certain, prolific tweeter-in-chief?


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did you mean molester in chief? :dance:
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by TroutSupport.com »

The biggest thing with the duck hunters is the movement of a boat whether that be a boa, kayak, or hunter wadin/walking around.It's the human and big movement that stops the ducks from wanting to land in said 'decoy spread' and to the hunters, it's hard enough for them to stay still much less some other person encroaching withing 150 yards and flaring the birds. I'm a reformed duck hunter.. I don't think you could pay me to get up at 330 to do that again, but I get it. And we always want others to share the water with us and treat us with respect, we just need to also grant that respect to others and give them room to do their thing even if we don't like it or they beat us to our 'spot'. Besides, like others have mentioned, in the winter (rather from now until March what ever the temperature is) its' better to drift deep shell in the mornings and then fish shallow in the afternoon, or if I want to fish shallow I try to fish where there will not be any hunters, like around chinquapin or somewhere in the marsh that the hunters can't get to .
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by kickingback »

Cruisin_Cuda wrote:
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".
Like I said all along, common sense. Safety first. I am a night fisherman. With me I am always out there BEFORE the hunters. I fish mostly at night or very early morning. My kayak is lit up like a Christmas tree with green LED's. If a hunter does not see me or shoots toward me with my lights on, there will be a confrontation I can guarantee!
But my number one pet peeve is safety. Always safety first then have fun!
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by SwampTrout »

honestly this whole issue stresses me out a bit this time of year. I used to duck hunt a lot, and I try and be very courteous to others on the water generally, so i always try and give them space. Plus i just dont like fishing near others anyways. But I've had instances where hunters have been set up on a channel and i had no choice but to paddle through their spread. Last year, I launched off the pier at Sea Isle, and there were hunters on every point from there going east. I paddled out a few hundred yards from shore, and was hightailing it to snake island cove (despite my initial plan to fish those flats). People were still standing up and yelling at me. I was trying to get out of the way and they cant have all of west bay to themselves...

The funny part was i later kicked up a bunch of ducks and they flew close enough to those angry guys that they squeezed some shots off.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by bigred90gt »

Cruisin_Cuda wrote:
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.
When I say "I assume they see me", I probably could have worded that better. I always assume no one sees me, like when I am driving, so I keep my own head on a swivel. What I was trying to get across is that if BBs start flying my way, I assume they saw me (because again, you should always know what is in the vicinity if you are firing a weapon) and it is intentional. If I'm 100 yards away in another part of a marsh, of course that is different. I'm talking about if I were to unintentionally paddle into someones spread, and they start shooting (at birds hopefully). Of course if I see them or their spread, I wont stay. It's rude (just like someone camping out right next to you while you're fishing), and it's dangerous for me.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Tombo »

I had been fishing some marsh in the fall couple years ago paddling home along the shoreline. I could hear the drone of an airboat getting louder. When I looked behind me, the airboat made a wide berth around me and gave me a wave to say hello.
At the ramp, the driver of the airboat asked if he gave me enough room. They were courteous, prepared sportsman with a trained Lab and proper equipment.
I have encountered all sorts of folks on the water, good and bad. The larger the craft, the bigger the impact a mistake is.
In the end, its what's between the ears.
The most ridiculous encounter I had was at Estes flats, Friday after Thanksgiving. I would not normally fish here but was meeting some friends. There is way too much boat traffic here for me and we encountered a duck blind with hunters in it.
I do not know much about duck hunting but they might as well have set up in downtown Corpus with all the activity on the water. I call these types wanna be's, no matter what the sport.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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Tombo wrote: I do not know much about duck hunting but they might as well have set up in downtown Corpus with all the activity on the water. I call these types wanna be's, no matter what the sport.
LOL, there are those as well. Too funny.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by TimmyT140 »

If you're paddling in a hunting area and you're close enough to see a few ducks on the water and they don't fly, I believe you can safely assume they aren't real and paddle the other direction. I came around a bend to the flats at Mud Lake once, and a huge flock of ducks took off like crazy, and they were at least a half mile away.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

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TroutSupport.com wrote:
Tombo wrote: I do not know much about duck hunting but they might as well have set up in downtown Corpus with all the activity on the water. I call these types wanna be's, no matter what the sport.
LOL, there are those as well. Too funny.
Exactly what I thought about the guys that set up 100 yards from the kayak launch. Noobies! There is a big wooden sign on the hwy to that spot that say's "KAYAK LAUNCH"!! geeez
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by RedsOnRiot »

Ahh the ole duck hunter vs. kayaker thread.

Never gets old
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Ahhh the ol’ “Ahhh the ole...” post.
Never gets....wait a sec!
Deja vu!!!!!


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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Ag_gone_fishin »

I doubt this is the same incident, but in a duck hunting FB Group I’m in someone had a run in with a kayaker. The guy in the kayak paddled right into the middle of the spread and cast his line.
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Crusader »

Did he get a bite?
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cruisin_Cuda »

Ag_gone_fishin wrote:I doubt this is the same incident, but in a duck hunting FB Group I’m in someone had a run in with a kayaker. The guy in the kayak paddled right into the middle of the spread and cast his line.
in that particular situation a cell phone video needs to record it and a call to the game warden needs to be made. that would be violating the sportsman's act.
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Re: RE: Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by bowhntr1 »

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.
Your right, those duck hunters had to be 500yds from launch ramp (I'm duck hunter and hunt that area also), they put everyone in danger being that close. I would have called GW myself, this gives good duck hunters had rep.
As hunters we habe to respect each other while out on public lands (it not your personal property)...1st come gets 1st rights...plenty of GOD creation to enjoy move on and be safe

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Run in with duck hunter?

Post by El Gato Diablo »

Hey, it happens to the best of us. I once set up to hunt on a nice clearing that I guessed was pipeline in the SHNF. I was up a pine tree 25' in my climber. At first light a hiker came by, sped up his pace when he saw me waving. By 10:00 I had seen 9 hikers , some with their dogs. I was a little frustrated, and on my way back to the truck I realized I set up on the LoneStar hiking trail. Was surprised a GW or PO was never called. Learned my lesson, pay attention and plan your spot carefully.
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Re: RE: Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cityfisher »

bowhntr1 wrote:
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.
Your right, those duck hunters had to be 500yds from launch ramp (I'm duck hunter and hunt that area also), they put everyone in danger being that close. I would have called GW myself, this gives good duck hunters had rep.
As hunters we habe to respect each other while out on public lands (it not your personal property)...1st come gets 1st rights...plenty of GOD creation to enjoy move on and be safe

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Yep. Check it out. This guy or guys were 170 yards away.
Duck Hunter.jpg
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Cuervo Jones
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Cuervo Jones »

Average IQ is 98. That means that around half the population (including those with guns) is lower than that. Gratitude to George Carlin for pointing this out years ago.


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Crusader
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by Crusader »

Also explains why we needed George to find that out for us... ;)
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Re: Run in with duck hunter?

Post by ARenko »

karstopo wrote:I just stay away from duck hunting zones during the season. There’s others places to fish where they aren’t allowed to hunt.
I'm not a hunter and have yet to take my kayak to the coast, but I'm hoping to in the next few weeks. I took a quick look at TPWD's website, but couldn't find any mapping of allowable or off limits areas. Where can I find this info?
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