# Ending hunt at Harsens



## goosehunter31 (Sep 22, 2009)

didnt hear anything on the morning draw, its not worth getting in arguements at harsens esp before hunts. but in this case in the afternoon my buddy had to get outta the car and stand up for himself.


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## Down River (Sep 10, 2009)

goosehunter31 said:


> didnt hear anything on the morning draw, its not worth getting in arguements at harsens esp before hunts. but in this case in the afternoon my buddy had to get outta the car and stand up for himself.


Sounds dumb 


Posted using Outdoor Hub Campfire


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## goosehunter31 (Sep 22, 2009)

waxico said:


> I was there Friday AM, second time this year.
> 
> There was nothing worth fighting for going on that day, that's for sure.
> 
> ...


26 shot ten that morning, if we had 4 guys we could have easily got 16 mallards just never saw a bonus duck


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## dogditcher (Dec 28, 2000)

Finished up hunting the Island Thursday !:lol:

"Lost" these keys back in early November- looked for them a few times during the season and
decided to go back after the dike was draining. Found them in about 1 foot of water 


















FYI -Draw Schack does have a set of Ford keys hanging on their wall


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## bigbore450 (Apr 27, 2012)

There was alot of heated conversation one man had all the balls. Two vehicles drove off talking sxxx. What ever happened for sure was unknown but the guys leaving were getting accused of some serious issues.


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## fishing extreme (Feb 13, 2005)

you've got to be kidding me.
Give it a rest already.

Is this what it's going to come to? There's going to be fist fights at the draw?

Gee, I wonder why Harsen's gets a bad name as a dirt ball hunters paradise...?

Shut the hell up about it already.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

wouldn't be the first time there were near fisticuffs at Harsens. I hunted there a lot in the late 80's through mid 90's. Yelling and screaming at the parties around the field seemed commonplace. One particular time late in the season with about 1/2" ice the guys next to us were sailing cripples all over the marsh, and since it was really tough to chase out through the ice, they never came out of their strip...just sailed the birds and kept firing at the next flock. We had a crip hen mallard land on the ice in front of our set (next door to them) and we immediately broke ice out to it and shot it to finish it off. My buddy yelled to the party next door "hey I got your bird", and they yelled back "what is it?" He yells "hen". They yell back "we're full up on hens".  His blood pressure began to boil. On the way out we met on the dike, and my buddy said "you guys need to chase your cripples. And if you're full up on hens, don't shoot another hen". One of their guys...a really big SOB, turns around and says something like "you got a problem with us?" Now my buddy is about 6'-4" himself, and it quickly looked like a fight was coming. I got between them and told my buddy it obviously wasn't worth trying to talk to them, and we walked away. We told the guys at the check station about them crippling birds all over and not chasing, and they couldn't care less. 

Conflict of that kind was common back then, and I quit hunting there about '96. I'm hoping Harsens has gotten better over the years?


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## PhilBernardi (Sep 6, 2010)

With CCW, pretty much anyone can talk about anything to anyone and always have a gun to even a score if a Zimmerman/Martin fight ensues. 

Nice, ey?


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

PhilBernardi said:


> With CCW, pretty much anyone can talk about anything to anyone and always have a gun to even a score if a Zimmerman/Martin fight ensues.
> 
> Nice, ey?


this particular incident got ugly enough that we made sure to beat them back to the parking lot for fear our tires would be slashed...or worse. :yikes:

Okay, okay, enough Harsens bashing. That was over 15 years ago. I'm sure the place has been entirely cleaned up now.


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

JD:
That stuff you remember is why I stopped going there. You forgot to also remember the fun vandalism and slashed tires of trucks in the parking lots.

It seems if you have distictive stickers or vehicle, you're a target.

That being said, since the bay was so slow this year I actually went back for 2 hunts. And you know what? Both hunts were quality experiences. The adjacent zones held off on swinging birds, as we did the same for them. I got a "nice shot" from our neighbors on a hauling a** right to left Gadzook shot, which I returned when they helicoptered one at 40 yards overhead. 

What I didnt like was all the cripples swimming in the corn on the last day. I swear there were 7. I did manage to kill and claim 2 of them.
That was disappointing to see.

So, if I had to take a swag survey on what I saw with my own eyes, I'd say things have improved.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

waxico said:


> JD:
> That stuff you remember is why I stopped going there. You forgot to also remember the fun vandalism and slashed tires of trucks in the parking lots.
> 
> It seems if you have distictive stickers or vehicle, you're a target.
> ...


You're right that there can be some great hunting there, and it's not to say they don't kill birds. Although cripples happen everywhere in duck hunting, it just seemed to be rampant there, along with guys who wouldn't attempt to chase the birds that they sailed. Yeah there are limits to how much you can chase a bird, say if there are parties all around you. But for instance if I sail one behind, and there's a chance it landed out in the area between corn strips, I'm going to slosh my ass through the muck and corn, to the back of the strip, to AT LEAST take a peek. If it's flopping out there, I'll make sure the party behind sees me, then try to dispatch it safely. But to not even make a move after a cripple is just beyond my tolerance level, and that seemed to be prevalent back then. You're so tightly packed in at Harsens that you can plainly hear if someone is sloshing out after a cripple. A couple of years ago at Shiawassee a guy in the party behind not only offed my crippled goose (yeah I said goose ), but he walked it over to me  I honestly do hope Harsen's has gotten better. 

I myself only hunted the bay three days this year for the same reason. If it stays bad, you have an invite to come up to Shiawassee next fall for a day or two and we'll try to get you on some birds there


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

I will take you up on that. I do need to meet you.

Us old 'uns have to stick together.

Same goes for you at Harsens.

BTW: if you think Harsens is bad, google "Tangier Island", specifically the "Tangier Island LOON shoot"


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

waxico said:


> I will take you up on that. I do need to meet you.
> 
> Us old 'uns have to stick together.
> 
> ...


If I take the time to come down to Harsens, instead of fighting for a decent corn strip, you'd better take me on one of those buffie shoots you all have been talking about out on the Moots :lol:


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## Boyd (Aug 19, 2006)

Glad to see you finally found them.





dogditcher said:


> Finished up hunting the Island Thursday !:lol:
> 
> "Lost" these keys back in early November- looked for them a few times during the season and
> decided to go back after the dike was draining. Found them in about 1 foot of water
> ...


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## Contender (May 18, 2004)

Looks like you lost them near the ramp. You are either really lucky, or knew where they plopped in. 

Got to ask - does the key fob still work?

My luck woulda been dropped out in a flooded zone, and would have never found them.


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## goosehunter31 (Sep 22, 2009)

i have been hunting the island for 3 years now and this year was one of the better years for people not skybusting. yes there were some days were there was no way they could identify drake from hens but most has been plesant hunting. minus the last day in the parking lot but if anyone saw you would understand. not tryna bring it back up just saying. I enjoy the island very much and most of the guys there arent dirt balls. Yes there are some true Dbags but overall not bad, see alot of the same faces week to week and most guys are real nice to talk to. my .02 cents


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## Puddler-Hunter (Aug 25, 2010)

goosehunter31 said:


> i have been hunting the island for 3 years now and this year was one of the better years for people not skybusting. yes there were some days were there was no way they could identify drake from hens but most has been plesant hunting. minus the last day in the parking lot but if anyone saw you would understand. not tryna bring it back up just saying. *I enjoy the island very much and most of the guys there arent dirt balls.* Yes there are some true Dbags but overall not bad, see alot of the same faces week to week and most guys are real nice to talk to. my .02 cents


 I've only been hunting the island since last year but I have had nothing but quality hunts/experiences. My last time out there were two guys skybusting in the strip next to me taking shots (as I shook my head) I would never think of taking, but overall I can't complain. Never had any problems in the draw shack and everyone I ran into in the field were very nice and helpful. Had a couple groups help pull my boat over a dike and I helped them in return. This is how it should be hunters helping each other that share the same passion for the outdoors.


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## bigtrx3 (Dec 4, 2012)

I am proud to hunt on the island. Very impressed with the way the associations, DNR, and clubs take care of it! In my experience most people have been nothing but good old hunting boys out there, sharing and enjoying the experience of shooting birds and busting your buddy's balls for an all-out broadside barn miss! I enjoy hunting on the island and getting to know the guys who also hunt there. 
On a side note: if you are going to hunt it is only right if not ethical to take the time to practice with your gun pre-season. Go shoot clays, cans, or for the love of god a target. Find your limitations and the limitations of your firearm then, hunt within them!


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

I'm glad to hear many of you are enjoying Harsens. Honestly, it is a unique and fun place to hunt. It wasn't all bad when I hunted there. I had lots of good times to. And there's no doubt that the associations and groups that are involved there do a great job! Just like at the other managed areas, the DNR couldn't do it without them.


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## waxico (Jan 21, 2008)

Actually it's really crappy, much better at Shiawasee. 

Everyone should switch to that area. 









Seriously, it's gratifying to hear other positive testimonials. We're not all toothless outlaws and highballers up there...


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