# Air boats



## Duck madness (Nov 13, 2006)

Do you think they should allow air boats for ducking or even in the shiawassee state game.


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## Swamp Boss (Mar 14, 2003)

I think I know what you mean about airboats! There is a guy who has one on the western side of the bay and he is about the most inconsiderate 'person' one will ever find!

It isn't the airboat that is the problem, it is the person driving it!


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## grouly925 (Dec 6, 2006)

I've never had too much of a problem with the airboats during normal duck and goose hunting seasons, but ice fishing is a different story. I have had numerous times, guys over on the east side of the bay blow by our shanties at much more than an idle speed and actually blow us off of our holes. On more than one occasion, they have shown up at "prime time" about an hour or so before dark. Makes me glad that there aren't too many people with them.


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## DANIEL MARK ZAPOLSKI (Sep 23, 2002)

illegal? i wasn't aware that they are illegal to have or use during duck season. what i mean is as long as you are not in motion while hunting they are legal aren't they? as far as ignorance goes that happens anywhere and with anything.


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## BFG (Mar 4, 2005)

I could be wrong here...but I thought that airboats were not legal in any state game areas for waterfowl hunting. 

For cripes sake...get a canoe. 

lol


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## Trippin' Dipsies (May 7, 2003)

Up on the east side of the Bay they are always running back-n-forth at all times of the day and night. All they do it jump any roosting birds from the entire area pushing them out into open water or to FP. I understand there purpose, but any motor that can be clearly heard 3-5 miles away needs to go. 

Just one hunters opinion...............


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## quackmaster (Sep 29, 2004)

They have always hurt more than they helped everytime I have been out in the marsh. I recall one incident last yr where a guy on the west side of the bay decided to show off to his buddies that he was taking out in his airboat and just blasted through a cattail marsh just to show that he could and pretty much laid down a nice 8-10ft wide path of cattails that remainded that way for the rest of the season, he also pushed every bird in the bay I was hunting out to big water. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me....


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## MakoWish (Apr 12, 2005)

Definitely more harm than good.


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## GoneFishin (Jan 11, 2001)

Heck. 

I don't think they ought to let anything over 4' wide and nothing more than a 10 hp. on the managed units but that's just my opinion. 

An air boat is kind of overkill, as are the big semi-vees with big horsepower mud motors, unless we're talking those areas with lots of marsh. 

Nothing destroys the ambience of the pre-dawn awakening of the marsh than the roar of an airboat motor. Except for maybe watching the sunrise while being serenaded by the whine of chain saw powered winchs.  

Visually, it's really distracting to have 3 or 4 robo's flashing the morning sun in my eyes from across the marsh. 

I must really be gettin' old, technology has surpassed me. :lol: :lol:


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## ScavengerMan (Sep 6, 2006)

Trippin' Dipsies said:


> Up on the east side of the Bay they are always running back-n-forth at all times of the day and night. All they do it jump any roosting birds from the entire area pushing them out into open water or to FP. I understand there purpose, but any motor that can be clearly heard 3-5 miles away needs to go.
> 
> Just one hunters opinion...............


 
I've watched those guys do that many times. Plus they think they own the place.


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## FMann (May 12, 2007)

I think they (the DNR) should make them ilegal on any body of water for any reason! 3 years ago on opening day we where hunting on the east side of the bay off giegier rd. (sp?) when about 7 am we had a air boat with 3 people in it run right throu our decoys and laugh about it. Talk about some *****HOLES, after doing this they proceded to run all over the marsh scaring all the birds out to the big water or fish point. That kind of ruined me on the Air Boat thing.


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## huntingmaniac45 (Nov 22, 2005)

There are illegal in the managed areas. All public areas they can be used. I do agree, in the managed areas they should have a boat size, and motor size restriction too. Wouldnt bother me in the least. You see bigger and bigger boats and motors in these areas. They use to have a HP limit, but did away with it when the mud motors became popular.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

FMann said:


> I think they (the DNR) should make them ilegal on any body of water for any reason! 3 years ago on opening day we where hunting on the east side of the bay off giegier rd. (sp?) when about 7 am we had a air boat with 3 people in it run right throu our decoys and laugh about it. Talk about some *****HOLES, after doing this they proceded to run all over the marsh scaring all the birds out to the big water or fish point. That kind of ruined me on the Air Boat thing.


Very common to watch them off Geiger fly right into the Middle Grounds, back through the Dynamite, and into what is essentially damp ground with very little or no water, and scare the %&#* out of everything within miles. One guy at the launch last year had the stones there to tell me I was just jealous because he could go where I couldn't. NOT! They're mostly D-heads from what I can tell!


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## sean (May 7, 2002)

just ducky said:


> Very common to watch them off Geiger fly right into the Middle Grounds, back through the Dynamite, and into what is essentially damp ground with very little or no water, and scare the %&#* out of everything within miles. One guy at the launch last year had the stones there to tell me I was just jealous because he could go where I couldn't. NOT! They're mostly D-heads from what I can tell!


I know some of the airboats dont even go out until right at light. They motor in the marsh until they kick enough mallards out of a hole, then set up there. A buddy of mine was hunting the marsh, sitting down on a muskrat hut, when he heard a airboat coming at mach 2. Guy almost ran him over......your right alot of them are d-heads. Two buddy's of mine have some and rode with him one time in the Middle Grounds......they go way to fast for me! It was like being on a f'd up cedar point ride with no safety requirement implemented.


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## dizzzyduck (Aug 16, 2007)

I quit hunting the bay up by Fish point cause this idiot would go out first thing and go up and down the coast dropping his guys. Then he would repeat it every two hours like he was moving guys around. I think they should be outlawed. It scares everything away every time those airplanes race around. And they wonder where their ducks go?:corkysm55 I would do everything you can to keep them out of your local areas.


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## sean (May 7, 2002)

dizzzyduck said:


> I quit hunting the bay up by Fish point cause this idiot would go out first thing and go up and down the coast dropping his guys. Then he would repeat it every two hours like he was moving guys around. I think they should be outlawed. It scares everything away every time those airplanes race around. And they wonder where their ducks go?:corkysm55 I would do everything you can to keep them out of your local areas.


That would be one of the guides in the area dropping guys off at some of his stilt blinds.

Outlaw airboats....and make dynamite cut (marsh) a refuge!


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

huntingmaniac45 said:


> There are illegal in the managed areas. All public areas they can be used. I do agree, in the managed areas they should have a boat size, and motor size restriction too. Wouldnt bother me in the least. You see bigger and bigger boats and motors in these areas. They use to have a HP limit, but did away with it when the mud motors became popular.


not illegal, don't know where you heard that. there is no law restricting them. They are even legal to drive over the dikes out here. I'm not a big fan of them, but I'm not in a position to say they can't either. You outlaw the airboat, winches will be outlawed with'em (that will be their arguement). I can take or leave, no matter to me.


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## Trippin' Dipsies (May 7, 2003)

sean said:


> make dynamite cut (marsh) a refuge!


My Dad told me back in the day (1960's) the Feds wanted to make all of the West Marsh into a refuge. But everyone feared the government hand on the area and shot it down.


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## just ducky (Aug 23, 2002)

Trippin' Dipsies said:


> My Dad told me back in the day (1960's) the Feds wanted to make all of the West Marsh into a refuge. But everyone feared the government hand on the area and shot it down.



Yep, several old-time Middle Grounds hunters have told me that as well. Apparently at one time wanted to dike it and plant crops too. Sure would be nice to have some kind of refuge out there that would be a "no entry" area. Course you have to have more water than we have right now or there's no point.


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## huntingmaniac45 (Nov 22, 2005)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> not illegal, don't know where you heard that. there is no law restricting them. They are even legal to drive over the dikes out here. I'm not a big fan of them, but I'm not in a position to say they can't either. You outlaw the airboat, winches will be outlawed with'em (that will be their arguement). I can take or leave, no matter to me.


Sorry, I am really just familier with Harsens Island, St.Clair Flats wildlife area. Thought all areas had the same rules.

"These activities are prohibited.
#6. Useing a airboat, hovercraft,amphibious, all-terrain, or any other motor driven vehicle while in the area. Outboard motors are permitted but must be operated at a safe no-wake speed. Launching personal watercraft from any access site within the Harsens Island Wildlife area is prohibited."


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