# My first Shiawassee duck



## natureboy2534 (Dec 11, 2013)

Won it the first year they ran the WW challenge in 2012 used mine for HI cause of the 200 mile drive round trip. That is just make sense to me. Picked the worst weather for our day and made the best out of it..Had to do some scouting before hand to find the best option for us..


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

I did not have the golden ticket. I was 20th out of 35 and did not get Prior road zone. Had a few less than 5 flying in my area and other parties did not hunt in the morning and all showed up in the afternoon and nothing flew in the afternoon in my area. just my worst year in the draw and ducks flying.


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## propbuster (Mar 4, 2004)

My son used his Ticket at FP this year, the 1st day that it could be used there. 23 birds taken home. Great hunt was had.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

Saw one burned at Muskegon on a pm hunt with 7 parties. They thought they had it. We drew last undercut the flight path and gave them a show to watch.

If you want to avoid getting down winded sometimes you gotta downwind yourself.


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## Bigeejakes (Nov 11, 2011)

So you ruined a once in a lifetime hunt for someone who may have never goose hunted, and may never have hunted MWW... Or ever heard of down winding someone. 

Honestly I feel that "down winding" someone ... Which I have had "done" to me is the lowest scum and worse than someone taking a high shot every now and then (random skybuster).

When someone purposely sets up on swing birds, and pops them as they're working your field, there is nothing that is worse or more selfish at a managed area... If a group had the hot zone, and they're letting birds work - don't ruin their hunt by setting up on the backside (wind in your face), without decoys and take pass shots - even if- they're within range .. it's busch league.

Now, if you set up on the correct side of the field (wind to your back) and you're shooting birds that are working your field, or that happen to come by to take a look, that's great!

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## Highball28 (Oct 17, 2014)

Far Beyond Driven said:


> We burned ours at Harsens many years ago. 19 birds shot that night. We killed nine of them.
> 
> Two people burned them in the split at Fennville a couple years ago on a fay where five birds were killed. If you include the two poached swans.


Yeah and THEY were the ones that shot the swans


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## Highball28 (Oct 17, 2014)

Bigeejakes said:


> So you ruined a once in a lifetime hunt for someone who may have never goose hunted, and may never have hunted MWW... Or ever heard of down winding someone.
> 
> Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk


Name of the game. Real question is why would you burn a golden ticket with 7 parties


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## Bigeejakes (Nov 11, 2011)

Highball28 said:


> Name of the game. Real question is why would you burn a golden ticket with 7 parties
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Just tells me they're not regulars to managed areas, and is someone we should be encouraging to get into the sport... Probably a day they took off from work and had a buddy who could come.

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## goosehunter31 (Sep 22, 2009)

Bigeejakes said:


> Just tells me they're not regulars to managed areas, and is someone we should be encouraging to get into the sport... Probably a day they took off from work and had a buddy who could come.
> 
> Sent from my moto g power using Tapatalk


I don’t get it so what is he supposed to go home or not shoot decoying birds? I’m sure they took off work as well to hunt. Always play the wind, have been burned myself by not taking a higher strip the way the wind was blowing. Live and learn that’s all I can say.


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## Bigeejakes (Nov 11, 2011)

All depends on how they hunted it... I know at MWW there's a ton of space... And he likely meant by his post that they just knew they got the better field, allowing the geese to see them first and decoy to them first.... I have No problem with that. 

However in the flooded fields, down-winding someone has a different meaning for me (and those I hunt with). For me it refers to someone who purposely takes the down-wind field with the purpose of shooting birds that are working a near-by field, on the down-wind swing. If you haven't had it happen to you, you haven't hunted managed areas long enough. You learn to play the games... Slide down so that the birds don't fly over them etc... But ultimately it leads to everyone taking higher shots because birds aren't able to make their final swings to decoy.





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## BumpRacerX (Dec 31, 2009)

The most impactful lesson from trying to learn the managed areas the last two years-

If you don't want to be down winded...take the down wind zone. One less part of the equation to worry about.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

BumpRacerX said:


> The most impactful lesson from trying to learn the managed areas the last two years-
> 
> If you don't want to be down winded...take the down wind zone. One less part of the equation to worry about.


But, I hunted managed area for 30 years, Many occasions, ducks want to be at certain zone and there is nothing you can do to make them to come to neighboring zone. They probably eat there the night before and that is the zone they want to go to. one can upwind the hot zone in high wind and shoot at ducks decoying to hot zone. It is not the right thing to do if you shoot at every decoying duck but if you just shoot at ducks in the range, it is probably ok since the hot zone still gets most of the action. I did it some times and shot at a duck for every 3-4 ducks they shot at.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

Bigeejakes said:


> All depends on how they hunted it... I know at MWW there's a ton of space... And he likely meant by his post that they just knew they got the better field, allowing the geese to see them first and decoy to them first.... I have No problem with that.
> 
> However in the flooded fields, down-winding someone has a different meaning for me (and those I hunt with). For me it refers to someone who purposely takes the down-wind field with the purpose of shooting birds that are working a near-by field, on the down-wind swing. If you haven't had it happen to you, you haven't hunted managed areas long enough. You learn to play the games... Slide down so that the birds don't fly over them etc... But ultimately it leads to everyone taking higher shots because birds aren't able to make their final swings to decoy.


downwinding means a couple things here. 

what you are referring to is what we call *uckhunting. you can hunt backsides, with face in wind...and shoot limits of decoying birds. I've done it many times...and will continue to do it if situation presents itself.

most people don't understand the term downwinding/backsiding and just setup wrong side and pass shoot everything inside 70 yards.....thats *uckhunting....two completely different techniques. But never just assume hunting the backside is bad...because its not...its just the *uckhunters doing it that give it a bad name.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

fsamie1 said:


> But, I hunted managed area for 30 years, Many occasions, ducks want to be at certain zone and there is nothing you can do to make them to come to neighboring zone. They probably eat there the night before and that is the zone they want to go to. one can upwind the hot zone in high wind and shoot at ducks decoying to hot zone. It is not the right thing to do if you shoot at every decoying duck but if you just shoot at ducks in the range, it is probably ok since the hot zone still gets most of the action. I did it some times and shot at a duck for every 3-4 ducks they shot at.


at shiawassee as an example. if you have field 34 (hot field) and you get a 30 mph north wind. 35 just became the hot field. if you choose 34 out of "well that field is hot"...you will be sorely disappointed when 35 sets up on the cut (like he should) and smokes 24 birds without you firing your gun. That is legit "downwinding"....and everyone bitches at "locals" for knowing 35 was gonna be hot that day when its merely understanding how the wind works and field choices. lol

hunter draws first, takes 34, another hunter draws 12th takes 35... bad draw = big win.


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## Jerry Lamb (Aug 3, 2015)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> at shiawassee as an example. if you have field 34 (hot field) and you get a 30 mph north wind. 35 just became the hot field. if you choose 34 out of "well that field is hot"...you will be sorely disappointed when 35 sets up on the cut (like he should) and smokes 24 birds without you firing your gun. That is legit "downwinding"....and everyone bitches at "locals" for knowing 35 was gonna be hot that day when its merely understanding how the wind works and field choices. lol
> 
> hunter draws first, takes 34, another hunter draws 12th takes 35... bad draw = big win.


Exactly what he said. No one ever knows such information unless one makes a commitment to study and learn. Downwind on cranker days is always the rule...


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## fall ducks (Dec 15, 2008)

Bigeejakes said:


> So you ruined a once in a lifetime hunt for someone who may have never goose hunted, and may never have hunted MWW... Or ever heard of down winding someone.
> 
> Honestly I feel that "down winding" someone ... Which I have had "done" to me is the lowest scum and worse than someone taking a high shot every now and then (random skybuster).
> 
> ...


Right on


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## Blacklabsmatter (Aug 28, 2020)

My least favorite part of hunting the managed areas is when your sky busting neighbor hunts with the wind in their face blasting at any birds with their wings cupped. Finding probably 25% of their crippled birds. People need to remember to hide well and let the birds work. It’s a lot more fun to shoot birds over the decoys than sailing them into the buffer zones.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> at shiawassee as an example. if you have field 34 (hot field) and you get a 30 mph north wind. 35 just became the hot field. if you choose 34 out of "well that field is hot"...you will be sorely disappointed when 35 sets up on the cut (like he should) and smokes 24 birds without you firing your gun. That is legit "downwinding"....and everyone bitches at "locals" for knowing 35 was gonna be hot that day when its merely understanding how the wind works and field choices. lol
> 
> hunter draws first, takes 34, another hunter draws 12th takes 35... bad draw = big win.


Shiawassee zone are pretty large. for example zone 34 is 3 football field long. So, if 35 sets up near the cut point O below, 34 should set up near point X at north end of 34. 










On the other hand, Harsens zones are closer. 150 yards between 22 and 23 zones. So if 23 is hot and sets up at O and 22 sets up at X which is the wrong side, He can shoot at decoying ducks to 23. Again if one does not shoot at every decoying duck, 23 still will do good.


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## BumpRacerX (Dec 31, 2009)

When is the next Shiawassee run Fsamie?

There needs to be an M-S takeover trip one of these days.


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## Blacklabsmatter (Aug 28, 2020)

I just had this happen to me on Sunday in 22 at Harsens. Neighbors shot at everything they saw. I was trying to get a kid his first duck ever. Slobs will be slobs.


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## BumpRacerX (Dec 31, 2009)

fsamie1 said:


> Shiawassee zone are pretty large. for example zone 34 is 3 football field long. So, if 35 sets up near the cut point O below, 34 should set up near point X at north end of 34.
> 
> View attachment 607655
> 
> ...


Yes. If 34 sets up wrong and 35 sets up at the cut on a stiff north wind...34 is screwed. Made this mistake the very first trip playing Bingo last year. Won't make that one again.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

The zones at Muskegon are usually two zones per 1/2 MILE circular field. Yes, 1/2 mile. You have like 63 acres of zone.

I can't recall ever shooting swing birds at MWW. They have plenty of room to work without getting popped.

And sometimes you wait to see where your neighbors set up before you do.

And sometimes you do every thing right and the guy that hasn't scouted and picks some random zone out hunts you.


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## Far Beyond Driven (Jan 23, 2006)

If someone wanted a once in a lifetime hunt at Muskegon, they would not have burned it sight unseen, on that day, in that zone. It was obvious from what they picked they hadn't scouted or asked any questions.

They could have saved that ticket, sent me a pm here, and I'd put them on birds.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

BumpRacerX said:


> When is the next Shiawassee run Fsamie?
> 
> There needs to be an M-S takeover trip one of these days.


Planning for this Friday. Tomorrow will be raining and I do not like to get my hair wet.


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Blacklabsmatter said:


> I just had this happen to me on Sunday in 22 at Harsens. Neighbors shot at everything they saw. I was trying to get a kid his first duck ever. Slobs will be slobs.


Harsens has been so sad and it is getting worse. Most just shoot at every flyby 50-70 yards. I do not think they have ever seen a decoying duck with feet hanging.


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

fsamie1 said:


> Planning for this Friday. Tomorrow will be raining and I do not like to get my hair wet.


just an fyi, rain usually = birds killed. just a forewarning. lol


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## Shiawassee_Kid (Nov 28, 2000)

fsamie1 said:


> Shiawassee zone are pretty large. for example zone 34 is 3 football field long. So, if 35 sets up near the cut point O below, 34 should set up near point X at north end of 34.
> 
> View attachment 607655


in this scenario, 34 should setup on its north cut and give as much room to the downwind field as possible...otherwise his calling and decoys will only help 35. 

when u get extreme north or south winds...you always setup with the most room in your zone downwind of you. so example: everyone should be on their own north cuts. the guy that sets up middle or on his south cut is only hurting himself.


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## crwoutdoors (Jun 2, 2020)

fsamie1 said:


> View attachment 606983
> Finally 4th try it happened.


Nice bird. This was my first season duck hunting and never made it to Shiawassee. I guess season isn't over, but right now I need to fill my freezer with venison. After that, back to the ducks.


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## JPS93 (Sep 16, 2018)

So if you pull into your zone and the group in the zone next to you is already set up on the upwind side of their strip, do you set up on the downwind side of your strip where the birds want to be and potentially shoot at each other and each other's birds? Or do you set up on the upwind side of your strip as well and just take what you get?


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

Shiawassee_Kid said:


> just an fyi, rain usually = birds killed. just a forewarning. lol


ok, let us know if they are flying today?


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

fsamie1 said:


> ok, let us know if they are flying today?


They were. Birds were killed. Many many birds were killed.


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## craigrh13 (Oct 24, 2011)

Bottom 15 draw. Shot from 2:10-2:40ish.


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## blklab (Jan 5, 2011)

Man what did you do the first 7 hours?


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## fsamie1 (Mar 8, 2008)

good question. Craig is out of towner too so he cannot go back home to bed. I Think Shia Kid let him sleep in his basement.


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