# Duck blinds in public waters



## solasylum (Mar 29, 2000)

Just curious if there is a timeframe that duck blinds can be setup and/or removed from public waters. The reason I ask is because there are several duck blinds still sitting in Muskegon Lake. What are the laws regarding duck blinds in public waters? Do you need to have your name listed similar to a shanty? If there isn't a name listed does this mean that the blind is fair game to all hunters?

Thanks for any and all help!!

Scott


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## MGV (Jan 22, 2002)

I can't wait to see this answer. We saw a pontoon boat converted to a blind last weekend. It was tied to shore on Pratt lake. No names on it as far as we could see.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

All the answers are in the waterfowl guide. If you erect a waterfowl blind it must have the name and address of the person who placed it there. You may not leave a blind anchored to the bottomlands of public waters before Aug 15 or after Jan 16. There are some areas (a few) with more restrictive requirements as far as placement or removal. I would give you the law but it seems the DNR Web Site is down so I cannot access it. Of course just like ice shanties, proving who left blinds different places is almost impossible to prove unless someone steps up and says "I hunt that lake and I know who put/hunts from that blind".


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## Big Al (Sep 11, 2000)

Boehr, who do we contact about getting them removed? There is one on Baker lake that is acting as a beacon to one of my favorite gill spots.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

The person responsible for the removal is the person who owns the blind. That's the problem, the owner is likely not known or they would have likely received a ticket and been ordered to remove the blind. If someone knows who the owner is then it should be reported to the RAP Hotline as a violation.


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

3.401 Waterfowl hunting blinds; erection and removal, name and address; assessment of costs; hunting rights.

Sec. 3.401. (1) No person shall erect on, anchor, or attach to the bottomlands of the Great Lakes, Lake St. Clair, and the bays thereof or the connecting waters between the lakes, or any public inland lake or river, or in any lake which is not wholly owned by himself, his lessor or licensor, a blind or any other structure used or to be used in the hunting of migratory waterfowl, unless there shall first be affixed permanently to the exterior thereof the name and address of such person in legible letters of water insoluble material not less than 3 inches in height. No person shall affix a fictitious name or address or both to a blind or structure or remove or cause to be removed a name and address prior until the blind or structure is removed from the water. No person shall erect on, anchor, or attach to the bottomlands described in this subsection a blind or any other structure to be used in the hunting of migratory waterfowl prior to August 15 of each year. 

(2) Any person who shall erect, anchor, or attach such blind or structure to the bottomlands described in this section shall remove the entire blind including submerged supporting members each year no later than 16 days after the end of the calendar year. If not removed within that time, the director may cause its removal or destruction and assess the costs of removal and storage, or destruction, against the person whose name is affixed to the blind or other structure, in addition to any other penalty provided by law. Any structure used or to be used in the hunting of migratory waterfowl found erected upon, attached, or anchored to bottomlands described in this section from January 17 to August 14 of each year shall be considered abandoned. 

(3) Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to deprive a riparian owner or their lessee or permittee on inland waters of their exclusive right to hunt over the riparian's subaqueous lands, nor shall the posting of the name and address of the person erecting a blind or other structure attached to the bottomlands of the Great Lakes and Lake St. Clair, used or to be used in the hunting of waterfowl, be deemed to constitute the exclusive privilege of hunting therefrom, or to reserve or preempt a shooting location for such person, nor shall such blind be locked to bar use when unoccupied. An unoccupied blind attached to the bottomlands of the Great Lakes or Lake St. Clair may be used for hunting by the first person to occupy the same. 

(4) It shall be unlawful to use, occupy, or hunt from a blind or structure which does not meet the requirements established in this section. This section shall not apply to a vessel registered as required by the provisions of part 801, marine safety, of the natural resources and environmental protection act, Act No. 451 of the Public Acts of 1994, being sections 324.80101 to 324.80199 of the Michigan Compiled Laws. 

(5) On those publicly-owned lands and waters of the Kalamazoo river watershed, including the watersheds of Pine creek and Swan creek, Allegan county, blinds or other structures for waterfowl hunting shall not be permitted, except in accordance with rules for the Ottawa marsh, described in subsection 13.11(4). 

Ottawa marsh unit; additional rules. 

13.11(4) Within the Ottawa marsh unit, being all or portions of the state-owned lands and waters which are bounded on the north by the Kalamazoo river, on the south and west by the bottom of the bluff, and the Marathon pipeline right-of-way on the southeast, in sections 15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, and 27, T3N R15W, and sections 20 and 29, T3N R14W, the following rules are established: 

(a) During the waterfowl season, the hunting hours for all migratory birds shall be from opening hour to 3 p.m. each day. 

(b) No person shall erect on, anchor, or attach to the bottomlands of the Ottawa marsh a blind or any other structure to be used in the hunting of migratory waterfowl prior to August 15 of each year. Such blind or structure shall first have affixed permanently to the exterior thereof the name and address of such person in legible letters of water insoluble material not less than 3 inches in height. No person shall affix a fictitious name or address or both to a blind or structure or remove or cause to be removed a name and address until the blind or structure is removed from the water. 

(c) Any person who shall erect, anchor, or attach such blind or structure to the bottomlands described in this subsection shall remove the entire blind including submerged supporting members no later than February 15. If not removed prior to February 16, the director may cause its removal or destruction and assess the costs of removal and storage, or destruction, against the person whose name is affixed to the blind or other structure, in addition to any other penalty provided by law. 

(d) The posting of the name and address of the person erecting a blind or other structure attached to the bottomlands of the Ottawa marsh, used or to be used in the hunting of waterfowl, shall not be deemed to constitute the exclusive privilege of hunting therefrom, or to reserve or preempt a shooting location for such person nor shall such blind be locked to bar use when unoccupied. 

(e) Any unoccupied waterfowl hunting blind may be used by the first person to occupy the blind each day; however, it shall be unlawful to use, occupy, or hunt from a blind or structure which does not meet the requirements established in this subsection.


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## solasylum (Mar 29, 2000)

Well I know the two duck blinds located on Muskegon Lake don't have the owners name listed. I guess these people just saved me the task of building a new duck blind as I can just use the ones they left over!! What do you think will happen when these people arrive opening morning to find someone sitting in "their" blind? Boehr.....is it illegal to be sitting in one of these blinds if there isn't an owner on the blind? Similar to hunting out of a treestand without your name? Would a CO accept my response that the blind is one someone left up from last year? I don't want to receive a ticket for sitting in someone's blind without the owner listing.

Scott


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## boehr (Jan 31, 2000)

I don't think I would want to push my luck and use an illegal blind that you know is illegal to begin with.


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## H2OFowl'er (Oct 26, 2001)

Solasylum,

Wait until August 15th and then go put y our name on it. It then becomes yours


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## kroppe (May 7, 2000)

Great post. 

Here's one for you. On Four Mile Lake in Washtenaw County, there are no fewer than ten (10) permanent duck blinds permanently erected on the west side of the lake, which is public land (Chelsea State Game Area). The blinds are a huge eyesore, not to mention illegal. No names are on the blinds. Too bad there isn't a better mechanism in place to dismantle the blinds, short of finding the owners of the blinds.


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## Butch (Aug 29, 2001)

In the law quoted above, I have to chuckle about the prohibition against putting a fictitious name on a blind because I've never seen any name on any duck blind. I've also never heard of anyone getting a ticket for hunting in an unmarked blind, whether built by them or by someone else. Is it legal to put your name and address on a blind, then cover it with camo or brush? It seems like this would still solve the problem of blinds not being removed, although it would require more diligence to check it out, but if its not legal, I don't think many duck hunters are eager to paint their names and addresses on the exterior of a blind in 3" letters. We don't want them laughing at us by name as they flare out of range.

Butch


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