# Worst middle zone opener in 20+ years,...



## DrakeTaker (Sep 27, 2005)

We were the first group to arrive at our middle zone marsh, 4 full hours before shootin' time. We decided a long time ago that driving as far as we do, and putting as much time and money into our sport as we do, that we'll give up a couple hours of sleep in order to maintain our traditions and get our prime spot. This is the same small body of water we have hunted every opener for the last 21 years. This place could fit 3 groups comfortably, and maybe 4 if everyone spaced out just right.

2 hours before shootin' time the 2nd group shows up, pretty much just like the last 10 years or so. We've never really talked to them, just a thumbs up or a wave whenever we're leaving late morning, etc,.. 

An hour before light 2 more groups arrive, now it's going to be cramped quarters, and a different ballgame, we're hoping everyone lets the birds work. 

35 minutes before light, 1 more groups show up, and now they are wedging themselves into the gap on the north end of the place, the little lake and surrounding marsh isn't very quiet anymore. 5 groups, this sucks!

20 minutes to daylight, another group shows up. We have never seen more than 4 groups at this place, and now we have 6. Safety is now a real factor, and we're hoping this group sees all the lights and hears all the activity, and we're hoping they don't try to wedge themselves in. Maybe they'll leave? Nope, here they come, motoring across the 1/4 mile wide lake.

It gets worse. The last group is actually splitting into 2 separate groups, and one of the groups is setting up right on top of us. It turns out the the bass-turds had already set up their decoys, and the distance between their blind and ours was 75 yards. No way we could have seen it in the dark. The distance between our last decoy and theirs was 30-35 yards. We asked them (respectfully) to back off, they were too close, but they never responded to us.

Birds start flying, and so does the steel. We have birds working our time-tested decoy arrangement, yet these ____ (you fill in your favorite derogatory term) are interecepting everything that is in the air.

The ____ guys fired a total of 26 shots, and hit,........absolutely nothing! The sky-busting was out of control. I thought I had seen a lot before, and these guys equaled the worst of the worst that i've seen. -And by the way, these weren't kids, or a father teaching a young one,.. we could easily see these guys and the expressions on their faces, they were 50 year olds +!!

We got one opportunity late morning, and both my buddy and I missed a relatively easy shot on a couple of woodies. This is a place that consistently gives up 3-5 birds per person every opener, and we are skunked. 

We debated the merits of having a some sort of discussion with the ____, but we decided that there was no way we were going to get anywhere. Their duck hunting IQ's were obviously non-existent. 
The ____ decide to bail at 10:30, so we sat for another hour and never took our guns off safe. Oh,...they left their temporary blind, and their decoys, and joined back up with their other buddies, who also left their blind and decoys sitting out,...

Now the hard part,.....do we go back to this spot next year? These other guys got plenty of shooting,....we gotta believe they think they've found the mother lode, so they are probably going to come back for more,......Frustrating,............Time to figure out new ways to hunt the low water-big water.....

Sorry for the long post,......


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## field-n-feathers (Oct 20, 2008)

Sorry you had a bad day. We've all been there. Yet another example of why I haven't hunted a public marsh in 20 years (Outside of managed areas for geese). I work too hard to enjoy myself while hunting. I don't want my success or failure to hinge on some other moron. If I don't shoot birds.....I can only blame myself.

Hope the rest of your season is better.


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## Retiredducker (Oct 11, 2011)

I assume this is public? If not who is giving permission?


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## TheWrench (Jan 29, 2009)

I'll bet you can copy and paste this thread year after year. It happens to everyone sky busting, people crowding each other, unfortunately when hunting public land I'm MI there's no law on how close somebody can be to you. If they really wanted they could sit next to you. Is it lazy? Probably, but it happens and there's nothing you can do about it.


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## bigfishcatcher3 (Nov 26, 2010)

Play dirty in a situation like that and break your group up until five minutes before shooting time. Then they won't crowd as bad and will be safer. Might piss people off but leaving decoys and blinds is worse and illegal if the decoys were out all night.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## William H Bonney (Jan 14, 2003)

This is why I don't hunt opening day or the late 2 day anymore...

I'm curious as to what's going to happen to my dad and nephew at our spot on opening day here in the SLP... Your situation sounds eerily similar to ours,,, except this year some douchebag built a HUGE blind in a spot that is gonna jack up the whole lake configuration for everyone. 

$100 bucks says someone tears it down,, if the locals haven't already.


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## Jimw (Jul 8, 2009)

Bring orange marking paint for their decoys next year. They must not be able to find them to pick em up, you should help!  

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## charcoal300zxtt (Sep 8, 2011)

Man that sucks , stories like this make me understand why people are so secret about revealing there honey hole to anyone. Really hope this doesn't happen to me on opening day :sad:. You should of at the very least motored through/over there decoys on the way out, guess your more mature and collected than me...LOL


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## 1ludman (Jun 26, 2012)

Ah the joys of hunting pulic waters which we all own.


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## mintgreenwalleyemachine (Jan 18, 2005)

Sounds similar to what happened to us! Really pisses me off because we claimed are spot at midnight and guys trickled in from 1 till shooting time. I just wish people would be respectful . 


"StinkFinger"


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## Retiredducker (Oct 11, 2011)

Guess we all have to ask ourselves how we would handle being the second or third group to a spot.Would you totally bail? Limit your setup to no less than 400 yds from the guy who got there first...300 yds...200 yds? Would you downwind them? Everyone has their own standards...some are WAY too low. However if you have driven a long way...especially if you have hunted it in the past...you are generally going to hunt and some places just aren't that big. Having said this I never hunt public...I will bristle up when I know someone has not put in the effort to ask for permission.


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## JBooth (Sep 21, 2009)

Jimw said:


> Bring orange marking paint for their decoys next year. They must not be able to find them to pick em up, you should help!
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I was going to suggest something like that or a bunch of cinder blocks. If they're going to leave the decoys out, you don't want them to blow away.


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

Its sad considering you are a honest hunter trying to put in the time and effort and for one saturday everyseason there are people who come out of nowhere to ruin a good thing. Nothing you can do but expect skybusting, crowding, no bird work, illegal kills and so on and so fourth. Luckily it ends as quickly as it starts.

I had a group claim they couldnt see my headlamp nor my 2 buddies as they set up by us. We made it clear when we fired up the generator on the boat and ran my bowfishing lights for 2 hours. That got some attention. Nothing like saying im here with 4000 watts of halogens lighting up the marsh. I heard one guy say turn the sun off.:lol:


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## BassFisher91 (Sep 11, 2005)

I would have said something, and made sure they heard it. Had to do it Saturday where I was hunting. I was not going to let those guys ruin a hunt for me when I got out there at 2am, and they decide to show up hours after us. I don't like being confrontational, but the way these guys were setting up, they would have steel hitting them every time we shot. Luckily they decided to move.


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## hankrt (Nov 7, 2007)

That is EXACTLY why I don't even consider hunting on the opener or for that matter the first week!! To insane and in some cases dangerous for me. I go out to relax and enjoy Gods creations, and refuse to expose myself to people that just don't care about Sportsmanship.


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## LoBrass (Oct 16, 2007)

Knock on some doors.

Do it in the summer.


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## BangBangBang (Mar 30, 2011)

They left their decoys out? I thought you couldn't do that.I'd have checked the rules and then picked me up some new flambeaus!


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## DEDGOOSE (Jan 19, 2007)

All the "duck hunters" got their two days in.. Most excited I have ever been for bow opener, and I do not bow hunt. :lol:


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## Tron322 (Oct 29, 2011)

that is no good, like i read here spread your group out, bring lanterns and take over a huge area is always my plan.

Just curious to the original poster, did someone pull in 10 minutes before shooting hours and then leave?

I am wondering because I pulled into what I thought would be a horrible duck spot, so i slept in late, and was very surprised to see 6 vehicles parked there, it was a tiny pond/marsh that I would feel unsafe sitting with one other group.

Federal land everywhere and lots of creeks so i just drove to the next spot and found no one, only saw 4 wood ducks and got one, I am still amazed how many guys were sitting on that little puddle, but like i said, probly different spots.

I am still young and love the ducks pushed around, I am very excited about this weekend but plan on bringin 4 lanterns very early and a group of 4(might bring the kevlar helmet too). good luck guys


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## sswhitelightning (Dec 14, 2004)

Tron322 said:


> bring lanterns and take over a huge area is always my plan.


Wouldnt brag about this plan. Its a bs move that might end up with your truck tires flattened. People dont have to hunt on top of each other, but they dont have the right to reserve spots either for whatever reason.


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