[Jim Person]

Went goose hunting this am,3 guys and a 12 year old boy looking to bag his first goose. We get there and get all set up dekes out blind built, our outside deke is 49 paces from another blind. On the way out of the field a station wagon drives right past us headed for the other blind. These %$^#&^% idiot set up 100yards from us. When the guy comes down the hill I had a few words with him, and in the course of ,tells me they have been there 3 or 4 times that week, I try to explain that the field is being shot up and maybe they should give it a break and give some other hunters a chance,and that the field is pretty crowded,and this will be the 12 yo 1st goose,he also says they did this last year too they just keep coming in, he says the geese have been flying but real high(go figure) well these nitwits go up to there blind(which is an eyesore at best). Well we are not going to pick up all our stuff and leave,so up we go.
A single comes up the hill they shoot it, another flock comes by I give a honk or 2 and the geese start to turn to make a final approach when these clowns open up on them( they were in between both blinds and clearly too high to shoot at, had to be a 75 yds shot) blowing our shots... I remained calm(too calm I think,but I got a hot temper once it goes. and really try not to get pissed when guns are involved.) but after thinking about this all afternoon I'm pretty steamed now.
What would you do?????????

 

[neduckboy]

Jim I have had the same thing happen before
and the last two choices are what I wanted to do
but their is no reason to drop to those idiots methods.

 

[Miriam Wade]

Jim-
You know I don't have the hunting experience you guys have (4 years now), so I don't know all the etiquette. But your story makes me feel fortunate that Jim Greene was my mentor because he would have made sure your 12 year old friend bagged his goose even if it meant that he went home empty handed.

To answer your question-I'm guessing a note in the blind would be ignored, but a talk with the landowner might solve the problem.

Kudos to you for keeping your cool.

M

 

[Bob Gutermuth]

If this happened to me, I would be there late at nite spreading lots of corn around, and leaving a few lead shells in their blind before dropping a dime to the game wardens about these baitors. Why not let someone else do your dirty work ? :twisted:

 

[Steve Amrein]

That really sucks. That is why I refuse to hunt public land anymore because of guys like that. Had the same thing a few years back the guys could not call. they had sky busted our working birds a couple of times and we went down and talked to them,but they must have the same mentality as your problem group. We still let birds work over them and would not even call. if there calling was bad there shooting was worse. we saw some geese working them and on the final approachswung wide over us and we got up and smoked um dropped 7 or 8 we heard them whinning all the way at our blind. What goes around comes around.

 

[Brian Cockfield]

Nothing like good ole idiot rubberheads ruining a hunt. :x

 

[David Walker]

Public Hunting

Well if you want to get in trouble do the corn thing - that is all you need is for soeone to place your vehicle in the area, then the game wardens being called - what if some other hunter was hunting the field - someone who was not causing problems and the game warden showed up and took the wrong guys and they had kids with them how would that look to the kids.

BAD ETIQUETTE THERE MY MAN.........

I have een hunting public land all my life for 14 yrs now and the fact is if you want to hunt get up earlier - have more people drive so people think more people are hunting in that particular spot.

Spread your hunters out around the field.

Unfortunately hunting on public land has caused many poblems between hunters - My cousin had a gun pulled on him over a deer two years ago - if he had not had his 9mm on him he probably would have been in trouble.

Is game worth fighting over - move on go deeper in the woods and hunt harder - the local city boys are not going to go the distance they want the easy hunt.

Here in Colorado we hunt public and private - we get to the hunting spot any where from two to two and a half hours before shooting time to get the spot that we want - we drive all the trucks to make people think that there are more people there.

For the burning - been there had it happen to me and the people that I hunt with - sounds like a disaster for a wild fire.

IMHO - I would find another spot or get their earlier.

David

 

[Jim Person]

The sad thing is,it IS private land. I've been on the hunt for new fields now for a while. I'll have another spot in a week or so.It's tough hunting in a anti state like mass. we just don't have miles and miles of farm land,plus it is almost impossible to make $$ dairy farming anymore. We know where we can shoot some geese but the season doesn't open again until nov23. They pretty much have the place shot up, I don't think the geese will go to the hill much longer if at all. I guess I'll be duck hunting until I locate some new fields. I got some duck spots that are deep woods, bitch to get to but no one knows they are there.
I wouldn't do the corn thing, but I do like the empty lead shell hulls scattered about...hehehe
It just really ticked me off, I was hoping to put that same look of joy on my 12 year old nephews face as on the face of the young lady in the header pic. It will come,just a matter of time. Jim

 

[Paul Stuart]

Jim
I had the same problem a few weeks ago at the bay I hunt. You`ve been there before. All you need to do is figure on a wasted day`s hunt. Get set-up in the same field, as soon as you see geese on the move towards the spread, skybust yourself and make it obvious to them. They`ll get the message aftere a while and leave. Be persistant and stick it out as long as they are there too.
Lemme no how it works.
Pierre du Nord

 

[blackdi]

Jim When thier are geese and ducks to be killed some people just wouln't stop. I know of people (personally) that once they find something they will not stop or even give it a break. All they want to do is kill. Horay for me f##k you. It's a shame but the world is made up of these people.

 

[SteveL]

Letting the land owner know is probably best, which is how I voted. But I really like answers D & E :twisted:

 

[wsumner]

Although telling the landowner sounds like the best idea it may backfire. It depends on how well you know the landowner. First if the landowner considers the geese a nusiance and grants pemission to hunt as a way to help control the geese then he is not interested in resting the field.

Secondly sometimes they don't want to have to be the "playground monitor". They have enough to do and don't need additional headaches in which case he may just close the field to all hunting.

You may want to have a talk with the local EPO, who may be sympathetic. He can make things difficult for the unsportsman like group if he chooses.

It is a tough situation. Good luck Jim.

 

[Steve Hamel]

Jim,

Your local EPO will not get involved in that sort of problem. If it was public land, and no laws were being broken, it's a tough situation.

In the past, I've invited the 2nd party to join me. At least that way you can control the shooting, and prevent skybusting. If you can't get them to leave, pick up and go elsewhere. Your morning is totally ruined if you don't . At least by going elsewhere, you give the youngster a real chance at his first goose.

Also, I don't think it's productive for 12 year olds to see the worse side of hunters. FYI Paul Young and I should be going out on Monday Nov 8. in W. Mass. Would love to have you and the 12 year old along. PM me if you are interested.

Steve

 

[Jim Person]

Steve, Paul was with us on Sat.I've worked for the farmer in the past cutting corn and planting rye grass. I think the farmer probably wouldn't care,he's had hunters run over and kill one of his dogs and they still hunt there. We had these guys hunt with us on one occasion, (have you ever seen anyone shoot geese with a scope on their shotgun? ) The reason I mentioned the EPO is the morning they hunted with us I know they limited,later that day I was pheasant hunting and on my way home I drove by to see if the geese were using it in the evening(figured I could get my nephew a goose in the PM) these guys were back up there ,double dipping. I'd almost bet they don't have plugs in their guns, heck they might even be using lead too,I wouldn't doubt it. I've got some other spot on my short list,I've got good duck spots just need new geese spots, Once I get the house built in Barre I'm in the middleof farm country(well as farmy as Mass. gets) Thanks for the offer Steve but I don't know if I can get the kid play hooky yet. I'm off 4 days on veterans day weekend and 4 days at thanksgiving. I do have some sick days I can use,I hate to use them on a week I'm using vacation time though.

 

[Dave Combs]

Well here in the finger lakes region of NY, the duck blinds get pretty close together on the lakes and tempers do flare. Luckily the last few years I've been fortunate enough to get in some good spots with little pressure. Back a couple years ago I had a sweet blind built on a point 2 weeks before season. BY the time opening day rolled around, there were 3 other blinds within 100 yards of me. I talked with all of them, very civilized mind you, and one guy moved voluntarily. ANother was asked to leave by the land owner because he didn't have permission to be there in the first place and the third was very cool about the whole thing and we ended up hunting together, and/or sharing the blinds. In the end it worked out great!
Sorry your experience sucked.

Dave

 

[AmiableLabs]

"Environmental Police?" Is that really what you folks call your game wardens? Mass really is anti! :lol:

Irregardless of your troubles, if these guys are breaking laws, you need to report them.