|
|
Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | So you got a number of favorite spots and every one you pull up on and there's duck hunters in the grass. Often they like to blast off a few rounds to let you know they are there. I'm guessing that's their way to say, keep moving, we're huntin' over heeha! Kinda frustrating. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 264
| It's opening weekend, what do you expect.
Edited by 619musky 9/24/2011 11:39 PM
|
|
| |
|
Posts: 3908
| Share the water. No decent hunter would waste shells spookin you, anyway. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 198
| Sounds like you need to get up earlier. When I used to hunt ducks in order to get a good spot for opener sometimes required sleeping in the blind the night before. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 968
Location: N.FIB | this has been discussed before,and I say leave them alone,they have a short time to hunt and you have all yr to fish,plus they have a gun. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 32926
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | What's interesting is that ducks have been flying and swimming all around my boat all year. They aren't bothered by a guy fishing through much and the hunters shouldn't be either if he's not in shooting range. Seems like the ducks are more worried about the guys in camo with the scatterguns.
Give 'em room. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Noticed that, too, stEve ....seems like they know when hours close to, the air filled with birds like three minutes after closing. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 20248
Location: oswego, il | Never had them shoot but had them blow their calls to let you know. I leave them be. I would not pull up a fisherman on the spot so why a hunter? Picking a spot to hunt though may have it's challenges. Seen a guy set up on channel lake on the fox chain in front of where the entrance to marie during a tournament. His choice made him very unhappy with boaters. |
|
| |
|
Location: Sawyer County, WI | Cowboyhannah - 9/25/2011 11:14 AM
Noticed that, too, stEve ....seems like they know when hours close to, the air filled with birds like three minutes after closing.
Interesting to hear the ducks are "clued in" as well.
This time of year we've got all sorts of deer roaming in the yard at the cabin. In autumn they seem to hang out along the lake by the cabins/homes eating acorns and rarely if ever cross the road into the national forest. Contrast this to summertime when I see them all over the place. Uncanny how smart these animals are.... |
|
| |
|
| Silver Scale - 9/25/2011 8:27 AM
Sounds like you need to get up earlier. When I used to hunt ducks in order to get a good spot for opener sometimes required sleeping in the blind the night before.
I've been on each end of this spectrum, slept in boats to get prime greenhead spots and had the living crap "shotgunned" outta me at first light as I eased around a reed point half asleep casting. For opening weekend everybody and there 5th cousin are out. I really only hunt late season now to avoid those "5th" cousins. It won't be long and I will be the only boat on the water come late Nov. So I patiently wait it out until the launch docks are pulled and the boats are winterized and the lakes are quite except for my Johnson. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Depends on the time you come by. If I've been in my blind from 12 am to whatever time opener is and you come along casting slowly.....I'll likely stand up to let you know I am there, as there is potential you didn't notice. But if you wave at me and keep plugging along, I'd get peeed. Doubt I would shoot a round across the bow, as that is just stupid. I'd be peeed and likely hope you hit a rock and rip off your lower unit. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 1168
| Coming by a duck blind while fishing isn't a big deal compared to checking your rat traps.
Duck hunters I've encountered are one extreme or the other. There are guys that are royally ticked off that you are there and the other half are thrilled that you are poking around rat houses stirring the ducks up. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 86
Location: north metro, MN | i am addicted to goose hunting, i don't water hunt at all so its never me out there popping rounds off to let you know i am hunting there. but it is a lot of work to find places to hunt. hunting spots are 10x harder to find then a lake with decent muskie fishing, so leave them alone. also it is opening weekend. just like with any fishing opener that would be the weekend with the most idiots out and everyone is all worked because they want there opener to be perfect. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2865
Location: Brookfield, WI | I'm guessing ducks are the most bothered by duck hunters.
Kevin |
|
| |
|
Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | sworrall - 9/25/2011 9:54 AM
What's interesting is that ducks have been flying and swimming all around my boat all year. They aren't bothered by a guy fishing through much and the hunters shouldn't be either if he's not in shooting range. Seems like the ducks are more worried about the guys in camo with the scatterguns.
Give 'em room.
Duck hunters generally aren't targeting the swimming ones. Though I've water swatted my fair share! (They all taste the same anyway) But a large boat in front of a spread will flare any flock, hell it wont even be a flare because they wont consider coming in.
For how smart they are being made out to be, we sure kill a lot of them out here in Utah. Sure, they are smart and sometimes wary. But like muskies, once you get dialed in you can do well. Our opener is Saturday. Going to be a great year here this year. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | I had my dog with me while fishing Pewaukee last fall. By buddy was hunting off the island shooting ducks as I was catching muskies. My dog retrieved two of his malards because they dropped out by my boat. I caught a 42 and a 38 while he shot ducks. Fishing boats don't bother ducks. Fishermen and hunters can both work the same water as long as your not in the decoys or shooting areas. I tossed his ducks to him as we headed back to the launch. Good times had by all. Especially my dog. Muskies and ducks, she loves them both. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 202
Location: Rhinelander | "Fishing boats don't bother ducks."
I disagree |
|
| |
|
| I have no problem giving them space...
But if you're camo is good enough and I can't tell you're there until I'm right on your arse, don't look at me all peeed off. It's not my fault you did such a good job blending in. I'm focussing on fishing...not the reeds. If you had given me a singal of some sort, I would have never gotten that close. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | We saw some amusing things last year during duck season. The ducks seemed to fully understand the difference between the fishermen and the duck hunters. The ducks would fly around the duck hunters out of range and then fly right over our boat. Some of the ducks were landing very close. A flock of about a dozen mallards was actually following our boat rather closely and seemed to be using the boat to hide from the hunters. They seemed to know they were safe there. I don't think the duck hunters ever got a shot and there were ducks all over that lake - just not where the hunters were. Funny thing was that we could have almost netted a few of those mallards.
I grew up duck hunting and love hunting. I only quit duck hunting because there are no longer ducks near my parents farm in central MN. The rivers and ponds have been pretty empty out that way for the past ten years. Even the wood ducks and teal are gone. Reading this almost makes me want to try a combination fishing and hunting trip. One could just have the gun ready, (a couple of rounds in the magazine and the chamber empty for safety sake), and then cast for Muskies until the ducks fly overhead. I wonder if that would be legal in MN? |
|
| |
|
Posts: 200
Location: Minnesota |
One could just have the gun ready, (a couple of rounds in the magazine and the chamber empty for safety sake), and then cast for Muskies until the ducks fly overhead. I wonder if that would be legal in MN?
From my understanding, that would not be legal here in MN. The watercraft can not be under power and if you're in open water, you must be anchored in order to take birds. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 572
Location: Maplewood, MN | your opener can be made or broken by the number of hunters. if its public land, 4am is usually a decent time to arrive if you want a quality spot. we had a great opener up here in the plains, heard less than 10 other shots all morning, can't beat it. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 24
| My buddy and I came across some duck hunters two weekends ago down here in iowa didn't notice them until we were about 250yds away went to fire up the motor and we had problems with it so we got on the trolling motor and eased our way towards the bank. We were losing ground due to the wind after they finished picking up they gave us a tow to the ramp. Nice guys and never complained. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 3908
| A story...
Was once fishing sorta near a couple goose hunters, a small two bay lake. Saw some hunters in a blind as the light came up. Explained the other rig in the lot. They waved at me and I waved back. I moved my boat about as far away as I could, watched some geese come in and they blasted away! BLAM BLAM BLAM! Very cool. Two birds down, kaspooshs! Except one bird was only wounded. And now it gets fun..... That bird can swim, and swim underwater, and swim underwater an incredible distance. In this state you cannot shoot a bird while underway, I think, your boat has to be, at least, coasting to a stop and that's risky. Best not be underway and shooting on a lake. So, anyway, the wounded goose would pop up head-only like a persicope 40 or more yards away, the hunters would start the little motor and try to get close and then stop the motor and slow and the guy in the front would take another shot. BLAM! But where's the goose?..........Oh, over there, about 30 yards away and swimming strong persicope style. These guys chased and shot at that tough and brave bird for 20 minutes. At times they were pushing the bird toward me, expressing regret to me every time they missed(?) and had to get even closer chasing the wounded bird. I just waved them along, "do whatever", and sat down to watch. They finally got the bird. Anyone would had had a toung time with that rascal.
They went back to hunting and I never saw a fish. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 327
| We were returning home to Chicago from a M1ST outing a few years back and decided to fish a small Rhinelander area lake ... we didn't notice the duck hunter until they waved at us so we just eased back out of that spot far enough to motor up ... no issues with the hunters . As we motored across the lake we noticed large pods of bait fish so we turned around and dialed in on the pods , not long after I put my PB 49" in the net !!! Thanks to the duck hunters !! Funny thing is as we got closer to the hunters spread of decoys , my dumb a$$ didn't even notice that the ducks weren't moving ... because they were decoys !! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | So the ducks in MN can read and know the law - now that makes it tough! |
|
| |
|
Posts: 264
| MuskieFever - 9/26/2011 4:30 PM
your opener can be made or broken by the number of hunters. if its public land, 4am is usually a decent time to arrive if you want a quality spot. we had a great opener up here in the plains, heard less than 10 other shots all morning, can't beat it.
"Up here in the plains" haha |
|
| |
|
Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | So, what if one just casted for ducks and Muskies at the same time? It seems if one used a lure with large treble hooks, one could cast to Muskies and also at the ducks when they came close. Don't shoot the ducks - just snag them in mid-air. It seems a person could even release the ducks and wouldn't have to clean them. It could really get fun if there were geese around too. 
This would be kind of like golf where the term "birdie" and "duck" can take on more than one meaning. 
I suppose that is all illegal too, eh? |
|
| |
|
| Sometimes people need to think before they type. Maybe even read what they wrote before clicking 'submit'. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 572
Location: Maplewood, MN | 619musky - 9/29/2011 11:19 AM
MuskieFever - 9/26/2011 4:30 PM
your opener can be made or broken by the number of hunters. if its public land, 4am is usually a decent time to arrive if you want a quality spot. we had a great opener up here in the plains, heard less than 10 other shots all morning, can't beat it.
"Up here in the plains" haha
Herding bison. You should post pictures of those beautiful rockies. |
|
| |
|
Posts: 59
| If you are muskie fishing and come up to an area with about 24 ducks facing the same way not moving much, maybe its not a spot worth casting... |
|
| |
