Etiquette question: duck blind

[Macintosh]

Question for the hive mind. Im just not sure what to make of it and would appreciate thoughts and musings. This isnt really a big deal per se, but it does sort of bug me so Im curious what others make of it.

The issue is “claiming” a duck blind spot before its legally allowed. This is the law here:



So today (sept 1, a monday) Im scouting some duck spots. Its SUPER low water, so getting a sense of what is still wet, etc and just exploring a little, doing some fishing, etc. Theres an obvious spot on public land, a very sheltered shoreline about 200 yards long near a large marsh, that looks to be great in a north wind and close to a public launch. I see a row of 3 new-looking signs in the mud each 50 yards apart, essentially “claiming” the entire shoreline. Each sign is a new 2x4 driven into the mud with a sign on top “joe blow, williston, VT 2025 duck blind 603-247-6872”. Each sign has a different name, but they are all exactly the same other than the name—clearly its one group of people who placed all 3 signs. No permanent blinds were up, just the signs. Except it’s a full week before blinds can go up, and based on footprints in the mud they’ve been there for at least several days already. And these guys have literally laid claim to the entire shoreline of the bay.

Now, I know this is sort of a community hole spot, and its certainly not a spot I would expect to have to myself, but this one group of people have attempted to claim the entire shoreline, obviously for the purpose of deterring everyone else from going there.

So, thoughts? What do you make of this? What would you do, if anything? What is the etiquette around this sort of thing on public ground where you are?

 

[realunlucky]

If it's illegal I would just report it

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[Truck24hr]

I'd put my blind up Saturday morning at midnight with the info and take pics.

 

[S-3 ranch]

I gave up on setting up blinds, in public water even if you built them they are public property, build some run out to them and usually a group is setting up in them , point out your name , address, telephone number sign and then the arguments begin or a “ guide “ from one of the duck hunting lodge after you hunt will just set them on fire if they don’t like that you have a good place.
I have 500 acres of private property marsh and people still hike in or drag their boat over the fence to hunt, leave trash , spent hulls, ect, game warden is ruthless on trespassing them , but then the blinds go up in flames

 

[T28w]

If it was were I really wanted a blind, I’d take some buddies and be there first thing Saturday and put it where you wanted. The signs obviously means nothing. Kinda like when someone puts a no wake sign up somewhere, if you want to slow down you can but don’t have to. Kinda like here if you want to let them have it, that’s fine, but it sounds like its who can get there first Saturday morning is what really counts.

 

[Macintosh]

To be clear, Im not setting up a blind there or anywhere. But people do, and it is legal. Im not sure it’s “illegal” to put the sign there. I think its lame to try to not only claim “A” spot before legal, its downright douche material to claim the **entire shoreline** that way. Im just curious to hear other peoples take on it, I wasnt sure if I was overreacting.

It IS a spot Id like to hunt later in the season after most folks have packed it in. I imagine I’ll still be able to do that, just wondering folks take on this.

 

[T28w]

I think its lame

Agreed.

 

[willfrye027]

Douchey move to try and claim their spot before it’s legal to do so. It should be a race to the spot at midnight on the 1st, if guys want to actually be the first in there.

As far as claiming the whole shoreline..with ducks, your neighbors can totally ruin a well planed and prepared for hunt. I guess the same as anything but the deer equivalent would be someone setting up on your same glassing knob. So, efforts are sometimes made to block off where you’re actually hunting in the dark with decoy lights, fake blinds, bluffing, chest thumping, etc to prevent Joe blow from screwing your hunt.

If I was trying to hunt there I’d call the game warden and put up my own blind right there at midnight on the 1st

 

[Macintosh]

So, take this situation^^. It’s the tail end of the season, maybe during our 2-week deer rifle season. Very little waterfowl guiding around here, its not really on a flyway. So not nearly as many waterfowl hunters out. It’s 4am. No one in the parking area. I go to said spot because the wind is right. These guys show up at 15 minutes to shooting light and want to use “their” spot.
1) would you bother to put yourself in this position?
2) how do you handle it? Lets say there isnt room on the shoreline to be more than 25 yards from one of the 3 blinds.

 

[S-3 ranch]

So, take this situation^^. It’s the tail end of the season, maybe during our 2-week deer rifle season. Very little waterfowl guiding around here, its not really on a flyway. So not nearly as many waterfowl hunters out. It’s 4am. No one in the parking area. I go to said spot because the wind is right. These guys show up at 15 minutes to shooting light and want to use “their” spot.
1) would you bother to put yourself in this position?
2) how do you handle it? Lets say there isnt room on the shoreline to be more than 25 yards from one of the 3 blinds.

Just go and hunt them, if someone else shows up later tell them to go pound sand somewhere else! It’s public property

 

[Macintosh]

That would be my quick reaction. Guess Im asking if, in your experience, the typical expectation in a duck blind situation on public is any different? I’ll go out of my way to avoid a confrontation, I have other places to go and its just not worth the hassle, just trying to get a sense of what people think would be a normal reaction in that situation.

 

[willfrye027]

That would be my quick reaction. Guess Im asking if, in your experience, the typical expectation in a duck blind situation on public is any different? I’ll go out of my way to avoid a confrontation, I have other places to go and its just not worth the hassle, just trying to get a sense of what people think would be a normal reaction in that situation.

Depends on how hard of a blowhard or how big of an idiot you are. I don’t duck hunt that much anymore but in my early days things got very verbally heated and you hope guys will back down and go somewhere else. Later years I just dealt with it unless it was legit unsafe (had a guy set up in the fog 50 yards behind my blind..we had words and he backed up to 100 yards).

If I am the guy coming in and someone else is there, you leave and go to plan B. Duck hunting with neighbors just sucks unless you know them and know how they hunt (decoying birds not pass shooting, not shooting your swing, not blowing a mallard call at every bird within a mile..etc).

Duck hunters are literally the worst of all hunters, I hate all of them, except myself

 

[willfrye027]

What happens when guys decide to set up next door regardless, often ruins the hunt that morning for a variety of reasons especially if there were words had before the shoot and some compromise was not reached.

The ideal situation is next time you get there first..these states with semi-permanent blind laws sounds pretty frustrating to me. Claiming a swath of public for the whole season is BS

 

[taskswap]

If we're discussing ethics... Would it be "unethical" to remove them all before anyone got there and then let them wonder if it was the game warden that did it?

 

[dtrkyman]

I would let the warden know, and probably avoid the spot, duck hunters are the biggest d bags in the hunting community! I have had more ignorant encounters with other duck hunters than any other bunches combined!

 

[UKwildcatfan]

Question for the hive mind. Im just not sure what to make of it and would appreciate thoughts and musings. This isnt really a big deal per se, but it does sort of bug me so Im curious what others make of it.

The issue is “claiming” a duck blind spot before its legally allowed. This is the law here:

View attachment 929594

So today (sept 1, a monday) Im scouting some duck spots. Its SUPER low water, so getting a sense of what is still wet, etc and just exploring a little, doing some fishing, etc. Theres an obvious spot on public land, a very sheltered shoreline about 200 yards long near a large marsh, that looks to be great in a north wind and close to a public launch. I see a row of 3 new-looking signs in the mud each 50 yards apart, essentially “claiming” the entire shoreline. Each sign is a new 2x4 driven into the mud with a sign on top “joe blow, williston, VT 2025 duck blind 603-247-6872”. Each sign has a different name, but they are all exactly the same other than the name—clearly its one group of people who placed all 3 signs. No permanent blinds were up, just the signs. Except it’s a full week before blinds can go up, and based on footprints in the mud they’ve been there for at least several days already. And these guys have literally laid claim to the entire shoreline of the bay.

Now, I know this is sort of a community hole spot, and its certainly not a spot I would expect to have to myself, but this one group of people have attempted to claim the entire shoreline, obviously for the purpose of deterring everyone else from going there.

So, thoughts? What do you make of this? What would you do, if anything? What is the etiquette around this sort of thing on public ground where you are?

Take good pics clearly showing names and numbers and forward to CO.

 

[Dos XX]

Paint over their name and numbers.

 

[Kurts86]

Annual or any permanent duck blind allocation on public land will incentivize people to cheat their way into it more than daily spots where you take everything in and out daily. I’ve seen people bring 60-100 people to an annual draw (most who don’t hunt) so one guy can be named as a blind owner each year or thousands of dollars change hands to be named on a premium blind draw. I’ve seen this happen in multiple states so claiming a blind early doesn’t surprise me in the least.

Outside of tightly managed public area most all have blinds or treestands setup outside of the allowed time windows. The conservation officers are usually stretched thin enough that they don’t often take them down unless someone complains.

Call in the early staking of the blind and let the game warden deal with it.

 

[Fowl Play]

I’d get the warden involved. Call him yourself and find out the legality of it. If it’s not legal, let him call the phone numbers and tell them to remove them. Or, since he put his number on there, give him a call yourself and see what he’s about. Honestly I’d try to have a civil conversation with him. But… Duck hunters can suck. The only time I thought I was going to have to shoot someone in self defense was a blowhard duck hunter who was mad I beat him to “his spot”.

 

[KurtR]

Stuff like this really makes me appreciate living where i do. Dont have to deal with anything like this. Met some now good friends out scouting and deciding to hunt a field together