So in anticipation of opening day of the coastal duck hunting season my hunting partner and I built a nice bay front blind. nice wooden floor, shelf, even nails to hang stuff from or rest a gun against. it even has 2 nice plastic chairs that are camo painted that I placed in there Friday morning before work.

    Great... things are all set, we agree to meet there at 545 am Saturday morning. that will give us an hour to set up the decoys and get settled in. even time for coffee.

   Upon arrival the next morning there was a truck parked in small parking area, and not leaving much room for anyone else btw.

so we walk in the 200 yards to the blind and you guessed it "occupied" by three young guys 18 to 22 years old who were to lazy to build there own, unfricken believable.  wtf  do they teach these kids now. being that the blind is on public land we knew the risk but didn't really think any one would use it on opening day, any other day all bets are off, no problem enjoy. So the open day morning was spent sitting on a pile of dead sea grass in the 4 foot tall wet weeds.

  After a couple of hours they packed up and were heading out, but didn't get past us with out getting talked to about the error of there ways. hopefully they learn.

 

 

That really suxs.

 

 

Did you get any Ducks?

Did you say something??

no ducks still way to warm, told them when they come back to build a blind

I've never hunted, so I don't know the first thing about blind etiquette, but why didn't you politely ask them to get out of your blind?  Is that poor etiquette, i.e. it's first come, first served?

I thought this was going to be about no farting, order of shooting, etc...

 

Not a duck hunter either, but it's yours isn't it? Tell 'em to take a hike.

Isn't this a shoot able offense in free states? This will be my first year hunting and I would never be a douchebag like that

 

 

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I've never hunted, so I don't know the first thing about blind etiquette, but why didn't you politely ask them to get out of your blind?  Is that poor etiquette, i.e. it's first come, first served?

 

It's public land...  If it were private land you could tell them to go.  Public land, everything belongs to everyone, however etiquette dictates that you not take/use someone else's stuff without permission.

One day,  some years back,  while I was slowing moving in pre-dawn on some public land during the six day I heard all this ruckus in the distance.  As I get a little closer I hear two guys really jawing at each other...  I investigate on my way through and find an little old Italian guy stomping around underneath a old wooden (and not really legal) tree stand.  He's smoking a cigarette and walking in circle yelling at the guy in the tree stand. 

 

"I built this stand, everybody knows this is my stand, you're not getting a chance at anything today, I'm staying here all day.... "  

 

It's a good way to get shot, and the stand was illegal, but I kinda understood how he felt. 

 

I think I would have certainly poked my head in on those boys and asked them how they would feel if the situation was reversed.   Better than 50% chance they would have apologized and left if they were "true" hunters.  (But then again you do live in Ocean County...  home of Snookie and a town called Lakewood)

I'd be sorely tempted to hook a chain to their truck and drag it off 'somewhere'....after all, its parked on public land...

Being a younger hunter myself although a little older than the young guys you encountered, I can say I it were my buddies we probably would of occupied it too knowing we didn't build it but also not knowing if anyone else laid sole claim to it.

However If someone came along and informed me they built it and wanted to use it I would of gladly left. I have tree stands I built that I have noticed many times they were used. Heck even had someone leave a nice deer tail hanging on the tree for me to envy. It's public land afterall.

Being a younger hunter myself although a little older than the young guys you encountered, I can say I it were my buddies we probably would of occupied it too knowing we didn't build it but also not knowing if anyone else laid sole claim to it.

However If someone came along and informed me they built it and wanted to use it I would of gladly left. I have tree stands I built that I have noticed many times they were used. Heck even had someone leave a nice deer tail hanging on the tree for me to envy. It's public land afterall.

IMO, you build your own blind...You don't show up at 5:30a.m. and just jump in any blind you see.... that's piss poor etiquette. Hunting ducks means your there a day or 2 early setting up your blind.. Using the excuse it's public land for being a lazy hunter doesn't work in my book...We are out the day before setting up our blind because there is no time to do it in the morning... so if your using a blind you didn't make... your already on strike 2 in my book.. if your at the point where you need to use someone elses blind they yes, your already doing something wrong..

 

it's difficult to just ask someone to leave.. by the time they pull their decoys and you set up yours shoot time has probably already passed... we get most of the birds to come in right before sun-up, after that you have sit around and wait to call them in, and you should be tucked in your blind well before that point to make sure your not educating any of the birds on whats going on... a simple mistake will keep birds from your spot all day.

 

Up in the north, most of the time were the only ones on the lakes.. very secluded... we put a lot of time into finding off the beaten path spots.. the whole point of hunting is to do everything yourself and rely on no-one.

I don't hunt waterfowl, but I have to agree about respecting other people's set-ups, even on public land.

 

 

During turkey last fall, I was setup on the ground when a guy showed up to his tree stand, about 50 yards away, a good hour after sunrise.

 

I gave him a head nod and went off to a find a new spot.

Even the hunters in NJ are assholes.

Can you hide the blind from hunters by using some sort of natural grass or netting? If they can't find it they can't use it!

I don't have this problem, my duck blind is attached to my Jon boat.

Can you hide the blind from hunters by using some sort of natural grass or netting? If they can't find it they can't use it!

the whole point of the blind is supposed to be hidden lol. But it's very hard to conceal one. Unless its in a hidden spot to begin with.

I don't have this problem, my duck blind is attached to my Jon boat.

I wouldn't mind hunting exclusively from a boat. We hunt the small lakes in the early season from land, then my buddy's boat on the big lakes/reservoirs that don't freeze late season. A boat is really the way to go, so much less time spent hauling gear around.

I wouldn't mind hunting exclusively from a boat. We hunt the small lakes in the early season from land, then my buddy's boat on the big lakes/reservoirs that don't freeze late season. A boat is really the way to go, so much less time spent hauling gear around.

It really makes life easier, especially without a dog.

Maybe a dumb question.:

 

There's a hill about 2 miles from the Delaware River where I hunt turkey/deer occasionally. I was there a couple of times last fall and had several flocks fly over my at about 50 ft (actual evelation is +500 ft)

With the proper stamp and shot, could I have taken a couple of birds? Or is there a rule against hunting waterfowl over land?

 

 

EDIT: I did look at the regs and didn't see anything, but I've also never heard of anyone hunting ducks/geese over land.

There is no rule, you can hunt ducks or geese over land. I set up for goose in cornfields often, with my lay down blind and land decoys. Ducks you probably won't have much success with over land they tend to basically stay in water or right next to it. Geese are everywhere. With your two stamps, state waterfowl, federal migratory, and a HIP#, your good to go with non toxic shot. I believe the only stipulation is you cant have any lead shot in possession while waterfowl hunting. So if your out for fall turkey as well better be using nontoxic loads for them too.

Maybe a dumb question.:

 

There's a hill about 2 miles from the Delaware River where I hunt turkey/deer occasionally. I was there a couple of times last fall and had several flocks fly over my at about 50 ft (actual evelation is +500 ft)

With the proper stamp and shot, could I have taken a couple of birds? Or is there a rule against hunting waterfowl over land?

 

 

EDIT: I did look at the regs and didn't see anything, but I've also never heard of anyone hunting ducks/geese over land.

We hunt Geese( Canadian and Snowies) on corn fields, so i don't see why you couldn't. They love the winter wheat. It's probably the best hunting you can do... chill in a layout blind until the flock comes in, then walk out and scoop up your prize. As far as i know, waterfowl is the most open hunting you can do.. your not limited to anywhere in the state... just gotta be a shoot zone.. Only reason we hunt on the water is because that's where they go to or from. Ducks are pretty exclusive to water.

 

Dearslayer beat me to it... Also snow geese have a conservation order sometimes and require a special form to be carried after the regular season... The only real rule is that you have to have a "focus" or purpose while hunting... So if you want to hunt turkey AND watefowl, thats fine.. but like deerslayer said you have to meet both regulations for what can be carried. If you hit a goose and have any lead shot on you... you can get in a ton of trouble...

Also be aware of daily bag limits.

Thanks guys!

Looks like goose will be on the menu this fall.

Yeah waterfowl seasons vary by region, northern, central, costal, southern. Just check the season dates for the area you hunting. Its in its own supplement booklet separate from the regular digest, (just like the turkey supplement). But its not like Bear,turkey, or deer, where you have to have permits for specific zones.

Thanks guys!

Looks like goose will be on the menu this fall.

No problem, and YUCK! Lol...

No problem, and YUCK! Lol...

Geese jerkey!!!! Geese Jerkey GGGEEEEEESSSSEEEE JEEEEERRRRRKKKYYY!! YUM!

Geese jerkey!!!! Geese Jerkey GGGEEEEEESSSSEEEE JEEEEERRRRRKKKYYY!! YUM!

Yeah the only way I can bring myself to eat it is after its spent some time in the smoker lol... My mother-in-law has a great recipe in a cream sauce I can also tolerate. Unfortunately she moved to Florida. The old redneck hill Billy mountain man down the road from me loves them and I'm very generous to him with every successful harvest. Good thing I live in Sussex county lol. Now ducks I don't part with, I can eat them every nite and not get tired of it.

I've been told that in Minnesota some keep squatters out of ice fishing houses using well hidden Limburger cheese. I'm told it can be hidden in/on trucks too.