Skybusting?!!!???

[fish4cats]

I am positive that this subject has been covered before, but to my dismay this past weekend I witnessed the worst of the worst. We watched a group of guys about 500 yards away in a different field repeatedly shoot at birds well over 200 yrds away. We would have flocks come about half way in between us and try and work them in and these guys would open fire on them. They would be 100 yards in the air and 250 yards to the side of them and they would shoot at them.

What can we do to stop these guys from doing this? Is there nothing we can do? It really screwed up our day.

We wont shoot at anything over 40 yards away.

[french_lake_kid]

Sounds like they need rifles J/K I would either tell them they need to buy some dekes or sumthin and leave the tiny little dots in the sky alone!That sux though sry to hear bout that.

[Hammer Handle]

That is a tough one.

They are uneducated in how to shoot and have a reasonable chance of killing a bird. How to inform them? You really can't.

Or, they are mad for you are hunting next to them and if they see the birds coming to you, they shoot at them in hopes of discouraging you so you move to a different spot.

Either way, it is a lose - lose situation. Curious to see what other people have to say on this subject.

[2thepointsetters]

I would just move because your not going to get any birds with them doing that anyway.

[USPENAMC]

they might just not know ...really i know nothing of goose hunting maybe a helping hand or bringing up a conversation and letting them know some tips and stuff. did you hear them calling them in maybe they dont even have calls or know how to use them... i guess i might be talking in my point of view. i have learned enough on this forum not to SKY BUST but besides that im a newbie. and wouldnt know the first thing about calling them in or laying spreads or technical stuff

[96trigger]

I am NOT in anyway sticking up for the people, I don't have a love for skybusters, but I've pass shot geese before. I've also been where people are skybusting, and thought, "man there is no way they can be shooting at those geese" only to watch a couple fall. My conclusion has always been that they must be closer to the hunters than they look, from my point of view, the shells would be useless. Still sucks when you are set up and they are shooting at them when the geese are abviously on their way over to where you are. It happens to me every year, the only bright side is that they do not have a lot of hunters and limit out early.

[Bryce]

Not going to deny that busters are out there... but any chance you set up directly downwind of them after they were set up? Even so, a poor show of sportsmanship as they could have moved also.

[fish4cats]

No we did not set up downwind of them. They actually set up downwind of us. We were set up by the time they even got to their field. They did not calling, they had maybe 2 dz decoys to our 150 dekes. They were just bound and determined to screw up our hunt I think.

[fishhawk1750]

Have you talked to them about sharing both fields and hunting together? Maybe there field is better than yours, and neither of you are getting any! Just a thought.

[BoxMN]

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I am NOT in anyway sticking up for the people, I don't have a love for skybusters, but I've pass shot geese before. I've also been where people are skybusting, and thought, "man there is no way they can be shooting at those geese" only to watch a couple fall. My conclusion has always been that they must be closer to the hunters than they look

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I would agree with that. Of course there are skybusters, but many times I think it is just the perspective of where others are. I remember giving our buddies (who were on other side of the lake) heck about skybusting some geese, and they said what the heck am I talking about, they were well within range - and this from hunters going back many years, not rookies. So it is not always as it seems.

I would also say that it is interesting to hear always about "the other guys" as nobody ever fesses up to taking long shots. Especially the same ones complaining about it. I am not saying anyone here is a "skybuster" but a good buddy who always complains about it took a single shot a single goose I swear 70 yards up - and killed it dead. But he as easily could have missed easily and then would have been the same guy he complains about... heh.

Those who throw stones...

[fish4cats]

Ok, I have hunted geese well over 20 years and I know when geese are out of range, even when they are a 1/2 a mile away. Some of these geese that these guys shot at came by or over us and we wouldnt even think about shooting at them. And these birds were not descending or getting any closer to them. I didnt mean for this to be a big debate, I just wish these guys would get educated, thats all.

[commander019]

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I just wish these guys would get educated, thats all.

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We have been wishing that for years but I hate to say that they will never go away. Sky busters and roost busters will be a plague for us goose hunters forever and you have to learn to deal with it.

[tealitup]

Maybe the price of shot shells this year will have some detterance.

[commander019]

Not likely

[tcsprtsmn]

I wonder if range finders would work on geese?

Their speed and distance can be very deceiving. Because of size.

[Sartell Angler]

I've heard from several experienced hunters that rangefinders do in fact work on geese.

Personally, however, I prefer to shoot at birds that I have convinced to land in my decoys as it is only then that I truly feel worthy of killing them. I do take the occasional passing shot if it is in range but I would much rather have the birds work the spread and come in with landing gear down!

[commander019]

Pass shooting geese and ducks is just that, SHOOTING. You are not hunting!! I could shoot ducks and geese from my yard every single day if I wanted to but whats the sport in that?? Convince'em to put the landing gear down and shoot them as they drop into your decoy spread. That's the only way in my book.

[tcsprtsmn]

Pass shooting is hunting. I prefer decoying also. This doesn't make me less of a hunter IMHO. But, I like something in my bag. My last goose band came on a 25 yard passing shot (skirting decoys).

[commander019]

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Pass shooting is hunting.

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So your saying that its ok to sit on a fence line or in a ditch and shoot birds as they leave or enter the refuge or another bodie of water when there are probably guys in the fields outside or set up on the water doing it the right way? It's ok to bust'em up for the guys who have spent hours and hours doing their homework and gaining permission to fields or water so they can try to get them in their faces the right way. I disagree strongly. But then again, that's my opinion and everyone has one.

[ole matty]

yes as long its ok n legally n we cant do anything abt it..

[tcsprtsmn]

Pass shooters have screwed up MANY of my hunts. I have metro hunted geese and shot MANY in decoys.

IMHO pass shooting is hunting. They obviously did their homework to cut me off. I don't like it, but it happens.

Let's not get upset at me for MHO. We have all been cut off before. Even in a boat on a lake where "they were decoying my spread".

Let's share the game and realize it is unfortunately part of the overall experience.

[Scott M]

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Pass shooting geese and ducks is just that, SHOOTING. You are not hunting!! I could shoot ducks and geese from my yard every single day if I wanted to but whats the sport in that?? Convince'em to put the landing gear down and shoot them as they drop into your decoy spread. That's the only way in my book.

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Wow, I think the beginning guides to waterfowling would have to rip out a few chapters on jump shooting and pass shooting. We'd all have to give up any other form of hunting and scout all day while practicing our calls and buying the perfect spread. Then we could hopefully decoy a few birds.

Woe would be having more than one person on a public piece of water because the ducks that are flying around looking for a safe place to land would not be fair game in pass shooting; they would only be ethically fair to put a bead on if they were committed with butts and landing gear down.

Actually, that's not a bad idea to level off the harvest in this state. A countermeasure for the bag limit jumping from 4 to 6 perhaps.

commander019, I hate the guys that settle into a spot and shot your birds that you are working into a spread and it sucks that roost hunting happens but only shooting decoying birds would cut a lot of people out of the action. Ethics and morals are individual dilemmas and to each his own I suppose.

[commander019]

Like I said, it's my opinion.

[riversmallmouth35]

In my opinion also pass shooting is hunting. I don't have the money to spend on decoys so alot of the time I sit at a end of a cornfield and wait for them to fly into my grandpas pasture. We don't scare the geese away from doing this because they come back every morning.

We are however smart enough to know when the geese are out of range. I only shoot when I'm sure I can kill the geese.

When the field gets chopped I also will decoy for geese but until then I will be pass shooting.

[bluebill]

we lease a spot next to town 1 road in front of us pass shooters heaven it hurts our hunts somedays and helps on otherdays i have even shot there to get the birds moveing in a differnt fly pattern

[SJU70]

Who said pass shooters dont do their homework? Sometimes we're just not wealthy folks who can afford their own acreage or a lease on the nearby fields.

[USPENAMC]

At the end of the day as long as it is NOT illegal everyone can do what they can within the boundaries of the law to have fun, and take their game. Some have boats/some have this and that and some dont, Some are trying it out for the first time to see if they want to invest in the sport. Others have just started and barely got this or that. I guess we have to share and enjoy the good times. The bad times well we just have to get past them thats why we are out there in the first place to leave the hectic life behind a bit.

[kc0myy]

I was hunting open water for goose hunting (shame on you I know). What I wanted to do is wait for the birds to leave set up decoys and wait for the birds to come back from feeding. Well my friend I hunting with shot birds on the water. I got hell from other hunter about that. All I wanted to do is. go out goose hunting and get a few birds. Have you checked the price of leased land and some big foots and blinds and the whole 9 yards. Oh for about $1,000 you can have a nice set up. but who really has $1,000 laying around to spend on hunting. I sure don't. and sometimes all the land it locked up so you can't hunt it. I would loved to hunt in a field for birds but i didn't because I don't have the money and the LAND to hunt it. Also the fields I do have to hunt are still filled with corn. So when one of you big shot have a spot open take me out. because I don't have anywhere really to go goose hunting!