Slough Wars

[sdstate]

Heres the situation. I am definately a third person in this story. Some younger friends of mine and my brother hunt a slough in SW Minnesota. They hunt the same slough alot and know it very well. It is a somewhat popular slough and knowing this, they are always the first ones on the slough and are usually set up and in place before anyone is even at the slough. So here is the situation: The same hunters usually set up in the same place and they always set up within 100 yards of them. Well when people set up that close to eachother, of course people are gonna get mad at eachother. They always accuse eachother of skybusting or making noise when ducks are coming in. In fact they swore at my brother when he shot a crippled mallard on the water last year. In my opinion, he did the rite thing. Anyways, these people called the parents of my friends and accused them of some things that they did themselves. They both have done some stupid things, but this could have all been avoided by hunting farther away from eachother and these strangers continue to do so. So my question is, is did these people have it coming? Sorry for the long post, this was just bothering me.

[Sartell Angler]

did they have what coming??

Sounds to me like these guys are the typical (Contact US Regarding This Word) duck hunters a guy can encounter on any given weekend...usually don't know how to hunt effectively or know the regulations...and I can guarantee they aren't ethical. If I were you I would tell your brother and friends to find a new place to hunt...will save them a lot of headaches/bad experiences in my opinion.

SA/wdw

[TundraKing]

Here's how I look at it:

If a public slough isn't big enough for two hunting parties, then it's on a first come first served basis. If you see that there is another party parked at the access, either talk to them or drive away but don't intrude. I don't care how many times you've hunted it in the past, if someone else was there first, then that's just tough luck for everyone else.

Can you tell that I've run into the same problem before??

[hanson]

My opinion is, if you put in the effort to be to the slough 1st to get the better spot, that spot is yours and other hunters who arrive later should respect that.

The fact that your friends have been encroached upon many times is obviously now a problem. The solution would have been to talk with these guys the very first time they set up close to your friends. Hopefully, that would have solved the problem right away. It sounds like the problem has been allowed to progress over many hunting outings to the slough now to the point where it probably can't be solved.

I hate to say it but finding a different spot to hunt is probably the solution now. Whether it is on a different slough or at a different spot on the same slough. If this other party continues to encroach upon your friends if they move to a different spot, you could probably contact the local conservation officer about hunter harassment.

The part that troubles me is you said both parties have "done stupid things." So both parties are guilty in my opinion. Something or someone will have to give and unfortunately, I would be finding a different pond to hunt.

[riverrat56]

Have the same thing happen alot on a lake I hunt, we roll out of bed at 3 to drive 5 mins so we are the firsts ones there and have choice of spots, 3 times this year someone has came to the landing 30 mins before shooting time and then set up no like with-in 50 yards of us on the other side of a point, they knew we were there as we were setting decoys and both wear headlamps. (No delta this wasn't you)

I just try to avoid confrontation with these people, but it makes you mad when they can't call worth a crap but still try and flair the ducks 200 yds away, if they would just shut up maybe the ducks would go to there decoys, I hope not but its better than no one getting a chance. It's frustrating when you have been on the water longer than they have been awake and they still act like they own the place. Only real solution though is to find a differnt spot.

[ddsbyday]

After many years of waterfowling I have found that if you hunt ethically and are aware of your surroundings you can have a great hunt with out pissing everybody off. I chased enough cripples to realize that taking sure shots is much more productive than spending prime time out chasing wounded birds. I would not bail on the spot. Don't wail on your duck call when they have a flock of greenheads committing to their dekes. If you have a sure shot you can take it. Sometimes I have passed sure shots just to watch a nice flock suck into someone else. Its just like driving on the freeway. If most people are conciderate the chumps eventually get whats coming to them. The real trick is to get better so that even if there is 7 groups in area with room for 4 your spread is the one the ducks lock onto. If you don't block the left lane, slide over to an open lane to let someone merge, traffic goes smoother. Its not a big deal. Take the high road but I would not give up the spot.

[Tom Wilson]

I feel for you man--They busted my truck windows out last year, because they were too lazy to get out of bed earlier than I did. I had a week of vacation and I hunted the same metro lake everyday for about 5 days before they busted my windows. Two years ago on another metro lake they flattened both trailer tires. So until they get to where their vandalizing you're stuff--Keep Hunting. As a matter of fact I kept hunting both of those lakes and still do.

Tom W

[The_Duckslayer]

I have not really ran into this much here around Hooterville. So far most of the places that I hunt are pretty good sized and big enough so that folks do not have to sit on top of each other. For the most part I have seen that if ducks are working my decoys the guy a hundred yards down the line will for the most part let me work them without trying to call them off. I do the same for others as well. Birds that fly up the middle are open game till they commit and then I stop calling. Guess that I have been lucky so far... hope that it keeps up that way!!! (knock wood) Have a good one and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[dkhntr]

Take more than one vehicle. Make it look like a few people are there. And spread the group out on each side of the hot spot. When they come to the 100 yard part, someone will be there to "shine" them with a flash light. After they go somewhere else, walk the 100 yards to your blind.

[hanson]

I love a little clever sportsman ingenuity.

Have all your buddies drive their vehicles as well and fill up the parking lot. I never thought of that. This tactic would definitely be most effective if everyone had an empty small boat trailer hooked onto the back as well.

Heck, I'd come out with your friends to the slough with my little duckboat if I had some spare time on the following weekends but I don't. Deer hunting, Thanksgiving weekend, and hopefully ice fishing will keep me occupied during the next few months.

While I hate letting other people get the best of me, sometimes I'll just take the easy way out and that would be finding a new and better hunting spot. Hunting is a fun and enjoyable experience for me and I'd hate to keep letting crap like that wreck my experience if you know what I mean.

[sdstatekid]

Me and my buddies tried that in Sibley County for opener and it didn't work. 6 of us took 4 vehicles out to the pond we were hunting. We got there at 8 the night before. At 4 a group of guys came. They said the pond was big enough for 3 groups, it isn't, it's barely big enough for 2 groups. The other group ended up setting up about 80 yards straight across from my brother. When my brothers group shot at a flock they ended up peppering the other group of guys and they got mad. I don't know what you guys think but I didn't feel sorry for them because it was their choice to set up where they did.

[Fish_Off]

My solution was an easy one for me. I wake up drive to the spot 10 min. away. I then will push the boat 100 yards to the water. Then row up the lake about 1/2 a mile. I then push the boat 75 yards to the lake. I row the boat 50 yards and I'm at my spot. A lot of work yeah, but I have yet to see a duck hunter or even a pheasant hunter even on this back slough all year. The spot is in Ortonville so there is some pressure, but no one ever ventures back to that slough. I guess what I'm trying to say is the harder you work the better your odds are of not seeing a hunter.

P.S. I've probally lost 900,000 calaries this year by pushing and rowing that boat, but only to gain it back to an all you can eat pizza buffet.

[ortonville]

fishoff-i see you eat at the pizza ranch

[FOOT]

I think this situation has been around since the beginning of time when 2 hunters happened to stumble onto the same game animal.

Unfortunately, it happens when duck, pheasant, turkey and deer hunting as well as fishing.

I've tried all types of talking to the offending parties, sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. I don't understand what drives people to think they have a right to create an un-safe situation by hunting so close.

I've toughed it out and have also left and found another spot. A couple of times when I moved my party had a tremendous hunt and the party that moved in on us had hardly any shooting. They received their just rewards.

Just remember, there is NO duck, pheasant, turkey, deer or fish worth getting shot or accidently shooting someone else.

That doesn't mean you need to always give in, each situation is different.