There is a public spot that is not far from my house that I have been watching for the last week. It is an oxbow off of a creek that requires you to get there by canoe or kayak with a 200 yard drag before you get to the water. Scouted it yesterday and found some birds. To make life a little easier we hid our canoe in some brush not far from the oxbow. I only hunt public on weekdays as hunting is only enjoyable if it is peaceful. This morning my neighbor and I get there about 1.5 hours before shooting time and I see 4 vehicles and can see multiple lights. I tell my buddy this sucks they beat us here and we are going back to the house. He gets upset and says other people would not care and just roll up on us and hunt 50 yards away. I tell him sorry but I will not do that. We make the walk we grab our canoe and we drag it back to the truck and head home.

I write this not to toot my own horn but to let people know that there are still good guys who hunt waterfowl. Was I upset that I put in work and did not hunt, absolutely, but it was the right thing to do. They beat me to the spot and by doing so they earned the right, in my opinion, to enjoy there hunt without worrying about someone hunting 100 yards from them and possibly being unsafe. I say this to hopefully inspire more guys to do the same.
Did I have a right to be there and set up 100 yards from them, absolutely. But when someone does that to me I dog cuss how humanity and respect for others is dying in this country. So instead of being that guy I let those who got there before me enjoy there morning. I hope everyone has a merry christmas and remembers that being a good human being is actually more rewarding than killing limits.

Respect!

You should have at least stayed out there and boom scouted you a second spot in case you get beat again next time.

Or be like some of these public land experts and have a secret spot that nobody eles knows about and refuse to hunt anything less.

Good ethics, you just need more options for public.

Would have found another place to hunt if it were me...enjoy the sunrise. Had the exact opposite happen to me last weekend. Hit ramp at 435am, boated a long way, hit the spot at 515am. Inside LED lights on boat are on. Whipped out the coleman stove and made sausage egg and cheese burritos for breakfast and shot the [censored]. Put decoys out around 6am. At 615 some yahoo walks up and says we walked in on him and we set up too close to him (w/i 100 yards)...terrible attitude to boot, could just hear it in his voice. Never saw him, just talked to him.

Informed him we were here first and had boated in...passed no more than 20 yards from where he was hunting as we were deeper in the cove. He wasn't there when we boated in or he would have seen the led spots from the boat and heard the motor without a doubt. Dont understand how he couldn't see the boat with the interior lights on, but he did see us at some point as he made the trip to inform me that I was too close to him...that attitude sucks and doesn't belong out there only causes trouble.

Anyways, guess he realized I wasn't moving and he left. His spot effectively cut off our spot, our hunting suffered for it. Think he did ok. Packed up early due to circumstances and left. He was right...more like 60 yards. Guess me being too close to him is not the same as him being to close to me. Anyways, problem solved, will set up further out of the cove next time to ensure the spot he wants to hunt IS to close, and if he gets there first, more power to him. I will find another. It was just the attitude...you are to close to MEEEE.

I have often asked guys to join us...and done well. This guys attitude just sucked from the beginning. Don't be this guy.

I agree with you on more options on public but we have no boat ramps open. Last friday the water was 2 feet higher and probably 2 more square miles of flooded timber. This morning that was the only option and i gambled and did not get there early enough. I started this post because I am tired of seeing posts about this generation and that generation being a**holes. The posts about these a**holes only create more a**holes. The thought process goes like this: "Well people do it to me so I will do it to others." I would like to see more good stories and acts of respect because then just maybe we can convert some people back. Maybe this is just my wishful thinking but being that it is Christmas I can only hope.

This guy just tried to bully me out of my spot...even though i had gotten there first. No patience for those people. And yes, it was a long, wet ride. A lot of private marinas on lakes have ramps open, just not the tpwd or coe ramps.

you are a good man, would have invited you to hunt...sure of it.

I have an advantage...my duckboat has high sides and can take waves most others cannot. Long rides are uncomfortable at times but safety is never an issue.

Good for you, and welcome.

With the daily amount of people moving into Texas and the lack of public places to hunt in Texas, it will get worse with the years to come. And Texas doing very little to enhance public territory, in contrary, they narrow it every year.

Supply and demand.

I hunt public a lot often solo. If someone is in my spot, I ask if it's cool to join them (almost never is). If I end up in someone else's spot, I offer to let them join me (they often do). Duck hunting is more fun with other people and I can't shoot all six in a flock.

Good job.

I've offered to let guys hunt with me several times but nobody ever takes me up on it. I never set up closer than 500 yrds to anyone. But always try and make contact with anybody close