Late Arrivals!!!

I got to the lake at 5:00 and was set up by 6. My son and I where the only ones in the cove. At 6:20 6 guys showed up and set up 75 yards downwind of us. As if that wasnt bad enough, they blew their calls none stop. These guy blew every bird out of the hole. And the ones we did get to work, they pass shot at them as they circled around to drop in. Still was able to get a couple of Gaddies in for my son to take. What is happening to the waterfowling? Just sad!

Public land hunting at its finest.

Yeah it sucks when you get out and scout and do the work to put kids on birds and a group of yahoos ruin it for them. Gotta get on some private property fast. Second time on this lake. I think they just drive from spot to spot looking for parked trucks and then walk in.

too many hunters in texas and too little public places, and nobody who is doing a thing about it.

Gotta get that bird!

Sounds like we might have been in the same cove except I was at our spot at 4:30 before anyone else. Big group of guys showed up late blowing the kazoo nonstop. And really... really... really badly calling.

We were far enough away though that they actually helped us, not 75 yards.

They are probably talking about how you hunted this morning, just like you are talking about them.

Why get there so early if you can't shoot til 30 before sunrise?

I arrive early to secure the spot that i have scouted. But maybe i should just start showing up 20 min before LST and setup down wind of any heal lamp I see.

My guess is they also scouted it at some point. Just sayin'...

No surprise. That's how public hunting is.

This probably dates me quite a bit, but when I started out hunting with my Dad we arrived early set things up and had a cup of coffee, me hot chocolate, and waited for legal shooting time. If someone came by intending to hunt our spot, we gave them a few blinks on the flashlight, they would return in kind and move on. Sure were simpler times.

75 yards away? I would have walked or boated over if they didn't move when I flashed a light. Option 3, and I have done this a few times before. Ask them if they are going to setup that close, they might as well hunt with me, no need to get all that gear out because I got here at 5:??? am so I could get the spot I wanted. Never had anyone hunt with me, but they did move farther away.

Coach

Just spot light them from the minute you see them get to close! I mean even while they set up and throw their dekes out!!! They should get the point!!!!!!! I hunt public and have for years! If I see a light I go for plan B.I want a good hunt for both of us!!!! If we are far enough apart we can keep the birds moving!!!! I might be a different breed but I don't put up with that BS!

It's happened to the wife and I a few times on public land. Kind of have to go with the flow. Best part, you get to listen how not to call ducks. Lol.

Gas is cheap. Instead of getting to your spot 2 hours early...just drive further away from the crowds. Showing up early to beat the crowd you know is coming to set up on top of you is not the answer.

I hear ya brotha, try not to let it get to ya. Yesterday I was on the lake at 3:00AM, in my spot 3:30 drinking coffee. Got myself back in this marshy area I thought for sure I could fend off Barney, I left under 100 yards behind me in this area, and flashed off hunters all morning long, then right before legal barney parks boat about 75 yards from me, then they take off on foot with deeks and manages to hike behind me, meanwhile I got my spot light out lighting them up like a popsicle, but this did not stop Barney. I was in the better spot though, but this did not stop them from calling at ducks working my spread. The guy calling knew what he was doing and that it was wrong, sometimes letting the ducks work my spread because I could this other guy say "Aren't you going to call them?". Yeah that is how close they were, I had to listen to bucket mouth all morning, there is always one in a group.

If they were smart, they would have let the ducks work, watch me get my limit, then they could have moved into my spot. This is what I was hoping they would do. But instead they had to watch me get my limit an hour later than needed, and when I started packing up to leave they packed up and left rushing to get out before me, not sure if they did that because I was packing up and afraid I was going to go say something to them or what, but if I knew they were going to leave so early, I would have held out and waited and let them go. They peppered me once and I did say "Thanks!". That's all I said to them.

^^This

What I have found is that driving further does not help much, if there are birds, there will, eventually, be crowds, depending how soon the word gets out on where the ducks are.

If you don't want crowds, hunt an area where there are not very many ducks. Amazing when there are no ducks, normally no crowds.

Or keep scouting, finds some on the move that the word has not got out on yet.

I think guys that hunt with any frequency on public know that this is just part of it. You can do everything right and still have an idiot come in a few minutes before LST and totally screw up your hunt. The only other thing you can do is kind of just give in and ask those guys if they would like to join you while at the same time they may be able to read between the lines that they pretty much set up on top of you and it will screw up both your hunts. Sometimes people are just oblivious to how close they really are to other people....sometimes when you set up in the dark things seem like they are farther away than they really are. Who knows...but getting pissed off won't really help...coming up with plans for the future will. Good luck and sorry that happened.

I love it when guys come in late. They always jump ducks for us.

I like it better when they leave and jump up ducks.

Just scrap the hunt, relieve them of the fuel line in their boat, and head home early.

^^also great advice. lately been hunting a touch and go area. can usually scrape a half strap from random singles or pairs... but don't see any other duck hunters...though the dove hunters have been showing up. so far have managed to hide my strap in dove vest by the time they park and start unloading their coolers and lawn chairs

^^^This has worked SO MANY TIMES for me. There's a lot to benefit from too, as in, they might have a dog (which I hope is at least halfway decent) and you almost always get a bigger decoy spread out of the deal. Plus, if their calling is on par with a 5 year old with a broken kazoo- you can politely offer to do the calling for the group.

I've had mixed experiences with doing this, some groups are really annoying idiots and I've also met up with a few pretty talented duck hunters over the years. It's just part of the game now. Sometimes you have good hunts, sometimes you don't. The places that I go, you have a very difficult time finding any areas that aren't crowded so I've given up on the "honey hole" dreams and I have just started to adapt to the way things are now and focus on accomplishing what I set out to do. I never go out to a public lake with any sort of preconceived notion that I will have a good hunt, much less any solitude. It makes those times when everything comes together that much sweeter.

These days, the only thing that grinds my gears about hunting public land is the abundant littering. I will straight up lose my shart on people who leave their hulls and garbage laying around their blinds and parking lots. It takes me twice as long to pack up because I'm always grabbing dozens of red hulls and silver boxes off the ground that people have just left there. If the COE closed off areas to hunting, the same people would be screaming "It's our land, the public has a right to hunt it" while they have no qualms with treating it like a giant trash heap. Sorry, went into a rant there.