There’s a time for everything

9am is not the time to scout.

I wasn't scouting, I was just driving the boat around looking for ducks. I'm not even young enough to be in the scouts.

I see it all the time. Incredibly annoying.

Boom scouts...

This

Wait, this is frounded upon?

Just curious, in your opinion, when is the right time to scout?

Well, in Texas, I think all WMA's shut down at noon for duck hunting, so sometime after that, or in the evening, IMO.

Or during the week when hunting is closed for that WMA, if it has certain dates you can't hunt.

I dont see a problem unless they're being inconsiderate. If you see decoys or hunters promptly turn around and leave the area. I agree that you should try to give everyone time to pack up and head out but sometimes life gets in the way and you have to choose between scouting at 9am or not scouting at all.

Ok boomer. Nothing wrong with scouting right after the hunt. Just be considerate of those still hunting. Don’t be butt hurt someone found your public honey hole by boom scouting. If you have a problem with how people scout public get on a lease. It’s the nature of the beast that is public hunting. I try to scout right after every hunt. It’s the only way to stay on the birds in a season like this one.

When you roll by dekes at 100 yds at the back end of a lake and then continue to scout the area and take the same route out of the area 5 min later, I’d call it inconsiderate.



I’m not butt hurt. As was mentioned, most lakes hunting hours end at noon. Being that you hunt the coast, you’re probably not accustomed to this. Common courtesy goes a long ways. I don’t care if anyone wants to boom scout, I’m not under the impression that I’m the only one that knows about any particular spot. However, I’m not the type to do it but I don’t hold anyone to my belief system. Doesn’t mean I am appreciative of their chosen methods. If a person wants to scout, give others a chance to finish up. I’d say most are packing up or back at the ramp by 1030-11, that time wouldn’t bother me. But, when a guy is a bird or two short of a limit and someone that wasn’t as lucky decides he doesn’t care, that’s bad form at 9am, especially on a smaller lake.

No doubt. Sounds like a bunch of a-holes. But it sounds like those guys would probably be a-holes whether it was 9am or 3pm. Just saying as long as you're considerate of other hunters, i dont see a problem with scouting at 9am. I scouted a WMA on Saturday and intentionally waited until after 12pm for this exact reason. But sometimes that isn't an option for everyone.

Anyone that complains about PUBLIC boat traffic on PUBLIC water needs to rethink their position.

68A...Sure sounds like your butt hurt over a boat running by you on public water and then making their return trip.

Everyone has the right to use public space as they see fit, barring deliberate harassment.

You’re that guy.

I wasn’t going to post till I read this one. The increasing number of hunters that exhibit an in your face FYB attitude makes me shake my head. This post shows there is nothing common about sense.

I’m with 68A here.

It’s not about wether or not you have the right to, I think we all understand that it’s public water and you do have the right to. It’s about respecting your fellow hunters. Goes back to “just bc you can, doesn’t mean you should”. But this is why I avoid public, it’s a mess out there and there’s too many ppl that think they are the bill dance of duck hunting.

Respect your fellow hunters.

I won't scout an area if I see vehicles in a parking area, even if it's my only time to scout, But maybe I'm too respectful. I'm not about ruining someones hunt for my benefit.
I think February will be a good time to scout anyways. Not many birds right now, but if we finally get some cold weather, then they might show up. Perfect time since no one can hunt, and might find some spots for next year in case it gets cold early.

I agree that it probably wouldn’t have mattered. I have no problem with someone scouting but as soon as you see someone in a particular spot, be courteous and back out.

Saturday evening I was scouting. Running through some tall grass all the sudden I'm throttling down sliding around manuevering trying not to run over decoys. Get stopped, looking around like huh someone left their decoys out. Then look up and there are two guys about 30 yards away waving at me. Ooops.

I dont get why they were a-holes, because they drove past your spread at 100 yards? where they hauling arse and making a wake big enough to surf behind? were there birds working?

I say let the boats run, rally some birds

I don't have a problem with it when there's a good chance they don't know I'm there. If you spotlight me heading to my spot, know exactly where I am, and still scout? Then yeah, I'm annoyed.

Other than that, I think good etiquette is move quickly and turn around when you see folks waving you off.

Best time to scout is the day before a hunt from about sunrise to 10-11am....

Scouting late afternoon/eve is a good way to find a roost, though. I try to avoid that as much as possible.

I just find it funny that anytime someone asks "Where are the birds?" everyone says to go scout....now we got guys complaining about people scouting. Butt hurt sounds about right. By 9am most morning, if 1-2 birds short, I welcome scouters or fishermen out running around.

Doesn't happen often, though, as we usually have our birds and are out scouting by that time looking for the next days spot.

He knew exactly where I was, he came in about 615 and I put a light on him when he was headed my direction, he acknowledged. He set up about 500 yds away. No problem. He packed up at 845 and headed towards me. Problem.

I don't want to get in the middle of the debate, except to make what seems like an important point that everyone (except maybe Garrett) missed: The guys who get a bad spot and start roaring around the lake at 8:30 or 9 a.m. often kick up birds that will then land in your decoys. Sometimes I think it helps more than it hurts.

so was he scouting or hunting? did I miss something?

Hunting. Until it was decided to get a closer look at the area I was in.

X2, its public land. Gotta take the good with the bad. It is what it is. If you dont like it move to private land or a state that offers a better option for public land folks bc we all know texas is one of the worst public land states out there for the common hunter.

Yeah, that's bad then. No reason for that. If he wants to scout your spot, all he has to do is listen to your shots.

Need to be careful..."roaring around the lake" and "rallying birds"...purposely... will get Mr Green Jeans attention...

I won't speak for Garrett, but I think the situation I am describing, and the situation the original poster is describing, are situations where I could not imagine a warden ever giving me a ticket. Maybe you don't understand.
I am a guy quietly hunkered down over my decoys, hunting.
Other people -- people in no way affiliated with me -- give up hunting early, and either decide to scout or just go home. Maybe it is a big lake, and there are birds that have rafted in the middle of the lake. In the natural process of those guys going home, or going scouting, they have turned on their mud motor or their outboard, which, let's face it, roars, and in the process of driving around the lake they might cause those rafted birds to fly. Fishermen or sightseers or water-skiers (teal season) could do the same thing. Those birds then circle and fly a half mile, looking for another place to land, and decide on my decoys as a good place.
I simply can't imagine a warden giving me a ticket for that.
Now, if those guys give up hunting and THEY roar across the lake with their guns still loaded and THEY shoot at rafted birds as they flush, that is an obvious violation of the law.

Maybe he was checking to see if you were done and gone so he could jump in the spot to finish up. who knows? I tend to give benefit of the doubt and/or just know that it's public and its going to happen. I've had that happen numerous times when i beat someone to a good hole and we shot out quickly. this has been especially true in flooded timber.



I remember when i first started fishing around Rockport a lot, drifting flats, that I would get upset when someone ran through my drift line. After awhile, I realized it was public water and let it go. My enjoyment increased immensely and we still caught our fish.

ole tophorse took a comment out of context it appears

You guys will argue and complain about anything.

I would like to send a big shout out to the two boats that left the lake at 9:30 this morning as I only need one greenhead to finish up my limit, as I watch them driving across the lake a greenhead landed in my decoys, I looked over, he looked at me, jumped up, got about ten feet in the air but unfortunately for him, he met his maker, my hunt was over.
Thanks again.

Here's another topic for discussion, as I am at the gas station gassing up the truck some dude walks between my truck and boat stepping over my trailer instead of walking around, what do you guys think about that, was he wrong?

That depends... was he on the way in or out the store?

I thought this thread was gonna be about water swattin', or having a Shiner before/during a hunt.

Depends on the situation, but it might make me a little uneasy. Tight space, probably gear in the bed of the truck or boat. My spidy sense would be on high alert for a few seconds. I personally wouldn’t do that to someone I didn’t know. I don’t touch other people’s vehicles or even try to get too close to them.

So you finished with 3 ringers 2 spoons and a green head?

Depends on how big a boy he was

Let it go. If this upsets you, do not drive
in Houston traffic.

Like sands thru the hour glass...."THESE ARE THE DAYS OF OUR LIVES"

Yeah well I'm upset that you mentioned Houston traffic and not Dallas. What, you don't think we have cars here?

Sorry zbott11, I live in Houston. I am sure Dallas is just as bad.