set up this morning on public waters. blind build and decoys set by 4am to beat every one. it was looking great until 10 mins before LST and mother group of hunters decided they wanted to be 100 yards away. extremely frustrating, several birds attempted to decoy but with both groups calling it became way difficult. plus the insane sky blasting. which seemed to happen when some birds where folding into our spread.

I never have had a bad experience on public till now
ended with a gadwall, couple teal and a hen hooded merganser.

another day, next time I will get some glow sticks and line 400 yards each way of my spot!

Did you say anything??

if you haven't not had a bad experience on public, you must not have hunted public very long

Quote of the day right there!^^^

yes im new to ducks. dealt with it alot with deer,but deer was more expected. I prolly should of said something but I never did. a 100 yards was more of what it felt like. we range finded them at 185

I mean all and all it was still a good day. enjoyed it with a good buddy who's moving away, saw several birds. missed a few. It was just one of those moments where you realize the disrespect another hunter can have.
I left a note on his vehicle when we left saying we all prolly would done better without having to compete like that

Next time when you see them coming shine your light at them to let them know you are there...if they start setting up to close head that way and let them know setting up here isn't going to work for either of you

yeah I prolly shoulda. I did let them know I was there via light. and it looked like it was a good distance they walked down, maybe bc of the dim lights they had. heck I shoulda invited them to join us so I could use there mojo!

using a mojo this late in the season??? def barneys

I guess I'm a Barney to... if I had one I woulda used it to

No doubt!

I had a couple of fellas setup about 35 yards from me one day about 15 minutes before LST.

100 yards away feels pretty luxurious sometimes.

you should have went over and punched him the face! that is some major BS I will not put up with!

Took the words from my mouth. If you are hunting a place with a lot of ducks in a high presure area, it will happen.

What are the odds on this fight?

Well you are just as bad as him. Really, everyone spare us with the tough internet guy talk. And meet me at academy type posts or pms will get you ban, fyi..

I would never mess with that, but that is just me. Here are my tips on dealing with Barney.

* First, obviously, get to your spot first.

* Once you have your spot figured out and deeks out, etc…, time to go on “Barney Patrol”. That means sending one guy one way and another guy another way to flash Barney off.

* Also, get yourself high powered spotlight (at least a 1-million-candlepower rating), and you can light barney up like a popsicle when they get too close, this is actually kinda fun.

* Pick spots where you are secluded. Example, if there is a cove, get to the back of the cove, that way you do not have to worry about barney coming in from behind. This is just an example, know where barney will come from, and be prepared to flash off..

* But really, if you can not deal with Barney, then keep scouting and/or get a lease. I have a lease and also public spots I can go to any time where I know Barney will not be there, once you got this you do not worry any more.

Taught myself how to hunt public on RR back in the day, No dog, two dekes, and not enough clothes...learned lessons real quick...many single days but had a blast!

So I know this is off topic, it seems like y'all have said what you're going to say about public hunters getting too close and how to deal with it.



(Not a sarcastic question - I'm new and learning) Why would you not want to use a mojo this late in the season? Isn't movement in you're spread always good?

I would have thought my priorities with the spread are:
1) have some realistic movement in the spread
2) have a spread that isn't the same 12 - 24 mallards that everyone and their grandmother hunts with

Thoughts?

my thoughts on the mojo as well^^^^

went back this morning and they beat me there. luckily I'm just to nice of a guy and moved farther away this time. odd how that works, we both seemed to get our limits real quick

I'm not saying Mojos don't have their time and place. But think about it, these birds have been hunted since they started their journey south and have seen every spread possible. They have seen tons of mojos and been shot at every time they get close to one. They ain't stupid.

A few years ago when mojos first came out it was something the birds had never seen before and the ducks would come in on a string if you had one if your spread. Not so much now.

My grandpa tells me about hunting with painted milk jugs as decoys....that got the job done back then but sure wouldn't get the job done now. Why? Again, these birds ain't stupid. They figure it out.

So early in the season a mojo is a great way to add motion to your spread, but the later it gets (the more mojos they see) I think it flares more birds than brings in.

This is just been my philosophy. Definitely not everyone's!

Interesting, I'll have to pay attention to how they fly near the mojo as the season progresses.