I do it multiple times a year, and someone was kind enough to invite me to do so yesterday.

One reason of a few is, I know where I hunt if I don’t invite them, they will setup somewhere too close and screw me over. This has happened already this year and may times last year. People show up at 5:30 and there are no spots left. They set up and screw everyone else over because “they don’t have anywhere else to go.”

It’s the worst.

First one is a great example. People think that birds in range are theirs, when the birds are working another spread. Very annoying, and I don’t care if you knock one down or not.

Second one, I agree, with a caveat. Pick up quick and leave quick. That’s another thing that annoys me - people are done hunting and take 45 minutes picking up and exiting. Don’t dilly dally just because you’re done.

Third, 100% agree.

There is no etiquette for waterfowl hunters on public water/land....

If you want etiquette go private....Jes sayin....

This is a hold my beer and watch this thread if there ever was one...this should be better than any HF/LF debate.....sick 'em fellas.....

That was the entire point of the thread. There is no etiquette on public land. Maybe there never was.

Don't poop next to gates or walk-in trails.

OK, I won't!

I was referring to a specific event. What I described literally happened. I went back after a week of rest and never seeing anyone around up to that point. There was a crappy blind and a bunch of trash right where I saw him mark the spot. When I asked, he had gone back with a fishing buddy. You might be cool with that, but I'm not.

Now, if he contacted me and said that he wanted to got there with another group, that would be proper etiquette IMO. That is the topic of this thread.

An entire lake ban is not what I mean, either. If the area that you and I hunted was holding ducks this year, I'd not hesitate to go scout it. Most likely they won't be in that exact spot cuz water levels vary, but I'm not going to go back the next week after we hunt it, either. Also, if you recall I had scouted the heck out of it the day before, too, and found several good spots. Much different than what happened to me.

Well this thread turned a little into hunting partner etiquette. I think we missed a couple big things with this one. My number one biggest thing is safety. If someone does anything remotely unsafe with me, they are never invited out again. This includes knowing your shooting lanes, point barrel in safe direction, always have your gun unloaded in my boat, and if we are hunting over a dog, do not shoot anywhere close to her. The next biggest thing is reliability. When you set a time to meet, be there at least on time, if not 15 minutes early to have your stuff ready when I pull up. The third thing is to not be lazy. Always offer to help pick up decoys, clean the birds, clean the boat etc. There are a couple people I've hunted with that I'll never hunt with again because they watched me set out an entire spread of decoys,mojos etc, and pick them back up. The fourth and final thing is when to shoot. If your hunting my spot, I'm calling the shots. Shooting at birds too early is my biggest pet peeve.

Do you go over those safety issues before hand?

Some people need guidance and literally just don't know what's not okay.

Also, one thing I forgot. No one here is Christopher Columbus. There is not one public hunting place anywhere in Texas that only you know about. This might have been the case before aerial imaging, but it's not anymore. People will find your places, so don't get butt hurt when someone is hunting in "your spot". I've had a few interesting conversations because people think they own a piece of public land. If you want your spot, you better beat me to it.

This depends on the hunter. If they are experienced, I normally won't say much to them. I'm only 24 so most of the people I hunt with are older then me. With that being said I've been hunting on my own for 8 years, and my Dad took me religiously since I was 5. If they are my peers, or do not have much hunting experience I walk them through the rules of the boat and general hunting safety. This includes not loading up before LST, if your gun is in the boat it's unloaded, if we are picking up decoys it's unloaded,etc. The sad part is, you really never know until you hunt with them. All my hunting partners are life long friends that I can trust, and will listen. If you can't trust the person you go hunting with, you probably shouldn't go with them.

Hmmm... didn’t read it all. Here’s my big ones.
1. Chamber open or guns pointed straight up while people or dogs are down range.
2. Do not leave a loaded weapon unattended when hunting with a dog.
3. No alcohol in the blind.
4. Do not insult the dog or give commands to a dog that isn’t yours.
5. Do not make disparaging remarks about a fellas hunting truck.boat.
6. There are no secret spots on public ground. You are only fooling yourself with that old saw.
7. Help out less experienced/younger hunters who aren’t killing ducks...if they will accept it...politely (see number 6 about your secret spot.)
8. Don’t try to act like a stone cold killa. It’s just hunting, the ducks don’t shoot back and their brains aren’t all that big.
9. All limits shot should reference Lake Stryker to teach cyber scouters it’s just not that easy. (It’s just a really nice prank...like teal tags) 🤪

Good list

Really solid list here except number 3. A couple shots of whiskey on a cold afternoon hunt really hits the spot.

Very good list. I especially like #8 and that transcends all Texas hunting. People get way to serious about this sport. You are hunting critters, not the Taliban in the mountains of Afghanistan. Hunting should be fun and Windrider's rules would ensure a good hunt.

Make sure no one smiles in the pic so you all look bad a**

My biggest pet peeve is people not picking up their spent shells. I can usually fill my pockets in about 30 seconds of shells people have left just floating in the water. Pisses me off.

Yep. I pick up enough of other people’s over the course of a season to fill a trash bag. Very annoying.

...and a coffee.

Don't under estimate those ducks, especially mallards, they are smarter than you think!! Look, it's a war out there, us against them ducks, we got to stick together on this!!!!

1. Setting up too close!
2. Sky blasting!
3. Learn to call!

Don't blow your kazoo at ducks that are working someones spread! Drives me nuts!!! Also, people blowing on their calls nonstop even when there are no birds within 10000000000k miles!!!

I launched my boat one morning, first one there. As I was walking to boat from parking my truck a rig pulls up and say "let me tell you where I'm going so we don't get in each others way" I politely responded with " well since I'm in the water and in the lead the prudent thing is let me tell you the general direction I'm headed because if were going to the same spot I'm going to beat you there".

He didn't like that response to much. Most of the issues being cited in this thread I rarely come across except the trash shells. I'm either hunting where nobody is or getting there first and late comers are respecting me.

Yeah what he should have said is "where are you headed so I don't get in your way.".

tdogg was telling me he hunted an area this morning with like 8 groups, lots of birds, but a joke with that many hunters. As soon as birds started working, everyone would start blowing there call, and someone would sky blast, they would never cup up and decoy... Been there done that can't tell you how many times over the last 16 years I been hunting NTX public.

However, there have been times, when everyone shuts up, puts their call away, and everyone lets the ducks work and decoy, everyone has an awesome hunt. When this happens, it is really cool, hunting a high pressure feeding area with hunt groups that are not barneys, it is really cool watching the ducks work, knowing there is no where for them to land where they won't get shot...Its cool to watch even if they don't land in your spot, and you will lean something too, like maybe you are not hiding good enough, or maybe you are not right where they want to land. In either case, don;t resort to sky blasting, let the other group get their limit, and when they pack up and leave, go slide into their spot or maybe the next day set up there.

Some of these high pressure areas there should be a GW acting like a NFL ref throwing flags for calling and sky blasting.

If you are hunting in an area and no one is there, call all you want, and I do not even have an issue with sky busting if it is slow. But if there are losts of ducks in a feeding area, and normally that means lots of hunting groups, put the stupid call away and let the ducks decoy!

I can't remember which comic it was but he mentioned that all drivers should be issued a rubber dart gun with dart flags that say a hole on them. That way when you see a car with a hunch of flags you'll know what your dealing with.

Same concept works for duck hunters.