Etiquette

What are some things you consider proper etiquette when duck hunting? I’m just trying to get a feel for the consensus, or maybe someone will point out something others don’t think about, but can impact fellow hunters in a big way.

I’ll start: proper distance between groups of other hunters. For example, if you pull up to the spot you wanted to hunt and someone beat you there, find a new spot or go home. Don’t setup 60 yards down the bank from the other group.

Learn your distance and stop shooting at 40,000 feet in the air.

When asked about where you hunt always lie always. And only name lakes on the internet if you don't hunt them.

You been catching any of those lake Ray Hubbard crappie this year?

That or just don't answer, which is what I normally do. I *may* say why I'm not telling them. All it takes is one big mouth to screw up a spot.

It seems lots of folks talk about places they don't hunt. I usually don't do that, but on the flip side I'm never gonna chime in when one of the lakes I hunt come up.

Pick up your trash! But, I've found some good spots thanks to slobs, so maybe I don't care.

If you're gonna boom scout me, at least wait till I got my limit before you get bored and start poking around.

When I'm back at the ramp I could have four limits, but all I'm gonna say is that we shot a few. If you ask, I was up north. Just don't ask.

If your dumass silver lab is trying to retrieve ducks I took over my spread, you setup too close and you need to learn how to control your mutt.

This ^^^ happened opening day to us with birds working.

Learn to tell a water turkey from a giant wood duck. I don't want my dog finding that nasty thing the next day.

If I take you to a spot, don't let me see you load up Google Maps on your phone and take a screen shot. Even if there is no malicious intent, I will take it that way. You won't be invited again.

This is a good one, and ties into mine in the OP. Groups setting up too close together confuses birds, or confuses hunters who don’t know what a working bird looks like. Let the bird choose the spread, don’t skyblast 90 yards overhead.

Years ago we launched at an emprovised ramp it was just us and one old guy. We licked em pretty good and had.the birds under some camo netting.

Old man- y'all shot em good huh
Nope think those shots were on private.
Old man was insistant and kept after us. We doubled down. Old dude reached in boat and starting shuffling decoys looking for birds. He got told pretty quick to get out of our boat. He looked mad.

Hunting etiquette is not what it used to be, Ok I am old but age has let watch a lot of hunts. I will look at a couple of issue, public land is getting hard to find that has space to hunt. I understand that and deal with it. I had a young man ask to hunt with me after arriving at a hole, His manners for asking was the reason we hunted together for years.
I took the grand kids to hunt on a small easy to get to point, Grand kids are young, so one with a 28 gauge and the other a 20 gauge. Both 2 3/4, I even shot my 20 gauge. I watch 7 groups of odd species ducks flare from gun shots, I know people kill duck out to 70 yards plus with 3 1/2 shells 12 gauge loads and need to try to shot them out past 100 with new faster harder hitting expensive loads. I could hear the repeat shots and wonder how many times one has to miss, if I can not reach him on the first shot, how can I reach him on the third. I at first thought the Feds where crazy for limiting hunters to 25 shells, but if you run out sky busting at least your done messing it up for ever one else. But to me it makes smarter ducks on public lands and I just hunt with the grand kids on farm ponds.

last one boating: I kayak to a lot of hunting spots, I have put lights on the yak and stay off the open water for most parts. Is there a need to go full throttle on a motor boat as you pass lights on the water? I realize that there is no sound or slower that most boats in the dark. If I was not a good person while duck hunting, the boaters that wake me in the day light, I have bad thoughts about you. I was turned over last year on lake Whitney form a speeding boat crappie fishing. I know that the driver was wearing a Baylor ball cap, he was that close.

Don't call if you're invited out unless asked to do so

whats your take on sharing a spot with a solo or pairing up groups

I normally try to talk to people at the ramp before heading out. Normally just a few kind words, or might ask the area they are hunting so I can stay away if it's a smaller area. Being an [censored] never gets you far, and you never know when you will need someones help. Most duck hunters are good folks, just can't let the bad ones ruin hunting for you.

I just don’t believe in this. Don’t ever take me to a spot you don’t want me to hunt, and that cuts both ways.

LC I have taken you to a few spots and told you you can hunt it all you want, that’s how I roll. If I don’t want someone to hunt my spot, I don’t take anyone there. The key for me is to be picky with the friends I hunt with, I hunt with people that aren’t lazy and like scouting and share back info....this circle of friends is very small for me. I have other friends I take hunting, but the only time they duck hunt is when I take them lol.

I had a friend I wanted to take to a lake, and he said “I can’t hunt that lake”. I ask why, he said a friend took him to that lake once so he could not hunt the lake without this guy. That is just stupid. I would rather not hunt with someone if it means that lake/spot will be off limits, it’s a big reason why I don’t like hunting with others because of this mentality.

If you show up late to hunt with me and arrive eating a breakfast burrito you took the time to stop and pick up on the way, you better have one for me.

I learned a lesson years ago with a friend fishing. He took me to a fishing spot he knew I'd eventually find. He said hey you can't fish this hole in a tournament and you can't bring your fishing partner here at all. So I've never been back there. Because of that I'd say I'm pickier on who I would take an invite from than who I'd invite. Though I don't do much of either.

My issue is this. If I have a hole that I've never seen a hunter or seen sign of a hunter in and I bring a guy there then randomly two weeks later someone finds it. (Which is inevitable) then in the back of my mind I'm like did he tell someone. It's just easier for me to keep my circle tight.

If I take you to a spot on private bordering public, don’t name it.
Taking people that want to sit in the truck while I set up 3 dozen decoys and carry cooler/ other gear down. He hasn’t gone again.
Shooting at birds 60+ yards away cause you weren’t ready when they came in, On a pass shooting creek.
Bringing a guy who knows he has a hole in his waders and refuses to get in the water.

Exactly, I’m the same way. I would much rather take some to my spot then go to a spot someone else found.


It natural to think that, but your next thought should be “get over it”.

I won't shoot birds working another spread. Even if they are in range. But if they worked your spread and are cupping on mine their my ducks.

If your set blocks my only exit, don't get mad at 11 am when I leave.

Don't call ducks working my spread. If they've circled once leave them alone. If they peel off have at it.

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.

This happened all morning today. Total joke.

When this thread was posted I thought man, I haven't had a lot of these problems in a really long time.

Guess I jinxed myself. Had a group walk up on us at literally legal shooting time Saturday morning. We both entered through private property. We had been set up since about 4:45. Guys set up less than 60 yards from us.....literally a mile of easily walkable and better hunting spots - not a single other person around for miles....and they set up within 60 yards. First I said hey - no response. Then louder I said hey man - we are set up here - as they got spotlighted. No response. The way they set up the ducks would land between our spreads for the most part - with the layout of that spot they either I'd be shooting at them or they'd be shooting at me...luckily there weren't many ducks.

So we proceeded to talk as loudly as possible and to be annoying as possible (within reason) playing the kazoo. Not my thing, but oh well.

If they would have acknowledged that I was speaking to them I would have either invited them to join us or explained to them that setting up there was going to ruin their hunt as well as ours and to just go about another 100 yards down and we'd both have better luck...but they couldn't even speak after being spoken to...people suck.

My biggest peeve is guys who click their safety off before the birds ever commit or start shooting before giving everyone a chance. I Had one guy who did this even after being told not to 3 times and he never hunted with us again.

Be Safe
Be Sober

Firearms and Alcohol do not mix. I got invited on a deer hunt with a buddy from college on a nice lease in South Texas his family had had for over 20 years. The first night every single one of them was snot slinging drunk. One of them pulled out a Remington 700 BDL and started playing show and tell. I packed my stuff and left.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

That’s exactly what I deal with. It makes no sense to me that “hunters” don’t understand that they’re screwing other people as themselves by setting up that close. The birds don’t know what to do, and then it becomes a calling competition, which further confuses the birds, and then it escalates to frustrated “hunters” taking ridiculous shots because the birds aren’t working.

It’s extremely frustrating and it just doesn’t make sense to me. I usually end up hunting with people I meet out there because I’m trying to mitigate the exact scenario you described. 9/10 times, all it does is allow the next group to set up where the guys now hunting with me were going to go. I have met some very nice guys though, and am growing a rolodex of people I’ve met and would hunt with again or can talk shop with.

I’d still like to kill birds, though, which hasn’t happened yet this year in three hunts.

I certainly can't wrap my mind around it. This particular spot is only accessible by boat unless you have access through private property (which we luckily do...makes it super easy...and I guess those guys did too). Literally about 4 groups hunt about a 1.5 mile of stretch of shoreline. Never had a problem. Time to bring out the kayak since I'll be hunting solo the next two weekends anyway. Makes me appreciate that I've got private water to hunt come December. Part of me is tempted to go set up in their "spot"...but I'm not that petty. I'll just go to my other spots that actually require effort.

Always say you hunt on public land.