The Crazies were out yesterday in the Marsh!

I rolled up to the marsh 15 minutes before you are allowed to enter, and promptly got 2 headlights shining me down from way out there. Should have known then the Barneys were out.

Water was a good foot higher than before the Tropical Storm. Oh well, I'll make the best of it.

I lugged all my stuff out to my desired pond. This pond is accessible via walk-in or boat. It is a big pond. About the time I got to my spot, I see more lights trying to shine me off, these lights were on the far side of the pond. This was a boat, probably 1000+ yards away. I can hear them shouting F-Bombs my way, etc. etc.

Oh well, I'll make the best of it.

I get all setup, Mind you, I was pretty early, LST was not until 6:37 and its only like 4:45 at this point. Then, @ about 5:45, another walk-in guy comes barreling into the pond. I shined him off, then eventually he made it all the way around the pond to setup about 300 yards to my right. Oh well, I'll make the best of it.

Now about 15 minutes before LST the boat group starts hail calling for some reason. Lol. LST comes and there are groups of teal waaaay out there on the horizon. The boating group is literally standing up in the middle of the marsh. I can see them from my area so I know the birds could... WTF???

Both parties are blowing on their Kazoos like crazy and there are no birds in sight. Lol. I chalked it up as a loss. Then I heard them unload on something, but, nobody retrieved anything. It's comical at this point. the other guy shoots too. I see teal about 200+ yards up from him. Sky Blasterss! I should've known.

Finally after about an hour and a half, I had a single BWT drop into my spread and I dropped it and packed up.

The group in the boat left at like 7:20 and had all kinds of motor problems. The other guy was still there when I left. Hope he ended up getting something. He put in a lot of work. Lol.

I made the best of it and as far as I could tell, I was the only one to bag a bird.

On the walk back, the people who were flashing me upon arrival were also standing up in the middle of their pond looking like scarecrows. One of them had on a hat with a white front panel! Goodness gracious! That's day one stuff! I never heard them shoot!

The very worst part was on the way out, I saw a Glossy Ibis just standing in the grass, I approached it and it didn't fly off. I ended up picking it up and it looked like it had been shot. It had what looked like a hole on either side of it's head from a pellet. Poor thing appeared to be blinded! I wanted to put it out of it's misery but this is federal land and I'm not about to be cited for killing a non game species. Hope a gator or something took that thing out.

My whole point is, if you're going to pursue this sport, Have some etiquette and KNOW WHAT YOUR SHOOTING AT!!!

Some days you're the windshield. Some days you're the bug.

I have been waterfowl hunting public places for 40 years. What I have learned from that is people at places like that are going to be the way they are. Going at 3 in the morning to shine people off, trying to educate them, calling the gw on them, complaining about them, going to war with them all will never change things. My best advice to people who complain about places like that and who keep going back, when it becomes a competition hunt, and becomes a no fun challenge hunt..... STOP hunting there! Do some road trip scouting. Spend that extra hour driving if you have to. You might even find a place you can show up two hours later thus sleep an hour longer and not have to shine people off. Places like that marsh are not going to change. There will always be barnies.

^ so true.

I have in my notes section on my phone the make model and license plates of idiots I’ve seen or run into before. If I pull up and they are there, I turn around and go to plan B. Just not worth it

Well that’s what happens when you watch to much duck no-dignity.

Walk-in spots can get bad. Just think how boring of a hunt it would have been without barney.

I hear y'all. Just venting.

Usually where I hunt on public is assigned spots so you're not really dealing with that too much. This area is true public though. First come first served. This was only my second hunt here with the other being a week before. That first one I didn't see anyone else. Go figure.

I've noticed a significant decline in the number of hunters over the past couple of years. Not sure if it's indicative of fewer hunters or whether I'm just hunting off the beaten path, but I've enjoyed it.

Regarding barneys, I'm kinda like sniper in thatI don't let people get under my skin. Some people were born an Eor and everything they do is toxic to those around them. It's their nature, they'll never change. And there's no sense trying.