# duck hunters in heard county



## GWH (Nov 16, 2017)

If you hunt in the five points area outside of Franklin and have corn out for ducks, beware!!!! a small plane circled the swamp close to AJ's several times today after 1:30.  I will try to leave notes on you gates off of Hwy. 27 south


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## Long Cut (Nov 16, 2017)

Feel like you'd need A LOT of corn to be visible from the air but then again I never baited a swamp


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## mattuga (Nov 17, 2017)

Saw helicopters flying a creek day before opener in Wilkinson County a few years ago.  Was very low and went right over our swamp.  I assumed they were corn hunting.


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## JustUs4All (Nov 17, 2017)

You know the conspiracy statute and the accessory statutes make conspiring or or aiding or abetting illegal hunting is a crime.  

Now I am sure the original poster was not trying to aid any potential illegal hunters therefore he must be trying to scare someone off of thier prospective hunting spot.


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## chase870 (Nov 17, 2017)

If you put corn out it will shine like a light in the water. I put some out once in a swamp, say 400 plus pounds and realized I could see it from the highway bridge 600 yards away. Needless to say I figured it was in my best interest not to hunt over that. The best part was the warden got a poacher hunting over it


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 17, 2017)

It’s not the corn that attracts the law, it’s the unusual amount of ducks in a concentrated area.


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## ucfireman (Nov 17, 2017)

Why help people break the law?


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## kmckinnie (Nov 17, 2017)

I use camp corn.


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## kmckinnie (Nov 17, 2017)

Camo


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## Long Cut (Nov 17, 2017)

Duckbuster82 said:


> It’s not the corn that attracts the law, it’s the unusual amount of ducks in a concentrated area.



That's true, seeing large numbers of ducks anywhere in GA would raise some eyebrows


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## meandmydog (Nov 25, 2017)

Cheaters should be caught. Anyone who cheats mother nature cant be trusted.


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## across the river (Nov 25, 2017)

meandmydog said:


> Cheaters should be caught. Anyone who cheats mother nature cant be trusted.




How do you cheat mother nature with corn? She grew it.   So if you pour it out for deer you aren't cheating mother nature.  If you pour it out for ducks you are, but only if you hunt over it I am assuming.  What if I plant corn.  If I bush hog it an hunt doves over, I'm not cheating, but if I bush hog it and hunt ducks over it, I am cheating mother nature.  Is all this correct?


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## mizzippi jb (Nov 25, 2017)

across the river said:


> How do you cheat mother nature with corn? She grew it.   So if you pour it out for deer you aren't cheating mother nature.  If you pour it out for ducks you are, but only if you hunt over it I am assuming.  What if I plant corn.  If I bush hog it an hunt doves over, I'm not cheating, but if I bush hog it and hunt ducks over it, I am cheating mother nature.  Is all this correct?


Sounds about right to me.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 25, 2017)

I use to feel the same way, but have realized the difference and the importance of planting verse dumping. I see the value in planting crop for birds, natural habitat and food is being lost rapidly. Without people creating impoundments and planting food for birds there would be no reason for them to stop here. I do hold a wild shot duck way higher than a impoundment killed bird.


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## across the river (Nov 25, 2017)

Duckbuster82 said:


> I use to feel the same way, but have realized the difference and the importance of planting verse dumping. I see the value in planting crop for birds, natural habitat and food is being lost rapidly. Without people creating impoundments and planting food for birds there would be no reason for them to stop here. I do hold a wild shot duck way higher than a impoundment killed bird.



I'm not arguing there is a difference.  I personally don't think you should be able to dump corn out and hunt ducks or doves over it.  I also understand why the laws are written the way they are.  I agree with you to some extent, although I feel a much bigger sense of accomplishment killing a duck in an impoundment over something I have planted than I do one I killed at the lake or something where all I really did is show back up in the spot I saw him the afternoon before.   My point was made toward the "cheating nature" comment.   If you go that route, anything can be considering cheating nature.   Shooting one with a shotgun.  Calling one in with a call.  Using decoys and mojo.  All of that could be considering cheating nature just as much as feeding a duck with corn you poured out of a bag.  If you want to say you don't trust someone who breaks the law, that is one thing, but lets not act like killing one with steel shot is "natural" but feeding one with corn isn't.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 25, 2017)

Using decoys and a call to convince a duck to do what you want is more of and accomplishment. I can shoot a private corn pond and kill full limits every day I show up. A vast majority of impoundments are not maintained by the people that hunt them. Hunting public you are having to deal with many more factors than private. Ducks on private are not nearly as weary as public. As far as cheating nature I don’t exactly understand what the extent of the comment is. The idea of duck hunting is using calls and decoys, dumping corn or planting corn is cheating in my book.


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## across the river (Nov 25, 2017)

Duckbuster82 said:


> Using decoys and a call to convince a duck to do what you want is more of and accomplishment. I can shoot a private corn pond and kill full limits every day I show up. A vast majority of impoundments are not maintained by the people that hunt them. Hunting public you are having to deal with many more factors than private. Ducks on private are not nearly as weary as public. As far as cheating nature I don’t exactly understand what the extent of the comment is. The idea of duck hunting is using calls and decoys, dumping corn or planting corn is cheating in my book.



So you have a private corn pond that you own, but you choose to go deal with yahoos on public water because you feel like it is cheating?


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 25, 2017)

I️ just saying that if i had a pond i could. Saying that it’s not difficult to kill a bird in a private pond.


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## AdamFly (Nov 25, 2017)

I think we even the playing field and start telling DNR to quit giving the ducks the map to which places are private ponds.


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## meandmydog (Nov 26, 2017)

Breaking the law is Cheating. Pouring any kind of bait any where especially public land is very inconsiderate for other hunters who obey the laws.


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## meandmydog (Nov 26, 2017)

Trying to justify baiting is simply silly. I hope we are not teaching our youth to this way of unsportsmanship. I have killed my share of ducks without breaking the law. Those who have to cheat need to look at them selves and say. If I need to cheat to kill and animal.  Am I really a good Stuart of the sport. Just remember Santa is watching you.


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## Mexican Squealer (Nov 26, 2017)

Well said, Stuart.


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## mizuno24jad (Nov 26, 2017)

Been flying around Crawford county over the week


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## across the river (Nov 26, 2017)

meandmydog said:


> Trying to justify baiting is simply silly. I hope we are not teaching our youth to this way of unsportsmanship. I have killed my share of ducks without breaking the law. Those who have to cheat need to look at them selves and say. If I need to cheat to kill and animal.  Am I really a good Stuart of the sport. Just remember Santa is watching you.



No one on here was justifying baiting.   Like I said in an earlier post, I understand why the laws are written the way they are and I follow them.  I don't hunt over bait, but I will hunt over flooded crops without hesitation (which is legal).  You originally said nothing about breaking a law, your comment was that it was "cheating mother nature."   Pouring out corn is no more cheating mature nature than planting corn, hunting over acorn trees in a swamp, or using calls and decoys.  It all serves the same purpose, so if one is "cheating mother nature" they all are.  The feds have determined that hunting over bait it is illegal, and I agree with you that we should all follow the law.  I just think it is funny that people act like it is so noble to shoot a duck in some situations, but it is "cheating mother nature" in others.  I just don't see how you can think someone killing a couple of wood ducks over some corn he dumped in a  creek as cheating mother nature, but then you have no issue taking your dog to fetch released tammie ducks that someone shot at a preserve.


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## mizzippi jb (Nov 26, 2017)

Spilled rice, waste beans, corn flooded to the ears.  All done to kill ducks, whether it's the farmers spilling or the hunters sliding the farmers a little extra to get sloppy loading.  Granted, this isn't normal practice here in the duck Mecca.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 26, 2017)

mizzippi jb said:


> Spilled rice, waste beans, corn flooded to the ears.  All done to kill ducks, whether it's the farmers spilling or the hunters sliding the farmers a little extra to get sloppy loading.  Granted, this isn't normal practice here in the duck Mecca.



This is why I don’t like impoundments other than they help bring ducks to an area. If you can’t kill ducks on private ground you should try golf. I am thankful for the people who spend the money to provide this habitat, but if you didn’t put in the time and effort of prepping,  planting, maintaining dikes, etc how do you really take pride in killing a bird there?


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## mizzippi jb (Nov 26, 2017)

Not much you can do as far as prepping, planting, harvesting where I hunt unless you are the farmer or one of his employees.  But I'm sure glad their combines  leave some on the ground when they leave.


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## hrstille (Nov 26, 2017)

mizzippi jb said:


> Not much you can do as far as prepping, planting, harvesting where I hunt unless you are the farmer or one of his employees.  But I'm sure glad their combines  leave some on the ground when they leave.



Exactly. Pick a famer with an old worn out combine. Plenty of feed falls through


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## across the river (Nov 26, 2017)

Duckbuster82 said:


> This is why I don’t like impoundments other than they help bring ducks to an area. If you can’t kill ducks on private ground you should try golf. I am thankful for the people who spend the money to provide this habitat, but if you didn’t put in the time and effort of prepping,  planting, maintaining dikes, etc how do you really take pride in killing a bird there?



You speak like someone who has never hunted private ground or killed anything other than wood ducks in Georgia.   I have been to plenty of private impoundments, private flooded rice fields, and private flooded timber and never pulled the trigger.   You can hunt a rice filed in the flyway and hardly get a duck in range, and then ride down the road 45 minutes down the road and see birds everywhere.  I've had days where I have sat on a rice field with waste rice everywhere and felt lucky to have a spoonie show up.  This whole belief that private impoundments, whether in Georgia or out of state, are somehow like Skeeter branch where ducks pour in in droves day after day is misinformed at best, and ignorant at worst.   Are there days private impoundment and private land is great, absolutely, but there are also plenty of days where you would have had more success hunting your wooduck hole back here in Georgia.  It isn't anything like you apparently think it is, I can assure you of that.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 26, 2017)

We don’t need to compare stats here but, i will bet on any public land hunter having success in an impoundment over a impoundment hunter trying to hunt public. Yes, I know there are not always birds there. But if birds are in an area they will hit private land or refuge. I have been asked to join plenty of clubs and turned them down. One reason is most of the guys in the club don’t have a clue how to hunt, and the other reason is that if there are no birds in that area you are screwed. I hunt public because it gives me millions of acres to hunt.


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## across the river (Nov 26, 2017)

Duckbuster82 said:


> We don’t need to compare stats here but, i will bet on any public land hunter having success in an impoundment over a impoundment hunter trying to hunt public. Yes, I know there are not always birds there. But if birds are in an area they will hit private land or refuge. I have been asked to join plenty of clubs and turned them down. One reason is most of the guys in the club don’t have a clue how to hunt, and the other reason is that if there are no birds in that area you are screwed. I hunt public because it gives me millions of acres to hunt.




Every hunter will go through phases.  If you are in Georgia, you likely start out shooting wood ducks somewhere.  After a while, you decide you want to branch out an kill something else, with the option of having a hunt last over 30 minutes.  At this point you start hunting the lake, river, or whatever land you can find birds on to hunt.   Your typically young at this point with plenty of time to scout and hunt, and with some effort you kill plenty of birds.  After that you move into the phase where it become all about the challenge, so you want to make your own decoys, layout boat, reload you shells etc....   At some point you eventually get married, have kids, move on in a career and make some money.  At that point you have neither the time nor the patience to ride around the lake all day to scout and camp out over night to shoot a handful of ringnecks if some yahoo doesn't mess you up.   Your time becomes to valuable than that.  At that point you move on to private land somewhere and stat hunting out of state a good bit.   There are plenty of guys hunting private land that spent years beating around public land, they just don't do it anymore, because the don't have to.  It doesn't mean they don't know how to hunt.   Hang in there long enough and you will probably come over to the dark side too.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 26, 2017)

That’s not the point I was making. Corn ponds or rice fields are one step above dumping corn out. You said it yourself you get old and take the easy way out.


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## Mexican Squealer (Nov 26, 2017)

Like many here, I've kilt 'em dang near everywhere they live through the years and will continue to head west several times a year. With that said, I'm about to close on 100 acres of impoundments in the great state of South Carolina and won't have one feeling of cheating, slighting or otherwise taking advantage of the piles of birds I will shoot over corn, chufas, millet and smart weed. I love ducks. I love drinking beer and watching ducks. I love killing ducks.


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## rnelson5 (Nov 26, 2017)

I don't hunt public land around here much because it is not worth my time for the most part. I will hunt public land out of town and I will be the first one to jump in on a good private hole hunt. I don't think that means I don't know what I am doing, but maybe so lol. I can attest to the being married part and having other responsibilities eating up your time, but I am still lucky enough to make it happen (probably more than I should). Having or not having access to private land doesn't make the hunter. The person make the hunter. I do agree that a guy who can consistently get them on public ground will be a great hunter, but a guy hunting a corn pond may be to or he may not be. If given the option of cruising Clarks Hill or an impoundment, I am going with the latter option every time so long as the birds are there. If that makes me a bad hunter I will own it lol.


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## mizzippi jb (Nov 26, 2017)

Then there's the option of hunting public ground (in other states, not this dump) as well as having leased fields.  It's what my group does. Stacks the odds so to speak for hunting woods during the week and avoiding the circus on googan weekends like 2nd split opener and MLK weekend


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## mattuga (Nov 26, 2017)

Mexican Squealer said:


> Well said, Stuart.


Hahaha  No common since, someone should give some advise.


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## mizzippi jb (Nov 26, 2017)

mattuga said:


> Hahaha  No common since, someone should give some advise.



Supposibly somebody did


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## hrstille (Nov 26, 2017)

Duckbuster82 said:


> That’s not the point I was making. Corn ponds or rice fields are one step above dumping corn out. You said it yourself you get old and take the easy way out.



I am here to tell you, hunting birds in the Midwest is far from "taking the easy way out". I hunt a lot of rice and its a lot of work. We pump water in fields and out of pits,b rush in blinds, put out 12 to 15 doz decoys and pick them back up everyday, we run generators and ice eaters to keep a hole open, not to mention just driving out there. How many Ga public ground holes you ever done that in? It takes way more skill to kill birds in a rice field than in a public wood duck hole. 98% of Ga hunters can't even blow a call, much less work birds in close enough to kill. I've killed enough wood ducks on public ground to fill a semi trailer, it's not that hard. I choose to apply some skill and kill birds in the Midwest. Ga hunting doesn't interest me anymore. If you think I'm taking the easy way out, I challenge you to try hunting rice fields for 60 days. I'm sure you will have a different outlook on guys "taking the easy way out"


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## mizzippi jb (Nov 26, 2017)

hrstille said:


> I am here to tell you, hunting birds in the Midwest is far from "taking the easy way out". I hunt a lot of rice and its a lot of work. We pump water in fields and out of pits,b rush in blinds, put out 12 to 15 doz decoys and pick them back up everyday, we run generators and ice eaters to keep a hole open, not to mention just driving out there. How many Ga public ground holes you ever done that in? It takes way more skill to kill birds in a rice field than in a public wood duck hole. 98% of Ga hunters can't even blow a call, much less work birds in close enough to kill. I've killed enough wood ducks on public ground to fill a semi trailer, it's not that hard. I choose to apply some skill and kill birds in the Midwest. Ga hunting doesn't interest me anymore. If you think I'm taking the easy way out, I challenge you to try hunting rice fields for 60 days. I'm sure you will have a different outlook on guys "taking the easy way out"



That's it.  And when you do hit it right, it's enough to make you keep coming back.


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## Mexican Squealer (Nov 26, 2017)

mizzippi jb said:


> That's it.  And when you do hit it right, it's enough to make you keep coming back.



Fact


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 26, 2017)

hrstille said:


> I am here to tell you, hunting birds in the Midwest is far from "taking the easy way out". I hunt a lot of rice and its a lot of work. We pump water in fields and out of pits,b rush in blinds, put out 12 to 15 doz decoys and pick them back up everyday, we run generators and ice eaters to keep a hole open, not to mention just driving out there. How many Ga public ground holes you ever done that in? It takes way more skill to kill birds in a rice field than in a public wood duck hole. 98% of Ga hunters can't even blow a call, much less work birds in close enough to kill. I've killed enough wood ducks on public ground to fill a semi trailer, it's not that hard. I choose to apply some skill and kill birds in the Midwest. Ga hunting doesn't interest me anymore. If you think I'm taking the easy way out, I challenge you to try hunting rice fields for 60 days. I'm sure you will have a different outlook on guys "taking the easy way out"



I am not talking about wood duck hunting. So you brush your blind once a year, i make mine every day. I hunt big spreads but hunt muck not hard bottom. Often wade through marsh or Pirogue in, i can’t drive my cart to the blind. Often have to deal with tides, changing water condition, other hunters etc. You get to sleep in and don’t get beat to holes. I have to find birds each day and hope no one runs them up or try’s to hunt them in the afternoon before I get back. If there is ice, i can’t bring my Ice eater out. I have to adjust or bring a sledge hammer to make a hole. I will put in close to 60 days this year.

There is no way you can say private is harder than public otherwise you would not be doing it.


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## hrstille (Nov 27, 2017)

Duckbuster82 said:


> I am not talking about wood duck hunting. So you brush your blind once a year, i make mine every day. I hunt big spreads but hunt muck not hard bottom. Often wade through marsh or Pirogue in, i can’t drive my cart to the blind. Often have to deal with tides, changing water condition, other hunters etc. You get to sleep in and don’t get beat to holes. I have to find birds each day and hope no one runs them up or try’s to hunt them in the afternoon before I get back. If there is ice, i can’t bring my Ice eater out. I have to adjust or bring a sledge hammer to make a hole. I will put in close to 60 days this year.
> 
> There is no way you can say private is harder than public otherwise you would not be doing it.


I commend you for working hard to kill birds. You don't know the time and effort I put so don't say I take the easy way out just because I hunt private leases. Too each his own. We both hunt ducks and appear to be passionate about it. Don't judge my way and I won't judge yours. It's personal preference


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 27, 2017)

Like I said earlier, if you hunt private impoundments and just show up to shoot where is the glory in killing a bird. If you build plant and maintain an impoundment at least you have invested time and effort into it. But there is a reason you are in a private club, it is more convientwnt and easier than hunting public. The original topic was baiting and cheating. If you plant food and keep people off of it, the birds will come. So the only difference between planting a pond and dumping corn out is the money it cost. Politicians that have have the money to have private impoundments so it is in their favor to right the laws that benefit themselves.


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## Mexican Squealer (Nov 27, 2017)

You sound like a kid who finally scratched a few Ringnecks on Seminole and now thinks is a real gift to the waterfowl world. Keep on keeping on the way you are. Won't have to worry bout us lowly private land cheaters.&#55357;&#56900;


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## hrstille (Nov 27, 2017)

Duckbuster82 said:


> Like I said earlier, if you hunt private impoundments and just show up to shoot where is the glory in killing a bird. If you build plant and maintain an impoundment at least you have invested time and effort into it. But there is a reason you are in a private club, it is more convientwnt and easier than hunting public. The original topic was baiting and cheating. If you plant food and keep people off of it, the birds will come. So the only difference between planting a pond and dumping corn out is the money it cost. Politicians that have have the money to have private impoundments so it is in their favor to right the laws that benefit themselves.



Have you ever hunted out west? Mizzouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi? Do you even know what goes into hunting out there? It's a little more than dumping out corn in a hole. I congratulate you for having the ability to kill a duck on public land. It's quite an accomplishment than many men can't pull off. One day I hope to acquire the skill and knowledge you have. Good luck this season.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 27, 2017)

hrstille said:


> Have you ever hunted out west? Mizzouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi? Do you even know what goes into hunting out there? It's a little more than dumping out corn in a hole. I congratulate you for having the ability to kill a duck on public land. It's quite an accomplishment than many men can't pull off. One day I hope to acquire the skill and knowledge you have. Good luck this season.



Yes I have hunted all over the country and others, I have hunted dry fields, flooded fields, lakes, rivers, creeks, Marsh, oceans, mud puddles. I have built and planted impoundments, i have friends out west that I have helped prep their clubs and never hunted them. I know the work that goes in. If you would stop being offended and read everything I have said you would understand what is being said. Killing a duck on private is easier than public. Look at how many people here in Georgia kill good quality birds on their private land then how many quality birds and hunts come off public. Now if you also plant that private ground you have all the ingredients to kill birds. They have food and a place to rest, some private clubs now have ponds built for loafing and roosting. Why would they leave? You can manage pressure on private ground and hold birds much longer than public grounds. I said the average impoundment hunter would struggle on public water. If you are so offended does that mean you are sub par? I am not bashing the private field stuff, it’s each to their own. Just saying i value a kill on public land above private for above reasons.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 27, 2017)

I wish more people would hunt private and leave the public water alone.


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## PappyHoel (Nov 27, 2017)

How much of my money was spent on this corn roundup for some stupid birds?  Fuel, pilot, deputies, etc.  go catch a rapist or murderer.  Our priorities are all bassackwards


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## hrstille (Nov 27, 2017)




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## Mexican Squealer (Nov 27, 2017)

I would agree that killing birds on my private spots is easier than all the mess we go through killing them on public.  With that said,  I wouldn't trade my private leases and owned spots for all the public land in the world.


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## deast1988 (Nov 27, 2017)

My buddy got a ticket for hunting public land. Apparently someone put corn out around 900yds from where they were set up. DNR was nice enough to show them the corn after they issued the tickets. Somewhere along the way DMR said it's the hunters responsibility to know your surroundings. If a person drives an hourvto hunt a spot on public land and doesn't even own the boat they are in. Or the location they are set up on. How you suppose to know that almost a 1000yds away 4ft under muddy water a local had baited. Game laws in GA, are super complicated. That Ranger had issued tickets to any and all hunters in sight of that cove. That morning 14/17 tickets. He took joy in filling his quota but I don't see how one from way off could get hit for water he had no way to scout an maybe his first hunt on the lake. Sinclair an Oconee at daylight is a crap shoot go to a spot get shined go to another get shined. They expect you to know the entire lake An contents beneath the surface aswell. These tickets if I remember $485 apiece An if the guy happily had a chip on his shoulder An wrote 15 tickets.  $7300 of income by a twisted Ranger sounds perfect for ga Duck hunting.


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## Duckbuster82 (Nov 27, 2017)

I hope they went to court over that. To be illegally hunting over bait you have to put it there or know it was there.


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## mizzippi jb (Nov 27, 2017)

Duckbuster82 said:


> I hope they went to court over that. To be illegally hunting over bait you have to put it there or know it was there.



Same here. That wouldn't hold up I don't believe


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