# Public access rant



## Joe EC (Jan 12, 2020)

So, I am sitting on a nice cove on Old Federal Camp Ground on Lake Lanier having a great hunt. Already harvested a beautiful male Bufflehead and have a nice little flock on the other side swimming around the cove in my direction. I am a patient person so I am just sitting still and waiting, enjoying the day.
Well along comes 2 guys (being nice here) in their boat, all camo'ed up heading into the cove. I step out and hold my shotgun out to my side so they can see me. They both wave. How nice and friendly of them. Little did I know at the time they were Bevis and Buthead.

These two nitwits continue to motor around the full edge of the cove chasing off everything on the water.

Am I over reacting or is it reasonable to expect two other outdoorsmen (and I use the term very generously here) to recognize that there is a hunter present and simply stop and back out?
What is the purpose of trolling the cove when you know there is a waterfowl hunter set up there?
They made no attempt to spot, shoot or anything, just drove all the ducks off the water and out of the cove.

I know there is no fixing stupid and I can't find their momma's to slap them for raising such inconsiderate, oblivious, ignorant offspring so I guess I just need to let it go.

Rant over, carry on.


----------



## kingfish (Jan 12, 2020)

Just let it go.  Surprised that they didn't set up right next to you and practice their duck calling skills on birds that don't quack.  Been hunting public for a long time, so I'm used to it.  Traded "hot spots" on big lakes to secluded wood duck spots deep in WMA's and the open gulf during the weeks.  2-3 birds average, no idiots.


----------



## emusmacker (Feb 19, 2020)

Unfortunately that is the problem with public water these days.


----------



## king killer delete (Feb 19, 2020)

I don’t have that problem and I hunt public water all the time. But it’s Saltwater


----------



## Hammockben1 (Feb 25, 2020)

king killer delete said:


> I don’t have that problem and I hunt public water all the time. But it’s Saltwater


Yeah every time I have gone down on the coast I have never seen anyone hunting just fishing. That’s one reason I enjoy going down there and the fact you don’t know what you will harvest till you see them


----------



## 4x4 (Feb 25, 2020)

Duck Dynasty turned every millennial into a professional duck hunter


----------



## Hammockben1 (Feb 25, 2020)

4x4 said:


> Duck Dynasty turned every millennial into a professional duck hunter


I couldn’t agree more


----------



## Duckbuster82 (Feb 25, 2020)

There are just as many from the older generation entering waterfowling and do just as much wrong as the younger generation. There are also tons of millennials that have made great contributions to waterfowling.


----------



## king killer delete (Feb 26, 2020)

Duckbuster82 said:


> There are just as many from the older generation entering waterfowling and do just as much wrong as the younger generation. There are also tons of millennials that have made great contributions to waterfowling.


The problem is there is no one to teach then. Most watched the TV show which makes it look very easy and instead of getting educated about the sport allot jumped in and have gone hog wild. Back when I started duck hunting you had to want to duck hunt. Most hunters didn’t duck hunt here in Georgia. I don’t know how many times I have heard over the years ,why do you hunt those nasty ducks. Back 40 years ago you hunted with mallard decoys for the most part you couldn’t buy any other decoy type except blue bills and they were special. No wood duck, gadwall or even pintails . I found a dozen pintails at the PX at fort Sill and brought them back to Georgia and people were offering outrageous money to me for my pintail decoys. No body had a camo boat. You painted your boat built your blind yourself. You rigged your own decoys and guns were high gloss pretty things. Now in you got the money you can buy a boat completely outfitted for duck hunting and buy decoys that are already rigged. Just different times .


----------



## Duckbuster82 (Feb 26, 2020)

king killer delete said:


> The problem is there is no one to teach then. Most watched the TV show which makes it look very easy and instead of getting educated about the sport allot jumped in and have gone hog wild. Back when I started duck hunting you had to want to duck hunt. Most hunters didn’t duck hunt here in Georgia. I don’t know how many times I have heard over the years ,why do you hunt those nasty ducks. Back 40 years ago you hunted with mallard decoys for the most part you couldn’t buy any other decoy type except blue bills and they were special. No wood duck, gadwall or even pintails . I found a dozen pintails at the PX at fort Sill and brought them back to Georgia and people were offering outrageous money to me for my pintail decoys. No body had a camo boat. You painted your boat built your blind yourself. You rigged your own decoys and guns were high gloss pretty things. Now in you got the money you can buy a boat completely outfitted for duck hunting and buy decoys that are already rigged. Just different times .



Great standard response that had little to nothing to do with my post. But like I said there are just as many old people doing dumb stuff. And as far as duck dynasty, it doesn’t even show hunting so doubt it has much to do with influx of hunters. I Would put that on social media. Social media touches a lot more people than duck dynasty ever did and continues to. That is where everyone sees their friends having fun then they want to try. That is also where people post places they hunt causing crowding in areas. Then there is the measuring contest that has people old and young doing dumb stuff to get the pic.


----------



## mattuga (Feb 26, 2020)

Duckbuster82 said:


> Great standard response that had little to nothing to do with my post. But like I said there are just as many old people doing dumb stuff. And as far as duck dynasty, it doesn’t even show hunting so doubt it has much to do with influx of hunters. I Would put that on social media. Social media touches a lot more people than duck dynasty ever did and continues to. That is where everyone sees their friends having fun then they want to try. That is also where people post places they hunt causing crowding in areas. Then there is the measuring contest that has people old and young doing dumb stuff to get the pic.



So true. Social media makes people think they can do it.

But I didn't know KKD hunted saltwater.


----------



## delacroix (Feb 26, 2020)

When my plans intersect other people hunting public areas I talk to them. It's the separation of modern life and technology which keeps us from knowing how to share and get along.  Also, talking to people is more important than duck hunting. That's really annoying sometimes, but that's how it is. 
I mean, what is wrong with these people?! And we have to talk to them like they're not fools. smh.


----------



## Duckbuster82 (Feb 26, 2020)

mattuga said:


> So true. Social media makes people think they can do it.
> 
> But I didn't know KKD hunted saltwater.


Ha ha not like he doesn’t state it every chance he can.


----------



## duckyaker90 (Feb 26, 2020)

Duckbuster82 said:


> Ha ha not like he doesn’t state it every chance he can.


Cheer up buttercup!


----------



## across the river (Feb 26, 2020)

Duckbuster82 said:


> Great standard response that had little to nothing to do with my post. But like I said there are just as many old people doing dumb stuff. And as far as duck dynasty, it doesn’t even show hunting so doubt it has much to do with influx of hunters. I Would put that on social media. Social media touches a lot more people than duck dynasty ever did and continues to. That is where everyone sees their friends having fun then they want to try. That is also where people post places they hunt causing crowding in areas. Then there is the measuring contest that has people old and young doing dumb stuff to get the pic.




I think Duck Hunters are a lot like people going to Disney World.  You have some people who approach Disney like a job.  The objective is to get in as many rides and as many activities as you possibly can to maximize the money you have spent to get in.  Those people are standing there when the gates open, plan everything meticulously, strategically schedule fast passes, ride at night while everyone else is watching the fireworks and parade, visit on non-peak months, etc.... This person understands what they are getting into to start with, but they are determined to plan well to make the most of it.   You have the second group who just "goes the Disney."   They show up mid-morning when everyone else is showing up, spends half there time taking pictures to post online, spends hours upon hours waiting in line to ride a handful of rides, complain how hot and tired they get, leave at 6pm, and fuss that they didn't get to ride anything.  

The "like a job" hunters aren't going to just randomly show up blind to some lake anymore than the Disney visitor of the same thread are going to show up at 11:00am in July and wait 2 hours in 100 degree heat to ride Dumbo.  Those guys either put in the time to find places other people don't find, beat others to the spot, or just eventually get tired of the aggravation of others and go out of state or go private (i.e. visit Disney in February). That guy is there to kill ducks (ride the rides) and isn't real worried about getting a like on facebook or instagram. 

The "just go to Disney" hunters have no issue showing up blind at sunrise or even driving 2 hours to camp out over night  on a spot they haven't even scouted or seen ducks on. It is more about "being a duck hunter" than killing ducks.  The sunrise and the single hooded merganser they lucked up and killed the first hunt is worthy of a picture for facebook or instagram(like the one with Goofy they get first walking into Disney world), but not killing any "big ducks" over the course of the season (like the long lines and heat) eventually brings out the complaints about the other hunters on the lake or the rich guy with the corn pond on private land.


You still had both groups 20 plus years ago.   They were still people of all ages doing stupid stuff,  but there were less people and there was no internet. The only pictures people had to show, if they had pictures, were the ones they had developed from film at Wal-Mart.  No one really knew what was going on at a lake unless someone told them.  Like most still do now, the  "like a job" hunters typically kept there mouth shut, so places didn't get advertised unless GON happened to write and article on it (which did happen). Today that merganser, or on a good day ringneck, picture gets seen by a bunch of other "just go to Disney" hunters on the internet.   Before you know it, they are all out there waiting on the lake together, all hoping to kill that trophy bufflehead so they can post a picture showing what a great hunter they are.


----------



## Milkman (Feb 26, 2020)

Get a sign fixed up for just such an occasion.


----------



## killerv (Feb 27, 2020)

You were gonna waterswat those buffies swimmin' in weren't you...tell the truth


----------



## kingfish (Feb 27, 2020)

I live on the gulf coast and I'm semi retired so I have a little time to look around.  Had a conversation with one of the local game wardens and he said there was a decoy spread on every point north and south as far as you could travel on the weekends.  Saturdays and Sundays are like a parade of 30 thousand dollar duck boats.  He said that they are making a fortune on writing tickets for basic things like license and duck stamps.  Had several conversations with hunters who left the ramp at high tide and didn't get back until the next high tide.  They also learned that those big giant mud boats won't run on a mud flat.  Fun to watch and listen to.


----------



## Deleted member 35556 (Feb 27, 2020)

4x4 said:


> Duck Dynasty turned every millennial into a professional duck hunter


Folks should be happy that something is driving the younger generations into the sport.  Otherwise, we’re still seeing a slow steady decline in hunting as the boomers kick the bucket.


----------



## king killer delete (Feb 27, 2020)

jivarie said:


> Folks should be happy that something is driving the younger generations into the sport.  Otherwise, we’re still seeing a slow steady decline in hunting as the boomers kick the bucket.


Agree 100% That is why I do my best to teach young hunters the right way


----------



## king killer delete (Feb 27, 2020)

Duckbuster82 said:


> Great standard response that had little to nothing to do with my post. But like I said there are just as many old people doing dumb stuff. And as far as duck dynasty, it doesn’t even show hunting so doubt it has much to do with influx of hunters. I Would put that on social media. Social media touches a lot more people than duck dynasty ever did and continues to. That is where everyone sees their friends having fun then they want to try. That is also where people post places they hunt causing crowding in areas. Then there is the measuring contest that has people old and young doing dumb stuff to get the pic.


That youth speaking. If you did not live in those days you have no understanding .


----------



## king killer delete (Feb 27, 2020)

mattuga said:


> So true. Social media makes people think they can do it.
> 
> But I didn't know KKD hunted saltwater.


I live on the coast


----------



## Duckbuster82 (Feb 27, 2020)

king killer delete said:


> That youth speaking. If you did not live in those days you have no understanding .



Again you are generalizing, I know guys who had their mom drop them off at the lake with their 6 decoys and old John boat they bought from mowing lawns all summer and have built from there. I Started with nothing bought all my own gear had no one to teach me and gone from there. I Know guys that had been hunting for 40 years will set up on top of you sky bust and don’t kill squat. So to say it’s the youth and they are the problem and need to be taught is garbage. Look at all the new call companies, decoy companies, guys In conservation and other manufacturers lots of the guys doing good and contributing to the sport are millennials. You want to sit there and be all high and mighty oh I walked to school up hill both ways you young punks will never understand. There are plenty of good and bad of all age groups. The problem is you can’t fix stupid. No matter how much you get online and complain about others behavior it will not change the fact that that’s going to happen. It takes place in every aspect of life, driving your car, work, wherever. Being able to cope and adapt is key.


----------



## CJT (Feb 27, 2020)

kingfish said:


> I live on the gulf coast and I'm semi retired so I have a little time to look around.  Had a conversation with one of the local game wardens and he said there was a decoy spread on every point north and south as far as you could travel on the weekends.  Saturdays and Sundays are like a parade of 30 thousand dollar duck boats.  He said that they are making a fortune on writing tickets for basic things like license and duck stamps.  Had several conversations with hunters who left the ramp at high tide and didn't get back until the next high tide.  They also learned that those big giant mud boats won't run on a mud flat.  Fun to watch and listen to.


What is amazing about that is the same guys who will pay thousands of dollars on all the latest gadgets and gizmos to hunt, will ignore or not pay attention to the basic requirements of participating in the sport, many of which help fund conservation and restoration of habitat for the resource. Just shows where priorities are these days. All about showing off for many of these guys.


----------



## killerv (Feb 28, 2020)

Come on now, your not cool unless you walk into the waffle house after a duck hunt with your face paint still on.


----------



## Throwback (Feb 28, 2020)

Duckbuster82 said:


> Great standard response that had little to nothing to do with my post. But like I said there are just as many old people doing dumb stuff. And as far as duck dynasty, it doesn’t even show hunting so doubt it has much to do with influx of hunters. I Would put that on social media. Social media touches a lot more people than duck dynasty ever did and continues to. That is where everyone sees their friends having fun then they want to try. That is also where people post places they hunt causing crowding in areas. Then there is the measuring contest that has people old and young doing dumb stuff to get the pic.




The number of duck hunters around here easily  doubled when duck Dynasty got popular. And you could pick them out. 
Face paint. 
Beards 
New boat. 
Asking why we don’t have any ducks.


----------



## Para Bellum (Mar 1, 2020)

king killer delete said:


> I don’t have that problem and I hunt public water all the time. But it’s Saltwater



That’s great.  Good for you.  Lucky.


----------



## Para Bellum (Mar 1, 2020)

mattuga said:


> So true. Social media makes people think they can do it.
> 
> But I didn't know KKD hunted saltwater.



How could you possibly not know that?  It’s all he ever talks about.  The man hunts saltwater.  Like a boss at that.


----------



## king killer delete (Mar 1, 2020)

Metro Trout said:


> That’s great.  Good for you.  Lucky.


I just live here


----------



## king killer delete (Mar 1, 2020)

Duckbuster82 said:


> Again you are generalizing, I know guys who had their mom drop them off at the lake with their 6 decoys and old John boat they bought from mowing lawns all summer and have built from there. I Started with nothing bought all my own gear had no one to teach me and gone from there. I Know guys that had been hunting for 40 years will set up on top of you sky bust and don’t kill squat. So to say it’s the youth and they are the problem and need to be taught is garbage. Look at all the new call companies, decoy companies, guys In conservation and other manufacturers lots of the guys doing good and contributing to the sport are millennials. You want to sit there and be all high and mighty oh I walked to school up hill both ways you young punks will never understand. There are plenty of good and bad of all age groups. The problem is you can’t fix stupid. No matter how much you get online and complain about others behavior it will not change the fact that that’s going to happen. It takes place in every aspect of life, driving your car, work, wherever. Being able to cope and adapt is key.


I’m not complaining. Teach when some one will listen


----------



## CJT (Mar 1, 2020)

king killer delete said:


> I’m not complaining. Teach when some one will listen


Again, not any where near topic and absolutely irrelevant to the discussion. Sorry, couldn’t stand it anymore!


----------



## king killer delete (Mar 1, 2020)

All you guys want to do is complain . What is your solution?


----------



## kmckinnie (Mar 1, 2020)

CJT said:


> Again, not any where near topic and absolutely irrelevant to the discussion. Sorry, couldn’t stand it anymore!


I think what killer said has everything to do with this topic. 
It’s about the encounters a duck hunter has on our lake. Little  courtesy and being taught  courtesy !

Are all your post negative?


----------



## kmckinnie (Mar 1, 2020)

king killer delete said:


> All you guys want to do is complain . What is your solution?


I’d like to here a  solution also ?


----------



## king killer delete (Mar 1, 2020)

I went and found a place to hunt that is completely open to the public. Allot of people will say I hunt trash and that’s others opinions. The resource is stressed . Locals in Arkansas don’t want you to hunt their ducks. People are making big money off the sport. Really what do you expect?  What I see is you go buy land and hunt it or you deal with the situation.


----------



## chase870 (Mar 6, 2020)

I kill ducks and geese but I'm old school. I'd rather spend my time and money to be where the birds want to be than have the latest toys. I stick with tried and true equipment, if it aint broke don't fix it. I find the X and hunt it or as close to it as I can.
I'm not as old as some here, but I duck hunted before it was cool, used lead shot,, and had more habitat to hunt in Ga. I am a firm believer in scouting harder and longer than the rest of the guys not only finding  the X but several other locations as back ups. Don't sky bust, etc.


----------



## g0nef1sshn (Mar 10, 2020)

For the young kids.... join the military. Any branch. Move around and learn new places. 

Lovin Ft Polk. Ft Stewart wasnt bad. Maybe Missouri or Oklahoma or who knows next... Maybe retire back to south Fl. Ga just inst the "best" place in migration scheme of things. Im not a recruiter but wished id a hunted more duty stations instead of waiting for vaca in Fl during season.


----------



## Mr Bya Lungshot (Mar 10, 2020)

Joe EC said:


> So, I am sitting on a nice cove on Old Federal Camp Ground on Lake Lanier having a great hunt. Already harvested a beautiful male Bufflehead and have a nice little flock on the other side swimming around the cove in my direction. I am a patient person so I am just sitting still and waiting, enjoying the day.
> Well along comes 2 guys (being nice here) in their boat, all camo'ed up heading into the cove. I step out and hold my shotgun out to my side so they can see me. They both wave. How nice and friendly of them. Little did I know at the time they were Bevis and Buthead.
> 
> These two nitwits continue to motor around the full edge of the cove chasing off everything on the water.
> ...


I had no Idea you could hunt ducks in the Old federal camp ground on lanier.
What about other campgrounds on lanier? Tell me more please.


----------



## JKat81 (Mar 11, 2020)

I have followed this thread a bit and never posted anything. I guess that makes me a “lurker”. I have hunted ducks my whole life. I love to set up for geese and ducks at the same time in flooded rice fields. My goose decoys will typically have speckles on their belly’s. My favorite thing is shooting Mallards in the flooded timber, most of all in the White River bottoms of you guys know where. In 2007 I took a job in Little Rock that didn’t pay very well and didn’t excite me very much but it got me close to the Grand Prairie and that was enough for me. I met my wife out there and made a lot of good friends. ( a lot of which are top notch duck hunters that taught me everything I know. They varied in age). Unfortunately over the last few years our duck hunting has been down. The numbers in our part of the world are down. In the past we always put up with crowds of uneducated hunters because there were enough ducks to overcome it. It’s getting harder and harder to justify the time and expense. Well, that’s my discombobulated rant. I just had my 18th birthday 21 years ago if anyone was wondering how old I am. By the way Duckbuster82, none of the jack legs that set up close and called and shot our swing ducks had gray hair. Far from it pal. Not a generalization. Fact. Y’all have a good one and I hope you have better season next year. Whatever that may be.


----------



## emusmacker (Mar 11, 2020)

It's easy lame Duck Dynasty. But they rarely show hunting on the show. I also think its funny that folks always cry about he young folks.

Want a solution, go out and hunt.  If someone is in your spot, go to another one. you only have one spot, then that's your fault.  Stop blaming shows for you not being able to kill.


----------



## Deleted member 35556 (Mar 13, 2020)

emusmacker said:


> It's easy lame Duck Dynasty. But they rarely show hunting on the show. I also think its funny that folks always cry about he young folks.
> 
> Want a solution, go out and hunt.  If someone is in your spot, go to another one. you only have one spot, then that's your fault.  Stop blaming shows for you not being able to kill.



I'm a late onset hunter.  In fact, my brother and I both are.  We started hunting about 5 years ago.  I guarantee next year we will kill woodducks, deer, turkey, rabbit, quail and woodcock all on public land IN Georgia.  We're in the woods multiple times a month walking dogs and scouting.  We're both Millennials who didn't have the benefit of mentors at a young age for hunting.  We fished a lot growing up.  But we both started hunting 5 years ago and are self taught.  We hunted private, and it was great/easy, we dove in really last year hardcore on Public.  People love to complain about the "state of hunting", but from my perspective, we have more opportunity on public than we do on private, it's just all about the boot leather that you're willing to burn and time in the woods.


----------

