Opening Morning Problems

sonnyuphi

sonnyuphi

Well-Known Member
Went to my usual spot in Jones's where I have put up a sign and hunted Opening Day for years in the same spot . Get out there and there is some a**hole sitting there . He says too bad it's public land and he wasn't going to move . I wanted to sit there in his decoys for the morning and ruin his hunt like he did mine but my hunting partner said let's move to a spot opposite them but not in gun range.We got 3 teal and a goose and I don't think they got anything as I didn't hear them shoot.There is a God !!
I called them almost every name that is out there in that first 15 minutes including " unethical hunters " . I said if you wanted to get a spot for Opening why didn't you get off your butt and post a sign like I did. He said something about hunting through the week most of the time down there so I guess that means he can park himself anywhere for the Opener . I said I agree that after the Opening morning it's on a first come basis and he said we (Kozak's ) had too many signs out there - mine , mine father's (88 years old and was out there Sat. am), brother Chris and his son Erik. So I guess that's too many for him although they were all legit and used .I was suggested I should have taken his picture and posted it here as "Unethical Hunter " but he wasn't worth wasting anymore time as we weren't set up until 20 minutes past shooting time and missed some good early chances .
Just had to get this off my chest as I was really PO'd about it .
 
this happened to me years ago was alittle more spunky then we were out in the detroit river when a couple tried to hunt off our decoys with there spread lets just say the river has a fast current and boats do drift lol. at least you got a few brids that day don;t let the actions of other reck your day wat comes around goes around. have a good season.
 
This whole sign thing is pretty specific to Long Point and maybe a few other big wetland complexes. I know about it, but I can see how others have probably never heard of this quaint little custom. If I showed up to hunt the opener nice and early from out of the area, how would I know what the signs meant or how much legitimacy to give them? It certianly isn't unethical to have never heard of a local custom...
 
I can see how that can be frustrating, but in my opinion, it should be first come first serve. I usually don't hunt the bay until a little later in the season, but when I do, I get out early to ensure I'm shooting where I want to shoot.

I'm sure some people deserve "special privilidges" in the bay for their hard work and dedication to the marsh, but as it is public, the only way you will ever guarantee a secure spot is to hunt on private property.

Out of curiosity, and no malice intended, why do you feel you are entitled to any spot you want?
 
That is a let down for sure. And although posting blinds on the opener is an long tradition, its not law, and unfortunately, I think its a fading tradition.

Fortunately hunters have evolved from the days of burning other peoples blinds that weren't part of the local click (I think).
 
I for one love the stake idea you go out a week before get your spot and you know you have it just for opening day you can plan your hunt and not stress about a guy sitting there now I'm not saying show up at 6:30 to hunt but get out there at a reasonable time.
When does it end how early is early enough. We use to hunt lake st Clair close to my dads house and it got so bad that if you did not sleep in your boat from Thursday afternoon on you would not have a spot on opening day. Half the fun of putting your steak out is touring the marsh with your buddies and seeing if there are birds around and getting pumped for another season. My dad comes out every year and my son my dad is 70 should I get him up at two in the morning to hunt it is one day it is part of what long point is guys being cordial and if there is a stake out with a guys name and duck season opener 2012 I think anyone can figure out what it means. Worst case sinario ask the guy to hunt together you never know he might be your next hunting buddy.
 
As a new duck hunter I think "posting" is unfair and outdated

I live and work in the 905. Friday I worked until midnight and was unable to make it down to the point until the next morning. We did however make it out first thing Saturday for the opener. There is no way we would have been able to reserve (post) a spot for our use only on opening morning on public land. Instead my wife and I were up early and had scouted several different spots just in case plan "A" wasn't availible.

I think this is more the reality of hunting today in a busy spot like Long Point.
 
Putting a sign out for "Opening Morning " is not a Long Point custom it happens in most duck hunting areas. I have hunted Long Point for 50 years and have put signs out and honoured other hunter's signs through the years .If some of you suggest this is the way of the past the I pity the new hunters who don't want to invest the time to look and scout out places to hunt. All part of the "ME - NOW Generation.
What about the guys who take the time to build a box hide and then find out that on Opening morning someone's sitting in their hide that they built.Yes it is public land and after the Opening morning it is first come basis.If there was just one hunter and myself I would have likely shared the hunt but since there would have been 4 shooters and at least 2 possibly 3 dogs it would have been chaos as to who shoots and when on incoming birds.
As I said one of the great things of our sport is the traditions and values ( shooting drakes , taking what you can eat not a limit ,not skybusting ,and passing on shots that are borderline range ).I certainly think that this issue of honouring signs is one that should be maintained as it also ensures safety (not too close to one another.
Just my own opinions .
 
Hey sonnyuphi, I too questioned the fact that it is opening day and there is staked blinds in a public hunting area. I was scouting on fri evening and watched gorgeous flocks of blue wings and woodies flying through #4 and landing in behind #6B. Your top blind was well placed for the saturday wind.

I'd heard of marked blinds when i was teenager but had never heard of it applying on opening day. After talking with a bunch of the boys in unit and my dad, i decided to respect your hardwork and appreciation for the bay. I asked around and found that your family is dedicated and well respected members of the Lp community.

I went out@3:30am and found that area was already full so i hunted the top of big rice and did rather well. I understand your frustration but unfortunately this issue among hunters is on the fence. Some scout, some don't.

But we all know who really wins in the end...

Pintail
 
I am offended, sonnyuphi, that you would say that "this is all part of the ME NOW generation" as an applicable argument to your point. It is NOT sporting and indicative of someone who associates anyone younger than you with criminality. Give your head a shake.

Granted the tradition has existed, the marsh is getting smaller. There are boys lined up for days in the unit to get their first pick on opening day. Good for them - they've earned it. Posting a sign so you can sleep in on opening day while so many have sacrificed shows a ridiculous sense of entitlement that I don't agree with.

By trying to ruin a guys hunt because he got up early is unsportsmanlike and not in character with what people say about your family in this forum. Also, it is 100% ILLEGAL to interfere with a man's right to hunt in this country. You have 100% admitted to an illegal act in a public forum. I hope you haven't p**ed off too many people besides me.
 
Really some of the guys out there have been putting up stakes and guys have been honoring those same stakes for 30 years. Now u can honestly say that if u get up early enough and beat a guy out that that is your spot for one thing u probably have not even spent time to even know where u are in the dark and end up in some ones spot. It's one day lots of marsh go find another spot or spend just a little time one weekend and go find ur own spot some guys have there young kids older parents opening day is special yes it is crown marsh first come first serve but give the next guy a break if there is a stake go find another spot you have not spent any time looking into the hunt u just got up early and really he was there a whole week before u
 
Ip80, where did sonnyuphi "100% admit to an illegal act"? if you read the original post, he said that "he wanted to sit there in his decoys", but instead moved on.....nothing illegal about that.
 
lp80...as a new duck hunter, I don't think you can really criticize sonnyuphi for posting a sign on opening day in his spot. You have not been hunting the area for as long as he has and do not know the history. I think you need to give your head a shake!
 
This is going to start a bad trend, now you are going to see those "reservation signs" everywhere. People are going to put them up all over the place so then where does it end? When there is no space to hunt and you have to worry about someone showing up after you spent all that time to set up your decoys then you have to take them down move to a different spot only to find there is no spot. The saying is the early bird gets the worm, the early hunter gets the duck.
 
I'll support lp80's post. If anything, thinking you can put up a sign to reserve a spot is a "me now" thing. Just because I don't pound a stake into a marsh, doesn't mean I haven't scouted the area. I never have any intention of ever pounding a stake anywhere, but I've scouted and hunted the marsh for many years - I could have scouted a spot every day for weeks, just to find that some lazy person decided to put a sign in it a few days before the opener. It's very "me now" to think that a stake with a name can reserve a spot in a public space. As someone suggested, if you want a guaranteed spot to yourself, go to the unit, slap down your $17 and pick your guaranteed spot - you, your kids and/or your old folks will know that you should have an uninterupted spot at that time. There are options: if you want the organized feeling, go to the Unit, Lee Brown, or get into one of the clubs; if you want to be part of the unwashed unorganized mass, take it for what it is and don't expect everyone to give your customs the legitimacy that you want them to have.
 
on stclair thats the way its done you stake your intended hunting spot (mostly out of tradition >>the spot) and its "yours" opening day. after that first come first serve encluding the box blinds. out dated i dont think so. if nothing else its a way to space everyone out a safe distance. that doesnt mean altercations dont arise, hey its public hunting thats going to happen. I patrolled our private property on st clair on sat ...went out to the lake to make sure people wernt squeezing past our sign line and what i saw was a bunch of rigs nicely spaced and give or take right around their signs. Im with sonny on this its an opening day respect thing in my opinion.
 
My Dad who is 88 hunted less than 80 yards from these guys on Saturday am .Did they know he was even there ? Or did they care .We put signs out and everyone knows where the others are to avoid accidents .It's a small area and our family have posted it since Canada Wildlife aquired the property from the Long Point Company and my Dad has hunted there since the 50's .Duckduckgoose in case you didn't know myself and other members of our family are "Sustaining" Members of the Unit including my father who might hunt the Unit once during the season.We support the Unit and myself guided on the past 3 Youth Hunts as well as participated in Camo Day.You say I am lazy -what about the guy who just gets into his boat rides out there and plops himself down on someone's posted spot -has he put any effort into finding that spot and scouting what places might be available (there were other places available to hunt that morning but he said that he had enough of someone else posting places especially us as we had in his opinion too many signs out.
Years ago I went out there late October and there was a hunter in my spot so I just went elsewhere .The spot I went to was unoccupied and after putting out my decoys along came the hunter who's spot I was in.
He stared cursing me and I said look you are by yourself and I am by myself why don't we hunt together.We did and I got to know him and became friends and ended up buying his duckboat off him.It is not that I am not open to compromise.Canada Wildlife doesn't let anyone post until after Labour Day Weekend (they remove early signs)and make sure no one posts behind the lines.
As I said Opening Day has always been a special day where my father and as many of his 6 sons and grandchildren and nephews try to be out there hunting as a group in an area -years ago it was Thoroughfare and enjoy the morning after the morning it is as it always is first come gets the spot .
 
Perfect. You're sustaining members; if you need the organized feeling go to the organized Unit - you won't even need to slap down your $17.
 
Sonny....times are changing. Get out early and secure your spot. I am sure had you been there before him that he would have went elsewhere. Putting a sign in and expecting someone to honour it because you have posted it for 50yrs means nothing.

I grew up around here too and am aware of this tradition and would honour it, people who haven't, probably dont know and dont care.

PS tell Chris I am fishing this weekend and will drop some perch off for him:)

BD

Big Daves Fishing Charter
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