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Sky busting and poor ethics the new norm?

15K views 214 replies 59 participants last post by  Indaswamp 
#1 ·
Today I went out in my home state of Wisconsin. This was to be my 7 year old sons first duck hunting trip. When we arrived there was several other groups out, surprisingly everyone set up at respectable distances. I thought to myself this should be a great morning cold, cloudy and windy. As legal shooting time began to arrive several shots rang out, I glanced down at my watch, 15 minutes early!! Little did I know this was merely the beginning. Once legal shooting hours arrived the whole bay erupted into what sounded like a small war. I could see flocks of divers trading back and forth. As it began to get lighter I noticed the groups to either side of me while shooting a lot were not retrieving many birds. And thought it odd that nothing had come to my spread yet. I soon began to notice the groups consistently taking shots of 80+ yards. If anything turned towards my spread it was getting shot at regardless of distance. I then observed one group get lucky with the proverbial golden bb and the bird sailed about 150 yards from their hide. They made no attempt to retrieve the bird, even though it had fallen in open water. After retrieving one of my birds that was actually able to sneak past the other groups I noticed the group of 6 guys had parked their boats a mere 50 yards from my spread. 6 guys with 3 boats parked right along shore with no attempt made to conceal them. Thought out the day I continued to observe sky busting and non retrieval of game. This saddens me a great deal. I have hunted this area for nearly 15 years and it's only been in the last 3 that I have noticed things like this, it is typically from what appears to be younger hunters, well younger than I am, 28. I even once found a pile of dead redheads in my path out that had just been left there to rot. I called my local warden about them and was troubled when he arrived and attempted to accuse me of shooting too many birds even though the birds had clearly been left for several days. Today was the first time I have ever done hunting of any kind and when I was done I wished I had never even gone. I then had to explain to my son why other hunters were shooting at ducks so far away and not retrieving them when they shot them.

My question is are other hunters experiencing the same problems?

Is this what has become of our sport?

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#4 ·
They have no mentor nor skills to decoy ducks. Quite typical now day's.
 
#5 ·
Had a guy shoot the roost 15 minutes early this morning. Another group of 5 got trespassing tickets on the land next to me. They had no ducks.
I took my wood duck limit and flipped them the bird as I drove by them.
 
#6 ·
Happened to us a couple of weekends ago. They shot several times before shooting time and were sky busting everything. Nothing could even think about coming into us. They even shot at a bird out of range and peppered bb's just a few feet behind my son and I. Hubby called the game warden that morning. Just so happens one of the kids also was nailed last year for illegally shooting snow geese, stealing decoys and having over his possession limit. You think they would learn...? Today however, thankfully, there was none of that business on the same marsh.
 
#8 ·
Tinner4 said:
Happened to us a couple of weekends ago. They shot several times before shooting time and were sky busting everything. Nothing could even think about coming into us. They even shot at a bird out of range and peppered bb's just a few feet behind my son and I. Hubby called the game warden that morning. Just so happens one of the kids also was nailed last year for illegally shooting snow geese, stealing decoys and having over his possession limit. You think they would learn...? Today however, thankfully, there was none of that business on the same marsh.
When it comes to hunting ducks or geese, none of them are worth the ticket.
 
#11 ·
I took a guy hunting 3 years ago. To this day he thinks he is a master duck hunter. His call sounds like a kazoo. He cant shoot. Cant set decoys, all around idiot. His ethics caused me to not take him hunting again. He asked me if he could use my blind couple weeks ago and i told him no. I didn't want people thinking it was me in the blind shooting grebes and calling like a moron.

Moral of the story, peoples ethics are gone and most people are idiots.

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#13 ·
You know I could understand the range thing if it is a first time hunter with no mentor, but a lot of it is just ignorance. I pride myself on being able to get birds committed and in the decoys. Some days that just doesn't happen, but I still don't shoot past 40 yards. It's amazing the lack of respect people have now a days. When I started hunting this spot it was just my group and another group. We had a great understanding of this is where I sit and that is where you sit. We never tried to beat each other out we just went to our spots and hunted. Sometimes we both did good other times just one of us would. But we had that unspoken respect. We never flared each other's birds or anything like that. It was enjoyable to watch birds work the other guys spread and know that he beat you fair and square that day. Oh how I miss those days.

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#14 ·
There is a reason these guys hunt public land............. because they get kicked out of everywhere else they go. The sad part is that if you try to educate them they start quoting from the likes of Zink :fingerhead: or their other favorite TV personalities.

It sadens me that people think just because it is legal shooting time by the clock it is always OK to shoot at birds. I have hunted on days where even a 1/2 hr AFTER sunrise their was barely enough light to tell what you were shooting at.

It's really a lack of respect for the birds and for the sport..........
 
#17 ·
Sounds just like what has went on around here for the last 20 years,never going to stop it,gets worse each year,I guess it makes the ammo companies happy though.
 
#19 ·
Im proud to say im definitely not one to leave a pile of freaking ducks to rot, that's just wrong. I eat every single bird i shoot ( grebes not included ). Had a goofy bunch, ( one guy i knew from school ) him and his buddies had a wack story about getting permission for the same spot as us, and when we hadn't had much luck, they started shooting black birds and chickadees just for the heck of it. Asked them once were all packed up why they'd waste there good black cloud on BB/ and Chicks. Blew my mind.
 
#20 ·
A lot of it around here too. Always amazes me how many people shoot grebes thinking they are ducks on the public land here. The fine for shooting a protected species doesn't even shake them. They swear in and out that they are "other ducks".

As for shooting black birds... that's illegal here but the DNR wants us to shoot the invasive starlings. That's what xperts are for! :lol3:
 
#22 ·
Before you know it there will be none of the respectful, ethical hunters left. I love hunting divers on the big water, but putting up with these idiots just isn't worth. Wish I could still hunt during the week.

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#23 ·
We had a neighbor kid set up a blind this season. His first attempt, dad doesn't duck hunt. He copied one of our blinds , built the thing and had it covered in a week or so. Pretty impressive.

He and his buddies were pretty bad. Blowing calls like a kazoo, sky busting, decoys all wrong for the wind.

A lot of the guys were starting to complain. One of the guys offered to show them the ropes. They caught on, have even killed a couple.
 
#24 ·
jaysweet3 said:
We had a neighbor kid set up a blind this season. His first attempt, dad doesn't duck hunt. He copied one of our blinds , built the thing and had it covered in a week or so. Pretty impressive.

He and his buddies were pretty bad. Blowing calls like a kazoo, sky busting, decoys all wrong for the wind.

A lot of the guys were starting to complain. One of the guys offered to show them the ropes. They caught on, have even killed a couple.
Sounds like they were willing to learn, kudos for the guy who offered to help them! I can't imagine learning to waterfowl hunt on my own without anybody showing me the ropes.
 
#26 ·
BBK said:
Sounds like they were willing to learn, kudos for the guy who offered to help them! I can't imagine learning to waterfowl hunt on my own without anybody showing me the ropes.
Exactly. Thankfully, I had about 5 years to learn the ropes from my grandpa when I was 8-13 before he got real sick. I then hunted trial and error until I got the hang of it around 17. He passed away last January and one of the last conversations I can remember with him was getting advice on a hole he hunted for years and what to do. I still shut my mouth and open my ears when someone with experience starts talking. You can never learn it all.
 
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