[guppy]

Another said tale of roost blasting, this time from the Missouri River. Had a barley field that has seen good numbers of birds for most of the week. Set up this mourning and got hosed by the guys hunting the sandbars on the river. By the sounds of the gunfire coming from the river they sure had fun. uke:

Hopefully the corp cuts the water from Garrison this fall far enough to keep thus knot heads from hunting the sand bars.

Dean

 

[tsodak]

I dont know what the situation was out there, but isnt there a difference in your mind between hunting over water and jumping a roost??? I love to set up a nice water spread on a daytime roosting area, or on a slough between roosting and feeding, to try and pull birds enroute to the fields. To me when someone says jumping hte roost thjat is sneaking in on the water where the flock spent the night and jump shooting them. I am not sure quite how you would do this on the river, although I may be wrong. Tom

 

[nodakoutdoors.com]

The Missouri River is a tough subject to tackle on the issue of ethics.

The river IS a roost for the canadas. But it is legal to shoot so it makes a worthless refuge.

There's not much you can do to stop river shooting.....I find it extremely frustrating so I can relate to what guppy is saying. You spend all week scouting, you get permission for the field, than some guys go out there and bust them up at shooting time. I normally hunt north of the zone where you can't hunt canadas over the bars so this never happens.

In my opinion, people hunting the bars should wait for the birds to go off in the morning before setting up....that way it's not screwing the field hunters. But again...that's just my ethics, not everyone else's.

 

[MRN]

I can appreciate your hard feelings after all your work tanked. This is precisely why the total NUMBER of hunters has to be controlled. With fewer folks out there, there is less competition for the scarce resource - they can bust a different flock, not the one you're scouting. However, I would not view this as an issue with ethics. They hunt different from you, and stepped on your toes. Doesn't make them evil or unethical- it's just the nature of competition and conflict. Reducing numbers of hunters will reduce the competition, and your feelings won't get hurt as often.

Evenmore, I agree with Tom about water hunting. I consider "shooting the roost" -- hunting birds when they return to their evening safety spot -- illegal for geese, by proclamation, for most of our season. Birds "roost" (verb) when they find a safe spot for the evening. It remains a very effective and common way to hunt ducks. Otherwise, hunting geese on water is just another alternative to hunting them on land. Sure, its more competition for you, but hardly evil, unethical, or wrong.

It's terrible, but we're spending more of our efforts adapting to the competition of other hunters, rather than in competition with our quarry.

M.

 

[guppy]

I have to disagree with you guys about hunting the water. It has happened many times in the past and if the corp doesn't cut the water flow this fall dropping the water leval far enough to prevent boat access to the sandbars. The pressure from the water hunting will push the birds out of the area for several days to a couple of weeks.

It is a question of ethics. The geese need a place to rest and if they don't have it they will find a spot. Could be upstream where the river is closed or it could be in South Dakota.

My group is not the only ones effected by this on the water slaughter of geese that are use to seeing fishing boats and get whacked drive by style.

If you guys what to hunt the geese on the water in your areas let your conscious be your guide. But leave the birds alone on the Big muddy ':******:'

Might try learning how to scout and learn how to hunt the fields like 99.9% of the hunters.

 

[Dean Nelson]

Just because they hunt a difernt way then you dosn't make you right! I have never hunted on the river but have hunted the fields around it sinse I was a little kid. If someone pushes the birds of a bar and I don't get as many it's my fault for hunting where that can happen! The river is huge and all the birds will do is head for Washburn or Bismarck. As I see it you have two options get a boat or get used to it!

 

[MRN]

Guppy,

"Drive-by" boat hunting is illegal - just like "shooting the roost" (for most days of the season). If this wasn't just hyperbole, the responsible action for you is obvious.

I'm not as harsh as Dean, but it will take a much different approach to persuade the guys hunting the sand-bars to sleep-in and go out after the birds have left for the fields. You'll have to pursude them what they will gain through cooperation. Like the guys who set up on top of your spread - with a little cooperation, everyone has a chance to succeed, or not, everyone can go home empty. Pursuding them to give up hunting the sand-bars completely - for your benefit and their detriment - I'd like to hear how you'll do that. I'll be mighty impressed if you pull it off.

I'm with you about leaving the birds alone on your river - it's just simple cooperation. Everyones all cooperative right? I want everybody to leave the birds alone in all the counties in Zones 1 & 2. Field, water, air - just leave em alone and I'll have a much better time hunting. I'll appreciate everyones cooperation. Until that happens, might try learning to adapt to the changing/increasing competition and pressure on the birds.

M.

 

[tsodak]

Bravo, MRN Bravo!!!! Listen guppy, just because everyone chooses not to hunt like you does not make them wrong. That is arrogance at its height. I jave never, and seriously doubt that I ever will hunt the River. And if I do, no doubt it will be in fields. But for you to say everyone else is wrong and you are right is a joke. You show yourself down.

Until last year I only hunted fields, but then I got a dog, and nothing is more enjoyable than hunting with a dog over water. Fields ARE NOT THE SAME. Jump shooting no, but water over decoys, dang right. (sorry, slightly peeved. Tom

 

[Austin Bachmeier]

Well I hope I didn't screw anyones hunting up but i was hunting the River south of bismarck, on the edge, not the bars. We didn't shoot any roosts, the damn things flew at 6:30 while we were blowing up our raft to cross the backwaters. Only sin i commited this weekend was killing, yes dead, a goose at 80 yards with 1 shot. Yes it was 80, i may be a newbie but we can count yardage. To see a goose do a double backflip about 2 seconds after you shoot is an amazing thing to watch. We got 2 today by decoying, i think it was like 20 yards or less. You could see the snot in his nose. That is definately a more exciting way to do it, but i wanted that first goose soooo bad i had to take a shot on saturday. Ill try not to piss you off to much man, but i dont have all the resources to scout all around, plus the fact that river bottoms are about the only thing public where there is anything. Good Luck This Season....