Rant

[fudge]

So two times this weekend while hunting out in the pitt, I come across groups of people who have shot ducks and are unable to retrieve them. They see me walking with my dog and come up and asked me to send him out to get their bird. Of course I do each time reluctantly because I don't want to see the birds go to waste. But at what point are people going to start taking responsibility for what they shoot. Of course we'll doing this I'm giving them grief about their ethics and why would they shoot something they cannot retrieve. The first time I gave the group there bird. The second time I wasn't so nice I told them they were not able to retrieve it so I'm taking it finders keepers. They were not impressed. On a side note I remember being a young boy once and my grandfather sending me out swimming in the freezing cold because I shot a bird that he told me not too. This was a lesson learned.

[S.W.A.T.]

Tell them to get a canoe

[fudge]

Both groups had waders on and there is not much water this time of year but I agree...

[ZacNap]

report it...

[Modeltwelve]

Agree with ZacNap report. You need a boat or dog, if you wat to hunt the Pitt marsh.

[Dano]

Or over any water! A retrieval plan, and a fishing rod with hooks doesn't work well!!!
It's frustrating when guys take long shots at anything they see and on the rare occasion they do sail one off they have no means to look for it or make a retrieve. I've walked out with my dog and sent her off only to have her pull the bird out of grass 5' from me! It's hard to find birds on land without a dog, sometimes even in a cut corn field!
If any new hunters are out in a boat be sure to pick a spot where you shoot over a larger body of water so if the bird sails away for 100 meters or more you can still get to it before it gets into high grass or reeds. And don't delay going to get a swimming bird!
Non-hunting public observe guys not retrieving birds and report it, this can play a part to hunting getting shut down in an area (complaints). Do your best to get a bird, have a good plan and do it!

[GrizGriz]

I was hunkered down on an island and watched you send your dog out there. Smart dog, that bird was way out there. That bird was sitting in the water all morning until your pup plucked it out around noon.

I few fellows that I spoke to mentioned those folks were new to the marsh. I wonder if they will be back?

[Downtown]

There are newbies and there are old Hunters and everything in between.
Most Hunters I met in my long hunting Career where helpful People and I learned from that. Hunting without access to a trained Dog is questionable ethical but a function of necessity for most in the hunting community so will it kill me if I help out, not likely but it will make me a better person.

Re; hunting Waterfowl without a Retriever is possible on small Lakes or ponds. The Wind will eventually push the Bird to shore.

Happy hunting and Thanks giving - K.

[BigD_83]

You're a good man to help them out with your dog, but it should have been obvious to even a new hunter that the area requires a boat, dog, or both.

It is incumbent on all of us to make sure we take opportunities to educate each other to make the community better and stronger.

[fudge]

thanks.. ya that's right where it was. my pup is a work in progress but learns fast.

[albravo2]

Like a lot of guys, I'm self taught. I try to set up in a place that allows for a duck to hit the water but have gotten fairly good at traipsing through the marsh to find birds that didn't land in the water.

It is a pain to paddle or row the boat when I have the blind set up but it doesn't seem right to leave them in the water so I struggle through it. If anybody has a tip or trick for manoeuvring a boat with the blind erected, I'd love to hear it. It is especially difficult when the tide is receding quickly and I'm high and dry on the mud before the ducks come in.

[BigD_83]

We normally setup our blind separately from the canoe, trying to take as much opportunity of natural features as possible. This obviously limits the positions we can take up, but does make it possible to get out to places we couldn't otherwise

[303savage]

[QUOTE]I'm betting it'll pale in comparison to what we'll be facing in a generation or two from the flood of 'new' Canadians they flew over in recent years.[/QUOTE

I wonder how the "New Canadians" are supporting themselves?

[GrizGriz]

thanks.. ya that's right where it was. my pup is a work in progress but learns fast.

It was nice of you to help them out. If you don't mind my asking, what did they offer ya for the help anyways? Haha

[fudge]

those guys tried to give me a few shells and were very thankfull. the others not so much