Duck Buster
12-27-2011, 01:51 PM
So last night I went out to an area in Cowichan Bay that is open to hunters. I have been going to this particular spot for a number of years as a nice walk in pass shooting spot for an evening hunt. This area is also a popular walking trail for dog walkers and folks just out for a hike. Over the years I have run into all kinds of folks from friendly to down right rude. The biggest complaint that any of them have had about the hunting in the area is the left over empty shells. I have spent lots of time and effort to pick up all my shells plus the countless others left by fellow hunters. The part of this activity that really gets my goat is the times when I pick up spent "lead" shot hulls from guys who just don't give a shit about what they use to shoot a ducks.
So the meat of the story is last night I was heading into my spot when I noticed 3 guys standing out in the marsh waiting for some birds. They did not strike me as true hunters from the way that they were acting but to each there own. However as I walked along I came across 4 empty 20 gauge 2 3/4 field and trap loads, followed by 8 empty 12 gauge field and trap loads. I know what your thinking maybe they were reloads, but on inspection it is clear that they were fresh shells from a new box of Walmart lead. Not sure who left them I just picked them up and moved on to my spot. After a short time I started to hear the group of guys shooting, 1 12 gauge and one 20 gauge, now I'm thinking I have made a connection and start to watch closely where these guys are shooting and what they are shooting at. The guy with the 20 gauge climbed up on the path and emptied his gun at some birds that were way to high, but again to each there own. I just marked the spot so I could check the empties on my way out. I then watched the guys head over to a branch of the river where you are not allowed to shoot. And I could hear them blasting away at birds on the water, any one of us who has hunted a while knows the differance i sound from a water shot to an sky shot. Again to each there own ground/water shooting is not against the law just not very sporting. But shooting in a no shooting area is. At this point is was getting to the end of shooting light, so I started to head back to my truck, I checked the spot where the guy with the 20 was shooting and sure enough the same type of lead shells were there on the ground. I picked these up as well and made my way out. The three guys were just in front of me and I watched them get into there truck, now knowing which tuck is there's I got the plate number and a vehical description. As soon as I got home RAPP got a call from me, I am still waiting for the CO to call be back, and I can't wait to have a good chat with him.
For years and years the anti's have been trying to shut us down in any and all areas that we have. 99% of us hunters do the right thing and follow the rules, at great expense for these steel shells, and most of us pick up after ourselves. But guys like these are the ones who give us all a bad name and get some of our best hunting areas shut down. I don't know if the CO's can actually do anything to these clowns or even track them down, but I hope so. I know that I did the right thing last night and I hope that we all work as a hunting community to either get guys like these the education that they need or out of the field where they don't belong.
Just thought I would share this with all of you.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy upcoming New Year, lets all pray for rain. To cloudy skies and good shooting Cheers......
Duck Buster
So the meat of the story is last night I was heading into my spot when I noticed 3 guys standing out in the marsh waiting for some birds. They did not strike me as true hunters from the way that they were acting but to each there own. However as I walked along I came across 4 empty 20 gauge 2 3/4 field and trap loads, followed by 8 empty 12 gauge field and trap loads. I know what your thinking maybe they were reloads, but on inspection it is clear that they were fresh shells from a new box of Walmart lead. Not sure who left them I just picked them up and moved on to my spot. After a short time I started to hear the group of guys shooting, 1 12 gauge and one 20 gauge, now I'm thinking I have made a connection and start to watch closely where these guys are shooting and what they are shooting at. The guy with the 20 gauge climbed up on the path and emptied his gun at some birds that were way to high, but again to each there own. I just marked the spot so I could check the empties on my way out. I then watched the guys head over to a branch of the river where you are not allowed to shoot. And I could hear them blasting away at birds on the water, any one of us who has hunted a while knows the differance i sound from a water shot to an sky shot. Again to each there own ground/water shooting is not against the law just not very sporting. But shooting in a no shooting area is. At this point is was getting to the end of shooting light, so I started to head back to my truck, I checked the spot where the guy with the 20 was shooting and sure enough the same type of lead shells were there on the ground. I picked these up as well and made my way out. The three guys were just in front of me and I watched them get into there truck, now knowing which tuck is there's I got the plate number and a vehical description. As soon as I got home RAPP got a call from me, I am still waiting for the CO to call be back, and I can't wait to have a good chat with him.
For years and years the anti's have been trying to shut us down in any and all areas that we have. 99% of us hunters do the right thing and follow the rules, at great expense for these steel shells, and most of us pick up after ourselves. But guys like these are the ones who give us all a bad name and get some of our best hunting areas shut down. I don't know if the CO's can actually do anything to these clowns or even track them down, but I hope so. I know that I did the right thing last night and I hope that we all work as a hunting community to either get guys like these the education that they need or out of the field where they don't belong.
Just thought I would share this with all of you.
Hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy upcoming New Year, lets all pray for rain. To cloudy skies and good shooting Cheers......
Duck Buster