Interesting morning yesterday, please be safe out there and be prepared!

John, I wanted to laugh, but after making a 7.5 mile run in that fog Saturday morning myself, I'm feeling much more sober about having guys like that out there. I was white-knuckled for 20 minutes wondering what was sitting out there in front of me...but I'll admit that is never crossed my mind that there might be an unlit boat!

We hunted public land for 30 years, and saw plenty of stuff (but never a circus quite like that!). We hunt primarily on a military base now, and although the processes, procedures, and regulation can get tedious at times, it really weeds out the clowns. Guys are courteous and helpful at the ramps, everyone has working equipment, and there's always someone who knows where everyone is! It's been a very nice change.
 
Sounds like a normal day on the marsh up here. The guys in the mud motor powered boats have driving lights since they are hauling butt. If the boat is a purpose built boat it might even have nav lights. However, the guys in the small john boats seldom have any lights at all. If I'm lucky they will at least have a head lamp on. I have nearly ran over people so many times its not funny. Now I am always flashing my million candle power light around to check for idiots on dark boats that are beside me and not in the head lights.

I am not sure who is the worst: the young kids in their canoes, or the old duffers in their 1232 john boats with the tiny motor. When I take the Black Brant III off step to avoid hitting them it creates a huge wave. Just what an overloaded john boat needs is a 14 inch tall breaker coming up on the stern.

Darren, you want to take my 65 pound long tail, purpose built for a small craft, add another 20 pounds to it for a electronic transmission of some kind, making it too heavy to use on the size of craft it is meant for?
 
Did you learn your lesson???
I can't see decoys in the fog LOL
When I retire from hunting I think I am going to take up ramp watching.
Last week I was taking out my boat as was another guy. While he is standing in the water
his phone rings he answers it then drops the phone in the water.
 
Pick something and it went wrong what a day. I don't think I would have gone on the water with that bunch out there until daylight.

The attached photo sums it up.
 
And I thought observing all the weirdos and freaks at WalMart was entertaining! Did you happen to notice if these bat-boaters had life-jackets on? I'm amazed how many think it suffices to just have one close by. I don't even like to back my boat off the trailer without one on.
 
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Looks like you ended up in the middle of a village idiot convention.
Click to expand...
Sounds about right! What I would call "amateur hour at the boat ramp". After my first experience of having impatient, prepared hunters waiting for me to launch my boat when I first got it - late in the season (they were quite polite, but I could see they were watching my inexperience with interest, and even offerred to help!), I practiced and practiced during the off-season and came up with a little routine to get in the water as quickly as possible, and out of their way. Wish it wuodl be reciprocated sometimes... AA-
 
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