NJ to outlaw floating blinds?!?!
- Thread starter Tom Barb
- Start date
jode hillman
Well-known member
No, the ban is only on the large floating dock type blinds that were becoming popular in the coastal zone.
Dave Diefenderfer
Well-known member
It will be interesting to read how it will be defined.
Craig F
Well-known member
Proposed Amendment to Section 5.13 Migratory Game Code.
Floating Blinds
Proposal: Prohibit hunters from leaving any staked, anchored or floating waterfowl hunting blinds in the field overnight or for extended periods of time.
Proposed language:
1. Any staked, anchored, or floating waterfowl hunting blinds located greater than 100’ from shore at mean high tide shall not be left unattended and must be removed at the end of the hunt and or not later than 2 hours after sunset on any calendar day. Any waterfowl hunting blind as described above which is left unattended or which remains set beyond 2 hours after sunset on any calendar day shall be subject to seizure and disposal at the Division’s discretion. In addition, any waterfowl hunting blind as described above, shall have prominently placed thereon, in some permanent manner, the owner's full name and Conservation Identification Number. All relevant Federal, State or Municipal regulations pertaining to the use of said hunting blinds, including, but not limited to safety equipment, must be adhered to.
The full document is located here
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2...15proposal.pdf
Floating Blinds
Proposal: Prohibit hunters from leaving any staked, anchored or floating waterfowl hunting blinds in the field overnight or for extended periods of time.
Proposed language:
1. Any staked, anchored, or floating waterfowl hunting blinds located greater than 100’ from shore at mean high tide shall not be left unattended and must be removed at the end of the hunt and or not later than 2 hours after sunset on any calendar day. Any waterfowl hunting blind as described above which is left unattended or which remains set beyond 2 hours after sunset on any calendar day shall be subject to seizure and disposal at the Division’s discretion. In addition, any waterfowl hunting blind as described above, shall have prominently placed thereon, in some permanent manner, the owner's full name and Conservation Identification Number. All relevant Federal, State or Municipal regulations pertaining to the use of said hunting blinds, including, but not limited to safety equipment, must be adhered to.
The full document is located here
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/pdf/2...15proposal.pdf
greg setter
Well-known member
This has been brewing for a while, and is related to people staking out public areas by anchoring a blind for the season on bays along the coast. There is no right to or permit for a blind site in NJ as there is in other states. Public hunting in NJ has always been first come first served. There are a few areas where there are riparian rights, and that is a little different, but they are few and far between.
SCOTT SALZER
Active member
The only people I've ever seen using these are the guides. I don't know why they think they have more rights than the general public.
Chris Finch
Well-known member
First come first serve is the only saving grace in CT. I know there are very few coastal states that have a fish and fowl rule.
If people started staking blinds here and claimed the spot as theirs it think it would be burned down.
There only a few spots on the ct river that are off limits due to private hunting(there is a lot off limits due to houses), the pocatapog gun club owns marshland with blinds and lots of posted signs. But it is my understanding that I can drive my boat right up in front of the blind and as long as I'm below high tide and beat the guy to the blind im fine
If people started staking blinds here and claimed the spot as theirs it think it would be burned down.
There only a few spots on the ct river that are off limits due to private hunting(there is a lot off limits due to houses), the pocatapog gun club owns marshland with blinds and lots of posted signs. But it is my understanding that I can drive my boat right up in front of the blind and as long as I'm below high tide and beat the guy to the blind im fine
Colin Fitzpatrick
Active member
Scott,
Not entirely true....it's more the locals that anchor their big dumb blinds out there and think they own the place
Not entirely true....it's more the locals that anchor their big dumb blinds out there and think they own the place
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rich young
Active member
it is mostly locals ,they leave them and gun them hard then move and do it again the problem is your in a layout and they will pull one right up to you ,drop anchor and your screwed not to say they are there in dark no lights on a real dark morning they are hard to see something needs to change plus the tender boat just drives around jumping birds
Jeff Reardon
Well-known member
Merrymeeting Bay, which has long been Maine's most famous and heavily gunned piece of waterfowl habitat, has had a "no permanent blinds" rule for decades, if not a century. It applies to both floating and land-based blinds, and it is also illegal to leave duck decoys out overnight.
For reason I've never understood, GOOSE decoys can be left overnight. There is one older gentleman who has a pile of goose silouettes out every year. I'm told he sits in his camp and watches them, and if geese light in his decoys he sculls the mile out to them and takes one or two. I've never seen that happen, but there is always a nice sculling boat sitting on his dock. Nobody else seems to take advantage of this "loophole".
Anyway, it is only the lack of permanent blinds that makes gunning in Merrymeeting Bay tolerable. For those of us who are regulars, there are a handful of known productive spots in the parts of the bay we hunt, and I am sure if permanent blinds were allowed, there would be blinds on most of them in short order.
I'm told the regulation came to be when an oufitter on the Bay in the early 20th century put up blinds on some of the best spots to lock them up, then tried to pass a law banning sculling boats. This strategy backfired badly, and the legislature banned permanent blinds on the Bay instead.
For reason I've never understood, GOOSE decoys can be left overnight. There is one older gentleman who has a pile of goose silouettes out every year. I'm told he sits in his camp and watches them, and if geese light in his decoys he sculls the mile out to them and takes one or two. I've never seen that happen, but there is always a nice sculling boat sitting on his dock. Nobody else seems to take advantage of this "loophole".
Anyway, it is only the lack of permanent blinds that makes gunning in Merrymeeting Bay tolerable. For those of us who are regulars, there are a handful of known productive spots in the parts of the bay we hunt, and I am sure if permanent blinds were allowed, there would be blinds on most of them in short order.
I'm told the regulation came to be when an oufitter on the Bay in the early 20th century put up blinds on some of the best spots to lock them up, then tried to pass a law banning sculling boats. This strategy backfired badly, and the legislature banned permanent blinds on the Bay instead.
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Are the NJ "blind owners" running people out of "their" blinds? Are they using intimidation, harassment, or threatening? Are they navigation hazards? What happens if you are in a blind first and the "owner" shows up?
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Phil Eager
Well-known member
MLBob Furia
Well-known member
If you call that in, it seems they'd be in hot water for violating federal regs.
Shawn Linn
Active member
If you call that in, it seems they'd be in hot water for violating federal regs.
That is if the wardens will respond, they do not have boats or in some cases he desire to go after other public service employees.
From what i have heard this proposal has been tabled. If it does go through I hope the wording does not slip into something that would end up causing problems for our boats blinds, layouts, pond boxes, etc.
That is if the wardens will respond, they do not have boats or in some cases he desire to go after other public service employees.
From what i have heard this proposal has been tabled. If it does go through I hope the wording does not slip into something that would end up causing problems for our boats blinds, layouts, pond boxes, etc.
Capt. John O
Well-known member
I heard the new GSWA is supposed to protect us from this stuff.....
Phil
Here in AL there is only one way I know of to legally keep someone out of their blind while on public waters. The floating blind would have to be a moored boat, such as a camo'd pontoon boat, and equipped with working navigation lights from sunset to sunrise and have registration numbers visible. Those laws reduce navigation hazards. In fact if you do these things you can leave it in place 30 days, move it to another location and leave it 30 days again. A guy could get through the entire season with one move. Also, if it is registered then is truly is private property and nobody could enter it.
Having said that a lot of blinds around here on public waterways, floating or not, are treated like private property and squatted by the builder. There was once a gentlemen's agreement that he who built it hunted it on the opener and first come first serve after that. That eroded and opening morning fights ensued and blinds destroyed by spiteful parties who felt wronged. This squelched blind builders desire to invest the time and effort so there are fewer blinds. I like the old way it was done. The new generation of hunters isn't very cooperative amongst each other.
Eric
Here in AL there is only one way I know of to legally keep someone out of their blind while on public waters. The floating blind would have to be a moored boat, such as a camo'd pontoon boat, and equipped with working navigation lights from sunset to sunrise and have registration numbers visible. Those laws reduce navigation hazards. In fact if you do these things you can leave it in place 30 days, move it to another location and leave it 30 days again. A guy could get through the entire season with one move. Also, if it is registered then is truly is private property and nobody could enter it.
Having said that a lot of blinds around here on public waterways, floating or not, are treated like private property and squatted by the builder. There was once a gentlemen's agreement that he who built it hunted it on the opener and first come first serve after that. That eroded and opening morning fights ensued and blinds destroyed by spiteful parties who felt wronged. This squelched blind builders desire to invest the time and effort so there are fewer blinds. I like the old way it was done. The new generation of hunters isn't very cooperative amongst each other.
Eric
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Here in AL there is only one way I know of to legally keep someone out of their blind while on public waters. The floating blind would have to be a moored boat, such as a camo'd pontoon boat, and equipped with working navigation lights from sunset to sunrise and have registration numbers visible. Those laws reduce navigation hazards. In fact if you do these things you can leave it in place 30 days, move it to another location and leave it 30 days again. A guy could get through the entire season with one move. Also, if it is registered then is truly is private property and nobody could enter it. [/font]
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Eric, actually that is incorrect. You cannot anchor a vessel along a shoreline or on any open water for an extended period of time (overnight) unless you have riparian rights along the shoreline or have a lease from the State. Or the vessel is "in-transit" and anchoring temporarily for safety reasons (resting, storms, etc..). So anyone anchoring a private blind, registered with lights or not, will have to be a riparian owner (getting approved for a lease is almost impossible).
Here in AL there is only one way I know of to legally keep someone out of their blind while on public waters. The floating blind would have to be a moored boat, such as a camo'd pontoon boat, and equipped with working navigation lights from sunset to sunrise and have registration numbers visible. Those laws reduce navigation hazards. In fact if you do these things you can leave it in place 30 days, move it to another location and leave it 30 days again. A guy could get through the entire season with one move. Also, if it is registered then is truly is private property and nobody could enter it. [/font]
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Eric, actually that is incorrect. You cannot anchor a vessel along a shoreline or on any open water for an extended period of time (overnight) unless you have riparian rights along the shoreline or have a lease from the State. Or the vessel is "in-transit" and anchoring temporarily for safety reasons (resting, storms, etc..). So anyone anchoring a private blind, registered with lights or not, will have to be a riparian owner (getting approved for a lease is almost impossible).