Opening Day Hesitations .....

Griffin Williford

Griffin Williford

Member
All,

Let me start by saying this may come off as frustration ventilation speech, but would like to get some other opinions. Our 2nd season starts in less than a week (hallelujah), and I believe that the timing may be absolutely perfect for the past two weeks weather patterns, and what I have personally witnessed scouting over the past month or so, but I have my reservations....

As excited as I am, to the degree of already laying out my clothes down to the boxers for a potential coastal trip, there is a sense of hesitation I have never felt before.

I have seen birds, and I know where birds are, but my fear is the herds of young guns this year. I feel like It may be that I am getting old and grumpy, but every time I have started considering my options, I feel like I would be willing to sacrifice my favorite areas to hunt, that I have been making trips to scout, due to the reckless nature of the next generation.

It just blows my mind the willingness to share information via Social Media now, as well as the harsh, aggressive nature of some other "duck hunting" forums.

What is everyone's thoughts on the direction the "Next Generation" of hunters is taking the sport, and the current impact they have on the sport.

I am all for providing hunting opportunities and passing down this sport, but also ensuring that the respect I was taught is also part of what is passed down. As I told my girlfriend last night when she asked about a lake I ONCE hunted "Every 18 year old from Raleigh with a Tahoe and a Duck call will be hunting there"


Thoughts?
 
Industry... Prostaff... Sponsorship... Gear... Guns... Toys...

We are seeing it in all walks of life with the new generation. My guess is that it eventually will fade, as we all know attention spans aren't too long these days.

Hopefully we can somehow impress upon them that is is more about...

Being outside... Feeling alive... Camraderie... Great food for the family... Centering oneself in nature.

I feel your pain, and have experienced your hesitations. My advice is to find a small hole where u will be by yourself, at least until the crowds of opening weekend subside. You will enjoy the hunt sooooo much more! Good luck!
 
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This is why I try to hunt areas that others don't. Might not hold as many birds, but I also don't have to put up with the Duck Dynasty crowd.

In line with the "every 18 year old with a Tahoe" comment, I have been amazed by the explosion of new $15K boats pulled by $30K trucks with a boat full of $5K in gear (including 2-3 mojos at least) that I've seen at the ramp since that show came on. I don't know how these "kids" (or their parents) justified spending that kinda money on a sport that they quickly showed they know little or nothing about other than they watched it on TV. I really hope the poor seasons we've had the last 2 years thins out the DD crowd this year.
 
Industry marketing, the way the world is going and more importantly a lack of quality mentors showing young hunters the way. It's no coincidence that myself and the extremely small group of people I hunt with try to do things the more traditional (and successful) ways. We've had years and years of experience and ethics willed into us by our parents, uncles, etc. Not everyone has the same advantages and might be learning the ways to hunt by TV and the internet.
 
Those damn kids. I'm 26 but 80 on the inside, we hardly have any birds here in ct. So when the bros go out for opening day and see 1 bird they go back to shooting stocked pheasants or brown cows. They also don't like the cold.

There is no instant gratification as portrayed on TV or shows so they lose interest fast. They don't want to do all the hard work to get birds either because everything has been handed to them.

I'm a zipper lip and if you aren't in my hunting group of friends I won't tell you anything and I probably won't believe what you tell me, but I think that is a trait of all swamp Yankees
 
I am glad to see that my frustration is something that some of you are experiencing as well. This is my 19th season, and like you Chris I am 26. My hunting from Day one has been almost exclusively on public water, with the opportunity to hunt a club with a friend maybe once a season for the past 3-4 years.

I guess most of my negativity towards the "If it flies it dies" style of youth hunters is the amount of effort I, along with most of you put in year round for the opportunity to hunt maybe 20ish days, if I am lucky with work.

When I pull to a ramp at 3:30 am to find 26 F-250s, lifted, with every Salt life, DU, Avery, DC, Banded, Drake Sticker in production on them, pulling all 22'+ aluminum express's & G3's and decoys that have yet to see the light of day due to them being removed the night prior it literally makes me want to scream.

The Hunting is an added bonus however. "Hunting" to me means another weekend with the Mentor that took me for the first time when I was 7, and his son who is now 14. It allows us, along with the other 3-5 in our group a weekend away from the real world.

Friday night around a grill with drinks, and lots of exaggerated, fabricated and usually embarrassing stories always fill the air. Reflections of days past, and anticipations of days to come is what I truly love.

Saturday on the water with them, and my younger Labrador with hopefully a few shots fired, and a semi throbbing head is just an added benefit.

I just do not see the appreciation of our youth for the sport being the same as it was for me then, or is for me now.
 
I like sculling birds on the bay's with all the bros on the shoreline. You may have nicer (newer) but a redneck always has the upper hand.

What pisses me off is when people come out 5 minutes to shooting light and set up 50 feet away. Or shoot undesirables and don't eat them. I'm only going to kill something if I'm going to eat it
 
Not that I ever want company on my hunting grounds, but I'd prefer to see a few more young guns out here. Our traditions won't survive without youngsters like you and Chris getting into it.

That said, I think there are two things going on with the obnoxious behavior from some of the newbies. One is just beginners ignorance. I suffered from that when I was just starting. I suspect most of us who take up this sport without being mentored from a young age do.

As a wise old boss once told me, you learn how to make good decisions by making bad decisions and dealing with the consequences. It only took me one time of heading out at a popular spot 20 minutes before legal to realize that was a bad decision! Other folks have to learn that, too.

The other issue is the perception of hunting from TV shows and the internet--that we all get our limit of ducks (or deer, or elk) before the end of a half hour show (less on youtube).
 
In my read it sounds like you don't like the fact that they have nice rigs and beat you to the ramp.
 
I don't have the competition for waterfowling spots that many of you guys have but we have plenty when it comes to pheasant hunting. I don't get caught up in hiding my spots for duck hunting, most of the locals already know these spots and it isn't a secret to anyone. Yeah there are still some idiots but I haven't noticed the waterfowling idiots getting much worse around here.

I do hide some of my pheasant spots. I hunt almost exclusively on public ground. Some is already heavily hunted and other areas are not inside the traditional areas where people looks at so they are a little bit of a secret. I don't mind telling someone in person who is actively hunting the same area I am where I saw birds or what type of cover they are holding in. If they are out searching for their self then they aren't just trying to steal a spot.

I do put some photos on some social media groups but I do not give out very detailed info on the areas hunted. I had someone basically ask for the exact spot I was at last week. I politely told him eastern SD. I have hunted plenty of poor spots to find a few that usually hold birds. It's just the way you should find spots not asking strangers over the internet. And if someone else tells you something in good faith keep it quiet. It's not mean to make others find their own spots or make their own connections with other hunters. It is almost like some expect you to tell them the exact coordinates and if you don't then you are the bad guy. I don't usually post photos of days when no birds are taken. I guess they think every time I go out I bag birds so I should make it that easy for them too. I think that is a byproduct of the instant action the video game generation is use to.

Last fall I saw a guy post a video on an upland site about a good sized chunk of public ground in central SD. He made a map saying where grouse or pheasants could be found and at what time of day. He caught a lot of flack, and I think rightly so. He tried to justify it by saying he was told where to go by a couple old timers and felt he should pass on the info. The problem is that he got that info by visiting with a couple guys in a diner. Being friendly and having a personal discussion with them. They were helping out a young guy who was already hunting the area and looked like he needed some help. They weren't shouting it out for everyone to know the place they had scouted and enjoyed going to. It was not his work that found those birds, they were being nice to him. I have no doubt that in the weeks after he posted the video that the area saw an increase in pressure.
He was trying to be the big man on the internet giving out info that wasn't his. There is a lot of that happening.

Tim
 
I don't have the competition for waterfowling spots that many of you guys have but we have plenty when it comes to pheasant hunting. I don't get caught up in hiding my spots for duck hunting, most of the locals already know these spots and it isn't a secret to anyone. Yeah there are still some idiots but I haven't noticed the waterfowling idiots getting much worse around here.

I do hide some of my pheasant spots. I hunt almost exclusively on public ground. Some is already heavily hunted and other areas are not inside the traditional areas where people looks at so they are a little bit of a secret. I don't mind telling someone in person who is actively hunting the same area I am where I saw birds or what type of cover they are holding in. If they are out searching for their self then they aren't just trying to steal a spot.

I do put some photos on some social media groups but I do not give out very detailed info on the areas hunted. I had someone basically ask for the exact spot I was at last week. I politely told him eastern SD. I have hunted plenty of poor spots to find a few that usually hold birds. It's just the way you should find spots not asking strangers over the internet. And if someone else tells you something in good faith keep it quiet. It's not mean to make others find their own spots or make their own connections with other hunters. It is almost like some expect you to tell them the exact coordinates and if you don't then you are the bad guy. I don't usually post photos of days when no birds are taken. I guess they think every time I go out I bag birds so I should make it that easy for them too. I think that is a byproduct of the instant action the video game generation is use to.

Last fall I saw a guy post a video on an upland site about a good sized chunk of public ground in central SD. He made a map saying where grouse or pheasants could be found and at what time of day. He caught a lot of flack, and I think rightly so. He tried to justify it by saying he was told where to go by a couple old timers and felt he should pass on the info. The problem is that he got that info by visiting with a couple guys in a diner. Being friendly and having a personal discussion with them. They were helping out a young guy who was already hunting the area and looked like he needed some help. They weren't shouting it out for everyone to know the place they had scouted and enjoyed going to. It was not his work that found those birds, they were being nice to him. I have no doubt that in the weeks after he posted the video that the area saw an increase in pressure.
He was trying to be the big man on the internet giving out info that wasn't his. There is a lot of that happening.

Tim
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I hope that guy didn't give out any of my secret SD spots.
 
I do put some photos on some social media groups but I do not give out very detailed info on the areas hunted. I had someone basically ask for the exact spot I was at last week. I politely told him eastern SD. I have hunted plenty of poor spots to find a few that usually hold birds. It's just the way you should find spots not asking strangers over the internet. And if someone else tells you something in good faith keep it quiet. It's not mean to make others find their own spots or make their own connections with other hunters. It is almost like some expect you to tell them the exact coordinates and if you don't then you are the bad guy. I don't usually post photos of days when no birds are taken. I guess they think every time I go out I bag birds so I should make it that easy for them too. I think that is a byproduct of the instant action the video game generation is use to.

Tim
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Make sure you turn off the photo location tracking on any photo's you take. It is very easy to learn exactly where the picture was taken if you leave this feature turned on.

Mark W
 
In my read it sounds like you don't like the fact that they have nice rigs and beat you to the ramp.
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Kind of agree with this. What you are talking about has been going on since the beginning of legalized hunting. It is just the way in which information gets passed along that has changed.

Old days it used to be the guys hanging out at the local diner talking, or going to the local church feed that would share their story. Next thing you know, there were 10 "newbies" hunting the spot that proved good.

Same with equipment. As technology changes, so does the purchasing habits of those who can partake. Technology changes to make the sport "easier" or "more comfortable", take more game, or whatever the intended purpose. Oh yeah, and to sell more stuff.

So those of us who have been around awhile change the way in which we hunt. We can either fight the crowds and complain, or we can change due to our vast wisdom and experience (can stop laughing now). I know for certain that I have changed 180 since I started hunting 40 plus years ago. I no longer frequent places where I know there will be many hunters. I now only hunt places where I know I may typically run into 1-2 others, and in many cases of late, 0 hunters. I may not see as many birds as the more "popular" places but the hunt is much more enjoyable. For me that is.

For instance. I went out Friday afternoon. I knew going in I would likely see no ducks but went anyway to get away from the rat race here at work. Got to my spot and as predicted, there was no one else there. I saw two ducks go whizzing by way out of range and then sat for awhile. With about an hour to go, I saw a flock high and way off in the distance. I called and got them to take notice. To make the long story short, they circled 4-5 times before committing to the dekes. Got a couple out of the flock and that was all I saw until sunset.

Would I have had this sort of chance hunting anywhere near a crowd - not at all. Someone would have blasted at them from 150 yards out I am certain.

Guess your perspective all boils down to why are you out hunting. Figure that out and adjust your hunting style to suit your style and you will find duck hunting so much more enjoyable. Thus the new found interest for me to go all out lightweight, minimum gear hunting. One guy's opinion.

Mark W
 
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I hunted near a guy the other day that let birds work... A few swung by his dekes at 30-35 and he passed. It was clear the birds weren't committed to his spread. Of course I did the same. After he finished his limit I walked a couple hundred yards down the edge of the marsh and shook his hand. He commented on my patience only shooting green. I commented on how he was an exemplar of sportsmanship and what I love to see in all public land waterfowlers. We shared a laugh and a smile. He was grey in the face and by no means a spring chicken.

I remember a day when this was the norm. Don't tell me things are the same as they used to be.
 
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That is exactly what I meant when I said that I wish the respect was still passed down as it was to me.

Now it seems that if some folks know that the birds are going to decoy to another hunters spread, they will literally shoot just to intentionally spook birds and spite a complete stranger? (I have witnessed it)

I by no means am saying that I haven't stretched the limits of a load before, but I would NEVER do it knowing that birds had taken more interest in a neighboring decoy spread.

Things are just different I suppose.

Jon that was quite honorable on both ends.
 
Tod,

Very good observation sir! I believe the true intent of my remarks has been discovered!!
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What are they doing that you don't like? Shooting aggressively? Buying nice boats and trucks? Getting to the ramp early?

People have been poor sports for a long time. Most of the assholes I've tangled with over the years for acting poorly have not been young.

Nice truck and boat - yeah what asshats for investing in stuff that makes them happy. That too has been happening for a long time. I have a nice rig, am I a jerk for that?

Getting to the ramp early and clogging the ramp up? I thought the jerk was the guy that got there late, not the early bird.

You are acting like these guys are a different generation, like you are an old crusty guy that has seen it all and these upstarts are from a different planet. You are of the same generation, you just don't like their style. As Mark pointed out, folks have been adapting their hunting to others for a long time. Many of us here have been the same place you are. It isn't these punks, it is you on a journey trying to decide what you want out of hunting.
 
I'm not knockin them for having nice stuff, but more on the whole pro-team, gotta have it now, sorta attitude.
And wondering how in the hell they afford all that shit????
 
I apologize Tod for my passive sarcasm as it was intended sincerely as a joke.

The intent of me starting this thread was to see if anyone else was experiencing frustration with the popularity the sport has gained through television and social media, not limited to only youth hunters.

I by no means consider myself "an old crusty guy", but I feel like I have invested a lot of time in this sport.

Maybe a lot of my comments were stereotypical of today's younger hunters, or old, or I should not have thrown the comment about the value in their gear because god knows what everyone on here has invested both in time and money for our feathered friends.

The comment about the ramp crowd is something we all experience, and I don't mind going early, but when I scout an area for weeks prior to the season with one maybe two others out prior to first light, and then the first morning there are 37 vehicles there it is frustrating.

My very first sentence in this thread was it may seem like I am venting, and I am to a degree, but its something some other members have agreed with.

It was by no means my intent to evaluate "what I want out of Hunting" in this thread
 
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I apologize Tod for my passive sarcasm as it was intended sincerely as a joke.

The intent of me starting this thread was to see if anyone else was experiencing frustration with the popularity the sport has gained through television and social media, not limited to only youth hunters.

I by no means consider myself "an old crusty guy", but I feel like I have invested a lot of time in this sport.

Maybe a lot of my comments were stereotypical of today's younger hunters, or old, or I should not have thrown the comment about the value in their gear because god knows what everyone on here has invested both in time and money for our feathered friends.

The comment about the ramp crowd is something we all experience, and I don't mind going early, but when I scout an area for weeks prior to the season with one maybe two others out prior to first light, and then the first morning there are 37 vehicles there it is frustrating.

My very first sentence in this thread was it may seem like I am venting, and I am to a degree, but its something some other members have agreed with.

It was by no means my intent to evaluate "what I want out of Hunting" in this thread
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You also started saying you wanted opinions. I gave you mine.
 
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