# Swan Bubba's are out



## Surf n turf (Oct 27, 2008)

and in full force. I wont mince words here...I despise them. They know who they are, those guys that go out and stand out on the dike in full view expecting to pass shoot one or more appropriately skybust them in hopes of killing one or more likely cripple one. and since they have no dog or boat that cripple will never be recovered. Or better yet those of them who feel compelled to get within 50 yards of someone who has swan decoys out and mooch off of the birds that may work their blocks. I got news for you, if you expect to be successful dont hold your breath. Why dont you at the very least tie up some white trash bags and set those out....seriously...are you that lazy or is it you just dont have a clue. I dont understand your logic.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

Surf n turf said:


> and in full force. I wont mince words here...I despise them. They know who they are, those guys that go out and stand out on the dike in full view expecting to pass shoot one or more appropriately skybust them in hopes of killing one or more likely cripple one. and since they have no dog or boat that cripple will never be recovered. Or better yet those of them who feel compelled to get within 50 yards of someone who has swan decoys out and mooch off of the birds that may work their blocks. I got news for you, if you expect to be successful dont hold your breath. Why dont you at the very least tie up some white trash bags and set those out....seriously...are you that lazy or is it you just dont have a clue. I dont understand your logic.


 :lol: I wish they would ban shooting from the dikes, but it will never happen.


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## king eider (Aug 20, 2009)

Mojo1 said:


> :lol: I wish they would ban shooting from the dikes, but it will never happen.


i would go for that unless you have a kid, senior citizen or the like. i just hate it when firing lines are created. but that is life... to bad a few good areas have to go to waste when the swans show up. i think they should open all WMA's let those who have a tag get in and get theirs. spread the hunters who are hunting them around a bit and be done with it! but that is to logical of an approach i guess.


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## TEX-O-BOB (Sep 12, 2007)

Logic/DWR Now there's an oxymoron!


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## 10Tenner (Oct 7, 2007)

Darin Norda, do you really want those Swan Bubba's in your neck of the woods? :wink: 10tenner


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## king eider (Aug 20, 2009)

10Tenner said:


> Darin Norda, do you really want those Swan Bubba's in your neck of the woods? :wink: 10tenner


my friend they have already invaded most the areas i hunt... i say let them have PS and SC for all i care... heck the whole reason you cant hunt swans in cache valley is BS. let them have that pond to hunt them over their as well... like i said before. 2000 tags, let those with a tag get in and shoot their swan and be done with it!


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

Decoys for swans is a waste of time. How can you compete with 2000 to 10,000 in a rest area. You are forced to set up close as you can to the rest area's and wait for fly overs. Have always had the most success that way. You do it your way, I'll do it mine. Just don't shoot at the birds you know are too high.

As for retrieval, strip down naked and wade the canal if you have to, but retrieve your kill. :wink:


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

Hey, I have done it many ways. Have had a air boat, a john boat, done the decoy thing, but for swans the best way is to set up as close to the rest area and wait. Works every time. Then its time to go have your nice spread of decoys and hunt ducks and or geese.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

horsesma said:


> Decoys for swans is a waste of time.


Pass shooting is a wast of time.No fun at all.Decoying them is the best way to do it.You get a good clean kill on them. But Im not telling any one how to hunt there swan. If you like pass shooting then That just make one less spread I have to worry about.O yea I'm heading out Sunday with a big duck,goose and swan spread.should be a great time.


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

dkhntrdstn said:


> horsesma said:
> 
> 
> > Decoys for swans is a waste of time.
> ...


That's fine if your not going to BRBR, but 10 shells is the limit on BRBR. That limits you as to what you are going to hunt. I'm not saying that decoying Swans will not work, it's just hard to compete with 10,000 live decoys. :shock:


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## Hunt1Fish2 (Dec 19, 2007)

10 shell limit only applies to within 50 feet of the dikes on units 1A or 2C on the BRBR.


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

horsesma said:


> dkhntrdstn said:
> 
> 
> > horsesma said:
> ...


Well then you need one shell for your swan and 9 for ducks and geese or better yet get the hell of the dikes and you can have as many shells you want. But Like I said im not going to tell you how to hunt.That the way you hunt fine.Good luck.


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## Surf n turf (Oct 27, 2008)

Hunt1fish2 is correct, them swan bubba's that blast off of dikes 2C or 1A are limited to ten shells and that applies to ducks or geese or whatever. get 50 feet off the dike and you are ok, but if you are going to do that then why not put out some blocks and kill one finishing to some decoys.


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## JERRY (Sep 30, 2007)

Surf n turf said:


> Hunt1fish2 is correct, them swan bubba's that blast off of dikes 2C or 1A are limited to ten shells and that applies to ducks or geese or whatever. get 50 feet off the dike and you are ok, but if you are going to do that then why not put out some blocks and kill one finishing to some decoys.


How many have you killed finishing to decoys at BRBR?


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

Actually I've hunted out of a boat there, I've hunted marching west out on unit 9 as far as I can walk, and I've hunted off the dike with my children over decoys. And I've killed swans all 3 ways. 

I'll be the first to say that I haven't had swans try to finish over my decoys, but I have had them turn towards them and fly over less than 20 yards. I've also had tons of people walking back ask why we didn't shoot at the first 3 flocks that came over us. (hint: if it's not a slam dunk shot of 35 yards or less, I'm not shooting. Someone has to set a good example for my kids) The decoys aren't a guarantee, and you probably won't have them try to land in them, but if it influences where they come over, I'm all for it. Just please, if you're using trash bags, anchor them securely and retrieve them when you're done. I hate having to pick them up after you. 

As for the "Dike Bubba" reference. Great I'll take it. Because when I hunt with my 6 year old, lets be honest, she can't do much over about 8 inches of water for more than about 200 yards. So yes, I'll hunt off the dike with her. I'll also pick up all the trash on the way back, all the spent hulls left sitting out there and coach her on why we don't shoot at the high ones. We'll be down in the weeds and not visible, and set up as far away form everyone else as possible, with our own decoys. It has nothing to do with my hunting ability or willingness to work for it. And if you don't believe me, come with me some time when I'm not with the kids, because I promise I'll hike your a$$ into the ground. 

But seriouosly, don't assume that everyone hunting the dike is some lazy a$$. Because I'm betting that if you watch the crowd coming off the 1A dike at the close of shooting, there's as many kids as adults. And yes there are some sky busting idiots that go out there. But believe me, the rest of us on the dike are rolling our eyes at him wishing he'd leave just as much as you are.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

Well stated Wasatch.

There are bad apples in every section of waterfowl hunting. Swan hunting is a management tool to control swan numbers and offer some sport. Hunting off of a dike is another management tool. The USFWS and the DWR recognizes those management tools and supports them. 

There are sky-busters and folks that crowd other hunters on foot, in a boat, with a dog or without. Wounding a bird is part of the game, sad as it may be. I wouldn't single out what I affectionately call "dike dummies" as the only bad guys out there.

I hunt swans with or without decoys, and sometimes I use white garbage bags. I can't remember anyone using swan decoys at BRMBR before I drug them out there. I few of us painted goose decoys although. Swan decoys work well for me and I've had swans land amongst them while napping or picking up trash on the dike.  But one can harvest a swan without them.

I'm trying to harvest a swan with every gauge. I'm down to 28 and .410. Decoys and hunkering down in the phrag are much more important to me with those gauges than if I was using a 12 gauge throwing 3 1/2" Hevi-shots. I need to bring them in close, not because my .410 has a shorter range, but because it has so few pellets. So it's tough, some birds have been shot over my dekes while I was waiting for them to get a little closer. I should have talked to my "neighbors" up front and told them to give me a little break, tell them I was dying of cancer or something. It helps me to go face to face with them; one look at this old fart and they feel sorry for me. 

Blah, blah, blah, 

I like the 10-shot limit at the two dikes on the BRMBR. Geeze, I wish I would have taken pictures of the carnival atmosphere on those dikes before the shell restrictions. Boom boxes, lawn chairs, coolers, bicycles, wagons, wheel barrows, and litter, man for all the litter.

I carry a phone out in the marsh and turn in the lawbreakers. But, sadly, being a knucklehead, or rude, or not hunting "my way" is not against the law.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

WasatchOutdoors said:


> ...............And if you don't believe me, come with me some time when I'm not with the kids, because I promise I'll hike your **** into the ground.
> ..............................quote]
> 
> You're on buddy, let's rock! Chest waders or hip waders? :wink:


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

WasatchOutdoors said:


> As for the "Dike Bubba" reference. Great I'll take it. Because when I hunt with my 6 year old, lets be honest, she can't do much over about 8 inches of water for more than about 200 yards. So yes, I'll hunt off the dike with her. I'll also pick up all the trash on the way back, all the spent hulls left sitting out there and coach her on why we don't shoot at the high ones. We'll be down in the weeds and not visible, and set up as far away form everyone else as possible, with our own decoys. It has nothing to do with my hunting ability or willingness to work for it. And if you don't believe me, come with me some time when I'm not with the kids, because I promise I'll hike your **** into the ground.
> 
> But seriouosly, don't assume that everyone hunting the dike is some lazy ****. Because I'm betting that if you watch the crowd coming off the 1A dike at the close of shooting, there's as many kids as adults. And yes there are some sky busting idiots that go out there. But believe me, the rest of us on the dike are rolling our eyes at him wishing he'd leave just as much as you are.


Wow... fantastic post. Thats about as perfect as you could have put that. 8)


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## WasatchOutdoors (Sep 26, 2007)

Thanks Riley, and Wyogoob, count me in anytime. Heck I've been dying for an excuse to hunt with you since we met you last year. Oh, but one question, they still make hip waders? LOL! 

But seriously, I would love to hike out there with you, especially when you go to fill the swan tag with the .410


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

I don't know Surf n turf, and I cannot speak for him specifically, but I have a bad habit of generalizing EVERYONE in an area as being the same kind of person as the one individual or group that I am currently hacked off at, so MAYBE, the comment of "You know who you are." should be taken at face value.
If YOU know you are not a bubba, and doing the kinds of things that created the "bubba" image of trashy fool, then I don't think he is talking to YOU anyway, and maybe you should all be less sensitive about it. :mrgreen: 
Then again, maybe he IS. :shock: :mrgreen:

I hunt the east dike at Farmington more often than anyplace else, but I shoot at birds that are in MY range, I limit myself to how many shells I am willing to shoot on any given day, and I pick up WAY more empty shells and other trash than I have EVER taken in with me.
I also crap all over anybody who deserves it while I am there, I cat call and flat out tear the bung hole out of anyone shooting at HIGH birds, NON-game birds, birds over MY head, and anything else that I disapprove of personally. :twisted:

On occasion I have gone to the extent of fetching the local CO if I knew he was handy, and leading him directly to some game hogging idiot who isn't wearing waders, doesn't have a dog, and IS shooting birds, but not making any effort whatsoever to collect them. I have a dog who is _RATHER_ a good retriever, and I STILL wear waders 999 out of every 1000 times I go. That ONE time being when I know my buddy IS going to be wearing HIS.

I have been personally responsible for MANY d-bags packing up and leaving MUCH sooner than they probably would have if they were hunting next to some person who wasn't willing to tell them where the bear sh!tz.
And I talk smack ALL THE TIME about stupid lazy dike dwellers. 
Even I find it amusing since I am doing it while standing on the dike WITH the stupid lazy dike dwellers at the time. 

I have taken a walk down the dike some days to see just what the idiot convention meeting looks like, because it has been exceptionally moronic, and have found ONE group of three or four guys shooting at 100-200 yard birds in EVERY direction, while other people and groups who are NOT idiots (presumably) are just standing there watching the morons and NOT SAYING ANYTHING.
I cannot stand that kind of thing. If d-bags are wrecking the joint, SAY SOMETHING! Half these dipsticks have never had anyone show them or tell them what is and is NOT acceptable or even possible.
They think that because no-one on TV ever misses anything that they shoot at with a shotgun, that THEY should be able to hit ANYTHING they can see with a shotgun TOO.
EDUCATE THEM, believe me, feeling like a fool is a WONDERFUL learning moment.

We don't HAVE to put up with the bubbas in silence. MAKE an effort to let them know that they are not welcome and WHY and maybe at least SOME of them will either learn from the experience or STAY THE HELL OUT OF THE MARSH. Which with the crowding now a days, wouldn't be a bad thing. :mrgreen:

OKAY, lecture over. I hate it when that button gets pushed.  :wink:


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