# How close to other hunters?



## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

So on a typical WMA, how close can you set up to other hunters while being courteous? I'm not talking about opening day, lets just say a weekday mid-season.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

There were a few guys that were just getting out(walking) to the spot we were headed tonight in the canoe. Out of respect for their effort(I've walked it with dekes many times) We went probably 400 yards away so as not to affect their hunt. There doesn't usually seem to be as much crowding issues in the marshy areas off the dikes, especially not during the week.

On the dikes, any day, any time, there is rarely such a thing as courtesy, or too close. At least that's been my observation. I've found that if you try to give the guys down from you plenty of space on the dike, that space will be filled by people who struggle with judging distance(from people and ducks).

I've watched guys almost come to blows over who shot a regular ol' gadwall before.:shock:


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

In the marsh I would say 100 yards minimum, and 200+ yards is what I usually go for. You don't want to be too close to someone's decoy spread, or else you will either pull birds away from them, or they will pull birds away from you.

On a popular dike, you may as well take what you can get. In all the popular spots, it'll fill in to 15 or 20 yards between groups anyway. You've either got to live with it or go somewhere else.

If you're on a dike but in a bigger open area, I'd say go for around 100 yards. Staying farther apart isn't as big of a deal if there are no decoys involved, but 100 yards is enough space to allow for some breathing room. You probably won't die if you get accidentally shot at 100 yards either.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

++1 to Clark's 200+ suggestion. With this distance, wind direction and the resulting swing of birds on approach become less of a problem for the set that is "upwind". By problem, i mean the set that is more downwind has less of a chance/"i couldnt resist" to shoot the birds that are on the swing for the more "upwind" set.

On the ice later in the season, the further the better... The birds seem a bit more picky about whom/where they want to put down the landing gear, when spreads are close all it does is create confusion for the birds, they'll swing and swing and swing and eventually drift away. Case in point, like a situation that happened to a friend of mine last year... they spent the better part of the wee hours of the EARLY morning in below 0 temps getting the perfect setup placed on a local flow, to be later set up on by another party claiming that they were at least a 1/4 mile away. We later ranged it @ 122 yds... the real sucky thing was the other party didnt even bother to hide the big green canoe they dragged their decoys out with, just flopped it over on the rushes relefcting the early morning sun in the direction of our setup flaring birds on an easterly approach to us but working just fine if birds were to have come from a westerly direction. I suppose what im saying in all this is, if someone beats you to your desired spot, be it early, mid, or late season, please show some respect and courtesy and find another spot or in the case of the canoe dragger, go get some breakfast.


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## OKEE (Jan 3, 2008)

Out off shooting range + 100 yards. Unless you go to the main dike 
at Howard slough then it's elbow to elbow or if your gun barrel hits the guy in the head next to you ,your ok.


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## chuck harsin (May 1, 2011)

Clarq said:


> In the marsh I would say 100 yards minimum, and 200+ yards is what I usually go for. You don't want to be too close to someone's decoy spread, or else you will either pull birds away from them, or they will pull birds away from you.
> 
> On a popular dike, you may as well take what you can get. In all the popular spots, it'll fill in to 15 or 20 yards between groups anyway. You've either got to live with it or go somewhere else.
> 
> If you're on a dike but in a bigger open area, I'd say go for around 100 yards. Staying farther apart isn't as big of a deal if there are no decoys involved, but 100 yards is enough space to allow for some breathing room. You probably won't die if you get accidentally shot at 100 yards either.


Clarq not to be rude but if you set up 100 yds from me it is possible I may SHOOT A HOLE IN YOUR BOAT!  300-400 or load the boat and go somewhere else. Especially during the week because almost anywhere there is enough room to spread out.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

chuck harsin said:


> Clarq not to be rude but if you set up 100 yds from me it is possible I may SHOOT A HOLE IN YOUR BOAT!  300-400 or load the boat and *go somewhere else*. Especially during the week because almost anywhere there is enough room to spread out.


LMAO, Agreed... i should have put a few more +'s next to that 200 before i pushed submit. :mrgreen:


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

The big question is.....How do you politely tell someone they are too close? I absolutely hate when I am hunting during the week and there are literally only a handful of people in the marsh and someone parks right on top of me. If you say anything to some of these people they get very defensive.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

chuck harsin said:


> Clarq not to be rude but if you set up 100 yds from me it is possible I may SHOOT A HOLE IN YOUR BOAT!  300-400 or load the boat and go somewhere else. Especially during the week because almost anywhere there is enough room to spread out.


I don't have a boat. :mrgreen:

When I say 100 yards minimum, I mean minimum. I don't set up that close unless there's a crowd. It just messes me up in addition to everyone else.

No need to worry about me. I don't plan on hunting anywhere your boat can go.


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## Josh Noble (Jul 29, 2008)

chuck harsin said:


> Clarq not to be rude but if you set up 100 yds from me it is possible I may SHOOT A HOLE IN YOUR BOAT!  300-400 or load the boat and go somewhere else. Especially during the week because almost anywhere there is enough room to spread out.


WHOA!!! Clarq what Chuck meant to say is that if you were planning on setting up that close he'd take a stroll over to your area and ask you if you wanted to hunt with him, perhaps even combine decoy spreads. This has always worked well for me. (I'm trying to work on Harsin's tactfulness in the outdoors but I don't have a whole lot to work with);-)


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## chuck harsin (May 1, 2011)

lol Ya thats what I meant....... :mrgreen:


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## hossblur (Jun 15, 2011)

That Howard Slough crack was funny crap. I took my son out on that main dike last season. He was hearing all the shooting and figured ol dad was lying about there probably only being one duck getting shot by 12 dudes. Went out, 1hour before shooting, only ones there. In the next hour we got 16 neighbors all within 250yrds, including the inevitable 5 min. after shooting dude that stands in the middle of the dike smoking like a chimney screaming at his dog(apparently named son of a bit## or mother F*&ker) for the first 20 min. he was there looking for that 2 foot window to squeeze into. It was a good teaching experience, he hasn't asked to go back, and in fact was laughing last night when the war started down there. Sure would love to see a CO sit down there and hand out tickets for not retreiving and not picking up hulls and coffee cups. Funny thing, the further away from that dike the better people act out there. Had several guys pass us last night on the far north side and every one of them stopped to ask where guys were at so they didn't mess them up, that too was a great teaching experience for the boy.


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## LETTER-RIP (Sep 14, 2007)

When we head out and run into people in an area we are planning on hunting, we usually will come up with an option B. I know that this is not always possible especially when walking. But if you are actually going out to hunt and "Decoy" your birds. Not have them swing by and shoot them up at the first pass type hunting. Then IMO you wont want to be by anyone. Birds rarely drop right in and try to land in a spread on the first pass. And I have not been out hunting and EVER had someone pass on birds that are still in the process of looking for a place to land. It seems like most people are in way to big of a hurry to shoot at birds as soon as they can.
If I could set up 200 yrds from someone and knew that they would only take shots at birds that where back peddling into there spread. I would. It would actually be interesting to see who could decoy the birds better than the other. But these days most people are just trying to shoot at anything that even passes over their head because they just want to shoot their gun. This is JMO, and me and my couple of hunting buddies really do hunt this way every day. To me Decoying birds is and art and when it all comes together, is the only way to shoot ducks.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

outdoorser said:


> so on a typical wma, how close can you set up to other hunters while being courteous? I'm not talking about opening day, lets just say a weekday mid-season.


311' 10 7/16"

.


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## massmanute (Apr 23, 2012)

What is a safe distance as far as stray pellets is concerned?


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## Bears Butt (Sep 12, 2007)

There really isn't any such thing as a Stray Pellet..It's either coming at you or it aint..just saying.

I like to think that my shotgun will shoot out to 100 yards. Your shotgun will shoot out to 100 yards and so my MINIMUM setup will be 200 yards from the next setup.

I actually don't like to be that close, but sometimes thing don't work out for me and I have to bite the bullet. If I see TOO MUCH company, I'll just turn around and go back home. There are plenty of days ahead when the weather is so bad, only the real hunters want to be out in it. On those days you don't have to worry about crowds.


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## massmanute (Apr 23, 2012)

Bears Butt,

I was actually more interested in the safe range. However, I found some information on the web from the Scottsdale Shooting Academy. They list 330 yards as the maximum distance for #2 shot to travel. I assume that's lead shot. I don't know how that would translate to non-toxic shot, but Anyway, it seems that 200 yards might not be a safe distance, but then, I'm no expert. I'm here to learn.

The reason I asked is that a few decades ago there was a story of a pheasant hunter in Cache valley who lost an eye to a pellet from a shotgun fired from the far end of a field. I have no idea how long the field was, or what load was involved.


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## wyogoob (Sep 7, 2007)

massmanute said:


> what is a safe distance as far as stray pellets is concerned?


311' 10 7/16"

.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

massmanute said:


> Bears Butt,
> 
> I was actually more interested in the safe range. However, I found some information on the web from the Scottsdale Shooting Academy. They list 330 yards as the maximum distance for #2 shot to travel. I assume that's lead shot. I don't know how that would translate to non-toxic shot, but Anyway, it seems that 200 yards might not be a safe distance, but then, I'm no expert. I'm here to learn.
> 
> The reason I asked is that a few decades ago there was a story of a pheasant hunter in Cache valley who lost an eye to a pellet from a shotgun fired from the far end of a field. I have no idea how long the field was, or what load was involved.


I have gotten to the point now when I hear someone shoot around me I know from the direction of the sound if the pellets are coming my way. I know that sounds dumb as hell but it is the honest truth. I hear the shot and I turn my head and look down, and most of the time the BB's end up in my boat. I'm sure others have experienced "that sound" and you know BB's are coming your way. I have had BB's rain down on me several times bouncing off my boat, motor and myself. There doesn't seem to be much energy to steel shot when it's falling, and it has never caused harm or damage. I wouldn't want to catch one in the eye though. I always have glasses on for that reason, and when I shoot I don't like powder in my eyes.


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