# Stop Shooting After Hours!



## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

The last several trips to Farmington Bay, including the one today ended with people shooting until 5:45 Shooting times are set for a reason and WE need to start turning these idiots in. It's poaching as far as I'm concerned and these folks need a ticket. This has been the norm out there this year and it is unacceptable in my book. There were a dozen boats loading at the Turpin ramp tonight, and I'm sure I wasn't the only one hearing what was going on long past legal shooting time.


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## Al Hansen (Sep 7, 2007)

Same up at Howards Slough when I've been out there. But 45 minutes !!!! Holy Crap !!!! :evil:


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Pretty frustrating when crap like that happens without repercussions/tickets. In all honesty it isn't fair to other hunters or the ducks. I'm sure we would all love to hang out and shoot(if it were legal) even twenty minutes later every night, I swear those birds read the regs and know exactly when shooting ends.


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## blueshooter (Oct 10, 2009)

It wasn't me I was sore to the bone by 4:30 haling decoys around so was out of FB by then.
Where was the DNR Officer at that time? he checked me for my license at around 11 AM , didn't see his truck when I was headed home though.


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## Montego13 (Dec 2, 2012)

The DNR can't be everywhere..back to what fowlmouth said "WE" need to start turning these idiots in.


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## GoneGoosin (Aug 17, 2011)

We heard the same thing at the Refuge over in Unit 2C this past Wednesday. They probably only went 20 minutes over but annoying as heck nevertheless. There was a Federal truck that roamed the loop there after hours earlier in the year and I truly hoped they would be there that night. I'll be adding the poaching number to my phone as this year has indeed been rediculous.


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## chuck harsin (May 1, 2011)

GoneGoosin said:


> I'll be adding the poaching number to my phone as this year has indeed been rediculous.


Great Idea!!! Everyone should have this number at your fingertips AND USE IT if they break the law turn them in. Get as much info as possible and call in the posse. Shooting late is not fair to other hunters but especially the birds. I even have the numbers for the CO's in the areas I frequent rather than the hotline as often the few minutes lost with dispatch matters.


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

What these dinguses dont realize is that it is a huge safety concern for everyone else. Guys are packing up and heading in for the day and I am pretty sure they dont want to get shot on the way back to the truck.

STOP SHOOTING AFTER HOURS BUTTHEADS!


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

Montego13 said:


> The DNR can't be everywhere..back to what fowlmouth said "WE" need to start turning these idiots in.


Welcome to the forum Montego!


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## nk1nk (Nov 15, 2011)

Whenever I hear about shooting after hours it reminds me of the time i was in high school and a friend of mine was out for an evening hunt and walking back in a good 20 minutes after shooting time we saw a raccoon on the **** and I asked my buddy if we could shoot it, he was like hell yeah they are bad for the ducks out here so we we each shot at it and killed it. Well we get back to the parking lot and this big bearded brute of a guy just starts ripping us a new one, I thought he was going to kill us for shooting after hours, I was so scared I just kept saying im sorry, im sorry it won't happen again and it hasn't, just this year on the opener I saw a **** coming in from the evening hunt and thought to myself I better not, there are to many other hunters out here that will think the wrong thing. But I agree we need to report it when we see it. It's really bad out at Utah lake.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

Fowlmouth.... You aint a kiddin! I was out there last night, I packed out, I started cleaning up at 4:55pm, and those J-holes were shooting untill 5:50 like it was noon day, I timed them... the whole time I was hiking back in, I was saying out loud to myself " I hope someone turns them in" people like that have no business in the marsh, until they can learn to respect, and appreciate the wildlife, and the law


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## blueshooter (Oct 10, 2009)

sometimes I wonder if any of these people look at the Waterfowl Manuel


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## dubob (Sep 8, 2007)

Hey, maybe they're German. In Germany, shooting is allowed 24 hours per day. But then, German's are taught to respect the game, the game laws, and each other. How refreshing would that be here? :mrgreen:


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## 10Tenner (Oct 7, 2007)

Ignorance on their part or they do not care. Shooting late on the roost is like you trying to go to bed and someone shooting at you, are you going to stay in your house, or move on! 

We were on a goose hunting years ago stayed overnight and some guy let out his buddy at 1:00 am and he jumped most of the birds of the roost. My dad found the empties 00Buck. We watched a few flights head south they left the area, and so our hunting was ruined. They were eventually caught shooting cows at night. We told the DWR and they stayed late one night, but they can not be there every night. I was doing some scouting waiting to see were the birds were at some guy pulled in after shooting hrs got out of his truck and proceed to hunt. I flipped the lights on and drove by his truck he hid and let me get up the road a ways and then must have ran to his truck, he fled of having lead foot. My dad and brother pulled up with their truck with lights on 20 min after shooting ours, these guys were hammering the gees coming in on the roost, they were pissed, they even had the guts to come back the next day looking for lost birds. 
Some hunters do not care, maybe the only time they can get birds?? 10Tenner


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## mallardgoose (Oct 11, 2010)

I’m glad to see this post because I think a lot of hunters are starting to think it’s the norm to shoot after hours. It is not normal, ethical, safe, or legal. I took my son out to Farmington bay on Friday and we started walking back after shooting hours and several guys were shooting after hours. Even one guy on the dike as we were walking by. I told him it was past shooting hours, and he looked at me like I was a weirdo. I had to continue to tell my son that they are crazy to be shooting after hours because it is illegal, unsafe, and they could get a hefty ticket. 

If you are reading this post don’t shoot after hours, because next time I am turning you in.


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

There was a DWR officer tonight watching for late shooters on Unit 3 of Ogden Bay. I talked to him for a minute and he told e they had busted quite a few people out there this year. Good to see then out!


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## hossblur (Jun 15, 2011)

FINALLY someone was out on Unit 3. Problem is, most of the shots are over on machine gun alley. I am going to tread lightly though, last time I said anything about the DWR I was the bad guy. As for the "they can't be everywhere" argument, I am just happy to hear they were somewhere. Nothing bugs me more than shooting after hours. 

Swaner, any swans tonight? Last night I found the honeyhole, only problem is its up on the club east of the slough(wild wings?). Watched about 100 land in there last night, AND YES THEY CROSSED ME, BUT IT WAS AFTER HOURS, so there were no shots from me.


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

I think we only saw 7 or 8 tonight. A single when we first got there, a flock of 5 or 6 right near closing that kept heading north, and a single landed on the water when we were on our way out.

That storm last night sure wasn't very impressive. I thought we would do really well on the ducks but there weren't many around and the few that were, landed in the small stuff back in the cattails. It sounded like the Slough got a lot of shooting but those guys will shoot at anything *\-\*


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

goosefreak said:


> Fowlmouth.... You aint a kiddin! I was out there last night, I packed out, I started cleaning up at 4:55pm, and those J-holes were shooting untill 5:50 like it was noon day, I timed them... the whole time I was hiking back in, I was saying out loud to myself " I hope someone turns them in" people like that have no business in the marsh, until they can learn to respect, and appreciate the wildlife, and the law


Yep, guys were still blasting away when I left the parking lot at 5:45. It was was very dark outside at that time and I couldn't believe these folks were still shooting. It has been slow hunting lately, but shooting after hours isn't the way to get ducks. Some guys just don't have a clue, any respect and they just don't give a crap what they do. 
On a positive note, the majority of hunters out there are good people that follow the rules. It's just a handful of Yahoos that screw it up for everyone.


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## guner (Sep 25, 2007)

California transplants :!: 

See with the Pacific time zone they are actually still good for an hour after Mountain :shock: :lol:


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## UtahWineOh (Sep 10, 2007)

Fowlmouth said:


> goosefreak said:
> 
> 
> > Fowlmouth.... You aint a kiddin! I was out there last night, I packed out, I started cleaning up at 4:55pm, and those J-holes were shooting untill 5:50 like it was noon day, I timed them... the whole time I was hiking back in, I was saying out loud to myself " I hope someone turns them in" people like that have no business in the marsh, until they can learn to respect, and appreciate the wildlife, and the law
> ...


Looks like a lot of guys on this forum were out there on Saturday PM. I was there too. I heard a shot come from south of the boat ramp as I was buttoning everything up. I thought it had to be an accidental discharge. Then my son asked if I heard all the shots while I was getting the truck and waiting for the boat ramp. What are they thinking...or not thinking? I expected to see a CO waiting by the dike gate, but there wasn't one. I realize they can't be everywhere...but you would think that FB on a Saturday at closing time would be pretty high on the list of priorities.


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## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

I agree with policing our own but I don't know how that could turn in to the person getting ticketed. If I see somebody shoot late, and turn them in, it is basically my word against theirs. I don't see how that would stand up if they fought it.

I watched a guy shoot a goose 20 minutes before it opened a couple years ago. It had gone right through our decoys before making it over to them. We got back to the parking lot and there was a CO standing there at the gate. I talked to him and told him what had happened and gave him a description of the boat and the people. He said "Thats to bad! You gotta hate when that happens!" I was pizzed at first because it didn't seem like he cared about it. Then I realized how hard it would be for him to prove that they had shot early with only me as a witness for proof. I'm sure it is frustrating for them too.


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## Jdub654 (Oct 28, 2011)

You are right, it does come to " my word " vs " his/her word " - This is were you have the power of the people, where the people can enforce the law, in an instance like the goose before shooting time, you should have demanded the CO issue a citation with your signature, stating you were present at the time of the crime, you seen it with your own eyes, the only thing typically thrown out in court on a citizen citation is hearsay. 

2 weeks ago I watched a man shoot from the middle of the paved road, last day of the deer hunt, I called the local CO, CO questioned the guy, he said he didn't do it, CO came talked to me, knew my law enforcement background, asked me to sign the ticket, I said no need too, he left his first casing he ejected right in the middle of the road, at that point the guy confessed everything and was cited. Moral of the story is, people will lie, until they know someone watched them and any Judge will believe someone that has a track history of doing things the right way, taking the time, contacting law enforcement and put their own signature on a citation. Us the people need to hold the people accountable for their unethical situations. We can't count on Law Enforcement all the time. Help make the marsh better, don't confront them, notify the CO offer to sign the ticket, that will curve behavior, marsh will be better for all of us! o-||


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I will politely confront people when they are doing something wrong. Most of the time they just don't know they are doing anything wrong, and they are usually okay about being informed. Once in a while you get an ignorant person that doesn't give a crap, but at least you let them know.


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

I set my alarm on my cell phone for 5:00 yesterday, and unloaded my gun when it sounded. I picked up and headed in, only to hear some late shooting. It was gloomy and raining, there was no way most guys could even identify their targets. I finally yelled at them, as they were a long ways away. To my surprise, I didn't hear another shot. I think guys know they'll be turned in now, with cell phones, etc.


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## chuck harsin (May 1, 2011)

Story time: Way back when, ten thousand or so years ago, Paddler and I were hunting together....... No really :lol: . We called the law on some guys shooting at least 25 minutes late, when they were caught it was discovered that two of the three had expired licences and only one had a duck stamp (on his expired licence). True story


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## Bax* (Dec 14, 2008)

chuck harsin said:


> Story time: Way back when, ten thousand or so years ago, Paddler and I were hunting together....... No really :lol: . We called the law on some guys shooting at least 25 minutes late, when they were caught it was discovered that two of the three had expired licences and only one had a duck stamp (on his expired licence). True story


Thats sad to hear that people just think they are above the law on stuff like this. Reminds me of the shows on catching poachers


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

chuck harsin said:


> Story time: Way back when, ten thousand or so years ago, Paddler and I were hunting together....... No really :lol: . We called the law on some guys shooting at least 25 minutes late, when they were caught it was discovered that two of the three had expired licences and only one had a duck stamp (on his expired licence). True story


That was awesome. I remember walking by those guys. I went over to them and told them they were shooting after hours, and one of them said, "New rules!" But when they got back to their truck and the CO was waiting for them, they discovered the same old rules were still in effect. Too funny. I think a few hundred dollars changed hands as a result.


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