# BRBR on opening morning?



## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

What's it like at BRBR on opening morning? Are the gates programmed to open up two hours prior to sunrise? If so, when does the line start forming? Is it pretty safe to assume it's a NASCAR race as soon as the gate opens up? That parking fills up fast?

Or do they let you drive in earlier, and hope everyone follows the rules?

I've thought about hunting BRBR on the opener, but if it's anything like I picture it being, I doubt I will.


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## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

well I'd worry more about the water situation.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Depends if the government shuts down and you are locked out again.


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

Nope it great out there. Hardly anyone and lots of birds


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Fowlmouth said:


> Depends if the government shuts down and you are locked out again.


Oh, I sure hope not. I hunted a neighboring WMA the year that happened and crowds were insane.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Hoopermat said:


> Nope it great out there. Hardly anyone and lots of birds


Ah, the great problem with the internet. Are you serious, or are you just trying to keep me away from Ogden Bay? -Ov-

Don't worry; I won't be there. And probably not at BRBR either. I guess I'm mainly just curious at how it all works out before shooting even starts. It looks like it has the potential to be a little crazy if hunters don't cooperate.


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

Clarq said:


> Ah, the great problem with the internet. Are you serious, or are you just trying to keep me away from Ogden Bay? -Ov-
> 
> Don't worry; I won't be there. And probably not at BRBR either. I guess I'm mainly just curious at how it all works out before shooting even starts. It looks like it has the potential to be a little crazy if hunters don't cooperate.


Joking. But you can have Ogden bay this year. I'm going north. Way to warm for a good Ogden bay. 
Ps was out there today. Very very few birds. On unit 1. Even less on unit 3. Have heard Howard slough has most of them.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Hoopermat said:


> Joking. But you can have Ogden bay this year. I'm going north. Way to warm for a good Ogden bay.
> Ps was out there today. Very very few birds. On unit 1. Even less on unit 3. Have heard Howard slough has most of them.


Ah, the great problem with the internet. Are you serious, or are you just trying to keep everyone else away from Ogden Bay? -Ov-

:-D

The DWR said the same about Howard Slough. I went there my first opening day, and vowed I would never return on an opener (and I've since learned I usually would rather not return at all).

It's always hard to figure out the best opening day plan. It's hard to pin down a reason why I can have a great shoot one year and then go back again and find almost nothing. And since I only have one a year, the learning curve is pretty slow. The plan this year: hike so far that no one in their right mind will follow, and hope a few birds swing in close enough for a shot. We'll see how it goes.


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

Clarq said:


> Ah, the great problem with the internet. Are you serious, or are you just trying to keep me away from Ogden Bay? -Ov-


Even if her were to stop 1 person from hunting OB, he'd still have to worry about the 2,000 others that would be there.


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## Duck_Dodgers (Nov 28, 2007)

It isn't too bad unless you have a boat. Line start to build half hour before gates open. I've never battles for a spot there. Not many foot soldiers when gates open because most show up right before shooting and walk *****. Go far away from ***** and you can have a decent hunt


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

If you go to Farmington Bay make sure to wear your hunter orange and class III ballistic vest with the ceramic front and back plates. Also a riot helmet would be a good idea as steel shot usually won't penetrate those even at the close ranges the morons at FB tend to get on top of each other with.


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## Duck_Dodgers (Nov 28, 2007)

But I would recommend having a plan on where you're going. Could you can get into some pretty deep water and you gotta know where the birds are flying. there are reasons why there's not a lot of foot soldiers out there. And don't forget about that 10 shell rule on the *****.


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## Thenewguy123 (Sep 19, 2015)

Duck_Dodgers said:


> But I would recommend having a plan on where you're going. Could you can get into some pretty deep water and you gotta know where the birds are flying. there are reasons why there's not a lot of foot soldiers out there. And don't forget about that 10 shell rule on the *****.


What is this ten shell rule?


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Thenewguy123 said:


> What is this ten shell rule?


You may possess a maximum of ten shells if you're hunting within 50 feet of the 1A or 2C dikes. Go here for more info:

http://www.fws.gov/uploadedFiles/BRR_HuntFish_RGB%20(1)%20(1).pdf


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

There will be cars at the gate at 5 pm friday night and the line will just keep getting bigger and the night goes on.


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

dkhntrdstn said:


> There will be cars at the gate at 5 pm friday night and the line will just keep getting bigger and the night goes on.


Is this for real? I know Ogden Bay is a joke, and I always pictured BRBR to be worse.


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

JuniorPre 360 said:


> Is this for real? I know Ogden Bay is a joke, and I always pictured BRBR to be worse.


The worst is FB. By midnight the parking lot is almost full and boats are launching like mad. By 5:00 you will have to park a good half mile away from the parking lot on the road just to be able to park.


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## JuniorPre 360 (Feb 22, 2012)

HAHAHA I stopped hunting on the opener for this reason. But I think I found some geese in a private field this year.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

If the waterfowl season opened mid-week, a lot of the overcrowding issues would be resolved. They did it for general season elk for a long time, and now they do it for muzzleloader deer. So why not?


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

It's only one day. Come on guys. It's like going to a gym in January. Full of people but quickly fades away. 
From a positive view. It's the opening day to the best 3 months of the year


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## Hoopermat (Dec 17, 2010)

While scouting for elk we found a mountain pond completely filled with mallards. And then every other lake or pond was full also.
Maybe the best opener spot is in the mountains


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## LostLouisianian (Oct 11, 2010)

Hoopermat said:


> While scouting for elk we found a mountain pond completely filled with mallards. And then every other lake or pond was full also.
> Maybe the best opener spot is in the mountains


If I had a spot like that there is no doubt I would go there for opening weekend. Next weekend the crowds will be a good 35-50% less than opening weekend.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Hoopermat said:


> While scouting for elk we found a mountain pond completely filled with mallards. And then every other lake or pond was full also.
> Maybe the best opener spot is in the mountains


I have done this before while elk hunting, and both hunts open the same day. I always have a shotgun with me if I hunt the elk opener. ;-)


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## Fowladdiction (Oct 13, 2014)

I have a pond I want to hunt opening morning in the mountains where I elk hunt but I think unfortunately there will be tons of crazy drunk rifle elk hunters in the area. I wonder if the ducks will actually be around with the small city that usually happens in that area.


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Well, folks, it looks like a government shutdown has been avoided. Please hunt the refuge opening morning in celebration.


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## quackaddict35 (Sep 25, 2015)

Clarq said:


> Well, folks, it looks like a government shutdown has been avoided. Please hunt the refuge opening morning in celebration.


Just curious, what WMA's would be affected by a shutdown?


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

quackaddict35 said:


> Just curious, what WMA's would be affected by a shutdown?


Only federal refuges would be affected. In Utah that would mean Bear River, Fish Springs, and Ouray would be closed.

In a different sort of way, they would all be affected. When the government shut down a few years ago, I experienced the worst crowding I'd ever seen at Harold Crane WMA. I had a buddy who went to Public Shooting Grounds and he felt the same way. All the people who would have hunted BRBR had to find somewhere else to go, after all.


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## Duck_Dodgers (Nov 28, 2007)

Baby isn't bad for foot soldiers on opener. Just a lot of rules and dike hunters. If you know a spot off the path you can be all alone on the opener out there. But unless you have a boat or know a spot you'll be wasting your time out their. We use to go there on the opener and got there at 3 am and we're the third or fourth car...only one without a boat. Had our choice of spots. Ducks fly too high out there on the opener. Good luck where ever you go.


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