Public Land Life

[BrandonOR]

Tough Morning goose hunting today.

Got setup early but not too early, wasn't trying to fight anyone for a spot and of there was someone there I would leave. It was empty, awesome!

I setup my decoys and get comfortable and start listening and then I hear a volley of fire, I'm talking 3 to 6 shots every 30 seconds coming from the Willamette river. This went on for a while and then stopped and then came back.

I finally hear my first set of geese and start calling and no bologna, a family let's there dog and kids out and they start running and screaming, public land?amiright?

Someone was having a good day on the river or skeet shooting cause that's the only time I've heard that many shots lol.

I packed up and left trying not to be sore about it, it does kind of feel like a time steal. Scouting and waiting out the window. I didn't even get any practice calling them in which sucks cause I'd like to learn something everytime I'm out that I can apply to next time.

I guess I learned geese hate barking dogs running through fields lol no luck getting private land for geese yet.

I really want to get my first goose for Christmas, maybe I will try again tomorrow.

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[Member 34319]

When I first moved here, lots of locals acted like it was illegal to do anything but hunt on state lands during hunting seasons.

I still, to this day, hear folks talk similarly.

Sorry to hear about your missed opportunity, sadly, these days, you have to go pretty far in to be alone.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

How many decoys do you use in that spot?

 

[Mikej]

I'd feel terrible if I knew I spooked geese away from a hunters blind. Even if I had to run a dog. There's all kinds of places without water to play with the dog and kids. Besides, those geese get like vermin in places. Ever try to walk anywhere near the lake in Blue Lake Park? Pretty much all goose droppings. I say kill a bunch of 'em and feed the family, if that's your bag.

 

[BrandonOR]

I'd feel terrible if I knew I spooked geese away from a hunters blind. Even if I had to run a dog. There's all kinds of places without water to play with the dog and kids. Besides, those geese get like vermin in places. Ever try to walk anywhere near the lake in Blue Lake Park? Pretty much all goose droppings. I say kill a bunch of 'em and feed the family, if that's your bag.

Cascade gateway used to be covered with a top layer of goose poop. Haven't been there recently as homeless have moved in to that area and it's really sketchy. They had a meth fire in a tent! Crazy.

I can't blame people for wanting to play with their dogs and kids. I would do the same.

 

[BrandonOR]

How many decoys do you use in that spot?

Small, 8 decoys. It's what I got

 

[BrandonOR]

When I first moved here, lots of locals acted like it was illegal to do anything but hunt on state lands during hunting seasons.

I still, to this day, hear folks talk similarly.

Sorry to hear about your missed opportunity, sadly, these days, you have to go pretty far in to be alone.

I just started hunting a few years ago, I would never want to be "one of those" hunters that cause me not to gain access to places.

I just got a stack of business cards and I have a list of letters to write. It's definitely my fault for working so hard on coyote the past couple months and not trying for waterfowl. I did gain access to a place that looks like he might let me turkey hunt too.

Maybe instead of hunting I'll go bust some clays, but every day the weather isn't awful I just want to go out ya know?

 

[gmerkt]

Good day for the geese. They got to keep going toward their sunny Winter vacation.

 

[jbett98]

My neighbor was driving to the coast with his drift boat a couple of years ago during opening day of goose hunting season, when one of his boats trailer tire bearings goes bad and the wheel comes flying off and rolls down an embankment at 60 miles an hour and bounces right smack into the middle of a set of goose decoys, right at day break.
A flock of geese were just about to land and as he waded out into the pond to retrieve his tire, the camouflaged hunters were none to pleased about it.
All of his apologies and lame excuses wouldn't bring those geese back and as he dragged the tire and wheel up the hill, he got the feeling they wanted to shoot some bird shot into his behind for ruining their opening morning.

 

[Bon Sauvage]

Small, 8 decoys. It's what I got

That is eight more than what I have.

 

[BrandonOR]

My neighbor was driving to the coast with his drift boat a couple of years ago during opening day of goose hunting season, when one of his boats trailer tire bearings goes bad and the wheel comes flying off and rolls down an embankment at 60 miles an hour and bounces right smack into the middle of a set of goose decoys, right at day break.
A flock of geese were just about to land and as he waded out into the pond to retrieve his tire, the camouflaged hunters were none to pleased about it.
All of his apologies and lame excuses wouldn't bring those geese back and as he dragged the tire and wheel up the hill, he got the feeling they wanted to shoot some bird shot into his behind for ruining their opening morning.

That's funny .....I mean. I'm glad he's okay lol

 

[jbett98]

He's another one of those guys that does no maintenance on his equipment and can't understand why stuff breaks down on him.
Just this morning he was throwing away a nice Ryobi pressure washer he bought last year and after sitting in his shed after just one use, it won't start.
It's got a great little Honda GCV 160 motor on it and after I pull the carb and clean it out, I'm positive it will fire up.
He went to Costco and bought another one just like it.
15 years ago he was throwing away a Honda Harmony 215 lawnmower that had a bad transmission that he had messed up somehow.
A replacement transmission cost me $98.00 and I've been mowing my lawn with it ever since.

 

[oremike]

I think around Wheatland Ferry area there are farmers that maybe for a fee will allow you to hunt. You might check with ODF&W as well, I think they have farmers the get paid to plant Millet and other foder crops that you can with permission hunt .

 

[No_Regerts]

I wish you lived up in WA. I know lots if private landowners that allow waterfowl hunting.

 

[Koda]

Had some guys zeroing in their deer rifle in the middle of season right at the end of the road I wanted to hunt. Unbenownst to them, but knownst to me, was one of the larger buck rubs Ive found about 40 yards past their target. I didnt get my deer though in all honesty I probably wouldnt have outsmarted such a wise blacktail anyways. Well anyways they had the right to be there so I drove to a new spot and found more sign and flushed a doe so not all was lost I have a new spot to scout. Public lands for ya Im just thankful to have it.

 

[Labradorian]

I knew an oregon state cop who got fired for posting public land as private and then selling guided hunts. Didnt work out too well for him.

 

[CastleRocker]

I've done my share of being "irritated" with other users of public land, especially when I was younger. As I've grown older and done some hunting in other states...I'm thankful for every acre of public land we have here.

We went down to visit relatives in Alabama a couple times now, and was fortunate to go hunt with my cousin. There is NO public land there. If you want to hunt, you pay to join a club, or buy a deer lease. He has done very well for himself, and so he is able to pay a lot in order to hunt, and take guests with him. Of course you have an area in front of the blind, and can't go bust through a draw, or head over to that far ridge to take a look, because there are other hunters that are in blinds over there. I've never experienced "hunting" like that, but it is what it is...better than nothing (if you can afford it).

I'm still not happy to see how our public land is treated by some, and I pick up a LOT of their garbage, because I'm thankful we have places to go. I also still get ticked off when I've put forth a lot of time an effort to hunt an area, only to have my time wasted when some other user group screws up my hunt...but at least I can try again some other time, and still have places to go with public property.

 

[Koda]

I've never experienced "hunting" like that, but it is what it is...better than nothing (if you can afford it).

This 100%. So thankful for the huge amounts of public land we have in Oregon if it wasnt for that hunting would be for the rich only. Id much rather put up with occasionally being crowded out, I always scout 3 areas to hunt each season and always find someplace to myself even if occasionally its not the spot I wanted that day.

 

[Mark W.]

The Willamette GreenWay is open for hunting as far as I know. To bad a guy can't get permission to hunt the gravel pits up and down the Willamette they are full of waterfowl.

 

[turq]

Some things on public land are about slob hunters more than anything.
They know nothing about hunting elk andTWO of them is almost the worst as they come into your stand area TALKING for the1/2 hour you can hear them comming (with bad hearing)
The worst is to arrive at your stand that last year you tagged a nice spike only to have a slob walk into the clearing 100 yards away squat against a tree and drop a load(don't look) not bury it then walk on never seeing you but ruining yourhunt for days at thatplace. eerrrr.
or those that chase elk....
that hunter that breaks out of a wide draw;easy sloped down from say 2 miles up only to JUMP into the road and demand ina panic that you take him back to where his pickup is parked : LOST,,,,, FREAKED OUT. WE did, next day one in my party went down that long straight draw (2" snow on ground) only to find his tracks RUNNING downhill 6 FOOT strides ,,,,,, after deer tracks in elk season. Only to land on us in the middle of the road.
Turn around and Follow your tracks in this light snow back to your truck,,,,uphill.