# Getting beat to a field!



## Jeremy Eickhoff (Aug 13, 2007)

Since North Dakota lets you hunt unposted land without permission, what do you do if you are beat to a field anyone can hunt. We haven't been beat yet since we are usually out there by 1 a.m. I am just curious. Every time we were in a field first and someone else came there too, they have just moved on. Any troubles with people setting up downwind? Fights?


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## nodakoutdoors.com (Feb 27, 2002)

It depends on the hunters and their ethics which will always vary.

We always have plan A, B and at least C (if possible) for that very reason...but some only have plan A and will setup in that field even if they find an inch. A guy I know well on this site said he shared their field with 4 other groups last year on opener...nuts!


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

my motto is, if you get beat to a field be a man and move on or wake up earlier next time. There's a reason hunters make the sacrafice of waking up early and its because they want to be in what they think is the best spot. Those who down wind and try to sit to close to another hunters spread are lazy and shouldn't consider themselves good sportsmen.


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## Gander_killer (Feb 28, 2007)

our group last years on operner got to our field and was set up and two other groups drove around the outside of our spread and then and went and set up couple differnt spots about 200 yards away in the same field


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## scissorbill (Sep 14, 2003)

If you have to be on a field at 1:00 am you can have it. Pretty sad commentary on todays conditions if you ask me. Also I thought we didn't have enough hunters anymore and we had to have youth seasons ,special this and special that so as to get more guys out there. Doesn't really square with reality does it?


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

If you get beat, go to your next field or go home. If anyone tries to setup in the same field as us I am going to carry our four speaker snow goose unit in the trailer and they are going to get a 4 hour sequance 50 Cent, Eminem, and Mettalica all morning! :beer:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> a 4 hour sequance 50 Cent, Eminem, and Mettalica all morning!


You can set up in my field and I'll call alll my friends and we will party like rock stars :beer:


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## shooteminthelips (Jun 13, 2007)

I got the speakers you bring the beer! :beer:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

We have slipped music in our e-caller when its going real good, the birds kept a coming though. It was for a joke of course then it surprised us. Geese are like John Madden at the Royal Fork some days. :lol:


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## sodakfop (May 23, 2007)

I had an experience last year toward the end of the season. Had a flooded corn field where the mallards were pouring in. I hunted down the land owner/farmer, and got permission. Hunted there one day, limited, went back several days later. The land owner again recognized me and granted permission. This time I noticed a lot of shells, pop cans, and cigarette butts in the water. I had brought my 9 year old with me for his first hunt in waders. We get set up and have about an hour of shooting time left when here comes moron #1 and #2. At first they start yelling from the roadway at us. Then they came out and told us to leave. I informed them in my nicest tone (as my 9 yr old was in earshot) that I had permission and they could feel free to leave anytime. They informed me that the had talked to the son of the owner's brother and were not leaving. They also said they had hunted it the night before. (the slobs with the trash). They told me that they would hunt across from us. This thing was only 40 yards wide. Seeing this as an issue I again invited them to leave but if they were not smart enough to do that, at least hunt the same side. They decided to hunt our side and said "We'll just use your decoys." I began to pack up slowly and walked out just after shooting hours. I was so mad and my blood pressure goes up just typing this. The only upside was the chance to talk to my kid about slob hunters and why we hate them.

IF YOU GET BEAT------- LEAVE "SHARING" IS CRAP


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## jwdinius1 (Dec 14, 2006)

we got permission on a filed last year, it din't matter, 3 groups of people sat in a CANOLA field, yes a CANOLA field between us and the roost and pass shot them as they flew over, i think they got 1 bird between the 3 groups, we managed 10, out of the two flocks that came in, talk about being ****** off!!!


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

jwdinius1 said:


> we got permission on a filed last year, it din't matter, 3 groups of people sat in a CANOLA field, yes a CANOLA field between us and the roost and pass shot them as they flew over, i think they got 1 bird between the 3 groups, we managed 10, out of the two flocks that came in, talk about being ticked off!!!


How far away from you were they? The very next field over within 400 yds or a half mile away?


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## Myles J Flaten (Jan 31, 2008)

buckseye said:


> > a 4 hour sequance 50 Cent, Eminem, and Mettalica all morning!
> 
> 
> You can set up in my field and I'll call alll my friends and we will party like rock stars :beer:


HAHAHA


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## averyghg (Oct 16, 2006)

R y a n said:


> jwdinius1 said:
> 
> 
> > we got permission on a filed last year, it din't matter, 3 groups of people sat in a CANOLA field, yes a CANOLA field between us and the roost and pass shot them as they flew over, i think they got 1 bird between the 3 groups, we managed 10, out of the two flocks that came in, talk about being ticked off!!!
> ...


well here's the real story........ we were scouting the birds and then some guy pulls up next to us and says he's hunting here after we've already been there for some time. Luckily jwidinius1 knew the family very well so we went over there and got permission from them and they put up posted signs for us. When the guy found out he was piossed so he decided to sets decoys right across the gravel road from us and shot at every bird 100+ yards over their head as the birds were locked up and coming into our spreads. Mad was an understatement but we pulled a band out of the deal so that helped a little.


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## commander019 (Apr 12, 2007)

averyghg said:


> my motto is, if you get beat to a field be a man and move on or wake up earlier next time. There's a reason hunters make the sacrafice of waking up early and its because they want to be in what they think is the best spot. Those who down wind and try to sit to close to another hunters spread are lazy and shouldn't consider themselves good sportsmen.


If the group there before you dosen't want to hunt together, I agree, be a man and go to plan B and move to another field.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Talking of ethics... I had a Outfitter set up 200 yds down wind of me in MB in a 120 acre field about 10 years back. They showed up 1/2 before shooting time and would not budge when I talked to him. I filed a formal complaint against them. I guess I was not the only one having troubles with them as many other local and NRs also filed complaints that fall and they had their G/O lic revoked as a result.

As for the idiots, these are often the same guys that show up right at shooting time on a marsh and throw out a few decoys 50 yds from you 

It seems there should be enough elbow room in ND and Canada that one one should not be setting up in the same 1/4 section. Heck I get pissy if anyone is within a mile of me as 2 spreads are pulling on the same birds often times. Where as in MN there are so many more hunters you have to be Ok with it if you have someone is a 1/4 mile of you.


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## scissorbill (Sep 14, 2003)

This is all great,but we want MORE HUNTERS, right ? Yea thats right we need MORE HUNTERS CUZ nobody goes anymore and were losing hunters. I would say that as a % of population that is maybe right but there are more damn hunters than at anytime in history on sheer numbers alone and fewer places to hunt. My experiences have been the same ,but I really get sick and tired of the "We need more hunters" crowd.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

scissorbill said:


> This is all great,but we want MORE HUNTERS, right ? Yea thats right we need MORE HUNTERS CUZ nobody goes anymore and were losing hunters. I would say that as a % of population that is maybe right but there are more damn hunters than at anytime in history on sheer numbers alone and fewer places to hunt. My experiences have been the same ,but I really get sick and tired of the "We need more hunters" crowd.


There aren't necessarily more hunters now than before.Just hunters with $$$$$ to spend on eqpt. and time off to go where they didn't years ago.

The internet and TV Hunting Channels show that everyone can join in and get in on the action.


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## h2ofwlr (Feb 6, 2004)

Ding ding ding ding, we have a winner with Ken's answer.


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## R y a n (Apr 4, 2005)

KEN W said:


> scissorbill said:
> 
> 
> > This is all great,but we want MORE HUNTERS, right ? Yea thats right we need MORE HUNTERS CUZ nobody goes anymore and were losing hunters. I would say that as a % of population that is maybe right but there are more damn hunters than at anytime in history on sheer numbers alone and fewer places to hunt. My experiences have been the same ,but I really get sick and tired of the "We need more hunters" crowd.
> ...


The other thing you are not factoring in Scissorbill, is that as more land gets posted and tied up, the remaining available unposted spots get hit that much harder too... combine that with birds sitting in specific fields, and being concentrated due to uncombined fields, and you have the ingredients for guys trying to hunt the same fields in a much higher concentration than before. Think about it that if there was more open fields, the guys would be spread out further, and it would appear that "not many" guys went out, as you might only bump into 1 or 2 other parties across xxxx miles. Not so anymore....

One other very important part of this new equation is the *method and style* by which guys hunt. Think about where most of the guys with "huntin' shows" originate from? Down south for the most part. Then consider how those guys are hunting. They use the method that works best for those "awesome" birds in your face camera angle. To get that angle the vast majority of them hunt either with decoy in fields or decoys in the water in front of them. Consequently this generation (if you are under 30) has only learned how to hunt over decoys, and they don't know any other way. They begin to think it is the _only_ way.

What I'm driving at, is that older generations didn't have fancy full body decoy spreads with huge trailers. They used other tactics, like pass shooting, working downwind and shooting birds approaching other birds feeding in a field, or sneaking. When you have all those different methods of hunting, it didn't matter if there were more guys out hunting, as the very nature of the method didn't need to be precisely "ON the X"

As a result... we now have what I consider to be snob purists who look down their nose at anyone who doesn't like to decoy birds in to a spread. Don't get me wrong I enjoy all types/methods of hunting, but I still would rather sit and pass shoot birds rather than decoy them. The shooting is more of a challenge, I can be much more mobile, and best of all... I don't need to get up so damn early every morning.

Food for thought.


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## scissorbill (Sep 14, 2003)

Ken&Ryan'
I won't argue about the time,money,internet,snob hunters etc...all true,I do not believe however that there are fewer hunters. Just look at how many people are around now vs.25-30 years ago, even if y\the % of the pop that hunts is down that does not automatically mean there are fewer hunters in real numbers. I stand by my contention that this along with what you have mentioned ,and fewer places to hunt causes the problems mentioned in earlier posts.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> It seems there should be enough elbow room in ND and Canada that one one should not be setting up in the same 1/4 section. Heck I get pissy if anyone is within a mile of me as 2 spreads are pulling on the same birds often times.


Hehehe.. I like when they set up close especially when I have my pro hunter friends with me, my friends can call like you have never heard before. Some of your waterfowl heroes were taught to call by one of my friends, they couldn't get any footage a few times and really pay him good so they can fake it and make people think it is them..hahaha so funny hehehe :lol:

My buddy inspired them so greatly they hired someone to make goose calls them named them after themselves... :lol:


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

hahahaha how in the hell did that get backwards.. it quoted me instead h20fowler.. woops!!


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Fixed it buckseye.. :wink:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

The situation in ND has changed dramatically in the past 15-20 years.Back in the 60's and 70's there were just as many hunters.But hardly any non-res.Now there is the same amount of hunters but half are non-res.These guys come here to hunt ducks......20-40 years ago everyone hunted snow geese.Most by jumping or shooting the refuge line.

We were the only ones useing decoys and they were homemade silos.Now everyone has eqpt. and time to hunt.Even though the number of hunters has basically remained the same.

Years ago you could drive around and shoot all the ducks you wanted right out of the road ditch.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> We were the only ones useing decoys


Haha maybe within your range of vision you were the only ones.... we were using shells, paper plates and black and white helium balloons 30 years ago. Some old cutouts for honks worked great, I still have some of the old stuff.

We never sported an inch of camo clothing all carhartt coveralls and white anything for snows. We had some cool toga parties when we snow goose hunted, we would buy a cheap white sheet and well make a toga.... we were invisible to the beady eyed sob's!!! :beer:


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

I'm talking 40-50 years ago.....mid 1960's.We hunted a large area between Forman,Oakes,and LaMoure.Never saw anyone using decoys.All were jump shooting them.A lot of times we had people sneaking up on our decoy spread.

Nothing was posted except around DL and Ludden where a lot of land was leased to OOS hunters.That's why the GNF put in the 10 days license for OOS hunters.That made 2 weekend for us to come from Minn.Plus we had a book of tags.So many for ducks,geese and pheasants.When they were gone,you were done hunting.

Back then almost all the snows migrated to Devils Lake and then down the James River.There were no snows west of there.Back then Clark Salyer used to stage 20-25,000 Whitefronts.

But your'e right.Anything white worked.We shot just as many adults as young.Snows decoyed in large flocks.


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## fowlhunter7 (Mar 1, 2005)

H20 fowler wrote:


> It seems there should be enough elbow room in ND and Canada that one one should not be setting up in the same 1/4 section. Heck I get pissy if anyone is within a mile of me as 2 spreads are pulling on the same birds often times. Where as in MN there are so many more hunters you have to be Ok with it if you have someone is a 1/4 mile of you.


It must only bother you if someone sets up within a mile of you and not if YOU set up within a mile of someone else. The reason I say that is b/c you set up across the road from me after driving by twice and watching us set up our snow goose spread on an afternoon hunt in Northern SD in Spring 07'. I have to admit we were upset watching you set up your decoys across the road as we sat in our blinds waiting for the flight to start. But it turned out pretty well for us even with you across the road. So it turned out not to be such a big deal.


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## buckseye (Dec 8, 2003)

> I'm talking 40-50 years ago.....mid 1960's.


Oh I was still just a retriever yet then, we were very active all through the seventies. Heck we took our vacations to come back home and be out of state waterfowlers, not many of them around then either. We hunted between Kramer and Gardena back then. We are the idiots that inspired so much of the guiding and posting in that area.


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## huntingtim08 (Sep 17, 2004)

I know last year my brother and i were scouting a field and it was late in the season so the birds were educated and there was alot but they were wary of decoys and they were all together, ducks and geese, SO my brother and i watch the geese and ducks for awhile and when we are leaven a couple guys in a MN truck pull on the gravel road and look the other way trying to act liek they dont see the birds. So we pull up next to them and talk and we told them that our party planned on hunting it the next morning, we talked about joing groups but there was no way they wanted to do that. So right when we are pulling away the driver says "well i hope we dont mees each other up tomorrow" So a buddy and i go out there at liek 2:30. We were parked in the field but no in the spot where the birds because our other guys are coming and they are gonna ride in the field with us, anyway the other guys come pulling up and drive right by us and start setting up out in the field. Our party is right on the road so we waut for them and my buddy and i go out there. I was 18 last year and my buddy was 17, I get out there and nicely ask they guys what they are doing, I told them that we were here first and we were hunting the field, They talked to me liek i was a stupid kid and i didnt know anything. that really made me mad, so we went back and tlaked to the others in our party and when they dropped off there truck and walked by us the started again. Telling me to go hunt in a bean field where there was no cover, and then they said wll why dont u get the out of here then. IM not a bad ethics hunter, i wasnt gonn go and set up in the same field or sit in the grass between them and the birds, because i dont hunt like that, so i just went home and went out scouting later for the next day.


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## Goon (Apr 3, 2005)

huntingtim08 said:


> I know last year my brother and i were scouting a field and it was late in the season so the birds were educated and there was alot but they were wary of decoys and they were all together, ducks and geese, SO my brother and i watch the geese and ducks for awhile and when we are leaven a couple guys in a MN truck pull on the gravel road and look the other way trying to act liek they dont see the birds. So we pull up next to them and talk and we told them that our party planned on hunting it the next morning, we talked about joing groups but there was no way they wanted to do that. So right when we are pulling away the driver says "well i hope we dont mees each other up tomorrow" So a buddy and i go out there at liek 2:30. We were parked in the field but no in the spot where the birds because our other guys are coming and they are gonna ride in the field with us, anyway the other guys come pulling up and drive right by us and start setting up out in the field. Our party is right on the road so we waut for them and my buddy and i go out there. I was 18 last year and my buddy was 17, I get out there and nicely ask they guys what they are doing, I told them that we were here first and we were hunting the field, They talked to me liek i was a stupid kid and i didnt know anything. that really made me mad, so we went back and tlaked to the others in our party and when they dropped off there truck and walked by us the started again. Telling me to go hunt in a bean field where there was no cover, and then they said wll why dont u get the out of here then. IM not a bad ethics hunter, i wasnt gonn go and set up in the same field or sit in the grass between them and the birds, because i dont hunt like that, so i just went home and went out scouting later for the next day.


Blue liscense plate syndrome. When ioncidents like that happens it makes you think that South Dakota has it right by limiting the number of out of state duck hunters.


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## mnwatrfwl (Sep 16, 2005)

And makes ya wonder how many stories like this are made up just to try and stir the pot.

It is amazing that no one from Wisconsin, Montana, South Dakota or Iowa ever hunt in North Dakota, every time it is from MN.

I apologise in advance for those that take offense to this however it does get old.


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## blhunter3 (May 5, 2007)

Good point, why is it always MN people that do bad stuff. Sure I did have ny problems with them this past weekend, but I also had alot of problems with a bunch of Wisconson people and even ND people.


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## dblkluk (Oct 3, 2002)

Guys...
This is not going to turn into a Res vs Non Res debate.

It will be locked if it continues.

Lets keep it from going down that road.


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## ruger1 (Aug 16, 2006)

> Good point, why is it always MN people that do bad stuff.


I'm from MN. (Obviously, it says so in my description). I've got to say that we've ran into negative stories and perceptions of MN hunters in Montana and Iowa as well.

It always seems to come back to the same sentence. Those hunters from the Twin Cities. Now I'm not saying all Twin City hunters are poor sportsman. However the stories seem to set a trend.

Heck, I know for a fact that most MN hunters have problems with Twin Cities hunters and have a low opinion of them. Myself included. I've even talked with city hunters who don't like the way city hunters act.

I'm thinking it really may be that it's the Twin City/MN boys that do most the bad stuff.

Sorry dblkluk, but when we dislike our own. How can we expect you guys to like them? Didn't mean to fan the fire.


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## Goon (Apr 3, 2005)

ruger1 said:


> > Good point, why is it always MN people that do bad stuff.
> 
> 
> Heck, I know for a fact that most MN hunters have problems with Twin Cities hunters and have a low opinion of them. Myself included. I've even talked with city hunters who don't like the way city hunters act.
> ...


I am originally from Northern Minnesota myself and when I lived in Minnesota we had problem with the Twin Cities boys as well during the Deer season.


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## commander019 (Apr 12, 2007)

I ran into some real trophy MN hunters this spring while snow goose hunting. It really does get old and I'm a NR hunter myself. It only takes one bad group to mess it up for a lot of others. :eyeroll:


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## sodakfop (May 23, 2007)

As for the cities giving bad reputations 
The same thing happens in south dakota with sioux falls plates everyone assumes you are a slob.


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## KEN W (Feb 22, 2002)

No different here.....Imperial Cass.


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## sdrookie (May 21, 2006)

I've had people turn their backs and stop talking to me when they found out I'm from Sioux Falls. I bought a truck with Lincoln County plates and guard them with my life!  We're moving out of town so it won't matter now.

Lots of idiots out there.


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