Out of State Hunters

[Bodean]

I generally tell folks to go to Arkansas. However, I am joking when I make this statement. I grew up hunting in Arkansas and Mississippi but now live in Louisiana. I still hunt 15 -- 20 times a year in the MS Delta and a few other select locations all of which are on public land. So, yes, I am an out of state hunter but an experienced one at that.

Torch -- your suggestion about a draw hunt system may have applicability only in a few locations. I strongly disagree that such a system should be put into place for all state controlled lands. I hunt some public places in MS every season that few people visit on a regular basis (& yes, I kill a decent number of ducks at these places). I also have concerns that any resouces spent on a draw system would be pulled from other programs like habitat improvement.

Most of my concerns with out of state hunters have been safety related. In the past few years, I have encountered a number of out of state hunters in MS and LA that are improperly equiped to attempt their intended hunts. I did, however, have problems at a WMA several years ago with a crew from Alabama. Its funny how things work out sometimes.

Examples of the safety issue . . . two out of state hunters from Georgia with a sixteen foot canoe wanting to hunt a major oxbow off the MS River when a third of the lake was covered with ice and the rest of the lake was rough with a north wind. I basically begged them not to go out on the lake and still today am not sure what happened. Also, no ducks were present, but that lake is where they had been told to hunt.

Second example . . . this one from LA . . . three out of state hunters in Venice, LA in a 16-foot flatboat with a yellow lab and a pirouge powered by a 25-hp . . . the stern running light is about three feet tall . . . the guys tell my partner and I before leaving the ramp that they are headed across the river to a NWR . . . we leave later and catch up with them coming out of the "Jump" . . . the swells on the river and crew boat wakes are large enough that the 16-foot boat and the running light disappear between the swells . . . basically STUPID!!

Out of state or in-state, I try to be hospitable everywhere to all people, but I may have a serious issue with my finding a Yankee in one of "my" duckholes.

Signed, Bodean who saw the aftermath of an IN-STATE hunter's truck TORCHED at a public hunting area in the 1997-98 season.

[injun_23]

Guys I v been around this forum for over 3 years now and its hard to let this one slide without comment. I think Hammer was a little out of line with his comments but he was correct in some ways too. I read a magazine article about Public duck hunting in Mississippi that retold a really great hunt and then listed most of the public duck hunting areas in the state with some detail. The thing that interested me was the fact that Mississippi and the federal government have provided a TON of places to duck hunt that are accessable to anybody. Talk about scouting, my wife and I took a long weekend to drive over in JULY just to locate these places and determine the best way to hunt them during the season (she doesnt even hunt). We actually drove to about 7 or 8 areas that are mostly located in the Delta region and walked around where possible. I was in duck hunter heaven and if you have ever hunted ducks in mid-NC then you will know why. "They actually pump water in these places to attract ducks!" I picked a week that was what I thought would be heavy migration and had one hell of a great time. Guessed right and lucked out.

The people I have met hunting in Mississippi have been some of the nicest I have ever met. The contacts that I have made on MSDucks have resulted in numerous invitations to hunt. This is the first year that I will take advantage of one of those offers. When I come over I feel almost like I am a Mississippi resident. I try to respect the people and resident hunters the same way that I would want to be treated.

Am I unique? I doubt it. Nothing is perfect and a few will always be a problem for the rest. I dont even tell MY FRIENDS here where I hunt on public lands in Miss., so I certainly have no reason to be offended by any of you being protective of your best holes on public lands. I do, however, cringe when I see a post lumping all out-of-staters into a group of skybusters and wanna be duck hunters. Many of us that are in areas with few ducks have hunted hard for many years for just a sampling of what some others take for granted.

I have learned many things from MSDucks posts and provided a few inputs of my own. I visit here almost every day, not to learn where to go but to share in the fellowship of a group of people who love it like I do.
I have learned that even tho Miss. has good duck and goose hunting that there are many of you who try very hard to do it better than the rest. I respect this very much and it is one of my goals as well.

Thanks.. to those of you who accept non-Miss. hunters on an individual basis. It was nice to read the positive comments on this string(thread?)

I hope I get the chance to meet some of you. You may not know me but I feel that I am part of this group and I think thats the way Micah intends for it to be. Best of luck this year. You see.... I have a vested interest too.

[torch]

Wildfowler I stand corrected. I guess that wasn't such a great idea afterall.

[dukdawgn]

Out of area folks in the FREE STATE OF TALLAHATCHIE?? Didn't know there was such a thing. I'm from Oxford, and if there is anywhere in this state that hates folks being on their property, it is in Oxford. Well, I'm here to tell you that if you'll let me bring my HR dog, I'll hunt beside you anytime.

And as far as the Georgia B'dogs go, well, at least we beat FLORIDA! BWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!

[webbmaster]

Wow! A whole thread devoted to out of state hunters!

Isn't it great to live in a free country where you have the opportunity to hunt?

I live in Alabama and the duck hunting here pretty much pales in comparison to Tallahatchie County, or anywhere in the state of MS for that matter.

I can't wait...I'll be in "your" state in 3 days and hunting public land is an option, while being respectful to others is a given.

Roll Tide!!!

[duckman11]

I think everyone will find that most out of state hunters are true duck hunters. If you are going to take off work for a few days and drive two or three states away you are proably a true sportsman. I have never had any concerns with out of state guys no more then with in state guys. Most of the people complaining about out of state hunters proably complain about the weather, the water, the season, the places, and every other thing they can think of to blame their lack of success on.

[MSDuckmen]

I don't have a problem with out of state hunters as long as they stay OUT OF STATE. BAWAHAHAHAHAHA