Depending on local laws
Just paddle on Sunday. Hunting is not legal here on Sunday, so if I’m paddling inland, I either do it on Sunday, or on a lake nearby that’s heavily populated, and no hunting allowed due to numerous private homes along shore.
They’re entitled to their days too.
hunt !
Suggested by other posters, many hunters are not experienced on the terrain.
Well, why not ? 95% of hunters interviewed here do not walk in the woods…without a gun or ‘in season.’ Tho a few carry a LARGE pistol on walks or motorcycle rides to KILL SNAKES.
Walking, looking for game without a gun or with camera is hunting. Very intense experience. especially when the ‘prey’ jumps out at you.
Opening day is intense like WW1 was intense. A few escape to muzzle loading or bow…
I Believe Your “Data”…
…to be correct? I’m a dinosaur in my neck of the woods; I’m someone who actually hunts on two feet. Around here, ATV’s are the preferred hunting accessory, with the exception of duck hunters.
Wear orange, watch where you paddle, and don’t worry about duck hunters, although; give them a wide berth out of courtesy.
Someone here mentioned covering up white hair? Celia, I believe? I am very grateful for that piece of advice as I’ve never THOUGHT about that. As my hair has transformed to almost completely white, and the fact that I spend a lot of time in and around the woods, that “Tip” may save my life? Thank you very much for that “Pearl” of wisdom!
regional
Discussing hunters and what hunters do or not do is regional. After posting, I thought abt West Virginia, western tour hunting, South South East club lands hunting…
Where I was referring to NE hunting where hunters are from suburban areas into deer country area ‘upstate.’
Plan to keep paddling… carefully.
– Last Updated: Oct-13-14 11:18 PM EST –
While paddling the same river the next morning on Sunday, I stopped and made some chit chat with a group of hunters who were preparing their blind for duck season. Season opens this coming Saturday. I searched through all the info on the Illinois DNR website, but could not find any info on whether hunting is disallowed on Sundays or not. So, I assume it is allowed.
Anyway, the hunters I spoke with said they are usually there half an hour before sunrise, and I should be able to count on after 10am as a "safe" time to be out on the water.
Weekend mornings are my only time to get some paddling in. I try to put in early and get in 2-3 hours on the water while my wife and daughters sleep in. I try to get out there early so I can get back with enough time to spend the rest of the day with my family. The reason I bring this up is in reference to the comments others have made with regards to respecting the hunters and giving them their time. I totally agree with that and don't want to interfere with them. However, it is MY time, too. My only time, in fact. The river I paddle regularly is a public waterway. And they have to share it with others as much as I have to share it with them.
Luckily, for me and the hunters, from where I put in, it usually takes me a good hour and a half or so to paddle upriver to where the hunters would be. I'm usually out on the water somewhere between 7am and 7:30am. So, I wouldn't be in their neck of the woods until around 9am or so. Judging by comments others have made, it sounds like most of the time, duck hunters are usually packed up and long gone by then anyway. So, to be on the safe side, I figure I might be able to push back the time I put in by 30 minutes or so without risking my wife's ire too much. Plus, I'll stay as far as possible away from any blinds I paddle past and try not to make too much commotion. I really don't want to upset anyone.
While I want to try and be as polite and courteous as possible and give the hunters "their time", I also don't want to be forced to give up "my time".
EDIT: Edited to change "half an hour before sunset" to "half an hour before sunrise".
Good Plan, Good Thinking
You are right that you are under no obligation to stay off the water when they are there, and if it doesn’t fit your schedule to accommodate them, that’s life. The fact that you stopped and talked with some of them was a good thing too. There are now a few less hunters who might otherwise have been prone to thinking of recreational paddlers as being clueless or rude. No doubt you noticed that the hunters were “regular people” too.
Regular people…
Yes, the hunters I spoke with were very nice and seemed genuinely interested in making sure I was comfortable and safe out on the water during hunting season.
Most likely what I will end up doing is go out paddling the same as I have been doing once the season opens up. I will probably take a little extra time enjoying the upriver trip in order to give the hunters more time. If I happen to see lots of hunters still out in their blinds actively hunting, or notice any scenario that makes me feel uncomfortable, I will just see what I can do to change my paddling times/route going forward.
So far at this point, it doesn’t seem like I will need to change my routine too more or make any significant accommodations. But I’ll definitely stay alert and keep my eyes and ears open to make sure I stay safe.
I agree with Bob
I don’t worry too much about duck hunters shooting me although one shouldn’t take unnecessary chances. I had my vehicle vandalized by duck hunters once who thought I was disturbing the water fowl. Of course I wasn’t but the ducks weren’t flaying that day and I guess they were frustrated.
It’s deer hunters that truly worry me. As said, there are a lot of dumbasses out there who do not know what they are doing and are armed with high powered weapons. As a result I do not paddle in or near public hunting areas, which in my state is severely limiting because so much public land is open to deer hunting. I’ve had some close calls in the past.
Another suggested item not to use is
a paddle with white blades and/or white shaft if there are paddles with such.
I do a yearly paddle in our area, called “Paddle your stuffing off”, which is the day after Thanksgiving and will have anywhere from 20-40 paddlers depending on the weather.
One year a newbie came along for the trip and had on a white hat complete with white tassel. A fellow paddler asked is they were going to wear that hat and the newbie said, “Sure! Why not?” When it was noted we were in the midst of hunting season and the forest and the hat decoration could be mistaken for a deers’ “flag”, which is what one sees as they run off. Said newbie immediately returned to their vehicle in search of a non white/brown hat. None was found, but fortunately one of the other paddlers had a spare orange one. That day, shots could be heard that were perhaps a quarter to half mile away.
Luckily in this specific local only shotguns are allowed. Rifles are only permitted 20+ miles north of said locale.
We’ve never had issues with shots being too close and we don’t keep conversations to a whisper. In fact, the deer tend to keep away from our noise and pushes them toward the hunters.
Wow!
I can’t believe the crap and drivel being posted here.
“Many operate on the premise that the correct technique is to shoot at anything that moves, and shoot multiple times.”
Uh, yeah… OK. Whatever.
Many boaters operate on the premise that the correct technique is to loosen up first by drinking any beer that sits still long enough for them to grab it before their buddy does, and drink multiple six packs.
“There are a lot of fools in the woods during deer season, and some have no idea what they’re doing.”
There are a lot of paddlers on the water all year long, and some have no idea what they are doing. They paddle recklessly, possibly killing themselves and others.
“Respect other peoples activities and hopefully they’ll respect yours.”
One of the only sane posts in this entire thread.
"Drivel?"
Mr/Ms shenango, you are incorrect. You said, “I can’t believe the crap and drivel being posted here.” You also disputed the quote of my friend whom stated, “Many operate on the premise that the correct technique is to shoot at anything that moves, and shoot multiple times.”
NOT DRIVEL, REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE FROM A FELLOW HUNTER WHOM I KNOW AND CALL A “FRIEND.”
I also posted that most here where I live no longer hunt on two feet; most hunters are on 4-wheelers. Fact, not fiction by someone whose probably hunted longer than you have been on the earth?
MO Firearms Deer season starts Nov. 15th this year. I invite you to come to my neck of the woods and count the 4-wheelers. They are not all “Disabled.” Matter of fact, I betcha I have more health issues than 98% of them? I hunt on two feet.
I also do not recommend you paddle on the Current or Eleven Point opening weekend with or without orange on.
You are welcome to your opinion, however; your statement is inaccurate. That’s it, I’m headed to the river!
Drivel?
– Last Updated: Oct-15-14 9:55 AM EST –
If you sit in a jon boat tied to a river bank, and shoot at a deer 3 times with a high powered rifle (twice while the deer is in the water/once while it's getting out of the water), and you miss the deer all 3 times; you are a fool! And you damn sure aren't a sportman, or a hunter, and obviously don't know what you're doing.
If you climb over a 3 stand barbed wire fence onto land clearly/heavily marked Private Property/No Trespassing, walk to the middle of the 45 acre piece of property, and then climb up into someone elses(who you don't know)tree stand; you are a fool. When you argue that you are not trespassing, and have the right to be there, with someone who clearly does have the right to be there; you are a lying fool! You obviously are not a sportsman and don't know what you're doing.
BOB
P.S. When you hear one shot fired shortly after daybreak during deer season; you can be fairly sure that the shot was at a deer. When you hear 8 or 10 shots, in rapid succession, after the first shot, and the shots are coming from the same area as the first shot; you can be almost positive that all shots fired were at the same deer, and in all probablility.......that deer was on the run.
I don't know about others, but I don't shoot at running deer, and I don't shoot multiple times at any deer. If the deer is not in an open area, within a reasonable distance, and I don't have a clear, well aimed shot; I don't shoot. When I hear 13 shots from the same general area within the span of about 7 seconds; I know there are some fools in the woods.
So much for fools; I'm going paddling!!!!
basis in reality
I’m glad you’ve never encountered this type of behavior but I have. No one said it’s all deer hunters or even a majority. But a few jerks are conspicuous.
I’m sure if you ventured over to the deer hunting website and started a discussion about hunting around paddlers, you’d find lots of comments regarding careless paddlers. but this is a paddling website discussing paddling around hunters. Do you get it now?
nothing inherently wrong with 4 wheelers
that make it more likely for a paddler to get shot.
Maybe drivel
Depends on where you live. Everyone here is “right”…for their area. And wrong for others!
Can’t people see the differences between river and lake travel and hunting laws in various jurisdictions?
Personally I don’t worry a whit about wearing white hair here in deer season… And my house is in the middle of a deer hunt area. I do wear orange to contrast with everything else white. Usually there is snow on the ground in deer season. And seldom do hunters hunt deer here by ATV as if that had any bearing on hunter conduct. They do for moose and bear as its a heavy haul
Not like Missouri.
So a blanket question is probably useless as are blanket answers.
Do give the blinds
as wide a berth as you can. If you have the chance to talk with hunters, mention that your paddling might very well put up ducks that otherwise would sit tight. So while you are in sight of the blind, you are no help. but being on the water overall might give the hunters some advantage. as always be respectful and courtious
snipe season is the worst though
Those guys just sneak right up on you.
Documented example of "drivel"
The following statement is a direct quote from a hunter who killed a 15 year old boy not far from where I live a couple of years ago:
“Rowland saw movement in the brush and fired, he told authorities.”
It only takes one.
Headwinds
You hit the nail square on the head. “It only takes one”. The question is one of risk vs. probability. The probability you will get shot by a deer hunter are fairly small ,but the risk is high since very high powered weapons are used in deer hunting. It may not be fair to all deer hunters but dead is dead and it just takes that one fool. My take on this is based on real experiences, not conjecture. I live in deer country and see these things with my own two eyes.
Injury/death vs. spooking prey
Shenango also ignores the huge and crucial difference in these matters: That a hunter, simply by virtue of using a gun, is inherently much more dangerous to anybody or anything around than a paddler is.
Bicyclists do stupid things in roadways, no question about it. But motorists doing stupid things are far more likely to harm or kill anybody or anything nearby than a bicyclist is. It’s not even remotely an equal fight.
The drivel is treating both sides of the argument as if they were equal. They’re not.