Field goose hunting saftey.

[cut_un]

Been some discussion on other websites about the potential opportinity of being shot while laying in a field of goose decoys... Seems this very thing happened as a poucher/hunter attempted to sheak up of "the flock of Geese" and shot at the hunters while laying in their layouts.
It's being suggested something like a divers flay or a sign, something to warn hunters/others of a huntn in progress but something tha twill not flare the geese should/could be used. Any ideas??
I, myself have not had something like this happen...in the field but all of my duck hunting is with the use of a layout boat. While set up.I'm have not been noticed/seen by fishermen,boaters other hunters and it's only when I set up that folks know I'm there. I now see this could also be a place for an accident just waiting to happen. Any ideas????

[h2ofwlr]

A young man in KS was killed 1.5 years while in the field due to a road shot using a rfile. Big Josh out of Quebec--and guide and conservation leader there, was killed when a .22 entered his head from a guy sneaking up on his decoy spread 2.5 years ago. There are others too.

#1, Rifles are illegal to kill any waterfowl.
#2, the "hunters" were thus engauged in an act of paoching. (IMO the culptrits are not hunters--but rather idiots with agun in their hands.)
#3--do you really think they cared what they were doing was illegal?

Hard to stop someone with that mentality.


But yes I know of guys that carry 1x2 sign on a 4' sign post that they place then along the road/field edge that basically says --not real geese--do not shoot as there are hunters in field-- something to that effect and they use a orange background so the sign is more noticable.


3 years in SD a hunter that had asked permission was hunting field--he also was killed when a rifle bullet by the farmer killed him. Even though it was late Nov and the harvest was in--the farmer wanted no geese on his property and thought they were live geese and loobed a bullet in the flock---of decoys and the bullet killed the hunter. This bfarmer was so anti geese--it contolled hios actions. Yes I do understand int eh SPRING when he has planted a craop that geese can wipe out acres of new crop growth, and he had a permit to kill geese when they were doing that. But this was in the fall--the geese could due no damage ain the harvested field nd yet his resentment of the geese ended up killing a hunter.


And that is why I do not hunt waterfowl in ND or SD during deer season as way too many nimrods with rifles in their hands that shoot 1st--and ask questions later.

[cut_un]

Lots of pretty good ideas flowing..... Maybe a few blaze orange neck bands on some of the decoys...with the words decoy printed on them. Several blaze orange 2'x2' signs with the wording (hunt in progress) positioned about 150 yds from your spread. ANything is better that "taking a chance"!

[h2ofwlr]

Not too sure about the 150yds though... as I hunt 160 acres or bigger fields, so I'd post them along the road where guys would see them. Also if the orange is too close to the spread --it may spook the geese

[cut_un]

I agree with the 150 yards distance in my neck of the woods,most of our fields are small to mediumn size ,most of the fields I hunt..... a sign up at the entrance road or along the secondary road should work!

[Irish Bird Dog]

Never gave it a thought that someone would shoot into a spread of decoys...this is the first I have ever heard of anyone getting shot in a goose decoy spread too......a sign out on the road would seem to be a good idea or at least where someone may come onto your spread if far from a road.