Walk to place there to lazy to get to. We walk around a mile. i got a little flat bottom this year so we can hunt our spots with less walking lol.

I used to hunt Ray Roberts and if there is a bigger collection of Barnies in one place in the duck hunting world I do not know where it would be. You could drive by any access point on the lake and see numerous empty decoy and wader boxes and all manner of other kinds of duck hunting trash discards obviously by people that had never been before.

It go so that you could tell by what kind of vehicle you saw in the distance. If it was a SUV less than two years old high chances. If it had a sticker for a private school in Dallas chances double. If there was a soccer decal in the window you could count on it like you can a Democrat stealing votes.

The major way the Barnies scouted at RR was to drive around in their boats after the sun came up and see where other people were hunting. If they saw someone hunting at a certain spot they would assume it was good and chances were very good that next weeked you would see them there.....if they got their early enough.

The way to fool the Barnies on public Water is too NOT use or build a blind and only use half a dozen or less decoys.

If you stay PERFECTLY still hunkering down next to a tree or buckbrush you will never be spotted.

Besides blinds are like a "you're going to get shot here" sign to ducks that have been shot at for the last 2,000 miles everytime they passed within 200 yards of a rectangular box. EVEN if it was brushed out. It is STILL a rectangular box.

You ever notice? You don't see too many rectangles out there in mother nature.

birda eye view haha

Well, lookie there squares.

Dang that's a high flying duck I've seen some people take shots almost that far though!

With the popularity of the "Duck Dynasty" there are sure to be more week-end, face painted, scraggily beard wearing, gun ho, pseudo professional know-it-alls in the public potholes and wma's, this year, complete with jacked up ford 250's, loud exhaust pipes, the kind with the nads hanging off the receiver hitch. (each to their on)

So do your best to scout as the others have said, but most importantly, hunt during the week or lower weekend expectations.

Happy hunting

ive had 1 time where i shined the light on somebody and they kept coming. turns out it was 2 kids about 16 years old. i invited them to sit with me and gave them "my rules" they agreed and we had 3 limits in less than 15 minutes. then their dad walked up and asked how the hunt was, he was sure suprised that his boys invited themselves so close to another hunter. turns out their dad was the GW he thanked me on the spot,and he has never stopped me or asked me anything again.

That's one way to make buddies with the local GW.

I like this story

The public crowd should not be much of a suprise if you are going to hunt within an hour of one of the largest metroplex's in the state.
Take it as a challenge if your going to hunt with them, most will be gone by the second split anyway.

If there were only more hunters like you...

what really ticks me off is the idiot that doesn't shine you off or yell until you are throwing out your dekes... when im going in i shine all around, make some noise and even yell out sometimes to make sure. i hate setting up on someone, but if you dont notify me you are there, that is your fault!

You are correct.

I don't know what they're thinking or maybe they just don't know any better. I've had it happen on boat in and walk in hunts. Get all set up and someone too close turns on their mini mag light and says HEY, we were here first.

Come on people, help us out here.

Good point!