every year we have a moderate amount of posts that go along the lines of "barney screwed up my hunt because...." In the years past I have enjoyed reading these because they provide some good entertainment. This year we seem to be way ahead of the curve as far as quantity goes on the barney posts. I am not surprised by the number of post given how popular the idea of duck hunting has become, but i am surprised at the content of these posts.

Seems like in at least half of them the OP is telling his/her story and in the process they mention several things that in turn makes them the "barney". Most of these guys are clueless and their only real reference is the internet, so maybe not all their fault.

it seems like we have gotten to the point that in order to look like a cool seasoned duck hunter you have to complain about the infamous barney.

I have seen so many guys new to waterfowl make these posts...hey man, you are the barney, maybe not all the time, but trust me you are....we all have those moments of weakness

I have duck hunted for 20 years and never heard the term "Barney" or "Topwater" until I started reading this forum. Stupid Internet.

Sounds like something a barney would say.

What does a purple dinosaur have to do with duck hunting anyway?

Speaking of dinosaurs, what do you call a gay dinosaur?
A megasauras.

I got a p.m. from sniper about that joke once upon a time.

A seasoned duck hunter does not hunt where barney can find him. The problem is that's getting harder and harder to do with less water and more Si fans.

Maybe it's a generational thing. Even when I was starting out I knew better than to setup close to somebody... or come in after LST... or blast the kazoo before I knew how to use it. Before I had the boat there were times I didn't even get out of the truck after seeing that other folks beat me to walk in spots.

Just common sense, and a lot of folks seem to be lacking it. Or maybe their selfishness clouds their thoughts.

ooops.

this has been going on for a while... brainwashed it seems

Sunday I went to where the airboat was parked so I could drive it back to where were hunting and load the gear. The boat was a long long way. We did not go out in it that morning we drove to where we wanted to hunt.

In doing so I headed back through the trees and ran up on the other set of hunters. I had no idea they were that close to us. We had all already agreed to leave well enough alone and that was prior to finding the trash. I mean GD we are duck hunting, no reason to run them out.

This story falls in line with topwater as of right now. Be it I had to go through their spread as I was committed in the trees, I fully expected them to go ape poo poo. Especially given the fishing pole whooping exreience. I thought for sure they were going to cry about it and I was in no mood for a tresspassing duck hunter to get on me when I had no choice in direction at that point.

So I look over at them and one of them has his shotgun across his shoulders hanging his arms on either end of the shotgun. Well the prblem is, I didn't see the shotgun. I was so expecting them to be asenine about it, I saw what I wanted to see. I was almost infuriated when a second glance allowed me to see the gun. They actually waved with all of their fingers.

So I thought that was kewl. They were breaking the law but like old school the rancher said oh just let them hunt. Then they waved as we went through the spread. It kind of reminded me of back in the day where folks just left other folks alone to do their own thing.

wal you need to have your flashers on when you come roaring through like that next time..

Better yet put a dukes of hazard horn on that sucker!

I enjoy it when barneys who don't realize they are barneys post about barneys.

Case in point there is a guy on here who hunted ducks for the first time the day after Christmas last year who has now posts like he is the resident expert on duckhunting.

you see that a lot on here. people post about their first duck hunting experience, and next season they know everything there is to know.

I've been hunting ducks since I was 3-4 yrs old, 32 now. problem is, I just started hunting public for the first time and it's a whole new ball game. the posts here are beneficial to teach new hunters/new public hunters what not to do. most is common sense however...

Well dern I thought the siren would be good enough.

Well go on, say it! You know you want to:)

what the heck is a topwater anyways. that is a new one to me. barney. ya haha i guess but topwater. someone fill me in. with all the barney talk I have not heard the DB reference much this year... what gives? where are the haters.

I believe top water derives from the act of using a topwater to retrieve your ducks (which is good, I'm all for retrieving what you kill).

Could be the extreme lack of help for any newbie seeking help on the internet. I think what the old timers aren't realizing is that the younger folks don't get the information you have acquired over decades of hunting because nobody is willing to share that information. Now they are left on their own to figure it out when another hunter can easily try to help them. I'm not talking about on a forum but in your local hunting hole since what's successful in your area probably isn't in my area. So they will continue to be "barnies" until they either figure it out (maybe many, many years later) or someone takes some time to show them the ropes.

And I would bet that every duck hunter has done something stupid while duck hunting. I know I have.

I think the help is there, its just how people approach that help. Everyone I know is helpful and will share tricks and ideas all day long.

You just cant learn from the internet, you have to put in field time. Look at old Rooster, he just started duck hunting last year and he is spending a lot of time in the field making things happen. Heck he booked 26 hunts from a guy, that's called learning the ropes right there. I dont know the dude personally but it seems like he has been networking.

duck hunting is like sales, its all about the networking

What gets me is everyone is nice, until they get on the internet...then watch out!

Moral of that point, is make it a point to talk to someone while out there. It is very likely it will turn out beneficial. But then you won't get a chance to gripe on the interwebs.

LOL, it was 6 group hunts...but thanks I think. I hunt a lot by myself. I try a lot of stuff I read on here...some works and some doesn't. I hunt 4-5 days a week and its a blast. I'm fortunate to be able to hunt a lot, a wife that is cool with it, a dog that fetches birds and the means to do it. It may take a few years to get the hang of it but I'm having a blast.

Barney was a term used by hunters long before it was associated with a purple dinosaur. Barney was Irish slang for trouble. Surfers even picked it up years before duck hunters did as slang for tourists or inexperienced surfers who created trouble for everyone on the beach. Those inexperienced surfers and tourists just like first time duck hunters often have no idea what they are doing and don't know the local unwritten rules. There are always going to be those few barney surfers who go over the edge after a year or two of experience to become topwaters that annoy everyone on the beach. In both sports topwaters typically talk the talk on how great they are in the sport and considers anyone they do not know entering their turf to be a Barney. Topwaters are those guys that have been hunting a while, but seldom go hunting anymore or they are not very successful when they do. But when they do go hunting, complaining about the Barneys is all they have left to show off as a way to stay in with the brahs. The cultures are as similar as the slang.

Ok, well that makes me still a barney then...big relief. I guess the goal is to never become a topwater.