Anti-Hunters at Frank Lake

Sawbill · #1 09-30-2013, 11:39 PM

I have been hunting for 29 years and until this actually happened to me, i wouldn't have believed it.On sunday I took a friend out to Frank Lake to hunt ducks,when we got to where I had originally wanted to set up, somebody was kitesurfing, not wanting to disrupt another persons enjoyment of the lake, we decided to set up somewhere else. After setting the decoys up and making sure no one was around we settled into our blind. A few minutes later 3 individuals with binoculars and cameras showed up, they were standing directly behind us no more than a ten feet away. They were making direct eye contact with us and could clearly see we were in fact hunting. We were in camo, decoys in the water and loaded shotguns in our hands. They knew we were hunting and kept giving us dirty looks. My hunting partner told me to keep my cool and they would go away. They didn't. This went on for about fifteen minutes until 2 more bird watchers showed up and now we had 5 of them breathing down our necks, knowingly and willfully interrupting our hunt. We didn't say a thing, knowing that the situation could rapidly deteriorate, we shut our mouths and waited for them to leave, this whole situation lasted around 30 minutes. Now please understand that we were no where near the permanent blind at the end of the road,and were actually halfway between the permanent blind and the power line which is probably 1/3 of a kilometre away.

We confirmed they were long gone and thought the worst was over. a few minutes later a bluebill dropped in, I shot and went out to retrieve it. As I was trying to get the duck I could hear someone yelling at me, but had to remove my earplugs to hear what they were saying, it was an older man about 40 feet away.

"YOU CAN"T HUNT HERE, THIS IS A BIRD SANCTUARY!" he yelled at me
"NO IT'S NOT,YOU'RE WRONG, CALL A GAME WARDEN" i responded
"THIS IS A DUCKS UNLIMITED PROPERTY,YOU CAN"T HUNT HERE!" he screamed at me.
I yelled back"YOU'RE WRONG,CALL A GAME WARDEN"
He then told me he didn't have the number.
I told him he was interfering with a legal hunt and he then said sarcastically,"how, I'm just standing here with a pair of binoculars"

His wife was further back with a camera either videotaping or taking pictures of the whole thing. He turned to leave, but I had to head towards him to retrieve my duck, the mud was too deep from where i had tried to get it. As i got closer to him he told me that it was unsafe to hunt there because of all the "birders" in the area, I again told him it was legal for me to hunt there and at no time was anyone in any danger. He then accused me of shooting towards him, which was completely untrue, I shot out towards the lake. With his wife begging him to leave, I reminded him that he was interfering with the retrieval of my duck and that it was an offence to leave a game bird without making all attempts to retrieve it. I got the duck, told my partner we should move for fear of more "ANTI'S" coming to disrupt our hunt. We moved to another spot and never shot again for the rest of the day. They ruined our hunt and have left me with a bad taste in my mouth. On the way out we saw a man with 3 kids coming our way, at first I thought "oh no , here we go again" but as we got closer I was happy to see it was just another outdoorsman like me, doing what we love, hunting.
LIke I said at the beginning, almost 29 years hunting and i have never encountered anything like this. This is the sort of stuff that goes on in Australia!
Where anti-hunters interfere and observe duck hunts with the point of stopping it altogether. Google duck hunting and Australia and you will know what i'm talking about. This is my first post, sorry to go on and on.

DJYoung · #2 09-30-2013, 11:49 PM

God I hate stupid people... You are a better man than I, would have lost it following them around all day gently scaring all the birds so they didn't see squat. You kept your cool and tried to educate them hopefully your next trip goes better.

bunnyhunter · #3 10-01-2013, 02:58 AM

As a big supporter of DUC ducks unlimited, this is ridiculous as DUC was founded by duck hunters. Still supported largely by waterfowl hunters. Sorry that happened. Next time call fish &wildlife. You could report this to ducks unlimited canada. If you dont I may just as I am involved with DUC.

coyoteslayer · #4 10-01-2013, 05:30 AM

I think you pretty much owe it everyone else who hunts there to report the issue. To both the DU people and F&W. Not sure what will happen but at least you are making an attempt.

Roughneck Country · #5 10-01-2013, 06:10 AM

Thats unfortunate, maybe DU could post signs at these properties indicating hunting may and will go on. I would have followed him to the parking lot myself and got his plate to report him for interfering with my hunt but I can get a little vindictive at times, you handled it well!

Winch101 · #6 10-01-2013, 07:13 AM

Happened twice last year during pheasant stocking , dog walkers and hunters .

Pls call F&W , and DU.....they were breaking the law....

I observed an argument between a hunter and two old biddys that were
Adamant this was a bird sanctuary ,they left to get the RCMP , would have liked
To see that one though nearest detachment is High River ,and we know how they treat gun owners ....lol

Metalmike123 · #7 10-01-2013, 07:54 AM

Don't let that spoil a trip for you, better just to ignore them and move on (or report it). Anti-hunters can be very naive.

coyotekiller · #8 10-01-2013, 08:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bunnyhunter

As a big supporter of DUC ducks unlimited, this is ridiculous as DUC was founded by duck hunters. Still supported largely by waterfowl hunters. Sorry that happened. Next time call fish &wildlife. You could report this to ducks unlimited canada. If you dont I may just as I am involved with DUC.

x2 I would report it to

Juggernaut · #9 10-01-2013, 08:39 AM

I too am a DU member. "Bird Santuary".... Good grief....

I would suggest next time talking to them with your loudest comeback call..... They will lose interest in arguing when their ears start to ring...

I would have taken pictures of them and posted them all over the place.

... Agree 100% on the reporting of them

Stop Staring at my Rack · #10 10-01-2013, 08:46 AM

I agree with reporting them, ran into a few of these in past years, including one woman who drove up a road and did a 360 and honked to scare away the moose we were stalking.... fish and wildlife paid her a nice visit.

Sorry to hear of your troubles, you handled it well.

Sawbill · #11 10-01-2013, 08:47 AM

Thanks for the positive responses. I will give DU and F&W a call in the next couple of days.
I just wanted everyone who hunts there to know what's going on.
It's unfortunate that the "birders" can't respect our need for some space to hunt, if it was me and I was out bird watching, and some one was set up, I'd just go someplace else.
In fact after we decided to move we walked about 10 minutes to another spot, loaded up with all our gear, when we got there we saw a guy with a telephoto lens taking pictures of shorebirds. He was there first so off we went to find another place to hunt, no problem.
We can share the spot as hunters amongst hunters, even hunters amongst bird watchers and photographers, yet they won't share with us.

Venginator · #12 10-01-2013, 10:08 AM

Damn hippies...

kstats · #13 10-01-2013, 10:50 AM

Good on ya for handling it so well... Had a similar but less extensive experience there last year during pheasant season. Funny how it is always the anti-hunters who assume it is the hunters who are in the wrong, despite the fact that we need to be VERY sure we are in the right for fear of paying for our mistakes dearly should we mess up!

Whiskey Wish · #14 10-01-2013, 11:08 AM

I would print off a copy of the regulations where it talks about "unlawful to interfere with a legal hunt"....maybe a page in front and a page behind for legitimacy purposes and highlight the pertinent portions.

Then I would either get my hands on some Report a Poacher stickers c/w phone number or print off some copies of those as well.

I would selectively print off any current hunting regulations I could find that pertain specifically to the lake I am hunting on.

Then I would go hunting there again.

If the Anti's show up and start their little game again I would hand them my copies and tell them that unless they cease and desist immediately I will be phoning the Poaching Number and reporting them to Fish and Wildlife. Then I would dig out my cell phone or camera and proceed to take their pictures. Better yet if you have a video camera I would video the whole thing from the moment they started.

If they continued I would phone without hesitation. This needs to be pursued to the very end or the anti's win imho.
Regards,
Dave.

Big Daddy Badger · #15 10-01-2013, 11:51 AM

Give folks what they want...it makes them sooo miserable.

I would have baited and encouraged them onto call the fish cops or RCMP.

Might have managed to get the idiots to hang themselves that way....and what could be sweeter than that?

newell · #16 10-01-2013, 12:41 PM

I stopped hunting there years ago after we kept getting the RCMP called on us it wasn't worth the hassle of dealing with that. tell them they can come on the pheasant opener and argue with 50 hunters at once now that it is a release site

jacenbeers · #17 10-01-2013, 01:52 PM

If this ever happens again and the anti responds with the fact that they do not have the number to report a poacher, give him the number and tell him to call you in. He will probably open up his cell phone immediately and be told by the operator that there was no violation and he will learn his lesson quick.

Sawbill · #18 10-01-2013, 02:27 PM

After what happened sunday I'm going to keep a copy of article 47 and 48 of the Alberta Wildlife Act in my back pocket, that's the section that clearly defines interference and obstructing a hunter from pursuing his or her enjoyment in the outdoors. It even points out that you can't interfere with a hunter in their preparing for a hunt. Making ground blinds, scouting, setting up trail cams, all of it is preparation for a hunt. I've never been more angry than I am at the thought of a few people who didn't grow up hunting or fishing, dictatating what I have the right to do!

troni · #19 10-01-2013, 03:15 PM

There is a law saying people can't disrupt you hunting. I'm not sure the consequence.

Roughneck Country · #20 10-01-2013, 03:42 PM

Funny how an eco warier will be belligerent to a man with a gun and think nothing will ever happen to them. All it would take is one of these anti hunters to push the wrong guys buttons and things could get ugly real fast.

Okotokian · #21 10-01-2013, 04:38 PM

Get your cell phone out, get real close, take their pictures. Tell them it's evidence for a charge of harassing and interfering with a hunt. Then give them the RAP phone number and tell thm to call and report you. If they give you any guff YOU mke the call, right in front of them. Heck, I'd follow them back as they retreat and photograph their license plates.

Sawbill · #22 10-01-2013, 08:29 PM

I like what you guys are saying, next time the camera comes out first and I record the whole thing! If we do nothing "they" win.

birdslayer · #23 10-01-2013, 08:48 PM

Good on you Sawbill for your patience ,I am with most everyone else on here , report them as interfering on a hunt and have them charged. We as outdoor people need to have them prosecuted to stop this kind of harrasement .

BeeGuy · #24 10-01-2013, 08:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roughneck Country

Funny how an eco warier will be belligerent to a man with a gun and think nothing will ever happen to them. All it would take is one of these anti hunters to push the wrong guys buttons and things could get ugly real fast.

oh really?

hal53 · #25 10-01-2013, 08:53 PM

^^^^^ and there we have it folks.........

"No Choke"Lord Walsingham · #26 10-01-2013, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by coyoteslayer

I think you pretty much owe it everyone else who hunts there to report the issue. To both the DU people and F&W. Not sure what will happen but at least you are making an attempt.

Couldn't agree more and very glad that you have plans to report. A most unfortunate circumstance, they broke the Law by interfering with a lawful Hunt.

You represented us well Sir.

Mmtobias · #27 10-02-2013, 07:12 PM

I have been going to another Ducks Unlimited site that is not very close to any populated area. You have to hike in a km or so from the parking area so everyone there is usually there to hunt. The place is an hour or more from my house in Okotoks so I was thinking of heading down to Frank Lake next weekend. I have never hunted there but i did drive there to take a quick look about a month ago. When I arrived I noticed about 5 vehicles and people scattered around with their cameras and binoculars bird watching. I realized with the close proximity to High River and the highway that this may be a popular spot for both hunters and non hunters and there would be more potential for conflict there. Has anyone else had any similar issues there? I don't mind shutting up a few anti-hunters when they're in the wrong, but I don't go looking for it either, lol. I also noticed a few viewing areas on the North/northwest end of the lake, so is most of the hunting done on the South or east side?

Thanks.

zewks · #28 10-02-2013, 07:20 PM

I have gone there a couple times with no issues, I usually stick to the east side of the lake.

Hat in the Cat · #29 10-02-2013, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sawbill

After what happened sunday I'm going to keep a copy of article 47 and 48 of the Alberta Wildlife Act in my back pocket, that's the section that clearly defines interference and obstructing a hunter from pursuing his or her enjoyment in the outdoors. It even points out that you can't interfere with a hunter in their preparing for a hunt. Making ground blinds, scouting, setting up trail cams, all of it is preparation for a hunt. I've never been more angry than I am at the thought of a few people who didn't grow up hunting or fishing, dictatating what I have the right to do!

I'm printing those off too for the next time my wife tries to interfere with my hunt with the old honey do list...

See how a stern talking to by the RCMP makes her feel lol.

Sawbill · #30 10-02-2013, 11:14 PM

I don't think we should stop hunting at Frank Lake because it is popular with bird watchers, photographers and dog walkers. As there are very few public marshes available to duck hunters, we hunt where we can. When my hunting partner and I arrived there were only 2 vehicles at the parking area, neither vehicle looked like they belonged to a hunter, so we purposely set out our decoys in an area we knew was all to ourselves, only to find ourselves surrounded by anti-hunters. Let's be clear, Frank Lake isn't Fish Creek Provincial Park and High River isn't Calgary, it's a rural area. If we avoid places that non-hunters use then we should all sell our guns and watch Oprah all day because there are people everywhere these days. Our province is built on sharing space, many PRA's and Wildland Parks allow hunting, should we stop hunting because some bird watcher might be there? No way!