Quinte Fishing

So I was out on the bay and I noticed some sweet duck hunting spots. Many were spots that I have seen duck hunters using during past seasons. On a few, I noticed that they were marked with a small sign with a first or last name on each one. The signs were clearly homemade and hand painted and seemingly indicated that the named person was "claiming" the spot. This leads me to a question; is there some local custom or "by-law" that allows a hunter to "claim" a spot? I'm assuming that this was not some landowner marking his blind as there would be no reason for the landowner to do so; simply restrict access to your land and your blind is always available. Some of the sites were on islands and land that are clearly not owned and would be open to public access.

Now, by no means do I want to trespass or interfere with someone's blind or hunt. I also do not want to interfere with a guide who was using these sites to conduct business. However, I have reviewed the Migratory Birds Convention Act and the regulations and I don't see anything indicating that there is some permit or law that allows a person to claim a hunting site, which would otherwise be public, for their exclusive use. I would assume that on a public space, first come first served and that anyone could use those sites.

Which all leads me back to the possibility that this is also some by-law of the Quinte area municipalities or it is a local custom. Anyone know?

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"A harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very very dangerous man who has his capacity for mayhem under voluntary control."

"(B)e wary of discarding the ancient system where we all have the right to make our own decisions for one in which we all have the right to make each others, in the hope of finding true human fulfillment through “positive” rights to other people’s money and applause?"

Call it an outdoors person agreement if you will.

For opening day only, many duck hunter's "claim" their spot. Most claim their spot a month or so ahead. It is an unwritten duck hunter's agreement to leave that spot for the person who has claimed it. It's a way of knowing where other hunter's will be and to keep a safe distance apart so there are no problems. Otherwise a bunch of guys racing out in the pitch dark to get to the same spot could create issues.After opening day, the agreement becomes null and it's first come first serve. But bear in mind, if someone has spent a significant amount of time preparing a blind, they probably won't like someone else there the next day either.

It's like a treestand in the deer woods. You know someone else is there, you don't climb up it opening day, and you don't put your stand up on the tree right beside it. You don't go sit on a beaver dam beside someone who's calling moose. Or sit in a stand that someone's baiting for bear.

The same could be said for ice fishing, trolling, jigging, shore fishing etc...

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HUNT, FISH and RIDE

Thanks for the info. That is what I figured the deal was. I have noticed in past years that one of the sites has a very elaborate blind built on it and I though "why would anyone spend all that time, cash and sweat to build on public land". Luckily I have my own land or the property of friends and family to hunt on so I don't have to get involved in the great opening day scramble and have not had to deal with anything like that.

One little note, I mentioned the sign thing to a friend who travels Quinte quite often and he said that some of those signs are out in May. I guess if someone wants to come to the Quine area to hunt and to have a spot for the opener, they better come out at the end of the preceding year and post their sign for the next year's hunt. Advantage local guys I guess.

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"A harmless man is not a good man. A good man is a very very dangerous man who has his capacity for mayhem under voluntary control."

"(B)e wary of discarding the ancient system where we all have the right to make our own decisions for one in which we all have the right to make each others, in the hope of finding true human fulfillment through “positive” rights to other people’s money and applause?"

Signs that are there in May are likely left out from the year before. The area I duck hunt we put the year beside our name. But like Adventure said, after opening day all bets are off, especially if people see you do well.

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official member of the two biggest liars unions (Fisherman, and Hunters)