Shooting at Reelfoot

[thomas89]

Pretty early on in the investigation but sounding like a couple guys got shot at Reelfoot in Tennessee for shooting at birds someone else deemed as "theirs".

Such a stupid reason to get killed or kill somebody. Certainly have no idea what happened, but can say I've walked away from areas where confrontations were bound to happen. I think a lot of it starts with that whole "my spot" mentality, not to mention the tough talk about people setting up too close should get peppered and all that other nonsense. They're just stinky ol' ducks, I got a mess of them in the freezer if you feel the need to fight over them.

Eerily reminiscent of the Hmong hunter who murdered a whole bunch of deer hunters in Wisconsin in the early 2000's when they caught him hunting. Was a kid then and it has made a big impact in the way I deal with other hunters I run across in the out of doors.

 

[Rzrbk]

I hunted public lands around Stuttgart Arkansas for about four years. It can get very ugly. I've seen some cutthroat stuff in the name of claiming a duck hole in flooded timber.

One time a guy wounded a duck and it came my way on the water. I stepped out from behind a tree and told him I'd get the duck for him. He immediately acted like I was going to steal his duck, raised his gun as I dove behind a tree while his two shots hit the duck and tree I was behind. I stayed put until he came and got the duck. He never said a word to me.

A buddy who was also a duck guide got into a fire fight across a duck hole when another group came in late and set up on "his" hole. The starting gate for boats on Bayou Meto flying down a narrow ditch before daylight can be terrifying. Boats will run you over as they try to be beat the competition.

 

[BuzzH]

Over a duck?

You have to be kidding me.

 

[Jc2020]

That’s insane that a dispute over a duck could lead to two people getting shot and killed hopefully if that is what happened they catch who ever did this.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Once things sort-of came to blows when waterfowl hunting several years ago with the late great Pearl. I set up at the fence line before light on Saturday morning. Some other guys showed up, saw I was in the spot they wanted, so they drove to the other property in a field behind and west of me maybe two hundred yards away. They had the full Monty with trailer, full body deeks, layout blinds, etc. As the geese came from the river on my side I could easily determine they were drawn to the other guys' better setup. First bunch came over me about forty yards set up for them. I let them go. Two guns were emptied and two honkers folded, a third one drifted down lung shot and hit the field immediately behind us. Pearl ran out and gathered it up as more flocks were coming. I passed on two more good shots before a family group flared from their set for some reason and I dropped one as they came over me. Got a second shot through the fence line trees but missed. Or so I thought. Pearl picked up the honker that almost fell on me while my other Lab Opal charged out into the hayfield behind us. I called her back thinking she smelled where the other guys' first bird fell. Called her back quickly as more geese were coming. I set aside the other fellas' big banded honker to take to them when birds stopped flying. Eventually I saw one of the hunters walking out in the field to look for their lost honker so I grabbed it and went out to meet him. He claimed he was looking for a bird I had lost and I had his bird. We were debating about who's lost bird it was when Pearl suddenly lit into his young Lab - she could get snarly about her birds, even with Opal. The guy kicked her away, grabbed the honker, and stormed off with a few choice swear words. Needless to say, I was embarrassed. After I gathered up my shell deeks and was ready for the walk out, I thought maybe we should give that field a look again. When I released Opal she went back to the same spot. Pearl followed ... and picked up the dead honker I had shot from first flock but not seen fall. Fast forward seven years later when I first visited the local trap club. Who should I meet but the guy who had lost his honker and kicked my dog. At the pub after finished shooting, he apologised for booting Pearl. "No problem. You just beat me to it." Can't blame him for instinctively protecting his dog. Kinda funny it could easily have come to blows over two guys' reluctance to accept ownership of a bird. A banded one no less (not that uncommon here).

 

[wytex]

Sounds like they are looking for a 70 year old man for the shooting.

 

[WyoDoug]

That happens probably more frequent than what is reported I bet. My family had a hunting group actually come into our camp by Craig in Colorado and shoot a deer right out of the campsite. They were not invited or anything. My dad and uncle had some choice words with them and told them to get the hell out of there or they were calling the sheriff. (we were on private land with permission). My dad called the sheriff anyways and reported it but that could of blown out of control quickly.

 

[duckhunt]

Back in high school 3 of us found a flooded picked corn field that the ducks were pouring into like I've never seen before. We located the land owner and got permission for the weekend. When we pulled into the farm drive early Saturday morning another truck pulled in right beside us.it was 3 other guys just a few years older than we were. After a quick chat we all decided to hunt together. The 6 of us hunted the spot both Saturday and Sunday. Turned out to be one of the best duck weekends we have ever had. I dont understand why some hunters have the it's my spot type of thinking.

 

[Mallardsx2]

Back in the early 2000's I heard where two boats in Maryland started shooting at each other from about a 75-100 yards apart.

I heard later on that the boat on the right side of the bay had shot at low birds and the guys on the left side of the bay caught a #4 buckshot pellet (why the guys were shooting buckshot who knows) to his pointer finger and it broke his finger. When the "Broken finger boat people" approached the other blind there was a lot of screaming and then the "Broken finger boat guys" drove their boat right at them lying down a wall of fire directly on them. In total it was estimated that 25 shots were fired in rapid succession.

Never did hear how that all ended up. But I do know its a true story.

All over a stupid duck.

 

[Mallardsx2]

TBI searching for person of interest after two bodies found at Reelfoot Lake in Obion County

The TBI says 70-year-old David Vowell is a person of interest in the case. He is considered armed and dangerous.

www.wpsdlocal6.com

 

[WestKyHunt]

This happened pretty close to me (link above is my local news station).
It's a sad deal all around. One of the guys killed was a gun department manager for FinalFlight Outfitters.

Crazy ordeals such as this are why I have started bringing my little .380 duck hunting. I hope to never need it, but would much rather have it in my front wader pocket if the need arises.

 

[Mallardsx2]

I was reading about this over on the refuge forum this morning. Sounded like the suspect was upset about them shooting at birds on the swing and drove over to their blind in his boat and just gunned them down. There was a third person there as well according to once source at the refugeforum. Its all speculation at this point.

 

[WestKyHunt]

I was reading about this over on the refuge forum this morning. Sounded like the suspect was upset about them shooting at birds on the swing and drove over to their blind in his boat and just gunned them down. There was a third person there as well according to once source at the refugeforum. Its all speculation at this point.

Some of those guys know more than the news. Some of it is speculation, but a few know the area and people very well. They were spot on about the suspect before the police released information on it

 

[Johnny44]

This sucks. I had an experience this year where I got beat to the spot I was planning to go to. Guys didn't seem friendly so I just moved on to another spot. Another truck was there as well. Told him what my plans were and that I had 2 buddies on their way (I'm the early riser, spot claimer of the group for public land). Asked if he minded if we joined him. He was all for it. I learned a little bit from him and gained a new hunting partner. All around great experience. Had the same with a couple deer hunters (although we didn't join up, we just adjusted for each other). No reason it can't always be like this. Public land has some horror stories but ironically my ONLY bad experience was with a non-hunter.

 

[FLS]

Reelfoot is a shitshow. Permanent blinds on public water is a recipe for disaster. From what I’ve read about the incident this was an ongoing feud.
I’ve all but quit duck hunting. At one time it was my passion, I hunted almost every day of the season. My two sons love it as well, but there are just too many people after a limited resource. Add in the fact the the latest generation seems not to have gotten their knowledge from a mentor, rather via the internet and have no concept of etiquette in the field, I see this happening more often. A damn duck ain’t worth dying over.

 

[BuzzH]

I did mostly pass shooting and jump shooting when I hunted waterfowl. Floated rivers quite a bit too, set up decoys once in a while, but in spots well away from other people. The hunting was wayyyyy better and the birds decoyed in much easier when you have to pack decoys a mile or two.

Never did like the "ownership" that many duck hunters claimed on public lands with regard to blinds, etc. Stayed away from the refuges near big population centers for the most part too. I shot way more ducks and geese than the clown show at the refuges.

 

[OntarioHunter]

Two more very different stories. When Pearl was a pup and I was still working we headed out to a field one very rainy Saturday morning. I was setting up on the edge when two trucks drove up to watch. Then they drove out into adjacent field and set up. Okay, they are way out there, no problem. But then they come back and park their truck right in front of my decoys. "Hey! Whataya think you're doing!" They flipped me off and walk off to their decoys. Stupid arseholes. Guess they didn't realize I'm set up in the pathway between the river and grain fields. I let the snows go through at daybreak without taking a shot and they got a couple. They can have those culls. Then the black geese started to come. First flock cleared the trees behind me set up for those guys. The honkers were about fifty yards up there. One shot was all I'd get ... and down one comes ... and away flies the rest. Next a really big flock came over. Same thing: one shot and down comes one honker and off the rest go to parts unknown. Third flight and another fifty yard pass shot brings down another goose. Then the cursing starts. The bird flipper comes striding over with his kid. I told him he just as well leave now. I can keep this up all day shooting at geese under the shelter of trees while they go lay faceup in a downpour in a field the dairy farmer had just covered in cow shit two days before. "I can just about guarantee you're not getting any more birds." The kid obviously had enough anyway. They drove out to pick up their stuff ... and got stuck in the mud. Farmer eventually pulled them out with his tractor ... just as I was driving off with my limit. Bet that guy's wife had some choice words for the smelly pair when they got home. Some people really must enjoy picking birds, eh?

Second story is how it's supposed to be done. Geese were pouring into a half harvested cornfield. I went to the dairy barn and got permission to hunt the following day. Farmer usually only allows one group of hunters per day to avoid having to referee fights. As I'm driving past the house a young guy and his wife are driving in and stop to chat. "Guess you got permission to hunt already. Any suggestions where we should go tomorrow." "Sure. Right here. Set your layout blinds in the middle of the field and I'll hunt the standing corn on the edge. Stay well out there so my dogs aren't trying to pick up your birds and we should do fine. Tell Fred at the barn Pat said it's okay if you hunt with him." The next morning I let flock after flock fly over into their decoys, some only a few yards over my head! It was fun watching those two have fun. I eventually shot three before the geese stopped flying. Don't even know their names and never hunted with them again. But I'm pleased we all have pleasant memories of a great morning in the field. Helluva lot more important than counting birds.

 

[Jc2020]

My cousins borrowed a tree stand from me once to hang on public ground to bow hunt when they were 15 and 17 when they were headed in a guy stopped them and told them him and his buddy hunt this area and that He personally didn’t care if they did but if his buddy found them out there it wasn’t going to be good and that he would also steal the stand if he found it this was part of public land around a lake that was several thousand acres and not that it matters it was all public but there was plenty of room for several people to hunt they tried to Talk to him about it to figure out where they hunted to make sure they didn’t set up to close to him he kept on about how they couldn’t hunt there because Of his buddy they got his tag number Called the game wardens and reported it he denied it the stand ended up stolen I hunted this same area in rifle season on foot with my son this same half wit and a couple people came up bugging me about how I shouldn’t be there I basically told them where to go we tried to set up to watch and area away from them they came walking thru where we were and set up in our way claiming to be squirrel hunting so we just left headed to another area they started following us over there so we not wanting to get into it with my son there with me we just left but it’s crazy what people will do for public land that they don’t even own

 

[mplane72]

Sad deal at Reelfoot. It's a place I'd like to go hunt mostly due to all the waterfowl history down there but most story's I hear about it anymore are negative.

Deer can make people crazy. Ducks can turn people into a-holes.

 

[Hunting Wife]

Very sad deal. I don’t know why, but waterfowl hunting has produced the most heated confrontations I’ve ever witnessed or heard of with regards to hunting. I absolutely don’t get it.