Idiot Shoots at Decoys

[Nemont]

Be safe out there

Great Falls man cited for shooting at goose decoys

A Great Falls man was cited Nov. 3 for shooting at goose decoys he thought were real while the waterfowl hunters hunkered down nearby.

Anthony Derosa, 41, was charged with three misdemeanors: shooting from a roadway, and waterfowl hunting without state and federal waterfowl stamps.

The incident happened late in the afternoon when Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden Brett Logan was called by TIPMONT to the Morony Dam Road. Cascade County Sheriff’s deputies assisted.

A pair of goose hunters said they had set out several decoys in a field and were camouflaged lying nearby when a small white car stopped on the road about 100 yards away. Someone jumped out and started shooting at the decoys with a .22 caliber rifle.

Logan found Derosa and the car at Morony Dam.

Derosa claimed he thought the geese were real but he was just trying to get them to fly, Logan said.

The two goose hunters were fortunate, Logan said. They normally sit inside the group of decoys but on a whim decided to lie in the field away from them.



Read more: http://billingsgazette.com/lifestyl...e05-5b2a-bf45-5dc4aca09a68.html#ixzz2BSzkA2vF

 

[El Jason]

That's scary. I had a similar incident happen on the Missouri River at Giant Springs. I was calling some ducks, and heard a shot very close by. I was puzzled because I didn't think anyone else was setup nearby. I heard the shot hit the water in front of me, and when I looked the shooter shot again and I saw the shot pattern spray my dekes. They were set in pretty close to the shore, and this guy missed me and my dog by about 15 feet.

I gave him an absolute earful.

 

[MTbowhunter84]

That happened in SD a few years back and a hunter was killed only the kid was using a high powered rifle!

 

[schmalts]

Did he get to keep them?

 

[jerrym]

I was hunting on an island on the Flathead River many years ago and we had goose decoys on the ice. We had limited out so my buddy went to get the canoe and I was out on the ice stacking goose decoys, We only had 2-3 dozen out. A canoe came up to the island, I waved at the guys. They sat up and started shooting at the decoys with me standing in them. We had limited out so my gun was back at the blind, probably a good thing or I would have returned fire. Some how I wasn't hit and I started dropping f bombs as they quickly paddled off. Nothing surprises me, I hope this idiot gets the book thrown at him.

 

[avid_outdoorsman]

Shooting at Decoys in the Field

Fairly common situation unfortunately, especially back east and in Canada. In the west, we are fortunate that it doesn't happen all too often.

I carry an orange flag off of the kid's bicycle in my lay down blind, just for this reason. Of course, it probably won't help for the first shot. If I survive it then I can get it out. I guess the lesson is (aside from the dumb a$$ knowing what they are shooting at or not shooting at geese in the field with a rifle) if you see a vehicle slow down that is checking out the "geese", whip that flag out immediately. Better to ruin a shot at a flight then to be laying there dead. Sad that it has come down to this.

~AO

 

[jerrym]

Great advice avid outdoorsman

 

[RUT JUNKEY]

flag is a good idea or an AR. I had this happen duck hunting about 3 years ago. We were on a private pond, had all the dekes out and were set up in the cattails. . .we had been there for about 30 min when up over the dam pops 2 guys and they just start blazing my dekes. . we were just lucky to be sitting off to the right side of the dekes. I was instantly furious, not only that they shot a few of my dekes, but , that they continued to shoot after the first shot didn't make the ducks "fly". I got ugly, and my best friend saved one of them from a hospital visit. Oh the guy, he is the same guy that produces the "Hunter Dan" line of hunting figures and preaches about being safe. . .BS! guys like this think they are great hunters. . .sad. PS: he never replaced my dekes either.