That's the rule of thumb for deciding the right of way between a duck hunter and bass fisherman, according to Chad Boyce, a biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries (VDGIF). He also happens to be both a duck hunter and fisherman, so he speaks from experience. And just to be on the safe side, he ran his response by the local CPO sergeant, who acknowledged that it is "spot on."
As Chad explained, "Both users have rights to their respective activities in public waters. Each should operate on ethical decisions based on 'who is there first.'"
In other words, if a duck hunter is set up with decoys out and clearly hunting, a fisherman should steer away from that area. Likewise, if a duck hunter goes to a spot where a fisherman is actively doing his thing, then that duck hunter should find another spot to hunt.
"There are extreme circumstances, however," noted Chad, "when both can claim to have exclusive rights to certain locations in public waters. This is where many conflicts arise.
"Accordingly, there's a law that protects the rights of all hunters and fishermen. However, the law simply states that it is illegal for someone to knowingly impede a lawful hunting or fishing trip of another," which, to paraphrase Chad, doesn't begin to address the common-sense and ethical issues involved.
If you "blast and cast," you just carry three or four fishing rods along in the boat, in addition to all the hunting paraphernalia.
The only thing I know about this subject matter, based on my own experience, is that it's not cool to go busting through a duck hunter's decoys in your bass boat. That has happened to me two or three times over the years, and I've always stopped and apologized profusely--in hopes I wouldn't become a target.
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