# duck hunting rockport



## ethan (Aug 3, 2006)

this is my first year to have an aph and i have a house on salt lake and i am wondering were in rockport are public hunting lands? i am not asking for spots just were is legal and what is not shore lines bays anything thing is help full i am use to hunting xmas so i am not new to hunting just the area thanks for all the help.


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## Freshwaterman (May 21, 2004)

You can go over to the TPWD in Rockport and they can line you out on the areas.


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## plgorman (Jan 10, 2008)

you didnt get the booklet with the APH that shows you the public lands? JDF has the best advice


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## huntvizsla (Dec 31, 2006)

Your probably aware of this but I have some friends that didnt know this so here goes. The APH book lists land leased by the state for public hunting and WMA's. The book does not map all public land in Texas. For instance the book gives detailed info on the Justin Hearst WMA but has no information on legal public hunting areas in West Galveston Bay. Also the book does not contain information regarding national wildlife refuges that have options for public hunting. So with an APH you do have more options but its not a guide to all public hunting in Texas, its just a permit to hunt state leased lands and WMA's. In the past there have been no state leased public hunting lands in the costal marshes, that may have changed this year though. However several of the WMA's are along the coast. I dont hunt much in the Rockport area but I would talk to a GW or TPW, because the APH book most likely wont have any information on the areas you would like to hunt.


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

Just about every square foot of water that can be hunted has a blind already on it my friend. Good luck.


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## Sean Hoffmann (May 24, 2004)

The entire bay is public...go for it! Your' better off concealing yourself in the mangroves than sitting in a blind anyway.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

If there's a blind where you want to hunt just burn it down.


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## wahoo02 (Aug 12, 2005)

What mangroves?


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## plgorman (Jan 10, 2008)

Texas Jeweler said:


> Just about every square foot of water that can be hunted has a blind already on it my friend. Good luck.


lol riiiiight, and you cant hunt those blinds b/c they are 'private property'.................


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## Sean Hoffmann (May 24, 2004)

I came across my first padlocked blind in RP a few years ago. Great idea. 

Mangroves aren't hard to find.


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

Any blind in the bay becomes public, find one you like and go hunt it. If any other boats come your way shine a light at them and they usually leave. We have been hunting Rockport for 14 yrs and never had a problem. The best bet is to find a good area with blinds and set up on the bank away from the blinds, because the birds down there become shy real quick.


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## ethan (Aug 3, 2006)

thanks for all the help good luck to everyone this weekend.


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

Ya'll act like you want too. I know of very unpleasant situations from people "just hunting" a blind in this area. 

May not be right, but it is the way it is. There was a ruling about blinds being private property. A lower unit was damaged when it struck a blind. The guy that placed the blind there was held liable for the damage. The court ruled it was his property, so the precedent has been set gentlemen. Argue as you wish, you end up in court, it is not going to go well for tresspassing or anything else.


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## plgorman (Jan 10, 2008)

Texas Jeweler said:


> Ya'll act like you want too. I know of very unpleasant situations from people "just hunting" a blind in this area.
> 
> May not be right, but it is the way it is. There was a ruling about blinds being private property. A lower unit was damaged when it struck a blind. The guy that placed the blind there was held liable for the damage. The court ruled it was his property, so the precedent has been set gentlemen. Argue as you wish, you end up in court, it is not going to go well for tresspassing or anything else.


W/E dude, blinds in public water are public property, you public water blind builders can argue that you're entitled to them as much as you want but that doesnt change the law that is written on paper. IMO this is no different than some doucher that throws a fit when he pulls up to 'HIS' honey hole that someone else beat him to and tries to say he found it first so its his...


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## Timemachine (Nov 25, 2008)

Texas Jeweler said:


> Ya'll act like you want too. I know of very unpleasant situations from people "just hunting" a blind in this area.
> 
> May not be right, but it is the way it is. There was a ruling about blinds being private property. A lower unit was damaged when it struck a blind. The guy that placed the blind there was held liable for the damage. The court ruled it was his property, so the precedent has been set gentlemen. Argue as you wish, you end up in court, it is not going to go well for tresspassing or anything else.


That ruling has nothing to do with property ownership. It was about being liable for building an ostruction in a public waterway. The obstruction cause a navigation hazard which in turn damaged someones property. That puts us one step closer to the State issuing a ban on blinds being built on public property, a subject already under review in Austin.

Just my take as a licensed realestate ageny on top of this issue.


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## Levelwind (Apr 15, 2005)

Y'all are about half right. TPW legal has expressed an opinion that duck blinds are in fact public property. So is your duckboat, so are your decoys that you may leave out overnight. 

That creates an issue of the rights individuals to "claim" public waters. Most law enforcement guys will handle it this way. No matter whose property the blind, or the decoys are, the SPOT is first come first served. If you beat the owner to his blind, or to the spot where his decoys were left out, most GW's are going to side with you in a beef if you decide to hunt over the decoys or in the blind. 

Here's the big difference. If you decide to steal the guy's decoys, or his blind, or the heater out of his blind, that's stealing. Those things ARE his property and NOT yours and being left unattended does not convey ownership to the first tomdickandharry who decides he likes them. Now it may be difficult to prove ownership of those things, just like it would be if you stole them out of someone's garage, but it is stealing.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

plgorman said:


> W/E dude, blinds in public water are public property, you public water blind builders can argue that you're entitled to them as much as you want but that doesnt change the law that is written on paper. IMO this is no different than some doucher that throws a fit when he pulls up to 'HIS' honey hole that someone else beat him to and tries to say he found it first so its his...





Timemachine said:


> That ruling has nothing to do with property ownership. It was about being liable for building an ostruction in a public waterway. The obstruction cause a navigation hazard which in turn damaged someones property. That puts us one step closer to the State issuing a ban on blinds being built on public property, a subject already under review in Austin.
> 
> Just my take as a licensed realestate ageny on top of this issue.


Yall have to excuse him, he's just trying to scare everyone away so his blinds will be empty when he pulls up at 6:45. :tongue:



Levelwind said:


> Y'all are about half right. TPW legal has expressed an opinion that duck blinds are in fact public property. So is your duckboat, so are your decoys that you may leave out overnight.
> 
> That creates an issue of the rights individuals to "claim" public waters. Most law enforcement guys will handle it this way. No matter whose property the blind, or the decoys are, the SPOT is first come first served. If you beat the owner to his blind, or to the spot where his decoys were left out, most GW's are going to side with you in a beef if you decide to hunt over the decoys or in the blind.
> 
> Here's the big difference. If you decide to steal the guy's decoys, or his blind, or the heater out of his blind, that's stealing. Those things ARE his property and NOT yours and being left unattended does not convey ownership to the first tomdickandharry who decides he likes them. Now it may be difficult to prove ownership of those things, just like it would be if you stole them out of someone's garage, but it is stealing.


Sounds about right. I've always wondered if I found a spot I like that has a blind near it, if some asshat is gonna pull up late and jump in the blind 50 yards away from my spread and cause trouble. I really wish TPWD would just ban permanent or semi-permanent structures such as duck blinds on public waters. How many of them fall out of maintenance and end up littering the bays anyhow? Eye soar all year long, etc...


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## WestEndAngler (Jan 30, 2007)

justletmein said:


> Sounds about right. I've always wondered if I found a spot I like that has a blind near it, if some asshat is gonna pull up late and jump in the blind 50 yards away from my spread and cause trouble. I really wish TPWD would just ban permanent or semi-permanent structures such as duck blinds on public waters. How many of them fall out of maintenance and end up littering the bays anyhow? Eye soar all year long, etc...


x2

Doesn't the law state you have to remove them and rebuild each year? I know many that don't do that...


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## Saltstalker (Jun 6, 2008)

Hey Texas Jeweler , Mind telling me where your blinds are ? I need a new lower unit !


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## Hogheaven (May 25, 2004)

this gets hashed out every year... Do a search on here about public blinds and youll get more than 2 hours or indepth reading.


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## Timemachine (Nov 25, 2008)

Lo the waiting taketh it's toll......forgive them for they are posseseded with "The Demon Fowl Fever"...It's crazy talk, that's all, just crazy talk.


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## Capt Justin1 (Jul 29, 2009)

If any one wants to hunt in a blind that is not yours then be prepared to be confronted. The guys that spent their hard earned money and precious free time away from their families to go out and put hard work into building that blind deserve to have first chance to hunt that blind. If you pull up to a blind around sun up and no one is in it then go ahead. But everyone talks about having respect on the water and it should be the same for duck hunters. Dont be "that guy". There are miles and miles of shoreline to hunt. Trust me when it is packed out there in the blinds sometimes some high grass on a shoreline is a better place to be anyway.


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## Levelwind (Apr 15, 2005)

WestEndAngler said:


> x2
> 
> Doesn't the law state you have to remove them and rebuild each year? I know many that don't do that...


No. There are concrete blinds built around POC and R'port. I don't want anymore laws limiting what people have already done. My main concern in this is that sooner or later someone is going to be shot or badly cut because of the fuzziness in the law. Then there will be legislative over reaction.

Blind owners - get there first, make freinds with the guys who did get there first, or go somewhere else.

Others - use good sense.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Capt said:


> If any one wants to hunt in a blind that is not yours then be prepared to be confronted. The guys that spent their hard earned money and precious free time away from their families to go out and put hard work into building that blind deserve to have first chance to hunt that blind. If you pull up to a blind around sun up and no one is in it then go ahead. But everyone talks about having respect on the water and it should be the same for duck hunters. Dont be "that guy". There are miles and miles of shoreline to hunt. Trust me when it is packed out there in the blinds sometimes some high grass on a shoreline is a better place to be anyway.


BS. It was their choice to put their hard work into something that intrudes on other people's public use of the area so they should be ready to wake up early and beat others there if they want to use it. They knew they were putting it on public land so it's their own fault if they come out with someone sitting in/near that blind. You want to spend time and money and be guaranteed an open blind then get a lease on private land to build it. Yes there are miles and miles of shoreline to hunt, all covered in old ratty crappy duck blinds that some jerk built and never came back to. We can't just wait until sun up like you say to be able to get setup.

Nice 1st post by the way. I'm guessing there's about 50 of your blinds out there and you want to be sure nobody is sitting in them when you drop off clients? Am I close?


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## Capt Justin1 (Jul 29, 2009)

I dont duck hunt bud and you really need chill out Im not saying that you cant hunt other peoples blind. Im just saying that have a little respect and courtesy to the guy that did. Im sure that you are the guy that follows us around all summer trying to find fish because your lazy A-- cant go and find fish without someone showing you where to catch them. You owe it to the game you are chasing to put in the effort to hunt what you find not benefit from the efforts of others. Dont be such a 2cool snob I guess no one else can post their own opinion if it doesnt go along with your own.


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## capt hooked (Apr 24, 2007)

*Blinds*

Why not sell a finite number of blind permits. Basically like they have did with the floating cabins. That would limit the number of eyesores (in my opinion) on our pristine bays. The blind permit 'owner' would be registered and known. If I decided to hunt next to his blind in the mangroves (I bring my own citrus plants so we're not chopping down the native plants like so many Daniel Boones) then he better be out there in his blind earlier than me.

The generated money could be used in the general fund or specifically for wetland projects and developing waterfowl habitat. There is no doubt that we cannot continue to let blinds be littered all over the bays without some kind of supervision/regulation.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Capt said:


> I dont duck hunt bud and you really need chill out Im not saying that you cant hunt other peoples blind. Im just saying that have a little respect and courtesy to the guy that did. Im sure that you are the guy that follows us around all summer trying to find fish because your lazy A-- cant go and find fish without someone showing you where to catch them. You owe it to the game you are chasing to put in the effort to hunt what you find not benefit from the efforts of others. Dont be such a 2cool snob I guess no one else can post their own opinion if it doesnt go along with your own.


Yeah you don't duck hunt, but your only two posts are in a duck hunting thread commenting about the use of duck blinds. You're not saying people can't hunt the blinds, only saying they gotta wait until sunup to setup in/near one so the builder can have first dibbs on PUBLIC PROPERTY. 
1st) I don't hunt any duck blinds, not because I can't but because they're usually in **** poor locations and I generally don't hunt the bays. 
2nd) I can probably find more fish than you. But, I prefer the surf anyway and my boat stays locked up in the yard most of the time. 
3rd) Just because someone puts a few 2x4's out on the water doesn't make that property all around it theirs and they don't have any claim to it greater than the rest of the public. People thinking they own that area now are exactly the problem and why duck blinds should all be burned down and anyone building them should be ticketed. If the people who build these blinds had a little respect for the public and public property rights very few people would complain about them being out there.


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## Capt Justin1 (Jul 29, 2009)

You just cant understand. I do duck hunt but I dont guide nor do I have a single duck blind. I have family and friends that spend alot of money and time putting these blinds up and maintaining them. The duck blinds that you see in the summer are not the same blinds in the winter. I agree that any and I mean any blind that is a hinderance in any way should be taken down. I also agree that the blinds should be permitted so that any blind that falls into disrepair the owner of that blind is ticketed. You have to realize that we live in this beautiful area and the blinds put up by the locals are not the blinds that any of you are talking about. The ones that are torn up are usually built by some out of towner that comes down builds a blind then hunts opening weekend and never comes back. So who is left to clean these up.The locals and other good stewards of this area that clean up these waters on a daily basis. Why are you so hung up on how many post I have on this website. Are you the 2cool cop or just have a--hole for a personality trait. I am all for any one using public property in any form or fashon that they want. But dont become some enviro **** all the way up in SA. Any time you would like to come down here and get you but whopped fishing just let me know. I will enjoy it too much to charge so its on me. Take me up on my offer you might actually catch something other then hardheads for once.Im just messing with you seriously lets go fishing and we can catch a few fish down a couple cold ones and play in this awesome area I call my backyard.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

OK if you're local I'll take back what I said about finding more fish than you, you got me there. I figured you were a guide that's a little over confident. Nothing better than having the clients of a guide at the cleaning table point over to your stringer and say WOW. 
Anyhow about the ducks, if what you say is true about your blinds then that's definitely a good thing, and I agree if they are allowed to exist they should be permitted because that'll weed out all the junk. There's just a lot of people I know who do a lot of work scouting and finding birds and then not wanting to hunt the areas they'd like (from the cover) because there's a blind nearby that looks like it's had some use. Public land should be public and managed first come first serve regardless if someone built a house on it or not, private land should be private, you just can't mix the two up without people butting heads. The older I get the more I realize it.


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## Capt Justin1 (Jul 29, 2009)

Agreed public land should be used by the public on a first come first serve basis and like I said earlier there are so many places to hunt down here that if there is a blind in the area it becomes like a magnet to people that just don want to put in their time. Trust me on this one it is alot like the summer, people can tell the guides from the tourist and pulling out of the marina and having boats stacked up waiting to follow you gets a little old. Now what else can we argue about, this has been fun. It would be more fun with a cold one and a bent rod in each hand but that will have to come another day.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Potlickers are very annoying people. I've seen guide boats potlicking too though so you just never know, those tourists might be locals.  

Oh, and as long as you keep your bent rod to yourself then no problem.


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## Texas Jeweler (Nov 6, 2007)

Saltstalker said:


> Hey Texas Jeweler , Mind telling me where your blinds are ? I need a new lower unit !


000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Light House flats. I just about have stopped hunting the costal bend. Too crowded, rude guys in air boats, people hunting blinds we spent a great deal of time, decoys & money to set and brush. We did set concrete boxes. We did maintain and well mark them. Some clown would come by and use one of them for his outhouse. Someone comes by and shoots up the decoy spread. Then someone, an extablished guide with an airboat, made a father/son swim the canal between South bay and the causeway. Norman, I will never forget that.

So, ya'll go have fun and remember your only right in your mind. That is why I hunt private property now and if any problem occurs, the local GW knows our places well.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Texas Jeweler said:


> Then someone, an extablished guide with an airboat, made a father/son swim the canal between South bay and the causeway. Norman, I will never forget that.


Could you please elaborate on that one?



Texas Jeweler said:


> So, ya'll go have fun and remember your only right in your mind. That is why I hunt private property now and if any problem occurs, the local GW knows our places well.


That's perfect, it's much nicer without the headaches isn't it? :cheers:


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## Capt Justin1 (Jul 29, 2009)

i new I would catch sh-t on that one as soon as I posted it. Looks like I gotta check my post better before hitting the button. Give me some slack it my first night posting. There are a few locals down here that potlick but for the most part they already know where to go. Guides potlicking never heard of it. We have just gotten more advanced you know cell phones. It helps trust me every client expects limits everyday. Puts a little bit of pressure on ya. Happy clients mean better tips and remember that is how we make our living. I couldnt get a big enough clientale going before this economic meltdown so now Im a safety man building offshore rigs and fishing on the side. Come on down this winter if you want to go wack some quack I have some good friends with some of the best blinds in the area. I might just change your mind about blinds in public places. Plus you gotta try redfishin in the back lakes on an airboat.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Capt said:


> i new I would catch sh-t on that one as soon as I posted it. Looks like I gotta check my post better before hitting the button. Give me some slack it my first night posting. There are a few locals down here that potlick but for the most part they already know where to go. Guides potlicking never heard of it. We have just gotten more advanced you know cell phones. It helps trust me every client expects limits everyday. Puts a little bit of pressure on ya. Happy clients mean better tips and remember that is how we make our living. I couldnt get a big enough clientale going before this economic meltdown so now Im a safety man building offshore rigs and fishing on the side. Come on down this winter if you want to go wack some quack I have some good friends with some of the best blinds in the area. I might just change your mind about blinds in public places. Plus you gotta try redfishin in the back lakes on an airboat.


Well maybe they weren't potlicking, maybe we were just in HIS fishing spot.  Quit teasing me I know you're just gonna get me down there and bop me upside the head or leave me out in the middle of the bay with no ride.  I've never hunted in a duck blind, I'm always in the mud... sometimes I wonder if it's nice sitting up out of the mud/water and having places to set a thermos of coffee and my sunglasses. I took my 9 year old duck hunting for the first time last weekend, but he didn't complain a single time no matter how many times he ended up face down in the mud... tough little guy. I'd really like to find a lease though for the little guys, I have a 5 year old that wants to go now too seeing his older brothers both going with me now.


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## Capt Justin1 (Jul 29, 2009)

Hell you just pull the airboat up and hop in. Then you let the dog run through the mud to get the birds. I know spoiled huh.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Man that sounds like a little slice of Heaven right there. Ha!


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## Capt Justin1 (Jul 29, 2009)

Id give you a lifejacket and a 2x4 and some asprin. It would take the sting out of it a little. You know I grew up in Seguin and finally just moved down here and married me a little Rockport princess. I used to be one of those tourist (thank God for them) we would be a poor little town of drunks without them.


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## justletmein (Feb 11, 2006)

Maybe some Exedrin??? I've thought about moving down there (if it was possible to do financially), but I think I'd honestly burn out if I was any closer. There's something about spending so much time wishing you were down there that makes getting there a little sweeter. If I was down there all the time I don't think I'd appreciate my time there as much. That and I'd probably get tired of eating fish even if I do only keep 5.


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## Capt Justin1 (Jul 29, 2009)

Yeah I actually miss being able to smell the salt in the air. Till next time.


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## Levelwind (Apr 15, 2005)

Y'all need to get a room. :doowapsta

The problems isn't the blinds themselves. I understand about the guys who spent a lot of time building, and brushing, and often a fair amount of money. 

The problem is claiming ownership over a piece of the shoreline. I used to hunt near Rockport a lot. We had a wide lead running from the intermediate marsh to a back bay which was a very intensely used flyway between the two places. We all knew it and left it alone. Some jackasses came in and put a taj mahal blind in the water right at the mouth of the lead and shot at every duck trying to move between the two places, which screwed everyone up. I tried to talk to the guys - nothin doing. People who believe they can "claim" a primo spot on public land/water by putting in a blind need to get that notion out of their heads. I like to hunt out of blinds. I kill more birds when I dig footholes in the marsh but with every passing year comfort is more of a deal. If you're going to build blinds on the bays, build more than one, and leave early. If you get shined off, nut up and go to plan b. And don't expect that I will wait til sunup to start putting out a spread because you decided to put a blind where I want to hunt.


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## plgorman (Jan 10, 2008)

Levelwind said:


> Y'all need to get a room. :doowapsta
> 
> The problems isn't the blinds themselves. I understand about the guys who spent a lot of time building, and brushing, and often a fair amount of money.
> 
> The problem is claiming ownership over a piece of the shoreline. I used to hunt near Rockport a lot. We had a wide lead running from the intermediate marsh to a back bay which was a very intensely used flyway between the two places. We all knew it and left it alone. Some jackasses came in and put a taj mahal blind in the water right at the mouth of the lead and shot at every duck trying to move between the two places, which screwed everyone up. I tried to talk to the guys - nothin doing. People who believe they can "claim" a primo spot on public land/water by putting in a blind need to get that notion out of their heads. I like to hunt out of blinds. I kill more birds when I dig footholes in the marsh but with every passing year comfort is more of a deal. If you're going to build blinds on the bays, build more than one, and leave early. If you get shined off, nut up and go to plan b. And don't expect that I will wait til sunup to start putting out a spread because you decided to put a blind where I want to hunt.


I'm with you on this one. If you build a blind and you are dead set on using it, you better beat the next guy to the blind. Early bird gets the blind.


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