# Which waterfowl Club would you Join



## Stevieray54 (Dec 26, 2013)

Been out of the waterfowl seen for several years,been looking at Third Coast Outfitters and Blessing Hunting Club. Can't say i have heard much good about Blessing,didn't seem to be very recent.

Who do some of hunt with or would suggest and why

Please hit me up..Steveiray54
[email protected]


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## gulfcoast200 (Jun 26, 2004)

I've been on BHC for 4 years with out any issues. I haven't hunted with ThirdCoast so I have no real opinion on them.


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## topwateraddict (Mar 5, 2008)

*BHC*

Stay away from the Blessing Hunting Club.....Myself and others have had some bad experiences. I have heard nothing but good things about Third Coast.


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## TexAg07 (Mar 28, 2006)

I've hunted with both pm me


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## Bayou_Bowhunter (Feb 3, 2012)

*BHC*

TA- I would love to hear your bad experience. You probably didn't show up to work days.

I've been with BHC two years and will be rejoining. I'm not sure if a club could be run more fairly. Guest policy is second to none.


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## hawaiian12 (Feb 7, 2012)

Honest question here...what is the perk to being in a hunting club? I live near Houston so are there any near there? Or where are these two hunting clubs located. What do you have to do to join? Someone educate me please.


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## Chuckwagon (Aug 30, 2006)

Simple fact with BHC, it is a working man's club. You get out of it what you put into it. If you pay your money, but don't participate in work days and don't learn the property...you will not be successful. You also have to hunt the place more than once or twice a season.

And to the same three guys that ***** every time BHC comes up, I'm sorry. Wish you'd give things another try. Club has been completely restructured and we are now in Texas and Arkansas.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

Chuckwagon said:


> Simple fact with BHC, it is a working man's club. You get out of it what you put into it. If you pay your money, but don't participate in work days and don't learn the property...you will not be successful. You also have to hunt the place more than once or twice a season.
> 
> And to the same three guys that ***** every time BHC comes up, I'm sorry. Wish you'd give things another try. Club has been completely restructured and we are now in Texas and Arkansas.


 Chuck, That is some darn good advice. Lots of folks no matter what lease or club they get on do any of the stuff you mention. They are the ones that complain the most and always call you at 430 am lost.


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## kinja (May 21, 2004)

"Chuck, That is some darn good advice. Lots of folks no matter what lease or club they get on do any of the stuff you mention. They are the ones that complain the most and always call you at 430 am lost." 

Hey now, I've only called you once at 4:30. Actually it was later than that, lost and running late. Your fault though. Been with Third Coast 8 or 9 years now.


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## TexAg07 (Mar 28, 2006)

> TA- I would love to hear your bad experience. You probably didn't show up to work days.
> 
> I've been with BHC two years and will be rejoining. I'm not sure if a club could be run more fairly. Guest policy is second to none.


To echo Bayou Bowhunter's statement, I can tell you that there is nothing unfair about the way BHC is run. At least in my experience.


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## Bayou_Bowhunter (Feb 3, 2012)

*Quit trolling*

Topwater Addict. Answer my PM Bro.



topwateraddict said:


> Stay away from the Blessing Hunting Club.....Myself and others have had some bad experiences. I have heard nothing but good things about Third Coast.


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## SoTxCoog (Sep 19, 2012)

I would be interested to learn how the season went for BHC and Third Coast. For those of you that duck hunted with them, how many birds did you average on your hunts?


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## Goose Lover (Jan 23, 2012)

Third Coast Outfitters are professional and helpful. 

I do not have any experience with the Blessing Hunting Club.


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## quackiller (Jan 27, 2012)

SoTxCoog said:


> I would be interested to learn how the season went for BHC and Third Coast. For those of you that duck hunted with them, how many birds did you average on your hunts?


BHC
4/5 duck/teal hunts with no skunks and bonus geese on a few of those-i would say average 4/5 birds per hunt

6 goose hunts 18 geese (3 per hunt)

You really can't blame anything on a lease that is well(fairly) managed with structured pond rotations and good communication.

After that there are too many other factors that come into play from year to year regarding bird numbers, surrounding clubs, poachers, pressure, farmers, fields, crops, rainfall (especially regarding goose hunting the weather plays a big role and it isn't always good weather but you often feel that you have to give it a shot anyways).


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## camarokid (Dec 27, 2011)

*My 2 cents*

I have been a member of a club for the past 3 seasons. There have been positives and negatives in being the member.

Good stuff: Guaranteed a spot to hunt when needed. Guest privileges were great. There is a certain amount of convenience, meaning that I can sleep in my bed the night before a hunt...and not inside my truck on the side of the road. But this convenience comes at a price.

Not Great Stuff: The first 2 seasons all members were given maps of properties/blinds. This past year we didn't receive maps for some reason. It might be because the Lease Manager thought that since it was our 3 season of hunting together as a group, we would remember where all the blinds were. The "Build Days" that I have been involved in were completely unorganized from the start. The plan for the work day was not clearly communicated between the Lease Manager and the folks who showed up to work. So there ended up being downtime where the volunteers were sitting around waiting for the Lease Manager to tell us what to do; and for a majority of the time, he didn't have an idea of what he wanted to do.

My question for Lease Managers is this: Why are members solicited for "Build Days"? I have participated in 2 build days the past two seasons, and have been told by other members in my group "Helping out on Build Day gives us preferential treatment throughout the season when the Lease Manager assigns blinds for hunts". Is this true? Shouldn't all paying members be treated equally?

It's just my 2 cents. Take it for what it's worth. I am on the fence about re-joining my the same club next season, or just public hunting.


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## Major29 (Jun 19, 2011)

hawaiian12 said:


> Honest question here...what is the perk to being in a hunting club? I live near Houston so are there any near there? Or where are these two hunting clubs located. What do you have to do to join? Someone educate me please.


Here ya go.

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=blessing+hunting+club

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=third+coast+outfitters

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I537 using Tapatalk


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

I'm amazed the name Waterfowl Paradise has not popped up......


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## Bayou_Bowhunter (Feb 3, 2012)

*Troll verified*

Major29, that is funny!

For all interested parties, TopwaterAddict is a troll. He refuses to answer my direct questions via PM, which as a current member I would very open to listening to his criticism. To anyone that stumbles across this thread, I would disregard his negative posting about BHC, he clearly has an agenda.

I'm sure he realizes his position is indefensible after some of the responses on here. He's just responding to me that he doesnt owe me anything. Why waste the time typing that up and just say what's on your mind.

Move along everyone.


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## SoTxCoog (Sep 19, 2012)

I am only asking because I was on one of the mentioned two leases this past season. A good hunt was 2 birds per person, an average hunt was 1-2 birds. Only had one great hunt where we got a total of 12 birds for 3 guys and it was the last weekend. Even hunting during the week most of the season I was never put on a good number of birds.

I was not able to make it out to a work day due to my work schedule, but if the clubs do in fact give preferential treatment to those who help, that is BS. The benefit of helping is that you get to learn the properties and meet the guys you may be hunting with. I would have enjoyed assisting if I was in town.

May be reconsidering my plan for next year.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

It was a strange year for sure. Our first slow teal season in several years followed by a good first month then a crash after the first weekend of the second half. Our average dropped but if you hunt waterfowl enough you will have good and not so good seasons. Ponds that produced for years didn't and this happened for a lot of outfits this year.


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## quackiller (Jan 27, 2012)

my understanding is that preferential treatment is only given to those on opening weekends who participate on workdays, otherwise equal treatment is given throughout the rest of the season


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

quackiller said:


> my understanding is that preferential treatment is only given to those on opening weekends who participate on workdays, otherwise equal treatment is given throughout the rest of the season


 I thinks that's a pretty fair deal. Nothing wrong with that at all.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

Just wondering, is this "preferential treatment" similar to the LEO ticket quotas?
It exist........it don't exist..........


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

daddyeaux said:


> Just wondering, is this "preferential treatment" similar to the LEO ticket quotas?
> It exist........it don't exist..........


 It does exist but to what extent is the question. The value to a work day is getting to know the properties and some of the folks you hunt with better. And yes, some do turn into a big bsing event where not much gets done but that's fine to.


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## daddyeaux (Nov 18, 2007)

I have been on many a work day........some paid off and some didn't. But you are right about being able to learn the property and the guys you will be hunting with. 
I'm glad we only run day hunts at Garwood Hunting Club, we eliminated all the BS and drama except the guides bit.....g about what blind they drew for the morning hunt.


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## Chuckwagon (Aug 30, 2006)

Our members that make the work days get first pick of locations on opening weekends. All other times we utilize an online reservation system.

All of that is communicated up front to our members. Never have heard a complaint about that and it helps generate participation as well as camaraderie amongst the group. 

We had a tough year as well. Most days for ducks it was half limits, but good shoots were had when weather was right. Geese, doves and cranes were exceptional in my opinion.


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## hmp2037 (Sep 6, 2006)

*BHC & Third Coast Member*

I have been on both. PM me for details on both clubs. I would agree with the workdays with BHC. You get out what you put in. They do run a smooth operation in terms of the work weekends.


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## saltaholic (Feb 19, 2005)

I have hunted with plenty clubs and only the good ones last more than a few years so that should tell you plenty about both mentioned. This year I got lazy and just used a guide, it was the most fun I have had shooting birds in a long time. The guide we used all year is very honest and runs an excellent operation. All we had to do was show up and shoot limits. Lol


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## skybuster (Sep 19, 2012)

*3rd Coast*

I was on 3rd coast several years ago. Great People but two horrible experiences in only 4 hunts made me not go back.

First hunt we hunted everything went great until the owner of the field pulled up and we had to pay a gate fee. I did'nt mind it too much cause it was a fun hunt but as a member you should know ahead of time if there is as gate fee involved. I wanna say it was 60 a person.

The next two hunts were good (Goose)

Last hunt i made ****** me off so bad I never went back. I took my at the time 6 year old. At whataburger we got (meet up spot) sent with some 18 yr old kid to a "duck" pond. Drove to a pond, Kid throws out 6 decoys and starts mouth grunting. I shot one bird right at LST (only bird we saw). Mind you its 32 that morning and the kid does'nt have a dog or gloves. He wades out there gets the bird. After several mins watching him freeze and tell me stories of his "poaching days" I offered him my second set of gloves. After about an hour total in the blind he says "I'm gonna go "scout" yall stay here". My son and I sat there and had father son time (Good Part). He comes back after 30 mins later with 3 geese and says "here you can have these". We packed up and drove 3 hours back home. My 6 year says these exact words "Dad, I dont think he knew what he was doing"

That being said the group of guys I met were funny and good guys but my experiences were enough for me to decide not to go back.


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## skybuster (Sep 19, 2012)

Sorry for the run on paragraph, I'm between meetings and rushed


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## JustSlabs (Jun 19, 2005)

I was about to post this same thread. Me and a couple buddies are thinking about joining a hunting club and were wondering about which one to join. We have alot of questions and didn't know who to start with.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

With any club, tract lease you cant go in expecting a limit or near limit on every hunt and not every experience out there will be a good one. Folks that run hunting clubs make mistakes and so do the folks that hunt with them. Me and some folks in my groups have helped a lot of folks out over the years weather it was getting them unstuck, find a hunting location or even loaning a guy some decoys because the other folks in his group no showed him. I've seen it all from the early 80's in Katy to now hunting mostly Southwest of Houston. My best advice is to get involved on work days and other club events so you get to know the folks that run it and a lot of the other hunters on it. Get to know the property before the season starts. Get up early and drive it in the dark even if you have a gps. Hunt every property. Lots of guys get fixated on 1 or 2 ponds.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

And have plenty of duck decoys. Have about 4-6 dozen rigged for deeper water as well. We hunt some catfish ponds and the decoys rigged at 4' don't cut it. And this is an important one. If you have a problem come up take care of it with the owner/operator of the club immediately. Don't spend a season ****** off when the issue could have been handled right when or shortly after it happened.


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## skybuster (Sep 19, 2012)

I agree Chuck, I actually hunted with you before and that was a great hunt and you along with Randy and one other guy were really good guys and a pleasure to meet. There's more to the story like being bumped off the goose hunt for day hunters but that neither here nor there. I never expect to get limits every hunt. I agree with work days but I was a last min member so the work was done.


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## Chuckwagon (Aug 30, 2006)

chuck leaman said:


> With any club, tract lease you cant go in expecting a limit or near limit on every hunt and not every experience out there will be a good one. Folks that run hunting clubs make mistakes and so do the folks that hunt with them. Me and some folks in my groups have helped a lot of folks out over the years weather it was getting them unstuck, find a hunting location or even loaning a guy some decoys because the other folks in his group no showed him. I've seen it all from the early 80's in Katy to now hunting mostly Southwest of Houston. My best advice is to get involved on work days and other club events so you get to know the folks that run it and a lot of the other hunters on it. Get to know the property before the season starts. Get up early and drive it in the dark even if you have a gps. Hunt every property. Lots of guys get fixated on 1 or 2 ponds.


Excellent information here...All should read and take to heart.


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## wennis1 (Nov 5, 2008)

Bucksnag out of Garwood...if you can get in.


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## chuck leaman (Jul 15, 2004)

wennis1 said:


> Bucksnag out of Garwood...if you can get in.


 Gotta be recommended by a member in good standing or something like that.


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## MWP (Mar 30, 2005)

saltaholic said:


> I have hunted with plenty clubs and only the good ones last more than a few years so that should tell you plenty about both mentioned. This year I got lazy and just used a guide, it was the most fun I have had shooting birds in a long time. The guide we used all year is very honest and runs an excellent operation. All we had to do was show up and shoot limits. Lol


 This is the way to go imo.

My group was on a real nice club for many years. It was a well run machine but we got to the point that we knew the property just as well as the manager. When we would draw for blinds, it never failed that if we picked ahead of him, it would be where he wanted to go. Pretty soon, it was evident that this was causing some butthurt and the club tried to price itself to infinity and beyond as well as make rules to the point that it really was not worth it to stay on.

We took our money and looked around for some top quality outfitters to hunt with. We picked 2 and lock in dates early in the season, which does kinda suck when you are sitting at home when a nasty front rolls in and it's not your day to hunt. Therefore, we had a 3rd as falloff that could generally work us in for those days we just had to go. We kill ducks pretty good and have zero drama now without the additional cost of owning a wheeler, buying decoys, or having to show up for work details.


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## Gap (Jun 4, 2004)

I've heard lots of good things about 3rd coast but never hunted with them yet. 

I was on blessing but never could win the selection of good ponds in the reservation process. At 5:00 am and 5 seconds on wednesday all good spots for Saturday were gone pretty much every week. I never figured out how those that were getting spots regularly were doing it. And it wasn't Chuck or people managing the lease, just other members with great Internet I guess. Certainly was frustrating to wake up at 4:50, get the computer all set up and at 5:02 realize you were not getting a good spot Saturday. All gone. Try again waking up on Thursday for the Sunday hunt and same drill, 5 choice spots gone in a second. It didn't take many of those mornings to turn me off. My friend that was also on there had better luck and was logging in on four separate devices, picked a different pond on each, and at exactly 5:00 hit submit. He got some good picks that way. I just got turned off early and hunted on my other property. 

I only hunted once all year out there, but met lots of good folks on the workdays and have always heard good things. Probably the best value to get private access to good property in the entire area. While i wasnt a fan of the reservation process, there was always a place to hunt and you didn't have to meet an hour early and sort it all out at a whataburger or deal with all the **** that is public. Very little bs and extra fees for guest etc. Every club, from the least expensive to the most has its proclivities. Until I can afford my own...


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