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"Permanent Blinds on Public Water"

9K views 112 replies 38 participants last post by  jonesy16 
#1 ·
I know what the law says about blinds on inland lakes. They must have the name and address of the owner in 3" letters. etc. etc. But the law also says that they must be removed by Jan 16 and not installed before Aug 15. The law also says that it is illegal to "use or occupy a blind on the waters of the state that does not comply with the marking and placement requirements."

My question is this...We all know of permanent blinds (with no names ore addresses on them) that have been constructed and are left up all year, and typically enhanced periodically. Has anyone ever gotten in trouble for "using or occupying" such a blind? And does everyone agree that these are "first come first served" since they don't comply with the marking requirements?
 
#4 ·
Not sure I understand what you're asking...i.e. "trouble"? Are you asking if anyone has ever had a LEO find them in such a blind and ticket them for the blind not being properly labeled/identified?

And regarding the last line of your post, on public property blinds are first come, first served....period, no matter if they are marked or not. In other words, you cannot lay "claim" to a spot on public property by placing a blind and calling it your own property. While it may not be the smart or ethical thing to do, if I beat you to it, I legally can stay there. The marking requirement is in the law to identify who to go after if there are legal issues, such as it not being taken down after the season as required.
 
#5 · (Edited by Moderator)
Just ducky, as a law abiding blind builder who follows all the laws your first sentence of the last paragraph is incorrect. On in land waters not attached to the Great Lakes the blind is not first come first serve. The blind belongs to the person who legally built it. Lets just say I show up late, say 7:30, to hunt my blind and someone else is in my legal blind, that has been there since 6:00, they must leave. It is not first come first serve on in land lakes. I show up early but have talked with a CO officer who confirms this issue.
#1 *You may not erect or use a hunting blind on any public waters without
permanently affixing to the exterior, in waterproof letters not less than three
inches high, the name and address of the person who placed it there. Any
unoccupied blind on the Great Lakes or Lake St. Clair may be used by the first
person to occupy it each day.

#2 * You may not use or occupy a blind on the waters of the state that does not
comply with marking and placement requirements.

Per the original post the digest says you cannot hunt a blind which does not fit the legal requirements. I came to this conclusion based on the copied information from the digest right above this comment #2

Copied from the waterfowl digest for Michigan
 
#6 ·
And regarding the last line of your post, on public property blinds are first come, first served....period, no matter if they are marked or not. In other words, you cannot lay "claim" to a spot on public property by placing a blind and calling it your own property. While it may not be the smart or ethical thing to do, if I beat you to it, I legally can stay there. The marking requirement is in the law to identify who to go after if there are legal issues, such as it not being taken down after the season as required.
I don't think it's unethical to step into any blind on public property. I think it's silly for somebody to think they're staking any claim to public lands just by building a blind. People that want to spend resources to reserve a place to hunt should rent private land or get permission to hunt there.
 
#7 ·
Just ducky, as a law abiding blind builder who follows all the laws your first sentence of the last paragraph is incorrect. On in land waters not attached to the Great Lakes the blind is not first come first serve. The blind belongs to the person who legally built it. Lets just say I show up late, say 7:30, to hunt my blind and someone else is in my legal blind, that has been there since 6:00, they must leave. It is not first come first serve on in land lakes. I show up early but have talked with a CO officer who confirms this issue.
You may want to check this carefully.
The bottom lands of many inland waterways are subject to riparian rights. I am pretty certain that a blind built on publicly owned bottom lands is public whether it is located on an inland body of water or on the Great Lakes. I do not think that you can go into a lake in a state game area in Michigan and claim to own that piece of public property for the duration of waterfowl season.

A blind built on privately owned bottom lands is private property.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
I think I gotta go with Blackduckkilla on this. The guide is pretty specific. It says: "Any
unoccupied blind on the Great Lakes or Lake St. Clair may be used by the first
person to occupy it each day." Why be so specific about where an unoccupied blind can be used? It must be because there are places where that is NOT the case. Note that it very clearly does NOT say "any unoccupied blind on any State owned property." Why? Because it does not mean to say "any unoccupied blind on any State owned property."

If the intent was for the public to be able to occupy any blinds on state land, don't you think they'd have been clear about it and acutally said "all state land?" They did NOT say this, so I believe that if you properly label a blind on State land other than the Great Lakes or Lake St. Clair, that blind is yours - to the point that you could put a lock on the door. I am not saying this would be a good idea, but I believe you would be fully within your rights. And I would be fully within my rights to sit right next to it and ruin your hunt - provided I was hunting too.
 
#9 · (Edited by Moderator)
I think I gotta go with Blackduckkilla on this. The guide is pretty specific. It says: "Any
unoccupied blind on the Great Lakes or Lake St. Clair may be used by the first
person to occupy it each day." Why be so specific about where an unoccupied blind can be used? It must be because there are places where that is NOT the case. Note that it very clearly does NOT say "any unoccupied blind on any State owned property." Why? Because it does not mean to say "any unoccupied blind on any State owned property."

If the intent was for the public to be able to occupy any blinds on state land, don't you think they'd have been clear about it and acutally said "all state land?" They did NOT say this, so I believe that if you properly label a blind on State land other than the Great Lakes or Lake St. Clair, that blind is yours - to the point that you could put a lock on the door. I am not saying this would be a good idea, but I believe you would be fully within your rights. And I would be fully within my rights to sit right next to it and ruin your hunt - provided I was hunting too.
Put a blind up in the Manistee State Game Area on public land....I'll beat you to it, and when you arrive, I'll go ahead and call our local CO on my cell phone. Then I'll let her tell you who going to be allowed to hunt the blind.


Here's a hint, it won't be you as you weren't the first one there.
 
#10 · (Edited by Moderator)
Just ducky, as a law abiding blind builder who follows all the laws your first sentence of the last paragraph is incorrect. On in land waters not attached to the Great Lakes the blind is not first come first serve. The blind belongs to the person who legally built it. Lets just say I show up late, say 7:30, to hunt my blind and someone else is in my legal blind, that has been there since 6:00, they must leave. It is not first come first serve on in land lakes. I show up early but have talked with a CO officer who confirms this issue.
#1 *You may not erect or use a hunting blind on any public waters without
permanently affixing to the exterior, in waterproof letters not less than three
inches high, the name and address of the person who placed it there. Any
unoccupied blind on the Great Lakes or Lake St. Clair may be used by the first
person to occupy it each day.

#2 * You may not use or occupy a blind on the waters of the state that does not
comply with marking and placement requirements.

Per the original post the digest says you cannot hunt a blind which does not fit the legal requirements. I came to this conclusion based on the copied information from the digest right above this comment #2

Copied from the waterfowl digest for Michigan
i would be the first person to challenge you and your CO on that one. lol. good luck with it.

now if your talkin inland state waters with private land attached to the water somewhere, you might have a smidgen of claim to that blind.
 
#12 · (Edited by Moderator)
Just ducky, as a law abiding blind builder who follows all the laws your first sentence of the last paragraph is incorrect. On in land waters not attached to the Great Lakes the blind is not first come first serve. The blind belongs to the person who legally built it. Lets just say I show up late, say 7:30, to hunt my blind and someone else is in my legal blind, that has been there since 6:00, they must leave. It is not first come first serve on in land lakes. I show up early but have talked with a CO officer who confirms this issue.

"Law abiding blind builder," you should check the laws. Just because the regs provide a carveout providing that "Any unoccupied blind on the Great Lakes or Lake St. Clair may be used by the first person to occupy it each day" does not mean that any blinds on public land on inland lakes cannot be occupied on a first come first serve basis.

There is absolutely no law or regulation providing that anybody gains any legal interest in land by building a blind on public property, regardless of whether they follow the rules of building natural blinds. The purpose of the regs regarding labeling your blind with your information is not so you can put your name on a blind that you can call YOURS, it's so the COs know whose door to knock on if you don't take it down by the right date.

To suggest that following the regs for building a blind on public land somehow translates to ownership of that blind on public land is absurd.
 
#13 ·
I don't need luck and there is no inference to the rules. Try to sit in a blind that is legal and see what happens. No one is laying claim to ownership of property. In fact the rules allow rights to hunt that specific spot. Do not like the rule opt to challenge it. Be forewarned that you may/ will be asked to move if blind builder contests you being there. He does not show up to hunt, you hunt the blind you will not be charged with trespassing nor sued hence "ownership of public land" argument is invalid. I have seen the challenge first hand and saw the co use the waterfowl digest as the rule to remove someone from a blind, on public land, after the builder of the blind showed up. I did not hunt with either group nor was the builder. Argue what you may but be careful what you ask for. Just as the original post said and the waterfowl digest addresses you cannot hunt an illegal blind. Rules don't say do what you want on state land because it's state land and rules don't apply. Rules say stay away from the blind. No inference here.
 
#14 · (Edited)
I don't need luck and there is no inference to the rules. Try to sit in a blind that is legal and see what happens. No one is laying claim to ownership of property. In fact the rules allow rights to hunt that specific spot. Do not like the rule opt to challenge it. Be forewarned that you may/ will be asked to move if blind builder contests you being there. He does not show up to hunt, you hunt the blind you will not be charged with trespassing nor sued hence "ownership of public land" argument is invalid. I have seen the challenge first hand and saw the co use the waterfowl digest as the rule to remove someone from a blind, on public land, after the builder of the blind showed up. I did not hunt with either group nor was the builder. Argue what you may but be careful what you ask for. Just as the original post said and the waterfowl digest addresses you cannot hunt an illegal blind. Rules don't say do what you want on state land because it's state land and rules don't apply. Rules say stay away from the blind. No inference here.
so...if a guy erects a brush pile on state land and calls it his deer blind, if i get there first and hunt it....he can call a CO and the CO will boot me from said blind? think about it...then apply that to any other blind on state land or water.

now if the rules broke down to the point where the CO can boot you outa the blind, i can tell you this, i will sit there and totally bogart said blind builders hunt til the point the CO shows up and kicks me out strictly out of spite for the rule (if thats the case, which i believe its not).

If you want to make an elaborate blind to the point you think its "yours" to hunt, do it on private property....do it on state land/water and you risk to having hunting buddies you do not know. Every public blind builder knows this or learns it the hard way shortly thereafter.

would love to see DS chime in on this thread and lay the rule down for it. I got a feeling a CO's interpretation of said rule can vary depending on location (hence i mentioned having private property on same said water earlier in thread). there may be a special circumstance that you are not aware of on what you witnessed.
 
#15 ·
Ahhhhhhhhh reasoning by analogy. I don't have regs on deer hunting so I will not act like I do. However I have first hand knowledge over the rule this thread is about. I never said rule is not open to co interpretation hence when I said co May/ will move you I did so for a reason: inference by hunter is very different than interpretation by co. You want to argue or prove a point go ahead and "bogart". I wanted the original thread poster to understand that going into a blind on in land waters is different than lsc and the Great Lakes. I do not carve out rules that work best for me and I made sure of the rules before I built and placed my blind by personally contacting our local co and not a thread where many hunters are opinionated. If rules are unclear contact those with the most knowledge on enforcing hunting regs: your local co. Heck most previous threads on similar subjects often lead to total misunderstandings on topics such as riparian rights or "I thought this land was public". So be careful what we post unless true for your area.
 
#16 · (Edited)
Ahhhhhhhhh reasoning by analogy. I don't have regs on deer hunting so I will not act like I do. However I have first hand knowledge over the rule this thread is about. I never said rule is not open to co interpretation hence when I said co May/ will move you I did so for a reason: inference by hunter is very different than interpretation by co. You want to argue or prove a point go ahead and "bogart". I wanted the original thread poster to understand that going into a blind on in land waters is different than lsc and the Great Lakes. I do not carve out rules that work best for me and I made sure of the rules before I built and placed my blind by personally contacting our local co and not a thread where many hunters are opinionated. If rules are unclear contact those with the most knowledge on enforcing hunting regs: your local co. Heck most previous threads on similar subjects often lead to total misunderstandings on topics such as riparian rights or "I thought this land was public". So be careful what we post unless true for your area.
would love to hear DS chime in on this. I'm not saying the rule doesn't exist, what i am saying is its total horses#!t if it does.
 
#19 ·
Up here on the St. Mary's, there are blinds that have been there forever on public land/water with out any name on them. I know of one that my grandfather, father, and I have all hunted from. That blind probably has been there before there was laws regarding blinds.
 
#20 ·
Got to believe that blinds on land are different than permanent blinds on Sag. Bay. I always thought that on Sag Bay if I hunted a blind, I was legal and didn't have to give it up to the builder! Not that I would not have! Anyone who builds a blind on Sag. Bay for duck hunting should expect someone in it! If the builder of the blind wants to argue with the guy in it, well, they are both loosers!
 
#21 ·
Got to believe that blinds on land are different than permanent blinds on Sag. Bay. I always thought that on Sag Bay if I hunted a blind, I was legal and didn't have to give it up to the builder! Not that I would not have! Anyone who builds a blind on Sag. Bay for duck hunting should expect someone in it! If the builder of the blind wants to argue with the guy in it, well, they are both loosers!
this isn't about great lakes or connecting waters. this is inland public lakes.
 
#22 ·
I don't need luck and there is no inference to the rules. Try to sit in a blind that is legal and see what happens. No one is laying claim to ownership of property. In fact the rules allow rights to hunt that specific spot. Do not like the rule opt to challenge it. Be forewarned that you may/ will be asked to move if blind builder contests you being there. He does not show up to hunt, you hunt the blind you will not be charged with trespassing nor sued hence "ownership of public land" argument is invalid. I have seen the challenge first hand and saw the co use the waterfowl digest as the rule to remove someone from a blind, on public land, after the builder of the blind showed up. I did not hunt with either group nor was the builder. Argue what you may but be careful what you ask for. Just as the original post said and the waterfowl digest addresses you cannot hunt an illegal blind. Rules don't say do what you want on state land because it's state land and rules don't apply. Rules say stay away from the blind. No inference here.
Sorry, but if I were on public land, in your blind and had been since 6, you show up at 730 and tell me to get out and then call a CO... And they tell me I can't hunt from the blind, I'm stepping out the door and hunting my dekes from whatever cover there is.
 
#23 ·
Sorry, but if I were on public land, in your blind and had been since 6, you show up at 730 and tell me to get out and then call a CO... And they tell me I can't hunt from the blind, I'm stepping out the door and hunting my dekes from whatever cover there is.
lol. thats what i'm saying. why would anyone want to even go thru that battle. 1st come first serve...you want your blind..take it, i'll just move my boat 10' off to the side and stand it and hunt. This makes absolutely no sense why anyone would even want to go through this battle to kick someone out of a public land blind...whether you have the right to or not.
 
#24 ·
My first duck hunting trip, 40, some years ago involved a situation of a blind on public waters. I was a freshman in high school and a senior who was also on the wrestling team invited me to go duck hunting near Detroit where we lived. His grand father had a blind but did not hunt weekends. He warned us to go early because there were always people hunting his blind when he wasn't there. We got there a couple hours early and sure enough a couple guys showed up and tried to get us to leave. When we didn't leave they set up behind us, I didn't understand why at the time. When we stood up they shot and shot came raining down on us. We yelled and swore at them and set back down. Later we stood up and the same thing happened. I told the kid I was with, "I think there shooting at us". The kid I was with stood and emptied his gun where he thought the guys were. After some intense yelling the guys left. When we got back to the ramp one of the guys came over and explained the difference between dropping shot down and shooting directly at people. The kid I was with said,"You start a gun fight I play by my own rules".
 
#26 ·
lol. thats what i'm saying. why would anyone want to even go thru that battle. 1st come first serve...you want your blind..take it, i'll just move my boat 10' off to the side and stand it and hunt. This makes absolutely no sense why anyone would even want to go through this battle to kick someone out of a public land blind...whether you have the right to or not.

Not trying to start something but could that be seen as hunter harassment? If there is a law like that and you lost the battle and then did that on purpose with clear agenda I'd think it could be. Just a thought and I have no beef as I don't hunt out of blinds.
 
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