All about the Ducks

[da55bums]

hit it today...had to break about 1 1/4 of ice...just enough to render the dogs almost useless beyond the open water...but a good day, didn't even bother to set up til 11 am...

 

[WvuDieHard]

I am thinking about hitting the Potomac River in the morning with this weather front pushing in. Birds go to big open water when the cold front pushes down. Where di you hunt da55bums?

 

[da55bums]

central missouri, been good actually all season, started 1 weekend of Nov. but looking like it will be the earliest ending if that ice doesn't give soon. record in the last 20 years was birds gone by dec 7, unofficially by me.

Missouri River will hold them for a while....big lakes still open though too.

 

[Team Mookie]

This is where living in the north sucks. Every year it seems like we have an early ice-up.

I hate hunting hard water, nothing like taking an axe to ice at 4:30 in the morning to cut a hole. The rivers are very productive this time of year and hold a lot of ducks, but they can be very treacherous if one is not careful.

I will probably field hunt from here on out.

Good luck...

 

[NEhomer]

If you,have skim ice, try my invention.

I took the fiberglass pole off an old golf flag stick. I mounted a clear plastic soda bottle to it using a hose clamp. I first cut off the bottom of the bottle, turned it upside down and drilled drain holes.

Basically, you shove this stick into the mud until the bottle submerges just level with the water. Then tie a black string to it and put a few dekes around it. By pulling the string and shaking the bottle around, you create waves like the dekes are feeding and it keeps the skim ice broken up. Works like a charm and with the dekes bobbing around you really don't even have to call.

 

[Team Mookie]

If you,have skim ice, try my invention.

I took the fiberglass pole off an old golf flag stick. I mounted a clear plastic soda bottle to it using a hose clamp. I first cut off the bottom of the bottle, turned it upside down and drilled drain holes.

Basically, you shove this stick into the mud until the bottle submerges just level with the water. Then tie a black string to it and put a few dekes around it. By pulling the string and shaking the bottle around, you create waves like the dekes are feeding and it keeps the skim ice broken up. Works like a charm and with the dekes bobbing around you really don't even have to call.

Nice....

I thought about taking a blue or brown moving tarp and just laying it over the ice and throwing some dekes on it to see if I might trick the ducks into coming within range. I know... crazy ass redneck idea, but I'm going to get desperate when the ice becomes to thick to cut.

 

[da55bums]

try my way, get a small chainsaw, cut 3 squares about 3'x3' ..3' apart....then cut out the middles, slide ice under other ice......it goes through it like a butter knife on butter.

you want the shimmering water, you have a wind, its insaine if birds around, we let about 1000 sit one time that all came at once...they all sat before I told them to go.

 

[Team Mookie]

Sounds like it works well. I'd be a little nervous with a chainsaw out on the ice.

You're lucky to be in the heart of the flyway. We don't see that many ducks coming down through central Ohio. Truth is... I really didn't see many ducks on the marshes of the Big Lake this season either.

The good news is we are starting to see more resident ducks these days (those that hold tight until last minute), but this winter is looking like its going to be bad, so I'd assume those dudes are heading down to SEC country soon.

Good hunting and be safe.

 

[WvuDieHard]

Hit the Potomac river today and worked a creek. Got in a box blind by 6:15am and had 25 duck decoys and 15 goose decoys. Must have saw 1500 birds most of which were sitting on the water 1000 yards up the river. Had a hard time getting any birds to come to the dekes. It was 32 rainy and cold and overcast. I did manage to kill a Gadwall and 2 Morganzers( 1 hen and 1 Drake). Otherwise a tough day.

 

[da55bums]

speaking of ice, today didn't hunt at all, sat in the garage and put together an ice-eater to place at our next to the city spot...can't wait to use it.

 

[da55bums]

ok, now its about the Geese, they are every where...fish in a barrel right now.

 

[WvuDieHard]

ok, now its about the Geese, they are every where...fish in a barrel right now.

Goose hunting is much easier here than ducks. I killed a bander last year so that was a thrill. I will get after Geese late in December.

 

[da55bums]

Goose hunting is much easier here than ducks. I killed a bander last year so that was a thrill. I will get after Geese late in December.

Usually Christmas is goose here but the cool summer and very cool fall already has some birds down way early...even pretty big numbers of snows also.

3 guys 18 ducks, 2 geese....we kicked about 400 geese up while setting up...and every time the geese tried to get back in flocks of ducks would cut in front of them...this was a freakin farm pond...we never see ducks til 11 am...usually cut off by 830 am...just freakin weird.

Pond deep enough to only be covered in ice for about 1/3 of it...the 11 year old dog was way better than I thought he would be retrieved all except the ones on the ice (5)

 

[da55bums]

got this pic last wed...

 

[WvuDieHard]

Nice dog! Gaddamn Bird Hunting is fun. I am going Saturday as the 2nd season opens and the blinds have been quite for 5 days.

 

[da55bums]

found one more, this one from Sat

 

[WvuDieHard]

Nice! I see a lot of Mallards and looks like a gadwall in there. I see a couple of honkers. That is a nice day. We get 3-4 ducks in a morning at most. I saw a 1000 swimming on the Potomac and those fuckers would not come into the blind. Seen sky busters flying in swarms but nothing coming down to the blinds. Just a couple of stragglers here and there all hovering 40 yards or more from the blind. The birds have pushed south and are in our area now. I think Saturday should be a good day.

 

[WvuDieHard]

We killed 15 Ducks on Saturday. 10 Buffleheads and 5 Gadwalls. Was a great day as birds were flying everywhere. only hunted 1/2 of a day.

 

[da55bums]

great deal, 10 buffleheads...? wow, only seen about 4 or 5 dead around here in 20 years, lol....

We broke ice for 2 hours, put ice eaters in, broke more ice at daybreak for another 2 hours....froze our butts off and didn't get a bird after being out there a total of 12 hours...but at least know how good that duck club is, lol.

 

[WvuDieHard]

I mounted the 2 Gadwalls: 1 Drake and 1 hen--beautiful colors. We will go back in about 10 days as the pinheads and bluebills should be coming in.