Opening Weekend!!
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. I know I did good food, friends, family and OPENING WEEKEND of Duck hunting for us boys here in the South Zone. My buddy Jerimy came down for the weekend and we headed out to the swamp EARLY Thursday morning. We got to the spot that we wanted and got the decoys set and a were ready to roll. No wind to speak of and shooting time arrives along with the ducks. We killed 3 Gadwalls right away and with no wind they were landing in spots that we hadn't expected. As the sun came up the ducks were pilling in, but about 400yds away. We stilled had them working the spread but the majority were pouring in on the live ducks, 400yds away. We ended up killing 5 more before we had to pack up and get back for Thanksgiving dinner. 2Mallards 4Gadwalls 1 Widgeon 1GWteal.
FRIDAY
Headed back to the same spot but where the ducks were pilling in the day before. There was a NW wind about 10mph and it was about 40degrees. Killed a couple Gadwalls that lit just shy of the decoys right after shootin time. For about the next hour or so we had them working the decoys but they were cuttin us short and landing wide of the decoys. I suggested turning of or taking down the robos, my friend had brought but he wasn't having it, I am not a fan of them. The birds were already call shy and were quickly learning the routine. We ended up with 3 GWteal, 6 Gadwalls and 1 Widgeon. We had 2 birds make it to the very thick brush and muck before Shawnee could get them. Pretty good 2days to start the season!
SATURDAY
NE wind 15mph 35 degrees Didn't hardly see many birds. What flew were done by 9am. So we called it quits with 1 Gadwall bagged.
SUNDAY- didn't go
MONDAY
I went to a friends pit in Perry Co. The wind was BLOWNIN 25mph out of the NW and it was snowin pretty good. Right at shooting time 3 Gadwalls come right in the decoys......and we wiffed. I couldn't believe it. We were praying for a reprive. It came in the form of 6 Ringnecks flying faster than the speed of sound and I dropped one and that was that. Shortly after, here come some snows. I usually don't think much about them and really didn't then but there were some snow dekes out and when Gus hit the calls the dropped about 50 feet off the water and were headed straight for us. When they got over the top we took our shots. It took what seemed like 30 seconds and 2 dropped....yeehaa! My first Snow Goose!! To finish of a fine hunt we dropped 2 Ringnecks that came into the decoys. 2Snows and 3Ringnecks
TUESDAY
There is something to hunting by yourself that is soul cleansing and peaceful. Well, I had Shawnee with me. Went to what is usually one of my afternoon spots that is a very easy hunt. Not really much wind but what was blowing was out of the SW. It was 25 degrees and just about all the water on the hole was froze. I threw out 9 dekes in the open water just right before shootin time and Shawnee and I got situated. Shortly there after here come 3 GWteal, they made one pass and lit right in the decoys. I Arkansawd 2 of them with one shot and got the other one gettin away. I then heard the guys down the way callin and saw a single mallard hen lookin. I didn't even pick up the calls and sure enough the guys down the way blew here right into my decoys. I had just came back from relieving myself and had some brush inbetween me and her. I gave her a shot while she was swimmin around threw some brush and hit her. Shawnee was on here like a cheap suit and right before she chomped down the duck dove and get this...swam under the damn ice. Needless to say that was all she wrote. I didn't hardly see many ducks or hear much shooting. We need a PUSH!!