Last weekend, we barely got above freezing, had ice in the boat.
This weekend, its been lows in the 50s, highs in the mid-70s.
Needless to say, the hunting yesterday was not too good.
We hunted Mobile Bay in a spot that is normally a go-to place this time of year. The scores of gadwalls we saw wouldn't come within 100 yards of the blind. Didn't see any redheads or bluebills. Had a few buffies buzz us and managed to hit one, so we weren't skunked.
Went down to MS Sound today. Slept in to let the fog burn off, got to the ramp at 9:15. Headed out to a spot I like to hunt and ran up about 100 redheads. Hurried up and parked the boat & got the blind up. Started to walk around and get the decoys out but something told me to carry my gun, which I rarely do setting decoys. Got my 2dzn redheads out. Got 6 out of 9 buffies out when I see about 30 redheads coming down the shoreline. I knelt down as low I could and the whole flock come in. Doubled on drakes. Sat for the next 2 hours and only saw redheads. Could have easily killed a 6 bird limit of them. Nothing else flying. Packed it up around noon.
Talked 4 other groups of guys at the ramp today, most have seen no bluebills this year, one guy had killed 2 early in the season. We are all baffled by the lack of bluebills in our area. 2 weekends left in the season and I still have not killed a bluebill, haven't even shot at one since opening weekend. We just don't have any scaup here this year. With no cold fronts in the forecast, it could be the first season since I started duck hunting in 1997 that I don't kill a single scaup.
Year of the Redhead:
[inline IMG_3853.JPG ]
Pair of foam & mastic buffies I made the summer:
[inline BuffieFlattiesA.jpg ]
Foam & mastic Bluebill with a Herters head, they float surprisingly well
View attachment BBFlattieA.jpg
View attachment IMG_3853.JPG
View attachment BuffieFlattiesA.jpg
This weekend, its been lows in the 50s, highs in the mid-70s.
Needless to say, the hunting yesterday was not too good.
We hunted Mobile Bay in a spot that is normally a go-to place this time of year. The scores of gadwalls we saw wouldn't come within 100 yards of the blind. Didn't see any redheads or bluebills. Had a few buffies buzz us and managed to hit one, so we weren't skunked.
Went down to MS Sound today. Slept in to let the fog burn off, got to the ramp at 9:15. Headed out to a spot I like to hunt and ran up about 100 redheads. Hurried up and parked the boat & got the blind up. Started to walk around and get the decoys out but something told me to carry my gun, which I rarely do setting decoys. Got my 2dzn redheads out. Got 6 out of 9 buffies out when I see about 30 redheads coming down the shoreline. I knelt down as low I could and the whole flock come in. Doubled on drakes. Sat for the next 2 hours and only saw redheads. Could have easily killed a 6 bird limit of them. Nothing else flying. Packed it up around noon.
Talked 4 other groups of guys at the ramp today, most have seen no bluebills this year, one guy had killed 2 early in the season. We are all baffled by the lack of bluebills in our area. 2 weekends left in the season and I still have not killed a bluebill, haven't even shot at one since opening weekend. We just don't have any scaup here this year. With no cold fronts in the forecast, it could be the first season since I started duck hunting in 1997 that I don't kill a single scaup.
Year of the Redhead:
[inline IMG_3853.JPG ]
Pair of foam & mastic buffies I made the summer:
[inline BuffieFlattiesA.jpg ]
Foam & mastic Bluebill with a Herters head, they float surprisingly well
View attachment BBFlattieA.jpg
View attachment IMG_3853.JPG
View attachment BuffieFlattiesA.jpg
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