Craig F
Well-known member
The 2014-15 waterfowl season was one of ups and downs, as waterfowling often is. Early in the season my usual reliable wood duck spots yielded very little action and spots usually full of greenwings were swarming with black ducks instead. I was able to have quite a few fun hunts with friends and my father over the course of the early season and although we didn't bag a lot, the good times made up for it.
As mostly everyone experienced we had a good cold snap before Thanksgiving that really got things going. Migrating groups of mallards finally started to show and after a few nights in the 20s skim ice was a welcome sign. I had a nice south jersey shoot with a friend and was able to record most of it, which many of you saw. Closer to home the coastal season opened with some decent puddle duck action and then slowed with the moderating weather.
I had off for two weeks around the holidays and put the miles on my truck hunting all three zones and getting out nearly every day. I had a few fun shoots, chased pintails and never connected, but thoroughly enjoyed my time off from work. Most importantly I was able to host the traveling puddler for a week of hunts and Thelma gave me some great luck.
By the second week of January the weather we had been waiting on all season arrived with cold and ice. A little too much ice too fast in some areas, but I made due. The next two weeks or so had me pulling double duty being back to work full time but sneaking out before work, getting out early, taking half days and doing whatever I could to take advantage of the weather. Take advantage I did with some of the best hunts of the year with friends, my father and a few solo shoots.
By the time the last Saturday rolled around I had put in upwards of 40 trips in the field, which is pretty darn good for someone with a full time 9-5 job...
Many of these shots are probably repeats from my various reports over the course of the season but I wanted to do a wrap up now that everything has been put away until next fall...
Early season SZ
Coastal sunrise
Before work mallard shoot
fin.
As mostly everyone experienced we had a good cold snap before Thanksgiving that really got things going. Migrating groups of mallards finally started to show and after a few nights in the 20s skim ice was a welcome sign. I had a nice south jersey shoot with a friend and was able to record most of it, which many of you saw. Closer to home the coastal season opened with some decent puddle duck action and then slowed with the moderating weather.
I had off for two weeks around the holidays and put the miles on my truck hunting all three zones and getting out nearly every day. I had a few fun shoots, chased pintails and never connected, but thoroughly enjoyed my time off from work. Most importantly I was able to host the traveling puddler for a week of hunts and Thelma gave me some great luck.
By the second week of January the weather we had been waiting on all season arrived with cold and ice. A little too much ice too fast in some areas, but I made due. The next two weeks or so had me pulling double duty being back to work full time but sneaking out before work, getting out early, taking half days and doing whatever I could to take advantage of the weather. Take advantage I did with some of the best hunts of the year with friends, my father and a few solo shoots.
By the time the last Saturday rolled around I had put in upwards of 40 trips in the field, which is pretty darn good for someone with a full time 9-5 job...
Many of these shots are probably repeats from my various reports over the course of the season but I wanted to do a wrap up now that everything has been put away until next fall...
Early season SZ
Coastal sunrise
Before work mallard shoot
fin.
