Well fellas,
I have managed to re-up this years membership into the Beautiful Sunrise Club. This past weekend opened teal and woodduck season here in FL. I went out to a place where I had seen some teal and I figured I might have a chance at teal and wood ducks if I could get back to the back. It was a gorgeous sunrise.
I didn't stick around long. There was a nice breeze to keep the bugs away but I figured that with not even cormorants, red winged black birds or shore birds flying around, that I wasn't going to see much. I had only heard two shots all morning on the WMA anyway. Not much going on.
The previous evening, I had checked that WMA and then headed to St. Marks to check the ponds there. Those ponds are usually a good indication of what is down waterfowl-wise and how many there might be. I didn't see much but I did get to watch this gorgeous sunset. The flamingo was actually close but I didn't have my camera with me. Just my phone.
So, after loading the canoe back up I headed back to St. Marks to see if the flamingo would cooperate. I would say this answers the question of if a flamingo decoy would work in our spreads. So, get to work on making your decoys fellas!
I suppose that you could say I shot over my limit Saturday.
But the flamingo was quite cooperative.
Sunday I decided not to be up super early because I was going to check out a lake I had not yet visited. I am glad I didn't get up super early because this is what I saw. I didn't even get halfway to where I had hoped to get. You can see where the canoe path should be in the break in the cypress.
While I sat in the shade contemplating the lake, I did have a few blackbellies fly by in range. Watching them it occurred to me that it will likely be a pretty good blackbelly lake. So, I'll spend some time this fall trying to learn the lake a bit more.
I did find a spot that was not nearly so choked that has potential for a wood duck fly by. There was lots of food and I would think that the teal would have loved that area as well. Usually while I paddle though, I spook up SOMETHING. Even if it is from a ways off. Nada for Sunday.
So went my teal season......flamingo, alligators, a few teal chillin with the flamingo and blackbellies....all while working on my tan a bit.
Welcome to duck hunting in Florida.
I have managed to re-up this years membership into the Beautiful Sunrise Club. This past weekend opened teal and woodduck season here in FL. I went out to a place where I had seen some teal and I figured I might have a chance at teal and wood ducks if I could get back to the back. It was a gorgeous sunrise.
![i-bHb2GXd-XL.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2Fphotos%2Fi-bHb2GXd%2F0%2F09832560%2FXL%2Fi-bHb2GXd-XL.jpg&hash=5b4794587a4c5707c5b0a7cf2a037ff1)
I didn't stick around long. There was a nice breeze to keep the bugs away but I figured that with not even cormorants, red winged black birds or shore birds flying around, that I wasn't going to see much. I had only heard two shots all morning on the WMA anyway. Not much going on.
The previous evening, I had checked that WMA and then headed to St. Marks to check the ponds there. Those ponds are usually a good indication of what is down waterfowl-wise and how many there might be. I didn't see much but I did get to watch this gorgeous sunset. The flamingo was actually close but I didn't have my camera with me. Just my phone.
![i-fqBt7kh-XL.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2Fphotos%2Fi-fqBt7kh%2F0%2Fae1a37dc%2FXL%2Fi-fqBt7kh-XL.jpg&hash=1b4f7700ed0949c176406a6a26be1069)
So, after loading the canoe back up I headed back to St. Marks to see if the flamingo would cooperate. I would say this answers the question of if a flamingo decoy would work in our spreads. So, get to work on making your decoys fellas!
![i-xw6mgtk-X2.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2Fphotos%2Fi-xw6mgtk%2F0%2Fc824d715%2FX2%2Fi-xw6mgtk-X2.jpg&hash=fb3b6171ad06687e9a45ca730dd6e240)
I suppose that you could say I shot over my limit Saturday.
![i-L2TMFFT-X2.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2Fphotos%2Fi-L2TMFFT%2F0%2Fe5c35866%2FX2%2Fi-L2TMFFT-X2.jpg&hash=c836f0935abbeacc5083863033755a2e)
But the flamingo was quite cooperative.
![i-gn6VkLV-XL.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2Fphotos%2Fi-gn6VkLV%2F0%2F5ba1bba5%2FXL%2Fi-gn6VkLV-XL.jpg&hash=068ec46a6095a8a04ede10e49d50aee8)
Sunday I decided not to be up super early because I was going to check out a lake I had not yet visited. I am glad I didn't get up super early because this is what I saw. I didn't even get halfway to where I had hoped to get. You can see where the canoe path should be in the break in the cypress.
![i-WVz6Dhs-X2.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2Fphotos%2Fi-WVz6Dhs%2F0%2F79e954ca%2FX2%2Fi-WVz6Dhs-X2.jpg&hash=d4065dced6d847353621f9da9237bed5)
While I sat in the shade contemplating the lake, I did have a few blackbellies fly by in range. Watching them it occurred to me that it will likely be a pretty good blackbelly lake. So, I'll spend some time this fall trying to learn the lake a bit more.
![i-8V7vKW6-XL.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2Fphotos%2Fi-8V7vKW6%2F0%2F22c3b3f1%2FXL%2Fi-8V7vKW6-XL.jpg&hash=ccbd88803ebce5fffcce84233d8b2400)
I did find a spot that was not nearly so choked that has potential for a wood duck fly by. There was lots of food and I would think that the teal would have loved that area as well. Usually while I paddle though, I spook up SOMETHING. Even if it is from a ways off. Nada for Sunday.
![i-XNJW8pP-X2.jpg](/community/proxy.php?image=https%3A%2F%2Fphotos.smugmug.com%2Fphotos%2Fi-XNJW8pP%2F0%2F73b20953%2FX2%2Fi-XNJW8pP-X2.jpg&hash=bc9b9ca6dcddadc6e70329d7851fb606)
So went my teal season......flamingo, alligators, a few teal chillin with the flamingo and blackbellies....all while working on my tan a bit.
Welcome to duck hunting in Florida.