Cold front roared in yesterday morning, went from 74 degrees and no wind to temps dropping and a 30 mph north wind in a matter of minutes.
Nice north wind and a low around 38 this morning. Figured that would get the ducks moving, so I took a "wellness day" and was on northern Mobile Bay at zero-dark thirty. As I set up, I could hear gadwalls all around me in the dark chattering. Sounded like it was going to be a good morning. Wrong. As the sun came up, I realized there was a raft of about 300 gadwalls (I counted them) about 200 yards away. The scant few ducks I saw in the air went straight to them. Even when I shot at a gadwalls that came to take a look, the raft only picked up, circled and dropped right back down. At 8:00am I said heck with it, picked up, did a little scouting (didn't see anything worthwile) and went to the dock. Ran into 5 other boats taking out. Everyone said the same thing, they saw lots of ducks out on the water but none were really flying, just all rafted up. Very strange for the weather we had this morning.
Well, its only 9:30 so I say what the heck, I decide to head to Mississippi Sound to see if the redheads and greater scaup are down. I trailered the boat 30 miles, got to the ramp, launched quick and hit the water running. Scouted a few of my usual spots and put up some scaup and a bunch of redheads. I was mostly setup by again by 11:15.
I say mostly setup, because as I am trying to finish getting the boat blind squared away, about 15 redheads decide to dump right into the decoys. Boom, boom, and I have a pair on the water, feet up. Damn, that was quick. Now I have to be careful and don't shoot any more redheads.
Had another pair of redheads come in and land about 30 minutes later. A few more skirted me a little later. A single pretty drake swam in & out of the decoys.
Then about 1:00 I hear this ripping sound coming from behind me and going right over my head, so close I think I felt air rushing by. I look up to see a bull drake can landing in the decoys. Boom, feet up. 3 shots, 3 birds. 3 very pretty birds.
Not much else flew until about 2:30 when I had 3 small flocks of redheads circle me multiple times like they were in a holding pattern at an airport. The came by at least 4 times, each time getting closer before heading off to other places. One nice drake did break off and came to visit, landed right in the middle of the decoys and then swam off.
At 3:00 with no scaup or buffies flying to fill out my limit, I packed it in. Yep, that 28 mile move paid off.
This is the first canvasback I have ever seen let alone killed on MS Sound. He's a stud. Both redheads are mature birds too, the hen has grey streaks in her head feathers.
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View attachment 12-30-16A.jpg
Nice north wind and a low around 38 this morning. Figured that would get the ducks moving, so I took a "wellness day" and was on northern Mobile Bay at zero-dark thirty. As I set up, I could hear gadwalls all around me in the dark chattering. Sounded like it was going to be a good morning. Wrong. As the sun came up, I realized there was a raft of about 300 gadwalls (I counted them) about 200 yards away. The scant few ducks I saw in the air went straight to them. Even when I shot at a gadwalls that came to take a look, the raft only picked up, circled and dropped right back down. At 8:00am I said heck with it, picked up, did a little scouting (didn't see anything worthwile) and went to the dock. Ran into 5 other boats taking out. Everyone said the same thing, they saw lots of ducks out on the water but none were really flying, just all rafted up. Very strange for the weather we had this morning.
Well, its only 9:30 so I say what the heck, I decide to head to Mississippi Sound to see if the redheads and greater scaup are down. I trailered the boat 30 miles, got to the ramp, launched quick and hit the water running. Scouted a few of my usual spots and put up some scaup and a bunch of redheads. I was mostly setup by again by 11:15.
I say mostly setup, because as I am trying to finish getting the boat blind squared away, about 15 redheads decide to dump right into the decoys. Boom, boom, and I have a pair on the water, feet up. Damn, that was quick. Now I have to be careful and don't shoot any more redheads.
Had another pair of redheads come in and land about 30 minutes later. A few more skirted me a little later. A single pretty drake swam in & out of the decoys.
Then about 1:00 I hear this ripping sound coming from behind me and going right over my head, so close I think I felt air rushing by. I look up to see a bull drake can landing in the decoys. Boom, feet up. 3 shots, 3 birds. 3 very pretty birds.
Not much else flew until about 2:30 when I had 3 small flocks of redheads circle me multiple times like they were in a holding pattern at an airport. The came by at least 4 times, each time getting closer before heading off to other places. One nice drake did break off and came to visit, landed right in the middle of the decoys and then swam off.
At 3:00 with no scaup or buffies flying to fill out my limit, I packed it in. Yep, that 28 mile move paid off.
This is the first canvasback I have ever seen let alone killed on MS Sound. He's a stud. Both redheads are mature birds too, the hen has grey streaks in her head feathers.
[inline 12-30-16A.jpg ]
View attachment 12-30-16A.jpg
