Bonus Bird fit for a King

Craig F

Craig F

Well-known member
The last few days of this cold shot we have here in the Northeast has been truly enjoyable for a puddle duck lover like myself. So many birds around finally!

I got talked into an early Saturday morning hunt by one of my friends who doesn't have his own gear so I took him along with me. I usually give him an elbow to the side when it's time to shoot, but let him know there's a few species where if he's not paying attention he won't get the courtesy. Well five minutes after legal shooting time one of the options came dropping in feet down to my gadwall decoys. It was all over before my friend even knew what happened.

A nice bonus for me as it's been at least 15 years since I last shot a can.


View attachment Can.jpgView attachment 25353843_10101097082255342_8481925710176043163_n.jpg
 
Congrats on a beautiful drake. This week certainly has been one to remember here in jersey. I'm really glad work denied my 2 days off I asked for in the first week of December but allowed me to take this week. 5 days of hunting in december in weather we are usually only lucky enough to get in the end of January was a real treat and a blessing.
 
I had days to burn so I've been taking Fridays off, really worked out nicely this week that's for sure.

Saw you guys got into the cans too, nice work!
 
Did you know the cans were there? I had scouted the day before and found a pile of them. All hens though, didn't see a single drake. My dad's long time gunning partner/my mentor was of course privvied to the scouting report and he set up just south of us and killed a bull and I saw you did too. His also came in as a single. Ours came in with a group of Broadbill that landed short then the cans broke off and swam in. Before Friday though I enjoyed some pretty stellar puddle duck shoots, mostly blacks. Let's hope this weather continues because this season is shaping up to be quite memorable
 
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Good stuff! Congrats!
Diver-wise things are really looking up down here to. A can is the only normal diver I’m missing so far this year.
And we seem to have a pile of gadwalls, they just weren’t flying into the flats yesterday.
Hope the rest of your season goes as well as this weeks!
 
Will - I had hunted the area the day prior with my dad and we had a pair in the rig 10 min before legal so I knew some were around. Have got a couple reports lately of guys either shooting them or seeing them while layout hunting so they're definitely on the bay.
 
Very nice Craig, haven't had a chance to make it out yet on the marsh but have been seeing quite a nice variety so far with this cold front. Watching a few hundred broadbill out my kitchen window right now ha Best of luck out there awesome can. View attachment IMG_7062-1.JPG
 
Brandon I'm just glad we didn't have to wait until the last week of the season in January to see some ice around here. These warm winters seem like the new normal and they certainly aren't conducive to waterfowling.
 
Craig these types of cold days are what waterfowlers supposedly live for yet friday I was one of only 2 boats at the ramp and heard very little shooting any where else. Saturday I was the only boat out the ramp and heard one other group to my south. Makes no sense to me
 
I literally started planning my schedule for the end of this past week as soon as the 10 day forecast showed temps in the teens. Woke up an hour before my alarm Saturday amped up. Just glad to know I wasn't the only one having duck fever...
 
The puddle duck hunting has really heated up here in CT too! I'm going every chance I get which is 2 to 3 times a week. hoping to hit the divers soon.

Nice Can.
 
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