Eiders & Scoters on the coast of Maine

Steve, Great hunt narrative with even better accompanying photos.
With our duck season over in N. Michigan, it's stories and photos like this that helps us make it to next season!
Troy also sets a good example of "be prepared".

Louie
 
WOW, great pics of a great hunt, thanks for sharing.
I will make that trip one of these days!
 
Steve
Your post certaintly shows how duck hunting is done in Maine to us midwesterners (pretty rugged I'd say). Appreciate your sharing.
wis boz
 
Steve and Troy

Wonderful shots. Having spent a lot of time on the Maine coast, you've captured the spirit and beauty of a wonderful area. Thanks for a snapshot of your world.
 
Steve,
Thanks for the trip,story and pictures are great. Decoys look enormous did you do any trading?

Phil,
Outstanding eider mounts,best i've seen.
 
Keith~

Black Pearl did some amazing work. Troy runs 3-foot droppers on his long lines - to allow Pearl to swim through. However, with the strong current, the droppers were pulled almost horizontal. Pearl did get a bit fouled and Troy was right there with the big boat to help her out.

All the best,

SJS
 
Hi, Rich~

Troy used single anchors on Day 1 because we were running a bit late. On Day 2, he double anchored the 2 Eider strings - and set them cross-wise to the current (and wind) to make the "head" of the fish hook patterns. All the birds behaved perfectly on Day 2.

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve,

Great photos and story to go along with it. I love sea ducking and eiders are among my favorite birds to carve and hunt.

What was the Connett and Barber book you mentioned? Was it called, Hunting along the Atlantic Tidewater, or something similar?



Thanks for sharing your trip with us.



Best,
Nate Grace
 
Nate~

I'm glad you enjoyed my tale and photos. Mark and I will be glowing for a long time!

The two books were Eugene Connett's Duck Shooting Along the Atlantic Tidewater - the "bible" I re-read before most seasons - and Joel Barber's Wild Fowl Decoys - which I first read when I was about 12.

Although I love carving Oldsquaws, I probably don't need to carve any Eider or Scoter rigs. I do, though, plan to carve a half-size flying Eider later this winter -those white shoulders on the flying drakes are just amazing!

All the best,

SJS
 
Steve, was all your shooting from the boat, or did Troy put you onto the ledges and islands at all?

I haven't eider hunted much, but have been out a few times with friends. I don't think there is any feeling lonelier than watching the boat pull away after dropping you on a half-tide ledge. I strongly prefer set ups on actual islands.

It looks like reports I've been hearing that eider numbers are better down south are accurate. I have heard some very discouraging reports from downeast.

And most importantly, since I'll be looking for black ducks over Christmas week not far north of where you were, did you see many flying? There is some spectacular salt marsh hunting just up and down the coast from where you were.
 
I struck that trip off my bucket list quite a few years back.
We hunted with joe Lucy from coastal maine outfitters which I now believe he sold to someone else..We hunted the ledges and outcroppings on dropping tides for eiders and had fantastic shooting similar to what you described on your trip.I brought my son who was alot younger then and my first Lab "BlackJack"..We also hunted for black ducks in the back country sitting under big pines at the waters edge watching for birds landing into an all cork blackduck spread..Good shooting,good food..Awesome lifelong memories..
 
I've only hunted sea ducks once or twice and obviously never eiders down here in NJ but I felt like I was there from this post. Excellent write up and pictures as always.
 
Jeff~

We hunted both days from the comfort of the boat. And, we were not really in Black Duck country - saw a few in Biddeford Pool.

Shooting from the rocks themselves certainly has a certain appeal - maybe a future foray.

All the best,

SJS
 
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