Finally got out hunting!

[Carl]

Well, I finally got out for my first hunt of the year. The opener was last weekend and I missed it so I have been in withdrawls all week!
When we tried to get to the spot we wanted to hunt (at 3:15 am), there was already a boat there! Turns out these guys spent the night inthe boat. Well, we went to a spot about 200 yards away that we knew would be just as good ans set up. Before shooting time, we had teal in the decoys and gadwalls & spoonies flying all around.
It wasn't a barn-burner but we had a steady shoot all morning. The only two hitches in the game plan was that the tide went out & left our decoys laying on mud & the guys in the other blind occasionally shot while we had birds working. But theres not much you can do about either.
Between 3 of us, we ended up with 1 spoonie, 4 GW Teal and 10 gadwalls. If we had shot better, we would have had limits. We really blew a shot on a flock of about 8 gadwalls. They worked perfect and floated over the decoys. Two fo us who weren't limited out yet stood up. 6 shots later, not a feather was cut!!!!

On another note, I used the Rio 3" #3s for the first time. Went through one box with no problems and when I shot well, the birds came down. Can't ask for much more than that.

 

[Dave Parks]

Sounds to me like a pretty good morning hunt with 15 birds for 3 guys! I'll drop you a line when the traps arrive. I managed to get a couple of drake woodies yesterday afternoon and a pair of them the day before yesterday with that new SXS 12 ga. I just got, it sure shoot sweet and I'm four for four with it so far. It's be in the low 20's everynight since I shot that 3X3 and it's been hanging in the shop. Today I will build a fire in the shops wood stove and bone that buck out. The meat has aged perfectly in this cold weather. I think a little "Backstraps and Biscuits" is in order for tomorrows breakfast! 1/2 of the buck is going to my buddy in trade for the same weight in moose and elk meat from critters he shot.

You should get the Postal M.O. I sent anytime now.

Best,

Dave

 

[Carl]

I hope I get a chance to put a deer in the freezer this year, venison chili sure is good on a cold winter day!

I will let you know when the MO arrives. Traps should be there today, they said it would take about a week.

 

[John Robinson]

It's fun reading duck hunting reports from all across the country, continent counting those hunters up in Canada. The different seasons, different species of ducks, type of boats, blinds, camo and hunting conditions are quite varied. Our waterfowl season opened Sept 30 and will continue through Jan 30th. Our General Deer and Elk season last six weeks ending the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

I really like reading the stories and looking at the photos of you diver hunters. I need to try that. We have quite a diver population late in the season. I don't know why, but I inherited a prejudice against diver ducks except Cans, Redheads and maybe scaup, the rest I sort of lump in with Merganzers even though I have to admit I've never tried to eat one.