Adam Stevens
Active member
My search of canvasbacks is a long and storied history. I`ve driven many miles and scouted a lot, especially last season, I drove 7 hours but was too late, they had already left their breeding grounds.
My uncle had talked of seeing cans in a certain area he hunted way back in the 80s he never shot one but had seen them.
I could go on and on and on with my stories of trying to canvasbacks but today was the day and it been 5-6 years in the making finally. I`ll let the pictures do the talking.
Thanks again Mike for the can decoy. I told my dad and brother this morning its like the old saying, if you build it they will come. I said if I float this cans will come.
My rig was 1dz cans, 2 dz bluebills courtesy of a friend and 1 Yukon Mike bull can. I did two long lines, and v`d the scaup line to create an extra line.
Alot of bluebills have been taken over these on the east coast in their history I`m sure.
I even thought these were a raft of bluebills till I binoc`d them hahahah
The very first bird that flew through the lines, a flock of three. I honestly thought they were mallards, I can tell the difference in flight of bluebills, ge, buffies, everything else but Cans for some reason they fly differently, i find very mallard like but not until in the decoys could I tell. But so a flock of 3, two drakes and a hen came through the lines, As they were leaving I realised what they were, I fired one shot, and down came a tumbling drake bull canvasback. My first ever can and what a beauty!!!
It was a slow day, but I was happy enough to just have one in the bag, I was done and a happy man but I had two singles come in aswell. I passed of a few goldeneyes, lots of buffleheads, and a couple hen bluebills. I thought this was another drake can that tried to lite but once I shot it I knew it was a hen. And then I had another decoy in so perfectly I had to take it and it was a younger hen can.
Some skinny water but my layout and mud motor worked excellent. If I get out again, only one week left in the season so we`ll see. On cloud 9 so to speak. Drakes headed for the wall.
My uncle had talked of seeing cans in a certain area he hunted way back in the 80s he never shot one but had seen them.
I could go on and on and on with my stories of trying to canvasbacks but today was the day and it been 5-6 years in the making finally. I`ll let the pictures do the talking.
Thanks again Mike for the can decoy. I told my dad and brother this morning its like the old saying, if you build it they will come. I said if I float this cans will come.
My rig was 1dz cans, 2 dz bluebills courtesy of a friend and 1 Yukon Mike bull can. I did two long lines, and v`d the scaup line to create an extra line.
Alot of bluebills have been taken over these on the east coast in their history I`m sure.
I even thought these were a raft of bluebills till I binoc`d them hahahah
The very first bird that flew through the lines, a flock of three. I honestly thought they were mallards, I can tell the difference in flight of bluebills, ge, buffies, everything else but Cans for some reason they fly differently, i find very mallard like but not until in the decoys could I tell. But so a flock of 3, two drakes and a hen came through the lines, As they were leaving I realised what they were, I fired one shot, and down came a tumbling drake bull canvasback. My first ever can and what a beauty!!!
It was a slow day, but I was happy enough to just have one in the bag, I was done and a happy man but I had two singles come in aswell. I passed of a few goldeneyes, lots of buffleheads, and a couple hen bluebills. I thought this was another drake can that tried to lite but once I shot it I knew it was a hen. And then I had another decoy in so perfectly I had to take it and it was a younger hen can.
Some skinny water but my layout and mud motor worked excellent. If I get out again, only one week left in the season so we`ll see. On cloud 9 so to speak. Drakes headed for the wall.
