Golden Eyes

Phil Nowack

Phil Nowack

Well-known member
 
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Jeff Reardon said:
My favorite bird to hunt, if not to eat. Numbers seem down here this year.
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We?ve seen a tremendous decline in Goldeneye numbers in Central New York over the last 10 years or so. Even in years like last year when it got very cold. Has anyone else noticed a decline?

Mike
 
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I saw them for the first time on a lake in northern NJ. I really would love to put a nice drake on the wall.

My experiences is limited but I have not seen too many. I was actually kind of shocked to see a pair swimming around a reservoir near me. Definitely on my list.
 
We get some around here on the Great Lakes and bigger rivers. I shot my first this last Saturday pretty far back in the marsh, came right in after a pair of buffleheads and surprised us. I don't hunt the lakes or big water so don't know the numbers in general. My partner has been hunting that marsh for about 15 years and this was the first goldeneye he's seen back there.

Nice photos!
 
These birds were taken out of the Central Flyway. The Upper Mississippi (Pool 9) was covered in GoldenEyes from Nov 6th til the season ended. There seem to be years that you can not swing a bat without hitting one, then I will go for a number of years without seeing more than ? say 100 all year... That being said, I shot 3 or 4 hen Barrows GE on Pool 9 and the Central Flyway this year.. Pete and I even SAW a Barrows drake.. flew behind us.

Of Otter's 56 retrieves this year... 17 of them were Goldeneyes. 10 were Canvasbacks.
 
Phil Nowack said:
Of Otter's 56 retrieves this year... 17 of them were Goldeneyes. 10 were Canvasbacks.
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Wow, that is one really great first season for Otter. Give that pup a bone!!
 
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