I can't work in these conditions.....

[Howard]

There are a great many things that can "hinder" a successful duck hunt, bad weather,jammed guns,out boards that won't start, deer in the decoys. While watching the morning with a hot cup of coffee this AM. These two showed up trying to decide wether to swim the river to the other side or not. They went out a few hundred yards then decide to return, giving me a chance for a couple of pics. About two hours later they again "went for it" but the buck appearently could not take the cold water on his man parts and returned to the shore. The doe did complete her swim to the opposite side. A swim of better than a mile. The first time they came was right about shooting time.View attachment in the dekes.jpgView attachment duckhunt.jpgView attachment duckhunt3.jpg

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[Wispete]

From the duck blind two years ago in the widest part of the body of water we hunt on, about 1/2 mi. A doe with a buck in pursuit started across. The buck followed over half way and then turned back. Like you said the cold water must have lessened his enthusiasm.

 

[Ed Askew]

I hate deer. There always prancing around when you're loaded up with number 2 steel shot, tooting away on your duck call, or when you're sitting out on your back porch in your bathrobe drinking coffee. But load up a .50 cal muzzleloader, get up really early and spend a few hours in a deer stand staring at trees, are they around then? No.

Ed.

 

[MLBob Furia]

Pretty common to see deer swim the main stem of the Ohio, but more common to see them in the sloughs. That and more turkeys than you can shake a stick at. Have one place I hunt that backs up to a wolf sanctuary... nope, don't want to turn around and see a pack of wolves swimming out to me someday.

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[Todd Duncan Tennyson]

Hey Howard,
I have the otters to deal with
and all of the sea lions too..

I guess I'd rather have them (since they can slip right through the decoy lines) rather than a deer that is all legs going berzerk in the spread.

 

[Mike Trudel]

Days watching wildlife can sure make the hunt.

Last year, with the boat tucked up to a point under an overhanging tree, I noticed my chessie was looking back on the point and not being attentive as usual, looking for ducks. I turned to see what was so interesting. He was leaning over the edge of the duck boat, nose to nose with an 8 point buck. It was his first deer encounter and apparently the bucks first chessie encounter. The whole thing ended abruptly when the "chessie" growl was sounded!

 

[Mike Kluesener]

Bob, would that be the Red Wolf Sanctuary. Used to be on Rt62 near Dillsboro, In

Mike