I have heard the stories from the ol' timers of how the ducks I see now don't hold a candle to the numbers of years ago, I've seen the pictures of the flocks of birds you hunters have in other parts of the county. I have seen decent numbers of bird myself not the awesome numbers of others but let me tell you now I have seen the mother load to compare the greater flocks you speak of. I was invited out yesterday to go on a fishing trip to look for the mackerel that are supposedly making their run now (which we did not find) but what we did see was quite impressive. We ran the beach about a mile out or so but to the south for 20 miles was a flock of white winged scoter that spanned the entire distance we traveled it looked like swarm of bees to the south and no matter where you looked there was a flock of 30 or better going to join the rest it was an innumerable amount. My fishing partner, and hunting partner, found ourselves just staring at this cloud of bird and not even looking for the mackerel anymore. It was like nothing we have ever seen in our lives! We didn't catch our fish but it was truly a memorable experience sorry no pictures to share but we don't allow cameras or bananas on early season fishing trips its a ju ju thing. thanks for reading.
I found them!
- Thread starter LI Mike
- Start date
Rusty Black
Member
Sweet......I love listening to the old timers....they know their stuff and its always,plain and simple. Rusty
Mark W
Well-known member
I know what you mean. I've been lucky to find myself once in a duck tornado - like nothing I've ever seen before. Many hundreds of birds funneling into a spot where I happened to be cause the "good spots were taken. Here I was, reading the paper with no dekes out and no gun uncased let alone loaded. Quite the site.
I also get lucky to see the great migration of snows through South Dakota. I usually see some of the migraation but a couple of years ago we caught the majority of it at exactlyt he right time. My son and I were pheasant hunting and for as far as you could see the sky was covered almost solid with flocks of snow geese. I told my son this is something he should remember as not many people get to see something like this and in the years to come, he may not get another chace to do so again. We sat there for a long time just staring up into the sky amazed.
Mark W
I also get lucky to see the great migration of snows through South Dakota. I usually see some of the migraation but a couple of years ago we caught the majority of it at exactlyt he right time. My son and I were pheasant hunting and for as far as you could see the sky was covered almost solid with flocks of snow geese. I told my son this is something he should remember as not many people get to see something like this and in the years to come, he may not get another chace to do so again. We sat there for a long time just staring up into the sky amazed.
Mark W
Capt. Jack Passie
Well-known member
Did it kind of look like this.
Capt. Jack Passie
Well-known member
That's just one section of over 3/4 mile of Scoter and Edier taken last fall behind the IGA in town. I have a nothing camera as the pic shows.
Captn. Jack if i said yes i would be lying we trolled for an hour or more and the bees nest didn't stop if i head out this weekend ( although obligations are messing me up) I will have to break the rules and bring a camera. damn good picture though I would be happy to see that any day!
Capt. Jack Passie
Well-known member
It sure is nice to see a raft of birds like that. The OLD TIMERS used to tell me about the flocks "that blocked out the sun" . Good to know there is still a few around.
Capt. Jack Passie
Well-known member
The one thing I love about all Sea Ducks is they are oblivios to weather. They never look for a lea and the easy way out. I watch them down at the light in a North West gale, it can be blowing 60 and they love it. Ive posted this before but check it out, it was a video taken during he Winter Waterfowl Count > http://www.flickr.com/photos/40538429@N05/5301376243/
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That must have been an awesome site.
About 5 years ago, we had bluebills show up like that on Mobile Bay, it was in February after the season went out. I glass a flock of them in one bay that was over a mile long, went out of site behind a point and kep going.
What do y'all do with the Atlantic Macs you catch? Are the bait for summer fishing or do you eat them?
About 5 years ago, we had bluebills show up like that on Mobile Bay, it was in February after the season went out. I glass a flock of them in one bay that was over a mile long, went out of site behind a point and kep going.
What do y'all do with the Atlantic Macs you catch? Are the bait for summer fishing or do you eat them?
Capt. Jack Passie
Well-known member
When the Bird Watcher did that count they came up with 380,000. Its a lot of birds but I don't think its quite that high. Carl I haven't caught a Mackerell in 20 years. They blow past Montauk in a day and show up in Cape Cod Bay. They are very good to eat if you cook them the day you catch them.
They make great sushi when fresh:
Scrape the scales off, fillet them & cut out the ribs and line of bone down the latteral line.
Heavily salt both sides of fish (heavily, as in coat them) with kosher salt and let sit for 2 hours.
Rinse salt off.
Then soak in a mixture of 1/3 cup vinager, 2/3 cup water & 1 tsp sugar for around 3 hours.
Place sushi rice into a square glass dish, take fillets from vinager mixture and put fillets on top of rice.
Put plastic wrap on top, put a similar size dish on top of plastic wrap, weight down second dish and press fish & sushi rice for 30 minutes.
Slice & eat with soy sauce & wasabi!
Scrape the scales off, fillet them & cut out the ribs and line of bone down the latteral line.
Heavily salt both sides of fish (heavily, as in coat them) with kosher salt and let sit for 2 hours.
Rinse salt off.
Then soak in a mixture of 1/3 cup vinager, 2/3 cup water & 1 tsp sugar for around 3 hours.
Place sushi rice into a square glass dish, take fillets from vinager mixture and put fillets on top of rice.
Put plastic wrap on top, put a similar size dish on top of plastic wrap, weight down second dish and press fish & sushi rice for 30 minutes.
Slice & eat with soy sauce & wasabi!