Just when you think your going to get a shot...

Brad Yeaton

Brad Yeaton

Member
I had Oscar over to the Annapolis River to try and toll some black ducks. We got there in lots of time and the tide had an hour to come before it peaked. The fog sat in just prior to daylight and stayed for a long time. When it cleared the birds were way, way out.
The tide was falling which is bad for tolling as it pulls the birds away instead of pushes them to you and there was no wind at all. When tolling I want a raising tide and the wind in my face as it helps push curious birds closer if they hang up just outside of gunning range. The other consideration when sunny is to have the sun at your back so its in the ducks eyes.

It was going well and after working the dog four times we had a bunch of blacks slipping closer by the minute. As long as the ducks are coming the dog is out of sight, when they stop he goes out for a retrieve or more until they start coming again...
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Getting closer and closer we got ready, if they keep responding this well were going to get a shot...
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A small flock took the lead and headed for shore, one noisy hen started making noise just outside of range,would not stop quacking, and they just hung there. She kept squawking and it was more than Oscar could handle he looked at me, then back at the flock and then...

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he went for a swim.

We just looked at each other feeling a little annoyed, and me a little embarrassed and then we had a mild chuckle...he's a young dog and my first toller, needless to say we both have some work to do. Had the tide been rising and some wind blowing our way the shot should have been flying.

There's always tomorrow...

Brad
 
That a neat story. I read about Tolling dogs but I didn't know any one still did it.
 
Yah to say the least I had mumbled a few choice words at first...

Nova Scotia Duck Tollers are used a lot on the South Western tip of the Province, from Shelburne to Digby. The ducks and geese leave the salt water and head to the lakes to drink and rest up. On some of these lakes guys have blinds set up with tolling lanes cut through the woods. They can get to the blinds without the birds seeing them and when a substantial amount are present they will send the toller for a retrieve down the lane which is all or partially visable to the birds. If the birds respond and head their way the dog is held in the blind, when the birds stop the dog is sent again until the birds start to advance again. This repeats itself until they are in range and the shooting commences with the dog heading out after to get any birds.
I know a fellow from Pubnico who has tolled an enormous amount. I started asking some advice on tolling and you should hear some of his stories!!! Time after time he has had masses of ducks right in front of the dog, too many to shoot at without going over his limit. He says some times ducks actually come ashore and a few have hissed at the dog. To get a shot he makes some noise in the blind and the ducks get nervous and almost always funnel away from the shore ending up in a straight line, when the last few are heading away he will open up on them. Up here we are restricted to four black ducks a day so you have to be carefull. One toll can produce a limit for three hunters. At times he has held the dog and waved its tail from behind a clump of trees and had ducks swim into their death.
The first time I tolled with Oscar it was something I won't forget, we were hiding behind a rock on the shore and the tide was rising and the wind blowing hard in our face, three blacks were feeding 200 yards + away and I sent the dog after periwinkles( little snail type animals) that I was picking up and tossing to my left. On the second toss my buddy said their heads are up and when I looked they were swimming our way, and never stopped until 50 yards out, it took them eight minutes to cover the distance. They sat there as relaxed as anything, preening their feathers even at one point. I was to nervous to send the dog again as he had started really staring at them but had came back for another round of find the snail. The wind was pushing the birds and they continued closer and at 35 yards we stood up and opened up, four shots later only one bird was dead (gotta be honest) but we were really excited to have watched this unfold. Twenty minutes later the same thing except out of the flock only one responded while the others fed in the other direction, we got this bird as well.
There are times it all should go well and the birds see the dog and pay him no attention at all, go figure?
It is fun to toll and even when decoying, if birds land outside the rig then you can send out the dog and at times they will swim right into shooting range.
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I will post some more pixs next time I get out.


Brad
 
Brad,
great write up. That is one of the best parts about this place, I learn about duck stuff that just doesn't happen where I hunt. Great dog and photos. Always good to hear about another way to do it. Thanks.
 
Great stuff Brad. Very interesting on how the tolling works. And your pup is a nice looking dog. Keep posting your success.
 
way to go brad doin it down home style ,i wonder if they would do it for daisy except my sound track would be git the )&((*^%$%&@#@ back here i anit shot dem yet ()&(*^$%%# dawg git back here HERE>!!!!! NOW!!!!! ....LMAO awesome job brad ,i have a few paintball buddies down your way next time im down playin or visiting ill look ya up ,,,,

shermie
 
Used to do that with Colby when ducks were loafing a couple hundred yards out...I'd tell him "dead bird" and he would swim out to the outside of the dekes looking for it. It works really good on geese.
 
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