Duck hunting was slow along Delaware Bay this past year like it seemed to be over most of the northeast. While there were ducks around, the combination of warm weather and low ceiling overcast days kept them way out on the bay, and they didn't venture into the marshes much during daylight hours. But the last couple of days of the season, some colder weather overnight with bright, sunny days(which are my favorite for this area) came to pass. The high tide was around noon, so I didn't hustle out too early-around 10:30. Here is my trusty dog Rose ready for action.
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She had a pretty boring season, and sitting with just me in that little boat with almost no shooting was trying on the poor thing, but I was confident that we would get some action. As we got going, I noticed that the ducks I was putting up were not flying out to the bay but were just moving to another spot in the marsh, which I hadn't seen much of this year. That is a key indicator in this area, if they get up and head out to the bay, they might come back later, but they might not, and they mostly didn't this year. So I was feeling like I was going to get into them a little on this day. I had good action for the next few hours, and didn't go more than 5 minutes for the next few hours where there wasn't something flying around within a few hundred yards.. First duck I got was green wing hen. Rose did a good job and we were feeling even better
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Had several ducks work me, missed a mallard, called Sean Sutton and told him to come in by me, as he was seeing very little where he was. Then I see about 20 ducks coming at me about 20 yards up, going right for my pintail rig. At first I thought they were teal, but realized pretty quickly they were big ducks, then saw they were pintails. The pintail is my favorite duck to chase down my way. We get some, not a ton, but I have learned that if you hunt certain places there are always some around. The issue is, most of those places only hold enough water to hunt for about 4 hours, so you have to time it just right. But I rarely see more than a few at a time, so 20 is one really nice flock. And good fortune befalls me, my new Benelli Vinci,on which I had just adjusted the comb of the stock due to some serious missing on a couple of previous outings, came up nice and I got two.
View attachment 2 pintials.jpg
Now we are having a really good time. Any year I double on pintails is a good year. I worked a couple of nice black ducks, shot at one and missed, then had another come right in and connected. This was a tough retrieve for Rose. The bird hit the water about 30 yards from me and dove on impact. I had hit pretty solid, it came right down, but I have seen them do this before and often lose them. I see the duck pop up near a clump of tall grass about 40 yards away, so I send Rose as I can't get a finishing shot. After a few minutes she is off track, but i send her back to the area I saw the duck go as I don't think she has winded it. She goes into the grass, which is in about a foot and a half of water, and comes out a minute later with the duck.
View attachment hoping in.jpg
By now the water is running out pretty good, and I am in a shallow spot anyway, and decide it's time to get going before the going gets tough. I pick up and go find Sean, and he has a pair of wigeon, another duck that we get but not regularly, so that's a pretty good prize around here. The ducks are really around, and I am pretty sure that if I go and set up again in a little deeper spot I can probably get my limit. But then I decided that more is not always better, I have had a great day, and a great end to the season, and we both decided to head in.
View attachment dockside.jpeg
View attachment shoving off.jpg
She had a pretty boring season, and sitting with just me in that little boat with almost no shooting was trying on the poor thing, but I was confident that we would get some action. As we got going, I noticed that the ducks I was putting up were not flying out to the bay but were just moving to another spot in the marsh, which I hadn't seen much of this year. That is a key indicator in this area, if they get up and head out to the bay, they might come back later, but they might not, and they mostly didn't this year. So I was feeling like I was going to get into them a little on this day. I had good action for the next few hours, and didn't go more than 5 minutes for the next few hours where there wasn't something flying around within a few hundred yards.. First duck I got was green wing hen. Rose did a good job and we were feeling even better
View attachment gwt.jpg
Had several ducks work me, missed a mallard, called Sean Sutton and told him to come in by me, as he was seeing very little where he was. Then I see about 20 ducks coming at me about 20 yards up, going right for my pintail rig. At first I thought they were teal, but realized pretty quickly they were big ducks, then saw they were pintails. The pintail is my favorite duck to chase down my way. We get some, not a ton, but I have learned that if you hunt certain places there are always some around. The issue is, most of those places only hold enough water to hunt for about 4 hours, so you have to time it just right. But I rarely see more than a few at a time, so 20 is one really nice flock. And good fortune befalls me, my new Benelli Vinci,on which I had just adjusted the comb of the stock due to some serious missing on a couple of previous outings, came up nice and I got two.
View attachment 2 pintials.jpg
Now we are having a really good time. Any year I double on pintails is a good year. I worked a couple of nice black ducks, shot at one and missed, then had another come right in and connected. This was a tough retrieve for Rose. The bird hit the water about 30 yards from me and dove on impact. I had hit pretty solid, it came right down, but I have seen them do this before and often lose them. I see the duck pop up near a clump of tall grass about 40 yards away, so I send Rose as I can't get a finishing shot. After a few minutes she is off track, but i send her back to the area I saw the duck go as I don't think she has winded it. She goes into the grass, which is in about a foot and a half of water, and comes out a minute later with the duck.
View attachment hoping in.jpg
By now the water is running out pretty good, and I am in a shallow spot anyway, and decide it's time to get going before the going gets tough. I pick up and go find Sean, and he has a pair of wigeon, another duck that we get but not regularly, so that's a pretty good prize around here. The ducks are really around, and I am pretty sure that if I go and set up again in a little deeper spot I can probably get my limit. But then I decided that more is not always better, I have had a great day, and a great end to the season, and we both decided to head in.
View attachment dockside.jpeg
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