My season in the UP so far. ( More pictures)

[Brandon Yuchasz]

I didn't want to hijack Dani's thread totally so I figured I would start my own. Lots of this was posted on the Michigan Duck Hunters Association board so I am cutting and pasting parts. ( Yes I am that lazy)

My opening day plans changed early in the morning. I had planned to hunt with my wife and both kids but after loading the canoe with minimal gear and the kids wife and dog it was just to loaded down and I didn't want to risk dumping it with the kids in it so I bailed on that plan and loaded back up. A quick stop back home to grab my walk in bag and we made it to a favorite beaver pond just after shooting light. Birds were all over us as we scrambled to setup. A quick toss of a few decoys and instructions to the kids to sit on that log and we were hunting.

First wood duck of the season. Laura winged it and I backed her up :evilsmile:

Bella is coming into her own this year. Deep water then up into the muck and she doesn't even hesitate.

Laura wondering why I am not shooting.

And of course the kids.

New rule is in place this hunting season and I plan to stick to it. Any time the kids don't have other responsibilities to meet like going to school they are invited to hunt with me.

I am going to tell them where and for how long I will be hunting and if they want to go they can. I don't plan to baby them on the hunts simply let them tag along and as the weather turns nasty I am sure they will start to decline. I will of course make some trips special for them and all trips will snacks but I don't want to exclude them from any hunts based on what I think they will enjoy. The are old enough to know make a choice if offered the information.

Madi is most excited about this since she has 1/2 day kindergarten she can hunt most afternoons and I think she plans to quite often. "Just me and Dad without her brother".

This was a real enjoyable hunt we hunted for 3 hours and when we pulled up birds were still active but the kids were ready for breakfast. Had we stayed I am sure we could have finished out the limits but I didn't care if we did and neither did the family. The only one that cared was Bella. :lol:

Did anyone notice the bill on the drake mallard?

 

[Mike Repp]

Thanks Brandon for posting you've got me even more fired up for my trip this week up there. Heading up on Friday and plan on being on the water Saturday morning. I usually hunt spots that I did in High school but this year I have planned on going to some spots that I havent hunted in years. Been pouring over arial and satelite photos for the past month. Cant wait! Temps are dropping so it can only get better and better. Keep taking those kids out as long as they want to keep going. Good luck for the season and God bless you and your family! Mike

 

[Ryan Werden]

Brandon,

Good on you for taking the family out and keeping those kids involved. Looks like you had a successful day and with those tree's turning, how can you not enjoy that scenery. Good luck this season.

Ryan

 

[Luke Berkey]

Looks like you guys had a fun morning. The mallard head looks like a black duck may be a hybrid. Drake mallards will mate with just about anything that resembles a hen mallard.

 

[TimJ]

Looks like a great day with the kids.

The drakes bill looks like it is very young. I've seen green-blue bill often on young mallards, I've seen some hens that looked just about like the bill on that drake. On those I always check the wing to be sure.

Tim

 

[Huntindave McCann]

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I am going to tell them where and for how long I will be hunting and if they want to go they can. I don't plan to baby them on the hunts simply let them tag along and as the weather turns nasty I am sure they will start to decline. I will of course make some trips special for them and all trips will snacks but I don't want to exclude them from any hunts based on what I think they will enjoy. The are old enough to know make a choice if offered the information.

Brandon,

Bravo, Bravo, Bravo, Excellent idea. Not only are you taking them hunting, your kids, at the same time, are learning to make decisions and live with the consequences of those decisions. I commend you on your excellent job of parenting.

Loved the pictures, keep them coming.
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[Dani]

Brandon-

Not lazy....EFFICIENT....

nice pictures. Looks like fun times were had by all and yup it's a gorgeous place....

thanks
Dani

 

[Brandon Yuchasz]

Second day of season:

Day two found me hunting by myself. Madi had chose to go but then held off in favor of a possible afternoon hunt.

I enjoy hunting alone you shoot better. I got in and setup early this morning a nice contrast to the rush of the day before. Drank some coffee and waited as birds started to fly around. At shooting light I heard some sticks breaking behind me and it was getting closer. I would have been surprised to be checked by a CO out here and the only things to make noise in the woods are things that don't have to be scared of being caught by other critters. Since wolves are silent in the woods I am thinking its going to be a bear. Watching for birds in front and glancing back over my shoulder I finally see it.... A porcupine :lol:

Shooting in self defense the teal and woodies really gave me a work out. I can honestly say my barrel was hot to the touch. After a little while I figured out the lead..

Everything was wet this morning and the birds didn't look to nice either but I had a good time. Pulled up at 9:30 when I finished out the limit with another blue wing teal. four bluewings and two woodies for the day. Lots and lots of fun.

Again Bella earned her food today. I never would have found a drake wood duck. I crippled it on the second shot and dropped it on the third. You all know how far out a bird is by that third shot. I never could have found it. Bella went out with me and found it with her noise is short order. It was fun to watch.

 

[Brandon Yuchasz]

I think I will just keep this thread going for the season and add when I go out for all you that have to work a 9 to 5 job.

Day three I woke to 25 mph north winds steady rain and 45 degrees not exactly what I am looking for early in the season. I had seven hours of sleep so going back to bed was not as appealing as most mornings would have been. I decided to go out and setup just before shooting light.

Easy walk in hunting again this morning on a beaver pond. I sat in the truck until five minutes before shooting light and it was still very dark. Bella and I headed out setting up on the north side of the pond. It didn't take all that long and to my surprise I had birds flying overhead. I really thought nothing would move in that much rain. They were landing all around but I could not even see them on the water it was so dark.

Eventually it got light enough and in the wind they wanted in the decoys bad. I managed to land a group of 18 woodies that was a treat. Was all done and on the way home by 9:00. I tried to take pictures but the weather was not good for it.

Here is one when we got back home.

 

[Brandon Yuchasz]

Getting tired of the early mornings but I guess I will survive.

Today was wet and cold 40 degrees with a nice strong north wind. I like the overcast but honestly would like the nice weather for the first few weeks so we can keep shooting at woodies and teal. So far the teal have not bugged out.

I am resting the other two spots and had found a pond last week holding mallards, woodies, and ringers so that is where I headed this morning. Not as many birds as I though but lots of geese were roosted on the pond. I think the pond needs more exploring as the other side looks better for birds. Saw several land down that way.

I had to work so I pulled up before 9:00 and headed to town.

Anyway here is the pond.

And here is the days take.

My daughter wants to do an after school hunt this week I am thinking if scouting shows those geese staying on that pond each night I will take her out and see if we can pick off a couple as they come back. Blow up the roost really good!

 

[Gary March]

Thanks Brandon
All of us here on the West Coast are still waitng for the season to open. Just a few more weeks. Keep the pics comming. Great time with your family.

Gary March

 

[Rich CH]

Great thread, everyone looks to be having a good time. Ponds look awesome, we hunted a pond like that on our opener and my barrel was getting hot to the touch too. Good looking dog too!! Also, I like the looks of the pack in the "Day Three" post, I was wondering what kind it is? Keep up the good hunting!!

 

[Craig S]

Way to go Brandon. Your season is off to a great start. Keep the posts coming.

Wish I worked 9-5. I'd be hunting ducks until 8am!

 

[Brandon Yuchasz]

Glad everyone is enjoying the pictures. Today I work to the first hard frost of the season and it was 29 degrees out. Guess I can say goodbye to the teal.

It was still and cold and nothing flew this morning. The ducks were still here I could hear them quacking away. I only had an hour to hunt and only saw two groups in the air in that time. Spent my day moving firewood down to the house.

Here is the view across the pond.

 

[Todd Hunter]

Gotta love those fall colors> just starting to change here, but we got snow down to around 5500 ft on the mountains. Glad to see your havin a good season so far. Our season opens saturday.

 

[Brandon Yuchasz]

Great thread, everyone looks to be having a good time. Ponds look awesome, we hunted a pond like that on our opener and my barrel was getting hot to the touch too. Good looking dog too!! Also, I like the looks of the pack in the "Day Three" post, I was wondering what kind it is? Keep up the good hunting!!

Rich,
I replied to you PM as well but I wanted to post it here incase anyone else was wondering about the pack.

Its my grab and go hunt bag for small ponds. It holds 3 woodies and two mallards in the main bag. I can fit a small thermos in an outer pocket and calls shells and a few snacks in the other pockets. The bag, gun, and dog and you can go hunt.

Cabelas was selling it in the bargain cave because the camo pattern was "old" so I picked it up for $20. They still sell it as a waterfowl rucksack but its more the what I paid.

 

[Bob B]

Brandon, that UP is sure some nice looking hunting.
Great bunch of hunters you have there.

 

[Brandon Yuchasz]

Day seven of duck hunting day 9 of season.

Yesterday I had plans to hunt with a good friend and his dog and got a call at 3:30 that he had sick puppies and would be heading to the vet as soon as the opened up. I hunted by myself and soon realized I was in the wrong spot. As I said on the last post I did nail a nice crosser but instead of blowing up the area on long passing birds I pulled up early and saved the spot for today.

The puppies were doing fine after some medicine so plans were made to try again.

Woke to light rain again for I don't know how many days in a row. I got to spot early and loaded all the gear and Robby and Chase showed up shortly after. Its always fun when meeting a friend to get there early and be sitting in the loaded boat when they pull in. They assume they are late and run around loading their personal gear. :evil:

plenty of time this morning to setup and wait. With the light rain shooting light comes and goes in complete darkness on my end of the state.

Bella had shown signs of "limp tail" yesterday and I had some concerns about hunting her but she greeted me with a wagging happy tail this morning so I brought her along. At the same time I was really happy to be hunting over Chase this morning. At almost 10 years old he knows how this dance goes. He is the first Chessie I meet and although I already had a deposit down on Bella at the time he is what sold me on the breed. I would have never pushed pulled or attempted to handle him in any way the first time we meet four years ago. I remember reaching to the one and only duck of the day to inspect it. I was greeted with a growl letting me know that his ducks are to be handled by him or the master and no one else. He was all business when we hunted and his intensity for the hunt left me impressed to this day with him. Since then I have learned he is a big baby underneath. Deep caring almost sad eyes and misunderstood he is by far of all the dogs I know my favorite to both hunt over and just spend time around.

Birds arrived and we had our plan in place small birds were going to be our ticket today the mallards although starting to show color are almost impossible to pick drakes on until they circle. We agreed to take shots when we had them. A drake mallard was first to fall for Rob and Bella recovered it quickly. next a drake wood duck worked the edge of the decoys and Robby again stoned it. Next a mallard coming in and across and I missed the first shot causing it to climb a second shot caused it to fold dead and crash into the trees behind. I looked down and Bella had the line so I sent her. To my amazement she brought it right back. The fourth bird a drake Woodie was knocked down by Robby and still very muck alive. I went down the shore line to push it back out into the water so Robby could get a second shot on it. Bella was with me and after a mad dash 30 yards into the brush comes back with a very alive Woodie again my grin is ear to ear and I yell back to rob I have the bird.

At this point I am starting to feel like a hog Bella is 4 birds into the morning and Chase has yet to get one. Next comes another Mallard and Chase brings it in. A Wood duck again and Chase again makes a nice mark and retrieve deep into the cover. More birds are shot and recovered a Black duck against the tree line. Woodies buried in the weeds. Days like this make your realize that the duck hunting might not be worth doing without the companionship of good dogs. All birds were shot inside 25 yards but some conditions are just tough without a dog they might be impossible without landing the birds.

Later in the day as one of the many items covered by the discussions of a duck blind we talk about the fact that understanding why our dogs do it is impossible. What drives them to retrieve these birds with such desire only to give them up to us for little more then a "good dog" and a promise to do it again. We agree to just be happy they do it and forget about understanding why.

We each had 3 Wood Ducks early and spent lots of time waiting for other birds passing on the Woodies that covered us up most of the morning.Mallards came and stayed as did a black duck. The day ended with me saying " don't shoot that bird" followed by me standing and "bang" a blue wing teal hit the water. :lol: . I thought for sure it was a Woodie and the it turned and just as quickly I saw it was not. I didn't even give Robby a chance :evil:

We saw one group of a dozen Blue Wing Teal as well which was quite the surprise. We already had a hard frost and several nights in the 30's. The only thing I can figure is they will bug out as soon as this storm front passes and the high pressure moves in with clean skies and north winds.

Alright enough here are the few pictures I snapped.


Eleven birds between the two of us and my best hunt of the year in the books.

Chase doing what he does best.

Tomorrow I have a packed day with work so no hunt in the AM. Tuesday I should be able to make it to a beaver pond..

more to come !

 

[Huntindave McCann]

Brandon,

Nice hunt, thanks for sharing the story.

 

[Brian F.]

As I'm stuck here in my "cube" for another few days.... I'm loving this thread!!
Keep them coming Brandon, and congrats on a very successful season thus far.

Best,
Brian F.