New blog / rails

jode hillman

jode hillman

Well-known member
My new website is just about finished.

I thought some of the Duck boat members might enjoy reading the blog I am writing.

Sometimes it is sales related, but most of the time it is just musings and stories I have experienced in the outdoors.

Hence the name "The Meadows Edge.

For those unawares the term "Meadows" is old New Jersey parlance For our grassy tidal estuaries, both on the bay and oceanside. Football fans may have heard of of "Meadowlands " stadium. There are still lots of ducks and pheasants there FYI!

Enjoy!

www.hillmandecoys.com

The Meadows Edge: Blog — HILLMAN DECOYS

Uniquely written Blog by outdoorsman Jode Hillman. Read updates about decoy carving, hunting and fishing pursuits, as well as other topics relevant to those interested in wildlife art, hunting, foraging, wild game cooking etc.
www.hillmandecoys.com www.hillmandecoys.com
 
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Very nice articles Jode. Funny how many of us love rail shooting. The decoys are super, especially the Knot. My dad loved to make and collect shorebirds. I always think of him when I see a nice shorebird.
 
SJ Fairbank said:
Very nice articles Jode. Funny how many of us love rail shooting. The decoys are super, especially the Knot. My dad loved to make and collect shorebirds. I always think of him when I see a nice shorebird.
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Thanks! I love all our shorebirds, but the knots on the Delaware bay are spectacular in the spring.

On the rail front, The first good tides of the month should hit this week.
 
jode hillman said:
Thanks! I love all our shorebirds, but the knots on the Delaware bay are spectacular in the spring.

On the rail front, The first good tides of the month should hit this week.
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I've spent a bit of time along the river and in the Rehoboth area. My wife grew up across the bridge from you, just outside Wilmington. You guys have some awesome big marshes. The marshes here are miniscule by comparison.

The new skiff goes to the marsh tomorrow or Tuesday. My buddy has a rack on the bank of a creek where we hunt the rail. I'm hoping for an east wind, looks good for Tuesday.
 
SJ Fairbank said:
I've spent a bit of time along the river and in the Rehoboth area. My wife grew up across the bridge from you, just outside Wilmington. You guys have some awesome big marshes. The marshes here are miniscule by comparison.

The new skiff goes to the marsh tomorrow or Tuesday. My buddy has a rack on the bank of a creek where we hunt the rail. I'm hoping for an east wind, looks good for Tuesday.
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Awesome! Exciting and good luck
 
Good stuff. That Eakins picture seems familiar to me, but I don't recall seeing it since I picked up a shotgun ~20 years ago. I think I might have seen it at Boston Museum Of Fine Arts in a big travelling "American Paintings" show I went to on a high school field trip. I know I saw a bunch Eakins rowing paintings there.
 
jode hillman said:
My new website is just about finished.

I thought some of the Duck boat members might enjoy reading the blog I am writing.

Sometimes it is sales related, but most of the time it is just musings and stories I have experienced in the outdoors.

Hence the name "The Meadows Edge.

For those unawares the term "Meadows" is old New Jersey parlance For our grassy tidal estuaries, both on the bay and oceanside. Football fans may have heard of of "Meadowlands " stadium. There are still lots of ducks and pheasants there FYI!

Enjoy!

www.hillmandecoys.com

The Meadows Edge: Blog — HILLMAN DECOYS

Uniquely written Blog by outdoorsman Jode Hillman. Read updates about decoy carving, hunting and fishing pursuits, as well as other topics relevant to those interested in wildlife art, hunting, foraging, wild game cooking etc.
www.hillmandecoys.com www.hillmandecoys.com
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Jode~

I did not read this wonderful tale 'til just now - I was saving it because I wanted to savor it.

Thanks for giving us all a fine appreciation of this grand old sport. I do not have any rail art in my home - but Eakins' Whistling for Plover adorns our living room. Sadly, most Clapper Rails were gone from Great South Bay by the time I could pursue them.

I also have many memories of watching and photographing families of Soras on the Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin back in '76. The refuge (NWR) had drawn the marsh down and the families would come right out onto the open mudflats - along with Common Snipe - whilst Northern Phalaropes spun around on the water behind them.

I also recall encountering one Sora within a yard of me in a western NY cattail swamp. I could clearly see the waxy look of that spectacular yellow bill. I do not know hat he thought of my beak....

See you in about 3 weeks!

SJS
 
Jeff Reardon said:
Good stuff. That Eakins picture seems familiar to me, but I don't recall seeing it since I picked up a shotgun ~20 years ago. I think I might have seen it at Boston Museum Of Fine Arts in a big travelling "American Paintings" show I went to on a high school field trip. I know I saw a bunch Eakins rowing paintings there.
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Jeff, that painting is probably my favorite of the ones Eakins has done depicting Rail hunting. The bright yellow of the meadow captures perfectly a field of yellow flower, ( beggar's tick.) That Rail love so much. The frequent it as much as Rice.

The original is at the Metropolitan in New York but I am sure it has probably traveled on display.
 
Steve Sanford said:
Jode~

I did not read this wonderful tale 'til just now - I was saving it because I wanted to savor it.

Thanks for giving us all a fine appreciation of this grand old sport. I do not have any rail art in my home - but Eakins' Whistling for Plover adorns our living room. Sadly, most Clapper Rails were gone from Great South Bay by the time I could pursue them.

I also have many memories of watching and photographing families of Soras on the Horicon Marsh in Wisconsin back in '76. The refuge (NWR) had drawn the marsh down and the families would come right out onto the open mudflats - along with Common Snipe - whilst Northern Phalaropes spun around on the water behind them.

I also recall encountering one Sora within a yard of me in a western NY cattail swamp. I could clearly see the waxy look of that spectacular yellow bill. I do not know hat he thought of my beak....

See you in about 3 weeks!

SJS
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Steve. Great memories! Have the clappers made any type of come back on great South Bay? They are extremely abundant around Tuckerton and all throughout the New Jersey coastal marshes. There are very few people who Chase them.

Sora are quite entertaining! And generally hard to see. I bet that was an enjoyable experience.

I have some friends that like to push and flush them take pictures and video Don't even shoot anymore! And that's OK with me.

Sora are like peanuts you, need a bunch before you're full.

See you soon!

Here's a fine picture my friend Joe took. The Rail lived to see another day
 

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Great stuff, Jode! I’ve wanted to hunt rail for years, and after getting some great info from a fellow South Jersey forum member, I gave it a try down near the Delaware Bay yesterday. I was solo in my canoe, and while I saw a handful of clappers from afar (minus one that I could’ve swatted on the ground, which I decided not to do) I didn’t get a chance at shooting any. A poorly timed shot at a snipe caused a cacophony of Clapper chatter, and while it was cool to hear, it also felt like a total “F you!” 🤣.

My girlfriend in Tuckerton is within paddling distance of the marsh, and I’d love to give it a go there, but even on the highest of tides, the marsh itself rarely gets very deep underwater. If a freak flood tide happens any time soon… I’m gonna be ready to go!
 
William Mink said:
Great stuff, Jode! I’ve wanted to hunt rail for years, and after getting some great info from a fellow South Jersey forum member, I gave it a try down near the Delaware Bay yesterday. I was solo in my canoe, and while I saw a handful of clappers from afar (minus one that I could’ve swatted on the ground, which I decided not to do) I didn’t get a chance at shooting any. A poorly timed shot at a snipe caused a cacophony of Clapper chatter, and while it was cool to hear, it also felt like a total “F you!” 🤣.

My girlfriend in Tuckerton is within paddling distance of the marsh, and I’d love to give it a go there, but even on the highest of tides, the marsh itself rarely gets very deep underwater. If a freak flood tide happens any time soon… I’m gonna be ready to go!
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William, clappers can definitely be challenging. Even more so than Sora . They like to run a lot. I was out last week walking the Delaware Bay meadows with my dog. We flushed several and I managed the bag one.

The best days I have had for clappers are walking to the old railroad grades along the shore towns.

Most of them are now abandoned and on a big tide the clappers will get on this high ground.

With a good Northeast wind you can generally bag a handful without too much trouble.

Hope some of this advice helps.
 
The clappers down in coastal Alabama primarily inhabited Juncus marsh, which is what we have the most of vs. Spartina marsh. Hunting in Juncus can be a very painful experience, its like walking around in stands of large needles. I never even attempted it!
But we had tons of them. Some days down on the marsh, when I'd take a shot at a redhead or scaup, the marsh would light up the clappers calling in every direction. Clapping your hands loudly gets the clappers calling too!
 
jode hillman said:
William, clappers can definitely be challenging. Even more so than Sora . They like to run a lot. I was out last week walking the Delaware Bay meadows with my dog. We flushed several and I managed the bag one.

The best days I have had for clappers are walking to the old railroad grades along the shore towns.

Most of them are now abandoned and on a big tide the clappers will get on this high ground.

With a good Northeast wind you can generally bag a handful without too much trouble.

Hope some of this advice helps.
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Thanks Jode! This advice sounds similar to an article I read about clapper hunting in Project Upland a while back. Time to start perusing OnX!
 
Carl said:
The clappers down in coastal Alabama primarily inhabited Juncus marsh, which is what we have the most of vs. Spartina marsh. Hunting in Juncus can be a very painful experience, its like walking around in stands of large needles. I never even attempted it!
But we had tons of them. Some days down on the marsh, when I'd take a shot at a redhead or scaup, the marsh would light up the clappers calling in every direction. Clapping your hands loudly gets the clappers calling too!
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Carl, is that what they commonly called Needlerush? There is a bunch of it on the Eastern shore where I Sika hunt. Tracking a deer through it or chasing rails can definitely get your attention.

I'm always cognizant of not getting poked in the eye! As it is pretty sharp.

Luckily in Jersey I've not seen it. And our clappers love the spartina grass.

But even that can be challenging.
 
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