Not a ducky day, just another beautiful day; sunny, warm and clear skies

John L

John L

Well-known member
I think it's time to put down the shot gun and grab the scuba gear and spear gun. I can't take this 50-60 and even 70 degree weather any more. Bring on the snow and ice...(I know I'll regret saying that).
I didn't book any clients for today so I could go hunt by myself. That was until I checked the weather forecast. Yesterday, 62 degrees, today sunny and warm temps above 55 with clear skies. I'm just not in a ducky mood when it's this nice. It's just to warm to climb into neoprene waders and sweat your gonads off.
I think I might spend the rest of the day dragging the scallop dredge around and get some seafood for Christmas Eve.
My Christmas wish to you all is for some nice cold ducky weather...
Enjoy the holidays with family and friends
 
A high of 55 degrees is normal duck hunting weather for us!

Good luck with the scallops, not sure what kind of seafood I'll be cooking Christmas Eve. Fishing was tough this Fall and the freezer is empty. So I will have to buy something.
 
The weather has been weird over here this year too John. We've had the driest December on record. No 50's like you're having, but no precip and above average temps. It's going to be an awfully brown Christmas this year, and I'm less than 2 hours from the Canadian border!
 
Merry Christmas to you as well John... here's hoping you dont have to start packing sunscreen for your hunts!
 
Had a rhododendron in the yard bloom a week ago! We still have a month in our duck season, but so far 0-2 on ducks and 0-2 on deer! Hard to think about hunting in this weather.... hoping for a change soon too!
 
Dragging around a scallop dredge sounds like a fun alternative. My wife would be your new best friend if we were closer. Enjoy yourself and Merry Christmas.

Steve
 
Same up here. My duck season ends Saturday and I have not yet put on long johns under my fleece pants and waders. Out on the ocean this morning (again) with no gloves. When we got to the blind and I put on my lightest pair of fleece gloves to cover my white hands my hands were sweating. Often I'm fighting the saltwater ice at the end of our season--this year I'm hoping some might form on freshwater to push birds over to the coast.

I think I have to move to Labrador for a real Maine winter. Shermie tells me the Maritimes are still in summer mode, too.
 
Jeff- Plenty of ice in the Penobby this morning still. Launching is still going to be a challenge. I ran into a guy yesterday with a beavertail boat who had just finished hunting across the river from my usual haunts and he said the mallards had arrived. Hopefully, they will still be around Saturday.
 
John:

Lack of birds was not a problem this morning. But the birds we saw (hundreds of them) were all perfectly happy to stay where they were sitting, given the absolute flat calm and warm. We were looking across a mile-wide bay with literally not a single ripple on it.
(Why, oh why, do I not find such calm during mayfly hatches on remote trout ponds?)

If they got disturbed by a passing boat, they'd get up, fly a few hundred yards, and set right back down.

We decoyed more than half the birds we saw flying--and that was two black ducks (that I missed), one bufflehead (that my buddy missed three times--behind, behind, behind), and a pair of mergansers we passed on (though by that point we were sorely tempted).

We did see some good sized flocks of longtail ducks sitting out in open water, but no eiders.

Even small shallow puddles in the Brunswick area were back to open water by noon.

I'll be out in the salt marsh the next two mornings around various family obligations. Got to go ride the Polar Express train with my 3 year old nephew tomorrow afternoon!
 
Sounds fun. My older son was a conductor last year. We're hunting Saturday AM- it is nigh on impossible to hunt the outgoing on the main river. 14.6' tide on Saturday too....

Headed to Chatham to gun Pleasant Bay for two or three days in January though :)
 
Yeah, I was looking at that big tide. It will make things sporty in the marsh if we get some wind. I can usually hide in the tidal channels, but that will flood back over all the spartina. Since I'll be in a canoe, maybe this warm isn't so bad . . . . . .
 
Well, John, would you like to come down here? Since December started I have had to battle rain, ice, snow, and mud. It has started to rain once again and is supposed to turn to snow soon. We are supposed to get another 6 inches. Talk about weird weather. I would much rather have my 45 to 55F temps, clear blue skies, because that is when my best duck hunting is.
Al
 
you guys are funny...

my season has been over for a few weeks now and we JUST now finally got 1/2 to 1" of snow...melting already...

The FROZEN TUNDRA of Lambeau Field is only like 36 or so... On the radio they said in 1983 we were -16 F.....weird weather. We have been in the 40's earlier in this week.

good luck with your season boys, hopefully you don't suddenly get such severe weather they all push right past.
 
Same over here in northern Ny. Green grass in my yard and maybe an inch of ice on some of the lakes some are still open. We had a blackfly hatch a few weeks ago. Season is closed time to go find some grouse!
 
John, we were sharing the same weather. I got on the water this morning and the fog was so thick that I couldn't see the front of the boat. I used the GPS on my phone to show my position on the river and slowly made my way to my spot. Flat water, eerily quiet. Could hear every ruddy foot smack the water as they lifted off in the dark and fog. Sun burned off the fog and nothing was flying within range. Left around 10 and pulled into the cove that has the boat ramp and jumped about 400 Canada Geese. They looked pissed that I made them fly....they probably broke a sweat today. Oh well, dumb (uh, dedicated) enough to try it again tomorrow. Good luck to all.

dc
 
Thanks Pete! We are still brown here in Monroe. Last winter at this time I got blisters on my butt riding my John Deere snow blower trying to keep my 1000 ft driveway clear to get out. How's your health these days?
wis boz
 
Were heading out tomorrow morning. I hope it will be productive.Winds should be out of the north 10 - 15kts gusts to 25kts with rain in the morning then cloudy and overcast temps in the mid 40's. At least it sounds a bit more ducky than sunny and 60.
 
John,
I here ya. Not ducky enough, I haven't even tried to get out, but have been havering fun with my son and dog going for pheasants.

We had maybe 1 nice ducky day so far, when I saw frost on the truck and ice out in front.... But had work to do.

I'll go out after new years, hopefully the ducks will be around, even if they aren't I'll bring a clam rake to scratch around for dinner.

Have a merry Christmas.
 
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