Success! We went into a spot that has been named the "wigeon hole" by the guys that hunt over there - mud motor country - so I did not get right into the spot. It is so "wigeony" that a couple of the "mallard only" guys I know don't go there anymore. On wednesday morning we were the first ones out and only about three more boats ever came out after us and all went far away from the lake we were in. I think we shot more times than the others thanks to the wigeon.
No tail gate shot, but a new style of stern shot with decal for marketing purposes.
Here is Jesse finishing up the decoy pickup under the watchful eye of Tula. It was about 1030 and the birds had all set back in the grass and hid from the wind that was whipping off the glacier. On the way out we jumped about 15 ducks along the slough edges. Some day I am going to drift the boat out of there and see if someone on the bow can take a few of them. Hey, look at that nice boat.
This weekend will be the "second opener" and full of the same crazies as monday. I think I will save my time for later in the month when the out of town birds start showing up.
I really need to do some pre-winter maintenance on my truck since I spent most of my free time this summer working on volunteer stuff.
Just gotta say that the hunt with AK Ray was great! The ride out through the complicated shallow water weed clogged lakes and creek was wild! Ray guided his fine heavily loaded duckboat with the skill of many seasons, avoiding the slightly sunken logs in the creeks, and the shoals that would put us high and dry. Pitch dark and we made our way for about 45 minutes , finally coming our into a large shallow lake in which Ray found us a spot to set up. We had a decoy set up that really fooled the ducks. Had two swans with two widgeon right behind them on the left about fifteen yards off shore, with a group of six teal in between them and the shore line... then a space of about 10 yards to the right and Ray set out about a dozen imature mallards strung out from the shorline out into the lake, leaving an inviting hole in the middle. There we stuck a couple of spinning wing dekes right in front of our blinds and wallah! Of course it was ten minutes till shooting time when the first flight of six mallards came in to the "hole", totally commited and finally spooking as we were still fidgiting our set ups... ten minutes, just sat there with gritted teeth as several birds came in and left! Finally Ak Ray hollered "it's shooting time". Ok! In a minute or two a nice single mallard came in and Ray dropped it like a rock...but turns out that it was not a rock, but a very fast swimming cripple. Tula, my fine lab, finally got on it after diving on the spot it hit the water three or four times, coming up with mouth fulls of bottom vegitation. We encouraged her to look in the flodded grass nearby and thought we had lost her and were ready to quit on the duck when she came swimming upwind with the mallard in her mouth. Great!! She dropped it in my hand and I happily tossed it to Ray, but he wasn't ready for the toss and it hit the knee deep water right in front of him and dove like a submarine. The chase was on with Tula hot on the scent, but the wind and wave action spoiled the chase and we lost the duck. Ray shot well but I was hit and miss. I dropped a nice double on mallards and Tula brought the closest bird to my hand, but the wind and waves took the other out out too far and she could not get on it. Ray and I watched it and finally got the boat out of the weeds and went on the chase. No success! With the boat back in hiding we had several mor birds come in to the set up and fall to our guns. Tula had a blast!! and so did I!! Many thanks to Ray and his knowledgwe of this marsh and his fine boat. He is a real duck hunter!
Jesse
Ray shot well but I was hit and miss. I dropped a nice double on mallards and Tula brought the closest bird to my hand, but the wind and waves took the other out out too far and she could not get on it. Ray and I watched it and finally got the boat out of the weeds and went on the chase. No success!