Spring Snows

S

STEVE BIRKENMAIER

New member
I have been hunting the same spot for snows for about 20 years .
We usualy score big on about 1 out of 6 hunts I have surpassed this number by about 10 and have not had any banner days this year .
This spot is down along the Delaware bay along the Jersey side I would go to other spots but being boatless I am limited to walk out hunting .
I am now 52 and dragging all that stuff out on the saltmeadow is getting to be a real chore Sat we had out about 400 plus rags and silos 3 blinds the e caller plus guns shooting bags loaded with shells ,coffee , etc. etc . not to mention the big 10 gauge you get the picture . Any wauy we got there and noone else was around there was like at least a coupel thousand birds just on the other side of the creek we were rigged out on we were not on the x but pretty close even with the e caller cranked all the way up we could not pull in any from the mother load just about 300 yds away this is the setup we usualy do good at splinter groups will usualy leave and fly low and right over our spread and we get onesys twoseys to come in but not on sat none flew over us . When we go thru all this set up work we usualy stay most of the day so about 2 in the afternoon 2 guyds came out and walked right thru our spread they fishing gear and seats they there to stay awhile as well they knew nothing about what we were doing and we told them and being ingnorant to our endevors just kept on going to there fishing hole wich wasd about 50 yds from were we were rigged up . We swallowed it and just stayed after awhile some geese started moving one goose back doored us and landed next to my partner he opened up on it and we finaly had one . We stayed till 4:30 and packed up and truged out as we were loading up the truck they began to fly and work the area we were just rigged on all day maybe we should have stayed till dark then you can hunt 1/2 hour past dark . Any day on the marsh is a good one there certanly is alot of birds down there we saw huge clouds of them all day but there staying out on the bay but there are thousands down there oh and by the way when buddy opened up on the lone goose the fisherman soon left I ll try to get back down this sat season closes April 10th so theres stilll time for our payback day .
 
No matter what happens you said it all when mentioning that any day out in the field is better than none at all. Always remember how good this exercise is for you and as you get older you will want to do more of it. I am just a whisper away from 69 and still crawl on my belly to get close enough to ducks. One of these days you will have some luck with the snows. Of course one thing I don't know is what a Banner Day means----to me it is shooting at least one duck!
Sorry to hear about the two fellows that walked through your spread to go fishing. Made me think of the time I took my son to northern Wisconsin to "hunt" for muskies and we had water skiers go inside our casting area.
Al
 
Steve when I read your post I had to chuckle.. Just remember fishermen don't count towards your daily bag......

A little black humor... since this has happened more than once.. When Al replied what happened to him when Muskie fishing with jet ski's coming by. I was thinking about when hunting on a Northern Wi lake all set up early in the morning. This lake was known for both Muskies and ducks. I had hunted this lake a number of times and never had trouble with fisherman. On this day about seven in the morning a big boat with two fellows in it drive by and about a hundred and fifty yards up wind stop get ready and start fishing. The wind was carrying them down wind past me about a hundred and fifty feet out past my decoys. No birds were flying....evidently they couldn't read my mind...They drifted down about a quarter mile away. I thought good they aren't bothering me now. This is a big lake lots of room. But No..... They started up there motor and went a hundred and fifty yards up wind from me and repeated the same thing except this time they were only fifty feet from my decoys...They couldn't read my mind... No ducks flying.....By this time they didn't realize how lucky they were that no ducks were flying.

So Steve I realize the flustration when what happened happened. I always think about the scenarios about what should be done and those that shouldn't be done.

The one I came up with was to start up my motor on my boat and slowly motor out to the fishermen and politely ask them how the fishing has been and what kind of baits they are using while slowly motoring around there boat. All the time keeping up the polite conversation as long as possible. I might even ask them if they ever duck hunted and then tell them how the duck hunting has been. As if they cared.....
 
Steve,,,

Never fear the unaware or rude game hog shall appear at any time....

I was sitting on the bank of Starvation Res with some friends, they were bait fishing for trout on opening day (1973). I had already caught a limit at another location and was relaxing. This boat full of fisherman decide to troll so close to shore that they could snag the lines my friends had out....ding dong nit wits....

Matt
 
I've been on the other side of that. There is an island on the Kennebec River that is somewhat frequently used as a duck blind. Just upstream of it is a nice riffle, and the early flights of ducks and the October blue winged olive hatch generally overlap quite nicely. It's a great spot for a (planned) cast and blast trip.

The first time I realized that island was hunted was an afternoon with a cosmic BWO hatch. I was focused on rising trout and slowly fishing my way down the riffle. I was dimly aware of some ducks sitting on the sand bar at the island, and noticed a flock of mallards overhead as they sailed in. I was not prepared for either the barrage of fire at the ducks, nor for the spent shot raining into the water around me.

The hunters claimed that from where they were sitting, they couldn't see me, as I was wading waist deep and not showing much above the water surface. (So much for being sure of your target and what's behind it at all times . . . . .) I'm not sure whether they or I was more suprised, but I for one am a lot more careful now about either hunting or fishing that spot in the fall. I like to think they are too, and I shudder when I think what might have happened to me had the ducks been flying on the water surface instead of circling in from up high.
 
About 8 years ago, I was hunting ducks on the bay as they were working towards the mouth of a river. There is a launch on the other side of the river with TONS of boats/trailers all lined up, but no one is launching.... We can't figure it out. We go back to hunting. They at 5 minutes to 7, here comes a low flying HELICOPTER, and I mean low....Of course there went the ducks that were coming straight in.... Then the helo stops over the launch, can't quite see what is going on over there, but then we hear all sorts of motors. Stroke of 7 we see about 30 walleye fishermen speed north into the wide open bay in 3-4 foot waves, all of them hammer down. Helo takes off after them, we now figure they are tourny fishing and they have tv coverage via the helo. Way out, we see one boat stop, then turn around...slowly....by the time it made it back to the ramp, it was barely out of the water, motor conks out at the mouth, some guy tows him back. I heard later he cracked his hull when he went airborn on the waves.

As if that was not enough, we then get 2 bass guys come around the corner over by us and throw PLUGS INTO THE DECOYS.....

I looked at my buddy and said great spot you picked out.

Never fired a shot.
 
I looked at my buddy and said great spot you picked out.
Click to expand...
Sure,,,,,,,,blame the other guy. hehehe :>) :>)


One time while hunting with my brother in law, two guys pull up on the shore line behind us. They proceed to pull out guns and equipment. Soon they are firing away at clay birds while the wads float down into our spread. They were up a a high bank but we could see them so they had to be able to see us. ,,,,, go figure????
 
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