Craig F
Well-known member
I was pleasantly surprised to have a package waiting for me at the door yesterday and found Wendell had sent Thelma back here to NJ for me to hunt over. When I originally signed up and picked my dates I knew I would be taking off the two weeks encompassing Christmas and New Years to primarily chase puddlers here in NJ. Last year at this time we had ice and sub zero temps welcoming some of the best gunning of the year. Well as many of you East Coasters know this year has been the exact opposite. It was 60 degrees on Christmas Eve and the puddle duck hunting that I love to do has slowed to a crawl. I have been scratching out some decent shoots here and there over the holidays with my father, but now with Thelma in my possession we must press onward and try to put her on some more birds!
Today was my first hunt with her in tow and I was all by my lonesome. I awoke at 4 AM with the sneakbox already prepped for departure and my Mallard/Goose rig loaded in the truck. It was a welcome change to see 22 degrees at the house and 19 at the ramp as I launched to get started with my morning hunt. Skim ice crinkled along the creek banks as I made my way along to a favorite mallard hole. I hadn't heard that sound in weeks with the weather and it excited me with the thoughts of what could come at false dawn.
I put out my fairly large rig of 16 fully flocked mallards, E. Allens, LZ Blacks and a half dozen geese along with Thelma and waited for the morning's flight to begin. Well the morning flight was nonexistent, an all too familiar happening lately.
A short while later I had two mallards peel in and I picked the drake out and quickly he was floating in the spread belly up. The hen picked a good angle to depart as it left me no clear shot. After I retrieved the drake I had seven geese decide to pay me a visit and a triple later I had my limit.
The little action I had was over and done with for the morning and after a visit by an inquisitive whitetail doe I picked up the rig and headed for home. With some seasonable weather upon us finally hopefully I will be able to get Thelma into a few more birds before she goes on her way.
Craig
Today was my first hunt with her in tow and I was all by my lonesome. I awoke at 4 AM with the sneakbox already prepped for departure and my Mallard/Goose rig loaded in the truck. It was a welcome change to see 22 degrees at the house and 19 at the ramp as I launched to get started with my morning hunt. Skim ice crinkled along the creek banks as I made my way along to a favorite mallard hole. I hadn't heard that sound in weeks with the weather and it excited me with the thoughts of what could come at false dawn.
I put out my fairly large rig of 16 fully flocked mallards, E. Allens, LZ Blacks and a half dozen geese along with Thelma and waited for the morning's flight to begin. Well the morning flight was nonexistent, an all too familiar happening lately.
A short while later I had two mallards peel in and I picked the drake out and quickly he was floating in the spread belly up. The hen picked a good angle to depart as it left me no clear shot. After I retrieved the drake I had seven geese decide to pay me a visit and a triple later I had my limit.
The little action I had was over and done with for the morning and after a visit by an inquisitive whitetail doe I picked up the rig and headed for home. With some seasonable weather upon us finally hopefully I will be able to get Thelma into a few more birds before she goes on her way.
Craig
