Your greatest waterfowl moment

A

anthony m coons sr

Well-known member
In all the years that we as duck hunters have hunted. We all have had that one moment that hooked us for ever. For me it was a blue bird day in mid December. My brother and I was hunting a near by lake. I watch the weather the night before. Reports had a huge storm coming out of the north, I told my brother that it should be a pretty good day to go hunting. So I loaded up six dozen cork decoys, my dog and a cooler full of food. Back then I only had a little fourteen foot boat with a 9 Hp motor. My brother and I are not small people both 6'3 and over 240 lb at the time. Now you might have to put a three in front of that 40 lb lol. Anyway!
There wasn't any ramp on this side of the lake. We dropped the boat off the side of a bridge and off we went.. In this lake there was a bunch of different size coves. I always liked hunting in this one cove that went way back into the woods. We set up with all the decoys to the right of us playing the wind. This Lake was hardly hunted by anyone. At the time one side was closed off to the public and the other side was still open.
The Hudson River was a stone throw from this lake. At the time there were still a lot of duck hunters on the river during this part of the season. When the sun came up there was nothing on the lake. Not a bird. We herd a ton of shooting coming from the river. My brother was busting my chops. He wanted to hunt the river that day. By ten o'clock not a bird came over the cove. My brother wanted to pack up and move to the river. I told him! let me cook us breakfast ! and if nothing comes by the time were done we can leave. Sure as my name is Anthony, as soon as that bacon hit the pan a pair of mallards came into the decoys. No shots were fired. Some one was taking a nap with the dog. And it wasn't me I was cooking. As the bacon was done and the eggs were in the pan. I woke my brother and my dog up to eat. Just as my fork went into my eggs. A large flock of teal came flying into the decoys. This time we both got off three shots. Five teal down bacon and eggs on the ground. After cleaning off what the dog didn't grab. I fired the stove up for round two of breakfast. As I was cooking a flock of cans came in. My brother dropped two, After finally eating breakfast a group of black ducks came in. We both got one. With only a few duck kills left before we limited out a flock of Canada Geese came in. We hammered them dropping four out of the flock. Then when I'm out picking up the geese. I look over the other side of the cove . When I saw a flock of ducks that you wouldn't believe me if I told you. They were cupped and coming in. I got the boat back to the blind just in time for all hell to break loose. Flock after flock after flock after flock were hitting my decoys. I never ever seen anything like this in my life. My dog just froze and so did my brother and I. It was way to pretty to even think about picking up my gun. I really can't tell you how many or how long the stayed. But it seemed like for ever. They finally got up and that was a site by itself. After they left I told my brother lets go home. It doesn't get any better then this I said: We didn't limit out with our guns. But we saw a life time of birds in water and in the sky. I'll never forget that day. And even today when I'm hunting and nothing flying. I just close my eyes and I can still see those ducks still pouring into that little cove.
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My greatest waterfowl moment (and I cherish every single hunt) was when my oldest son was 5 years old. I had a swamp close by and he had gotten camo overalls for his birthday. For Christmas he received an Orvis double barrel cap gun. So on a nice sunny afternoon in October we got dressed and loaded up with our golden retriever heading to the swamp. We set up in the bushes near our entrance site. The geese usually flew into that area. We put out a half dozen Bean cork goose floaters and sat back enjoying the blackbirds. After about an hour I heard geese and saw a pair coming into the swamp. I called and they turned our direction. The pair came into the decoys and as I raised my gun and started to pull the trigger, I had a sudden thought - what if my wife was correct and he was too young and would be traumatized for life by killing a goose - Bambi Syndrome? I was already committed so the lead goose dropped. As I hesitated I heard my son yell "shoot the other one, Dad". I did what he asked and then thought, "That's my boy!"
 
RF

That my friend is a great story. Good for your boy! I do understand where the wife was coming from. Happy for the both of you. Thanks so much for sharing such a nice story.
 
I have two moments burned into my memory.

The first was on opening day on Merrymeeting Bay. I had taken my son's down and squeezed in a hunt before school. He shot a couple ducks before I had to rush him off to school. Picked him back up from school ad rushed down to the bay. It was bluebird, no birds were flying but I was with my son so things were good. We were sitting back to back and just talking. After a while we heard a quack. Saw a pair way way off ad heading away, Now I am not a great caller but what did I have to loose. I called ad they turned and came our way. It took what seemed like a log time but they came straight up the river and on the strong side of the boat. I waited till they were past me a beside him then called the shot. He took the hen and I then shot the drake. The noise put up several flocks of teal and we managed to take several teal in the next few minutes.

The second was this fall. We found the only corn field cut and set up a hunt. My son, a friend and myself. The shooting was good and before long we had a pile of geese, one short of a limit for the three of us. Several geese where shot by two hunters so it was not clear who had limits and which one of us needed the last goose. I was not sure there would be more geese flying but I said that it was my son that needed one more goose. we settled in and waited. I was worried that there would be no more geese and I should have been the one short a goose. I wanted him to have the pleasure of a limit of geese. After a bit we heard some honks and started to call. These geese came toward us and circled but did not bail in like the other, but after a couple of swigs they came across in front of the blinds ad I told my son that he could fire at will. He sat up swung a dropped the lead goose as pretty as any shot seen on tv. Wish I had videoed it.
 
two great moments stand out in my mind and both are from hunting with my first lab "BlackJack". early 90's
First was a late season diver hunt over a nice spread of Herter broadbills and it had been a good morning with lots of opportunities..
I was a killer back in those days and really loved to shoot..I was taking whatever flew in...anyhow after killing a few birds my partner asked if I could tone it down and let the other guys kill a few. I said fine next bird is all yours. Well of course I spy another bird making a beeline for the decoys and was just keeping still but not saying anything either!..
After the bird made a direct approach and put out the landing gear and everyone was too occupied doing god knows what to see what was about to happen I really waited for someone to shoot!..finally as the feet were touching down and no one could care less and no safeties were taken off I couldnt stand it anymore and picked up my Browning and let him have it!..assuming it was just another drake broadbill I was ribbing the guys pretty good as I watched old Blackjack complete his retrieve..WELL when the dog jumped up on the bow and my buddy took the bird he let out a howl and said Rob wait till you see what your dog brought ya back...
A BEAUTIFUL DRAKE CANVASBACK!..and this is in an area where their very scarce..I was dumbfounded!...and of course so were the guys!
Second great memory was right after a road trip we took to NC for a combo seaduck / swan hunt which resulted in everyone getting a swan and lots of great shooting on Currituck sound...After the last hunt the weather was turning bad and literally after 3 straight days of gunning we hopped in our trucks to beat the impending storm which was screaming up the coast dumping snow all the way home back to NY..After driving 15 straight hours and beating most of the storm I got to my house at early in the morning...knowing I had the day off and the coming snow I knew there was only one place to go......right to my own boat waiting at the dock..I didnt even go in the house and wake up my wife...grabbed the gun and the dog and left...Right at sunrise I had a beautiful big blackduck come in and killed him with one shot..he was flying so fast the momentum carried him far into some really tall reeds...off goes BlackJack...right into those reeds and dissapears for what seemed like forever all I could see was reeds swaying and hear him sniffing around..finally the reeds parted and hes standing there with the morning light shining off his chest with a very big and very dead blackduck in his mouth looking like a cover from wildfowl magazine...I said to myself even after a 3 day hunt in a famous location with outstanding shooting...THERES NO PLACE LIKE HOME
 
3 come to mind-
2012
a 3-shot quad limit of september blue wings
2012
5 gadwalls over 6 of my decoys on a walk in hunt
2016
My first band (drake mallard) and my buddy's first duck (drake gadwall) over my decoys

May not be great by # bu definitely memorable hunts.
 
David

They are two great moments. And a life time of memories, You should be so proud that you shared those times with your son. Thanks for your post Happy Easter
 
Took my two cousins to the blind for a morning hunt. Had my pup with us who was land trained for ducks. Got a few ducks right off and I was a proud dad. Later geese started flying and the guys had never shot a goose. My dog is the size of a goose. Told them to wait till you could see the bills clear and give it to them. They each dropped a goose in the rig, no cripples.
Sent the dog out, 40yd retrieve and she tried grabbing the goose. She's a female and couldn't grab the body, finally she grabbed a wing and towed it back holding a wing tip.
This topped my first pheasant, duck or goose, A proud day for me and my cousins. Dog became a truly rare retriever.
 
Woke up on a very windy cold morning back in January 2005. We were in a lull and didn't have many birds down. That combined with the 30 mph winds that I knew would have all my spots high and dry at low tide around day break kept me in bed.
By around noon, it was bright and sunny, still cold but the wind had dropped a little and the tide had been coming in since 7am, so I loaded up and headed to the bay.
Water was still blown out, had a hard time launching the boat. The wind was still pretty sporty and on the way out the prop tapped bottom even in some of the channels where I had never had an issue getting out on a low tide. Luckily, I was in fairly protected areas, with land and marsh between me & the north wind.
I finally made it out the grass flats on the the north end of Mobile Bay. Looked at a few spots and found nothing. Last spot I checked I ran up around 2-3 dzn divers that were feeding in about 6" of water. When I approached the flat, they picked up and flew out into the bay about a 1/2 mile and set back down. I dragged the boat across the flat, quickly stuck my cane, put up the boat blind and then threw out about 4 dzn decoys. Some cans, a dzn redheads and 2 dzn bluebills.
Got settled in about 1:30 pm. A few minutes latter, another group of bluebills came up the bay to my left, about 200 yards away, appearing to be headed somewhere else. I barked on my diver call just for kicks. Low and behold, they turn & head straight for me! Right over the decoys, I stand up and drop a nice pair with 3 shots. Good start.
Few minutes later, a single big diver comes from the same direction, barrelling into the canvasback decoys, feet down. Boom, big bull drake canvasback! Dang, this is getting good.
10 minutes later, a small group picks up from the flock I spooked up and head right for me. As the buzz the decoys, I pick out a nice drake redhead and down he goes. Now this is getting realllly good!!
Another 10 minutes and a group of bluebills come in from behind me, one of those "Oh Shit, Quick, Shoot!!" moments. Boom, 3rd bluebill is down.
Well now I have to be picky, I can't shoot anymore 'bills or another can. I sit there for about another 15 minutes, watching the rest of the flock I spooked up through the binos. All the sudden, the whole group picks up and heads straight for me! OH, hot damn!!! Drop the binos, grab the Berretta. Watch, watching, watching, here they come and then they are over the decoys.
"Where's the redheads? Nope, that's a can, shit that's another can. Bluebill. OH HECK YEAH, thats a drake redhead!" Boom, he's drops, stone dead!
Set up less than an hour and I've got a "Diver Slam" with 7 shells.
Just dont know how it could get any better than that???




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The very first time my uncle, and his best buddy took my cousin and I waterfowl hunting, a long time ago.

A whole new world opened up to me.

Changed my entire life, and set my course on a journey that never gets old.

I have gotten old, but the experience of being out there never does.

Can't imagine my life without it.
 
Carl

That my friend is one heck of a hunt, Great job and great waterfowl moment. Thanks for sharing. Sometimes the days you think are going to suck. Become the best days for what ever reason. Happy hunting my friend.
 
I just had just purchased my 70 acre swamp and it was opening day. Keith and I, my lab Jed and his Abby paddled across the pond in the dark to the chorus of the resting Geese. As we made our way across, the flock of geese (2k-3k) were pushed to the point there was no place for them to go and they parted . As we paddled through them the crescendo rose to point I couldn't hear Keith's complaint that he didn't like this! The birds had closed in behind us and It felt like we were in a Conrad novel. At that point the birds lifted and the wings and the water rained on us. The birds never left and the vortex circled the pond as the first mallards came down through them at legal. The pond is no longer mine but the memory and the story is my favorite.
 
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