TOO Waterfowl Chronicles
- Thread starter bowhunter1023
- Start date
bthompson1004
Member
My mission this year was to finally get a duck...this morning, I ended up bagging 2!! Woke up feeling great despite my babies being up most of the night...even decided to bring my dog for the first time...he is no Sarge or Black Betty (both great dogs from what I have read) as he only sniffed the first downed duck...my dad, 10year old stepson and "Max" enjoyed each other's company the entire morning...only saw 6 ducks and the geese never made it to us from the lake cause of the newly cut bean field that we can't hunt.
We had quite the interesting hunt on Saturday. Met my buddy Bryan (Bloody Nock) at 6 to grab breakfast at Mickey D's and were at our spot at 6:30. We had set decoys Friday night, so all I need to do was throw out the Mojo and a couple of pairs I forgot the night before. We were almost to the blind when I get hit with a spotlight. Instantly I'm thinking: "You've got to be kidding me." Sure enough, there is a boat in the backwater anchored on the neighboring property. We tried to sort things out in the dark as I tried to explain we had a blind, our decoys were out, and I wasn't going anywhere. It became apparent these guys were full of shit. So we agreed they'd sit there until the first hour and then pack it up. I decided to be a dick and splashed around until 7:15 or so, then hopped in the blind as some woodies splashed down right in front of our blind. They worked to the upper end of the backwater before legal shooting light and all was quiet early one. We had a few mallards come by and I let them call, but we never had any shots. About 8:15, I heard a honk and looked out the back of the blind to see that 20 geese had been in the backwater all morning. How they didn't blow out while I was fiddle fucking around with decoys is beyond me. It wasn't long before they started that excited "we're getting the hell out of Dodge" honking, so I told Bryan to get ready. Sure enough they flew off and flew right in front of the blind and we let loose on 5 shots, dropping 2. We enjoyed a good laugh while their dog went bonkers and we slung some follow up shots. I yelled "good morning" just loud enough for them to hear me!
At this point, I begin to get antsy because they are still sitting there. Bryan went back to the truck to grab my maps and permission slip so I could go talk to them. While he was gone, two hen woodies cupped down in the hole right in front of the blind. I was standing up glassing one of the crippled geese, so they caught me off guard. I grabbed my gun expecting them to shoot at the one that flared when I reached for the gun, but heard nothing as I drew a bead on the second hen. My first shot missed as she pulled a 90 at the last second, the second shot was behind her and as she was cutting hard from left to right and more in front of their boat than my blind, my third shot folded her in their hold. lmao
That was all it took and they started packing up just as Bryan came back with the maps. They fed me a line about having permission there for years from some lady. The one guy was nice enough to send his dog after the geese since Remi won't pick them up. It was 3 guys in their 50-60's and although they were nice, they were kind of dickish TOO. I insisted they look at my map and schooled them on the details of ownership and where the boundaries were. They informed me a local outfitter often took people in there and other local guys would also hunt there. I called the neighboring landowner tonight and she was VERY adamant that she had never, and would never give people permission to anchor on her land. Then I called my landowner and to quote: "You are the only one who is to be back there. If you have any more trouble, be firm, stand your ground and if all else fails, have them call me." I thanked him and hung up with all the info I need to run people out of here from this point forward. Although they were quick to inform me they would set up on the river at the mouth a mere 150 yards away in the late season when my spot locked up. Told them have fun. Hate to tell them we are looking at ways to keep that water open and if they want to hunt that close, I'll sit in my blind with an open hole and not call. We'll slay them with no dekes or calls!
As they were leaving, the one guy says: "You know that Mojo will scare geese right?" I told him I was aware I should turn it off if the geese were flying, then headed back to the blind. No longer had I sat down and 2 geese came out of thin air and landed right next to the Mojo. They were so close, I couldn't shoot because I would have shot the Mojo! After forcing them off the water, 4 shots left 2 dead in the hole! All in all, it was a great hunt! We killed 4 geese and the woodie in a 3 hour sit. I'm in love with this spot and after seeing how our decoy spread worked this weekend, I am super excited to hit this in the late season!!!
The lone duck...
The pair that landed...
I am having a print done of this for my office. This is the old blind we found that those guys tried to say was theirs. I said: "Looks like you should have taken better care of it..."
My blind next to the old one...
The bounty...
At this point, I begin to get antsy because they are still sitting there. Bryan went back to the truck to grab my maps and permission slip so I could go talk to them. While he was gone, two hen woodies cupped down in the hole right in front of the blind. I was standing up glassing one of the crippled geese, so they caught me off guard. I grabbed my gun expecting them to shoot at the one that flared when I reached for the gun, but heard nothing as I drew a bead on the second hen. My first shot missed as she pulled a 90 at the last second, the second shot was behind her and as she was cutting hard from left to right and more in front of their boat than my blind, my third shot folded her in their hold. lmao
That was all it took and they started packing up just as Bryan came back with the maps. They fed me a line about having permission there for years from some lady. The one guy was nice enough to send his dog after the geese since Remi won't pick them up. It was 3 guys in their 50-60's and although they were nice, they were kind of dickish TOO. I insisted they look at my map and schooled them on the details of ownership and where the boundaries were. They informed me a local outfitter often took people in there and other local guys would also hunt there. I called the neighboring landowner tonight and she was VERY adamant that she had never, and would never give people permission to anchor on her land. Then I called my landowner and to quote: "You are the only one who is to be back there. If you have any more trouble, be firm, stand your ground and if all else fails, have them call me." I thanked him and hung up with all the info I need to run people out of here from this point forward. Although they were quick to inform me they would set up on the river at the mouth a mere 150 yards away in the late season when my spot locked up. Told them have fun. Hate to tell them we are looking at ways to keep that water open and if they want to hunt that close, I'll sit in my blind with an open hole and not call. We'll slay them with no dekes or calls!
As they were leaving, the one guy says: "You know that Mojo will scare geese right?" I told him I was aware I should turn it off if the geese were flying, then headed back to the blind. No longer had I sat down and 2 geese came out of thin air and landed right next to the Mojo. They were so close, I couldn't shoot because I would have shot the Mojo! After forcing them off the water, 4 shots left 2 dead in the hole! All in all, it was a great hunt! We killed 4 geese and the woodie in a 3 hour sit. I'm in love with this spot and after seeing how our decoy spread worked this weekend, I am super excited to hit this in the late season!!!
The lone duck...
The pair that landed...
I am having a print done of this for my office. This is the old blind we found that those guys tried to say was theirs. I said: "Looks like you should have taken better care of it..."
My blind next to the old one...
The bounty...
I've never used a chain saw, but that would be better than using my knees on thick ice. How ever you break it up, try to keep the ice in big chunks. Then shove them under neath the remaining ice to clean the hole out. Keep a rake handy to clear out the smaller bits and pull them off to the side.
From I have read, easiest way is to get an extra chain and cut off all the rakers. Guys that use them to ice fish drain all the bar oil and put vegetable oil in it , so not to polute the fishing hole.
We talked about lugging in some car batteries and using those to power something. If I can keep this hole open, I'm confident I can ruin some local hunters days by just sitting and waiting patiently with calls in the bag. I'm where birds want to be as evidence by what we killed last week and I never called once.
One bit of advice even tho your right and have permission starting a war with local guys who've hunted that area for yrs prolly ain't the best option . Proceed as you want but being civil usually works out better cause if you start screwing them now, somehow , somewhere you'll cross paths again and if they're holding a grudge they may just try to screw u in return. Waterfowl hunters are a small community and if you make a name for yourself as being "that guy " it won't work out as well in upcoming season as you branch out and start hunting other spots .
Do what you want tho .
As far as ice eaters go....a smaller cheap trolling motor can be made to work by mounting it on a board driven into the bottom and camoing it in some manner.
Do what you want tho .
As far as ice eaters go....a smaller cheap trolling motor can be made to work by mounting it on a board driven into the bottom and camoing it in some manner.
I'm fully aware of that Jake and I was civil when we talked. One of the guys knew my buddy's dad, so I realize it's a small world. That, and not many people hunt ducks around here.
I'll continue to be civil while running people off also. I've put in my time, effort, and $ to gain access here, so I'm not letting some old timers ruin my hunts just because they've hunted there before. Those guys were quick to point out they'd just set up 150 yards from our blind and hunt. If that's how they want to be, I'll do all I can to keep my hole open, something no one has ever done. I'll fuck with these guys by killing more birds than they do because I out worked and out smarted them. Any interpersonal encounters will be kept respectful and courteous. But I'll be damned if I'll jus sit back and let them hunt my spot or think they'll ruin things for me by setting up so close to me.
I'll continue to be civil while running people off also. I've put in my time, effort, and $ to gain access here, so I'm not letting some old timers ruin my hunts just because they've hunted there before. Those guys were quick to point out they'd just set up 150 yards from our blind and hunt. If that's how they want to be, I'll do all I can to keep my hole open, something no one has ever done. I'll fuck with these guys by killing more birds than they do because I out worked and out smarted them. Any interpersonal encounters will be kept respectful and courteous. But I'll be damned if I'll jus sit back and let them hunt my spot or think they'll ruin things for me by setting up so close to me.
Find an old trolling motor. Mount the power head facing up mounted on some sort of frame. Power with generator or batteries.
I was able to get out for a quick hunt before work today. Saw a lot of birds and had some poor shooting but was still able to knock down 3 woodies.
The 3rd duck isn't in the picture. Shot it about 30 seconds after. It was a young drake, he came in and landed right in front of us
The 3rd duck isn't in the picture. Shot it about 30 seconds after. It was a young drake, he came in and landed right in front of us
Last edited:
Rutin
Senior Member
Purdy birds! Gotta love brown dogs!!! I'm gonna try and hit the river Sat morning for a quickie.
bthompson1004
Member
I have to wait till the time change for a quick morning hunt before work. Good work and nice looking birds! Your hunting buddy looks pretty happy about the hunt also!
We hunted the maumee river yesterday thinking with the front coming through they might move. We saw 4 mallards and a wood duck. Total rot fest. Oh well time to kill ol.mossy horns. Plus I am going to hopefully go pick up a duck boat on Sunday!
Took two of my cousins out last night who have need killed a duck and we shot 4 woodies, 3 being drakes, one of which was an amazing mounter candidate. My cousin PJ is a member here and has a shared stake in our duck blind. He didn't had any confirmed kills on his first hunt, but smoked the hen last night with a great shot. My cousin Levi has never been on a duck hunt, so he was stoked when he killed the first duck we saw, a lone drake. The second drake we saw came in like a F-16 on fire! It was awesome to see and hooked all 3 of us on farm ponds for wood ducks. When we left, about 2 dozen dumped in out of no where. It was a sight to see!
Headed to the duck blind now for the last hunt for the early season. The water is up and I expect that to hurt us, but we'll give her a go!
Good luck to everyone who goes out!
Headed to the duck blind now for the last hunt for the early season. The water is up and I expect that to hurt us, but we'll give her a go!
Good luck to everyone who goes out!
Nice. My text back isn't going through... grill it and let me know what you think. I think they are one of the coolest looking birds. I bet quite a few in the puddle around my house.