It just makes you feel dumb. Looking back I made a lot of bad choices. This will definitely be one of those stories that gets told to the children and grandchildren as a cautionary tale.
TOO Waterfowl Chronicles
- Thread starter bowhunter1023
- Start date
It just makes you feel dumb. Looking back I made a lot of bad choices. This will definitely be one of those stories that gets told to the children and grandchildren as a cautionary tale.
bigten05
*Supporting Member*
We killed 5 geese tonight in about 20 minutes after work. I watched them all day and set up on them on the open spot in the ice. This weekend should be good on the water most of the ice should be gone.
Tough hunt this AM. Foggy as all get out until 5 minutes ago. Hoping it picks up. Brought Lulu along for her first hunt. She's a pretty good companion. Really looking forward to what her hunting career may become.
loose_is_fast
Junior Member
We shot 4 geese and 5 Greenheads. Had a flock come over with three pintails in it gave us two looks but would not commit.
Mao
Member
Have had a rough duck season thus far. The usual guys I hunt with slayed them while on Christmas Vacation while I was still in school. There are at 70+ ducks so far this season. JPN and I did have one good one though last week at our honey hole. We shot a 2 man limit of mallards. Hoping this cold brings some birds in cause as of now there is nothing here.
Gordo
Senior Member
Nice work Marcus and Justin! Been a shit season down here per usual. We have fun, but we're hardly able. Bad spots, no ducks and all the geese stay in no huntin for areas. Such is life I guess.
Been having a lot of discussions in the blinds lately about the "rookie enthusiasm" wearing off in the midst of year another shit season. We killed more ducks our first couple of years with less skill and less access because of perfect conditions. The last two winters have been wet and warm which kills the hunting around here. It's nothing but resident birds, more water than they can possibly occupy, rough rivers, fog and bright sun on the days we have hunted have killed us. I was really needing a pick me up and we got that this morning even though we only scratch out 3 mallards and a goose.
We took a friend of ours to the blind for his first hunt after he hooked us up with a fun afternoon field hunt earlier in the season. We manage one mallard yesterday out of the maybe 20 we saw. All the geese were in the fields or in the gravel pits. Drew's new spot has corn which we hunted earlier, but also a huge bean field that has since flooded. I've been scouting it since it's closest to me and knew we'd have a fun hunt today, so I was pumped. My wife had to work and I've left K with my parents two weekends ago and Tracie's parents last weekend just to hunt, so I wasn't doing it again. With temps in the 50s, I borrowed my buddy's layout and took K with me for her first ever waterfowl hunt.
It was a damn chore to get in and out today! 100 yard walk across the field with blinds, dekes, gear, etc., then a 50 yard belly deep wade across the flooded spot, then a 200 yard walk down the field to the tree line. I had to make 3 trips in and 3 trips out to get all my stuff, my K who rode on my shoulders on the way across the water and Lulu who refused to swim! I have the only lab in the state of Ohio who hunted ducks today and had to be carried across the water, then took the long way around on the way back!!! lmao
We had to flush 100+ geese to get to our spot, so that in itself is always a blast. Once we get settled, ducks started flying. For the first 15 minutes of the day, we laid on our backs watching batches of mallards work in and out of the spread. It was pure chaos before we finally had a group give us the shot we were after. Pure usual, someone left a safety on and two of us shot the same duck only to donate steel at ass ends flying away. But we had one down and things were off and running! The rest of the morning was full of action, but sun, still water and live decoys nearby made it tough. We also lack some of the proper equipment to be successful at this spot. We were ill-prepared on a camo front too as we haven't hunted here and expected to have more available cover, but it was all briars! Needed wet burlap and some of our grass. I would say we got to see 150 ducks and 500 geese today and those 15 minutes were what I live for when it comes to birds!
K was up at 5AM today, in the blind by 7AM and helped with decoy pickup at noon. She was fantastic today and even got to see things up close and personal. A few minutes before we shot the goose, I brought her in to my layout to hangout. We were goofing around taking selfies per her request when we had 3 birds come over the tree line headed directly to the hole. I adjusted her muffs, hit the call to help finish them, then called the shot. I only fired one shot being the end man (flying from me right to left) and a big good splashed down in the hole with a broke wing. Guns continue to go off and I here K yell "OH YEAH!" lmao My buddy's dog broke after her and it was a hell of a chase, which K thought was the best part of the day! Meanwhile Lulu next left her blind! lmao
Absolutely a fantastic day to be outside. I could either stay home this morning or put in the extra effort and take her with me. What she got to witness today is hunting at it's finest. Per usual waterfowl hunting rules, as soon as we started the decoy spread, we got hit with 150 geese in about 6-7 different groups over the span of 10 minutes all flying sky bust high over our spread. We just let them fly, but K was laying next to Lulu in their blind watching them fly over. Her eyes were the size of pie plates with amazement! Very cool experience for both of us!
We took a friend of ours to the blind for his first hunt after he hooked us up with a fun afternoon field hunt earlier in the season. We manage one mallard yesterday out of the maybe 20 we saw. All the geese were in the fields or in the gravel pits. Drew's new spot has corn which we hunted earlier, but also a huge bean field that has since flooded. I've been scouting it since it's closest to me and knew we'd have a fun hunt today, so I was pumped. My wife had to work and I've left K with my parents two weekends ago and Tracie's parents last weekend just to hunt, so I wasn't doing it again. With temps in the 50s, I borrowed my buddy's layout and took K with me for her first ever waterfowl hunt.
It was a damn chore to get in and out today! 100 yard walk across the field with blinds, dekes, gear, etc., then a 50 yard belly deep wade across the flooded spot, then a 200 yard walk down the field to the tree line. I had to make 3 trips in and 3 trips out to get all my stuff, my K who rode on my shoulders on the way across the water and Lulu who refused to swim! I have the only lab in the state of Ohio who hunted ducks today and had to be carried across the water, then took the long way around on the way back!!! lmao
We had to flush 100+ geese to get to our spot, so that in itself is always a blast. Once we get settled, ducks started flying. For the first 15 minutes of the day, we laid on our backs watching batches of mallards work in and out of the spread. It was pure chaos before we finally had a group give us the shot we were after. Pure usual, someone left a safety on and two of us shot the same duck only to donate steel at ass ends flying away. But we had one down and things were off and running! The rest of the morning was full of action, but sun, still water and live decoys nearby made it tough. We also lack some of the proper equipment to be successful at this spot. We were ill-prepared on a camo front too as we haven't hunted here and expected to have more available cover, but it was all briars! Needed wet burlap and some of our grass. I would say we got to see 150 ducks and 500 geese today and those 15 minutes were what I live for when it comes to birds!
K was up at 5AM today, in the blind by 7AM and helped with decoy pickup at noon. She was fantastic today and even got to see things up close and personal. A few minutes before we shot the goose, I brought her in to my layout to hangout. We were goofing around taking selfies per her request when we had 3 birds come over the tree line headed directly to the hole. I adjusted her muffs, hit the call to help finish them, then called the shot. I only fired one shot being the end man (flying from me right to left) and a big good splashed down in the hole with a broke wing. Guns continue to go off and I here K yell "OH YEAH!" lmao My buddy's dog broke after her and it was a hell of a chase, which K thought was the best part of the day! Meanwhile Lulu next left her blind! lmao
Absolutely a fantastic day to be outside. I could either stay home this morning or put in the extra effort and take her with me. What she got to witness today is hunting at it's finest. Per usual waterfowl hunting rules, as soon as we started the decoy spread, we got hit with 150 geese in about 6-7 different groups over the span of 10 minutes all flying sky bust high over our spread. We just let them fly, but K was laying next to Lulu in their blind watching them fly over. Her eyes were the size of pie plates with amazement! Very cool experience for both of us!
Does anyone else want to see the whole state one zone? These warm winters are killing our waterfowl hunting in the north zone too.
bigten05
*Supporting Member*
I'll be out this weekend bunch of geese and ducks back on the water here since it's been thawed and there having a hunt at a city park this weekend when they get shot at over there we will be waiting.
Water swatted 3 geese at legal light, been slow since. Got my pal with me again today. All the comforts of home here in the blind!
bigten05
*Supporting Member*
Some pics of today geese were everywhere couldn't get close enough to them with out a dog or boat. But still had a few come our way.
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Gordo
Senior Member
It's your 'mini-me'! Awesome your taking her along man!!!!!!!!!!
Just showed my wife that pic. 'Awwwwwww'
Waterfowl is a lot of work. Throw in a 4 year old, blind dog, a puppy and all the fixings and it'll wear a man out!
We officially retired Remi today. Wanted him to hunt one last time and for the first time with his trainee. He coaxed her in to the water today, which is the first time she's been in above her ankles. They laid in the layout together all morning. I feed them a good breakfast and we put it in the books as his final hunt. It was a short and slightly distinguished career. He was no super star, but he was a workhorse. His first legit retrieve was well over 200 yards worth of swimming and he was out in the main current of the mighty Ohio when he got the duck. He was 5 when that happened. Over the next few seasons he made 100 retrieves or so. Our last real good hunt was his last legit hunt and we killed 11 that day and most were singles. Just about every one was 60 yards out, 60 yards back too. We killed 9 the very next day and he got all of those. In terms of my career, we've never had two hunts like that back to back and he was a big part of it. Had I started hunted sooner, he'd have been brought up on ducks and no doubt he'd have had one legendary career. As it was, he did well and he'll always be my first hunting dog. He's all but blind now and gets around with his nose and knowledge of how our place is laid out. Still built like an ox and no hip issues at 9.5, but his eyes are gone. Hurts my heart most days...
We officially retired Remi today. Wanted him to hunt one last time and for the first time with his trainee. He coaxed her in to the water today, which is the first time she's been in above her ankles. They laid in the layout together all morning. I feed them a good breakfast and we put it in the books as his final hunt. It was a short and slightly distinguished career. He was no super star, but he was a workhorse. His first legit retrieve was well over 200 yards worth of swimming and he was out in the main current of the mighty Ohio when he got the duck. He was 5 when that happened. Over the next few seasons he made 100 retrieves or so. Our last real good hunt was his last legit hunt and we killed 11 that day and most were singles. Just about every one was 60 yards out, 60 yards back too. We killed 9 the very next day and he got all of those. In terms of my career, we've never had two hunts like that back to back and he was a big part of it. Had I started hunted sooner, he'd have been brought up on ducks and no doubt he'd have had one legendary career. As it was, he did well and he'll always be my first hunting dog. He's all but blind now and gets around with his nose and knowledge of how our place is laid out. Still built like an ox and no hip issues at 9.5, but his eyes are gone. Hurts my heart most days...
Congrats on the hunts fellas. That has got to be tough retiring a dog. This is my four year olds first season and I'm already dreading that day. We are going to try and get out one more time this season so hopefully we can get on some geese. After this I plan on getting some pigeon decoys and continuing with my dogs training.