2020 Waterfowl Thread

This past spring I sold my lay-out blind and built a stand-up blind. Materials consisted of 2x2 wood, chicken wire and palm grass. Each 2x2 was drilled at the bottom and an 8" nail installed to secure the blind to the ground. Southern Alberta doesn't open-up until September 8th, I'll be out scouting on the mornings of the 6 & 7th.
https://imgur.com/a/MLfRUrM
 
Looks good but I dont imagine its overly portable or lightweight? I run an a-frame. Takes me about 5 minutes to set it up solo and it rolls up and fits in the back of my truck. I get it, 23 dozen silos, 2 cabelas folding magnum chairs and 3 doz fb decoys in a 6.5' box with a cap on it. Pic is from our hunt this morning. Three man limit of dark geese and 4 ducks shy of our limit.
 
Flocks landing like crazy at my hunt spot this morning and the corn is set up perfect for me to hide in. I just checked the calendar and I'm going to be at the cottage for the first season, Sept.10-20, but hopefully they are still moving after that. Anyone know why there is no season for 5 days or so every year after the season starts in the southern district?
 
We finally got out today, the bulk of the 250 geese that were feeding in our field never made it to us, and landed 500 yards short, in the other end of the field. My hunting partners SBE2 refused to fire, after a half dozen shots as well, but we managed eleven Canada geese ,out of the small groups that did come into our spread.
 
jlovie said:
Flocks landing like crazy at my hunt spot this morning and the corn is set up perfect for me to hide in. I just checked the calendar and I'm going to be at the cottage for the first season, Sept.10-20, but hopefully they are still moving after that. Anyone know why there is no season for 5 days or so every year after the season starts in the southern district?
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They figure a lot of Northern birds are flying threw at that time and want to give them a pass.
 
Duck opener found me field testing a new 20 gauge Bismuth handload, and while I had some absolutely spectacular misses on ducks, it crumpled geese. Now, these aren't big geese, young of the year in my not at all professional opinion...but if that load kills geese, it should kill ducks if I can ever learn to hit anything with these tight chokes.

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Townes thinks that the wait between seasons is much too long, but luckily remembered what he was supposed to do.

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Cory
 
I was thinking that guiding would keep me off waterfowl again this fall, but I just saw that there is a heritage day tomorrow, so if I can finish up a job today, I might run out in the morning and see if I can impress my pooch.
 
Despite shaking off the rust dropping some doves with a couple of friends yesterday, the excitement of my opening day got the better of me and I ended up with a single goose down out of the only flock I was able to coax within range. All in all a great start to the season. Tomorrow I will be spending 11 hours on the road instead of hunting....hope there will be more than a few of us that would rather be hunting but will be in Ottawa because it is the right thing to do.
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waterfowl is not at the same level here but hope to get some fun here.

need to visit the grain part of our country to see those flocks have seen in quebec close to quebec and saguenay. grain feed waterfowl are so good.
 
Well... We are doing it. Blew the dust off my duck boat and decoys last night... up at 4:30 this morning, drove down to the river and discovered the water at the highest early September level that I can recall. The flat I was going to hunt was flooded and there was no place to set-up, headed another km up river to a pocket next to some higher ground, the water was flooded back into the trees, dropped four Canada floaters and eight or nine mallard dekes, then pulled the boat into the trees. Found a spot in front of the dekes where I had a thin slice of sky through the maple and ash branches. Had some early wings, a few woody squeals, some high flying geese. The burlap wrap-around blind was on high ground in the trees... I could read the confusion in my dogs face... She was thinking; "Do you mean to tell me that we can hunt ducks on firm, dry ground??? Then why are we always belly deep in swamp water and loon shyte?!?!?"


At first light a nice pair of blacks buzzed the dekes, but were through the opening before I could mount the gun... Spent the next hour at "port arms." A few geese toyed with us, I debated on a pair of woody hens, only for the dogs pleasure, but passed, Lexie was quite put-off by that decision.It was a cool, foggy morning with no wind. I'm going to hang in until 10:30 to see if some misguided bird decides to make my dog's day. Lexie debated on retrieving a deer from behind the blind, at least I assume it was a deer, her hackles weren't up, so it wasn't a bear. All in all, a lovely morning to be on the water and in the woods.

Update, 9:53... Another hen woody decoyed... I didn't have the heart to disappoint the dog again. Woody and eggs for breakfast. Lexie doesn't take her eye off the sky for one second.
 
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I wont be out till southern ontario duck season opens. This year i may hunt the early half of the season. Normally i dont get fired up about waterfowl untill its 30 mph winds rain sleet and ice chasing the big divers on the lakes however a couple new 20ga guns have me wanting teal woodies and bufflehead. Also hoping to put a hurt on the cormmerant population. Got a flat of 10ga shells laying in wait
 
the spank said:
Quill Lakes SK canada goose. They tend to have a large white patch on the chest plus white primary feathers, often a white bar running down the neck and usually the feet are white. The one I got had all that but the toes were white and feet white on the underside instead of topside.
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Thanks for the explanation. Kind of neat looking with the white wing edges.

Finally got out on the last day of our early season and the two of us knocked down 3 honkers.

With all the smoke here and fog, they were an hour late coming and I had to work at 8 so we missed the last few flocks.

I didn't shoot very well and my beretta seems to have a soft firing pin spring . Twice it failed to hit the primer hard enough.

At least I have 3 weeks before the ducks and geese open to get it fixed.
 
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