2023 Waterfowl Thread

the spank said:
If this turns out to be our final shoot of the 2023 season I have only one word...EPIC!
My buddy Ed is a statistics guy stemming from a career in logistics and according to him our first shot was fired at 07:15 taking a lone drake mallard out of a flock of 5 (4 hens and a drake) and shooting our last goose at 08:00 to complete our limits of ducks and geese.
It was a textbook hunt with a light snowfall starting right after the first ducks into the decoys and ending a few minutes before getting our last goose and finally clearing up into a beautiful sunny morning as we packed up.
Birds came in feet down landing in the 5.5 dozen skinny lessers. Only twice did I even turn on the spinner and only to centre the birds up over the pocket. Ed and I had agreed with a little insistence on my part that ONLY GREENHEADS were to be shot. Well Ed had a hen casualty when he shot at a drake and the hen closest to it folded at the same time as the drake and one of us shot one that was in mid ### change. I think it must be a woke mallard. **Image and video linking functions will be enabled after you have contributed more to the forum**
We haven't heard a shot fired or seen another hunter in 3.5 weeks. In fact one farmer asked if goose season was finished as his home quarter was covered in geese and he hadn't had anyone ask to hunt in three weeks.
I dropped my wife off at the property we deer hunt on and as I write this at 10:52 a.m she is still in the deer blind hoping to fill one or both of her two deer tags. I'm home, birds cleaned awaiting a call to either pick her up as she has had enough or to go gut a deer and haul it home. The deer blind is 6 minutes from the house.
All I can say is what a morning!! **Image and video linking functions will be enabled after you have contributed more to the forum****Image and video linking functions will be enabled after you have contributed more to the forum**
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There is many words that would describe this morning Frank but " EPIC " about sums it up, it was one of those mornings that made me just sit for a couple minutes before we starting to pack up and sip on my go cup of coffee, have a smoke and soak it all in, figuring it would be our last shoot of the season it simply couldn't end any better, a perfect day in the field.
 
waldo54 said:
There is many words that would describe this morning Frank but " EPIC " about sums it up, it was one of those mornings that made me just sit for a couple minutes before we starting to pack up and sip on my go cup of coffee, have a smoke and soak it all in, figuring it would be our last shoot of the season it simply couldn't end any better, a perfect day in the field.
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Good to see you made it to the site Ed!
 
My last day of hunting ,during the freeze last month (yes -17) in Vancouver that's cold ,snow was forecast for next day saw the hungry critters circling big grass field so set up on the edge at 2pm.Had 8 in 45 minutes but was getting colder by the minute.The breast bones in 3 of them were smashed in hitting the ground.Have not seen that out here
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reddog said:
My last day of hunting ,during the freeze last month (yes -17) in Vancouver that's cold ,snow was forecast for next day saw the hungry critters circling big grass field so set up on the edge at 2pm.Had 8 in 45 minutes but was getting colder by the minute.The breast bones in 3 of them were smashed in hitting the ground.Have not seen that out here
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Nice.
We ended up with 4 on closing day . Just jump shooting, only had one opportunity.
It was a good season. I took in 103 lbs to be made into sausage this week.
We are looking forward to pepperoni (regular and honey garlic ), jalapeno cheddar smokies , and farmer sausage.
And goose season opens again next Saturday.
 
DFarmer said:
Nice.
We ended up with 4 on closing day . Just jump shooting, only had one opportunity.
It was a good season. I took in 103 lbs to be made into sausage this week.
We are looking forward to pepperoni (regular and honey garlic ), jalapeno cheddar smokies , and farmer sausage.
And goose season opens again next Saturday.
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I passed through your way on my way to Van Isle at Xmas. Pulled in to Bass Pro at Tswawassen to kill time before boarding the ferry to Nanaimo. Stepped out of the car and looked south and there on the other side of the road is hundreds of mallards and geese at a time pouring into a WET mud field full of shee####er. No idea what had been in it for crop as it was pure mud. I sat and watched the birdss going in for a couple minutes and though the waterfowler in me wanted to get under those birds the thought of traipsing through all that mud to set up a spread and then hunt in that mess made me change my mind fast. I wouldn't trade our wonderful crop fields ever again to hunt water or muddy flats. A small sheet water puddle in a barley, wheat or pea field is completely doable but if the water is deeper than my ankle I'm avoiding it! Lol
 
the spank said:
I passed through your way on my way to Van Isle at Xmas. Pulled in to Bass Pro at Tswawassen to kill time before boarding the ferry to Nanaimo. Stepped out of the car and looked south and there on the other side of the road is hundreds of mallards and geese at a time pouring into a WET mud field full of shee####er. No idea what had been in it for crop as it was pure mud. I sat and watched the birdss going in for a couple minutes and though the waterfowler in me wanted to get under those birds the thought of traipsing through all that mud to set up a spread and then hunt in that mess made me change my mind fast. I wouldn't trade our wonderful crop fields ever again to hunt water or muddy flats. A small sheet water puddle in a barley, wheat or pea field is completely doable but if the water is deeper than my ankle I'm avoiding it! Lol
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I understand . I am in the upper valley and also have no interest in mud flat hunting, but I guess if that is what you have close to where you live, you take the opportunity .
Our ditches are mostly more than ankle deep, but our springer loves the water so rarely do we get wet or really muddy.
On a side note, 3 more nights before our spring Canada goose season opens.
 
DFarmer said:
I understand . I am in the upper valley and also have no interest in mud flat hunting, but I guess if that is what you have close to where you live, you take the opportunity .
Our ditches are mostly more than ankle deep, but our springer loves the water so rarely do we get wet or really muddy.
On a side note, 3 more nights before our spring Canada goose season opens.
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Only 3 more months here until open water and spring snow goose even though the season officially opens in March...
 
Have to admit hunting on the prairies is nice driving onto the fields with trailers to set up ,thats great .Was ok on that day as the mud was froze solid but can be very trying dragging my decoy cart through the crap mud .Then there are days like these on the brant opening which are not so bad sometimes..
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Last day for BC geese spring hunt had 40 2 weeks ago will see what today brings have some pics from 2 weeks ago fingers crossed ..
 
reddog said:
Last day for BC geese spring hunt had 40 2 weeks ago will see what today brings have some pics from 2 weeks ago fingers crossed ..
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Good luck out there reddog.
We will go for a tour and see about some last day spot and stalks. It has worked on closing day in the past.
We have had very few around our area until the last week or so, but there has also been no one chasing them either.
 
We ended the season with 7 geese yesterday. 6 big Canadas and one lesser.
My regular buddy was sick and couldn't go, so my son came along.
We had 4 stalk attempts and got close enough twice.
The biggest goose was 13 1/2 pounds. That could be our largest ever.
 
First pic is from 2 weeks ago 39 in a torrential downpour. Second is from yesterday 28 in a blustery windswept morning .Shot good and bad but was great getting the decoy spreads working much better as well Frank :)
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Driving home from Edmonton yesterday afternoon I saw a number of Canada geese in the fields as well as sitting on the ice on the slough's, spring is upon us, won't be long the snow's will arrive
 
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