I went out last weekend with a friend and were fortunate enough to get some ducks. We were actually targeting geese, but that wasn't working very well. Pretty fun, although unconventional, waterfowl hunt...
We had noticed that the ducks and geese didn't start moving until almost 9am for the past couple of weeks so we thought it would make for a really easy morning. We were going to hunt the fields right behind the house as it is a common flight path so we decided on up at 745, decoys are out by 830, and then sit and wait for 30 until they start coming in off of the water. We get to the field at about 815; set up our decoys, our nice and comfy chairs, start sipping on our coffees and wait.
Couldn't be better we think to ourselves. Then nothing happened.
We could see about a dozen geese about 400 yards away in the field next to us, but that was it. By 1030 we're getting a little frustrated. Nothing is flying, but those damn geese are honking away and toying with us from next door. So we decide to get up and take a 2min walk to get closer and see exactly whats going on over there. Well we're not even out of the bush and we suddenly realize that the dozen geese in the other field, was actually about 5 dozen. The bast**ds got up early and were already in the fields! So we're standing in our little bush, knowing that we royally screwed that one up when out of nowhere 10 turkeys fly in from the right. They land about 35-40 yards away, between us and the geese. As soon as they crash to the ground though, a bunch of heads pop up right where they landed! We didn't notice there was another 12-15 or so geese hunkered down RIGHT in front of us the whole time! So now were kinda pissed... We watch the turkeys for a while then when they took off again, we decide to do something about the damn geese.
We had 2 options to get to the where the geese were: crawl on hands and knees to where the 15 geese are, or belly crawl to where the big flock was. We got greedy. The anger inside got the better of us and we started to belly crawl down the trail between the fields. We get only about 10 yards when the closest flock takes off. That's OK we think, the others are so far away they don't care... So we keep going. By about 100 yards we're pretty tired now. It's A LOT harder to crawl around in the snow while all bundled up, and keeping your nose to the ground than you may think.
We're kinda exhausted actually... So we stop to take a break when all of a sudden we hear some chatter to our left. Its ducks feeding. We peek through the grass and see maybe 15 or 20 ducks. Not sure how we didn't hear or see them before. Or even more surprisingly, how we didn't spook them!
I look at my partner and motion to the ducks. He's red in the face and wheezing. He cant go another 300 yards to the geese.. Heck I couldn't either! I have no clue what we were thinking. So it was settled. We were eating duck that night instead. We wait another minute to catch our breath. When we're ready we awkwardly get ready to sit up and start counting to 3.
This is going to be a piece of cake I think to myself. 3...2...1... GET EM! we quickly sit up and instantly realize we were dead wrong about the number of ducks. Almost in unison as we pop up, the ducks jump out of the flooded field. The sky goes dark as about 300 take to the air at the same time! We're both frozen as we're confused by the sheer mass in front and cant make out a single duck to target. Its just flashes of dark and light in front of our eyes. We gain our senses again after a couple of eternal seconds, BANG! 2 fall from the first shot. BANG! Another drops. I hear shooting next to me but its almost like a whisper under all of the whistling wings and quacking. I have no idea how he's doing but he must be hitting something!
Bang! Last shot and the extrema stays open as another mallard hits the flooded field.
I stop and think to myself: "you sir kicked some ass!". I look to my left with a stupid grin on my face and my buddy is reloading. He yells at me. What the hell are you waiting for dumb-ass?! Reload!!! I nearly crap my pants as I realize there's so much confusion in the air that the ducks dont know where the shots are coming from and are simply circling above our heads.
DAMN it! I throw another 3x 3.5's in and let em rip just as fast. Now im out of rounds, and the ducks finally figure out where the mayhem is coming from. As they book it back towards open water, I again turn to my friend. He's still wheezing, but I don't think he noticed it anymore... As quickly as it started, it was over.
We weren't planning on going in the flooded field so neither of us brought waders. Or anything waterproof really. So, knee deep in frozen water we go. boots are filled. 4 layers of thick insulating clothes and bibs are soaked and weigh a ton now. We nearly died retrieving the ducks. Both of us are dry heaving and coughing up lungs. We're too cold and numb to notice the hypothermia setting in in our boots...
So anyway, without making this long story any longer, we got 10 ducks and we're back at the house by noon.
And to my surprise, one of them was banded!
I called the band in yesterday at around 2pm. When I woke up this morning I already had the email certificate and info on the duck in the inbox.
The duck was banded ON MY BIRTHDAY 5 years ago when he hatched in Wisconsin! Pretty awesome I think. What are the chances eh!?
We'll give it another try this weekend, but I think we'll ge up early again so that we don't have to crawl around as much again...
Merry Christmas everyone!!
We had noticed that the ducks and geese didn't start moving until almost 9am for the past couple of weeks so we thought it would make for a really easy morning. We were going to hunt the fields right behind the house as it is a common flight path so we decided on up at 745, decoys are out by 830, and then sit and wait for 30 until they start coming in off of the water. We get to the field at about 815; set up our decoys, our nice and comfy chairs, start sipping on our coffees and wait.
Couldn't be better we think to ourselves. Then nothing happened.
We could see about a dozen geese about 400 yards away in the field next to us, but that was it. By 1030 we're getting a little frustrated. Nothing is flying, but those damn geese are honking away and toying with us from next door. So we decide to get up and take a 2min walk to get closer and see exactly whats going on over there. Well we're not even out of the bush and we suddenly realize that the dozen geese in the other field, was actually about 5 dozen. The bast**ds got up early and were already in the fields! So we're standing in our little bush, knowing that we royally screwed that one up when out of nowhere 10 turkeys fly in from the right. They land about 35-40 yards away, between us and the geese. As soon as they crash to the ground though, a bunch of heads pop up right where they landed! We didn't notice there was another 12-15 or so geese hunkered down RIGHT in front of us the whole time! So now were kinda pissed... We watch the turkeys for a while then when they took off again, we decide to do something about the damn geese.
We had 2 options to get to the where the geese were: crawl on hands and knees to where the 15 geese are, or belly crawl to where the big flock was. We got greedy. The anger inside got the better of us and we started to belly crawl down the trail between the fields. We get only about 10 yards when the closest flock takes off. That's OK we think, the others are so far away they don't care... So we keep going. By about 100 yards we're pretty tired now. It's A LOT harder to crawl around in the snow while all bundled up, and keeping your nose to the ground than you may think.
We're kinda exhausted actually... So we stop to take a break when all of a sudden we hear some chatter to our left. Its ducks feeding. We peek through the grass and see maybe 15 or 20 ducks. Not sure how we didn't hear or see them before. Or even more surprisingly, how we didn't spook them!
I look at my partner and motion to the ducks. He's red in the face and wheezing. He cant go another 300 yards to the geese.. Heck I couldn't either! I have no clue what we were thinking. So it was settled. We were eating duck that night instead. We wait another minute to catch our breath. When we're ready we awkwardly get ready to sit up and start counting to 3.
This is going to be a piece of cake I think to myself. 3...2...1... GET EM! we quickly sit up and instantly realize we were dead wrong about the number of ducks. Almost in unison as we pop up, the ducks jump out of the flooded field. The sky goes dark as about 300 take to the air at the same time! We're both frozen as we're confused by the sheer mass in front and cant make out a single duck to target. Its just flashes of dark and light in front of our eyes. We gain our senses again after a couple of eternal seconds, BANG! 2 fall from the first shot. BANG! Another drops. I hear shooting next to me but its almost like a whisper under all of the whistling wings and quacking. I have no idea how he's doing but he must be hitting something!
Bang! Last shot and the extrema stays open as another mallard hits the flooded field.
I stop and think to myself: "you sir kicked some ass!". I look to my left with a stupid grin on my face and my buddy is reloading. He yells at me. What the hell are you waiting for dumb-ass?! Reload!!! I nearly crap my pants as I realize there's so much confusion in the air that the ducks dont know where the shots are coming from and are simply circling above our heads.
DAMN it! I throw another 3x 3.5's in and let em rip just as fast. Now im out of rounds, and the ducks finally figure out where the mayhem is coming from. As they book it back towards open water, I again turn to my friend. He's still wheezing, but I don't think he noticed it anymore... As quickly as it started, it was over.
We weren't planning on going in the flooded field so neither of us brought waders. Or anything waterproof really. So, knee deep in frozen water we go. boots are filled. 4 layers of thick insulating clothes and bibs are soaked and weigh a ton now. We nearly died retrieving the ducks. Both of us are dry heaving and coughing up lungs. We're too cold and numb to notice the hypothermia setting in in our boots...
So anyway, without making this long story any longer, we got 10 ducks and we're back at the house by noon.
And to my surprise, one of them was banded!
I called the band in yesterday at around 2pm. When I woke up this morning I already had the email certificate and info on the duck in the inbox.
The duck was banded ON MY BIRTHDAY 5 years ago when he hatched in Wisconsin! Pretty awesome I think. What are the chances eh!?
We'll give it another try this weekend, but I think we'll ge up early again so that we don't have to crawl around as much again...
Merry Christmas everyone!!
