The right nasty place on the right nasty day...

D

dreamwaters

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Normal people say "Hey, what a NICE, WARM, SUNNY day. I think I'll take a day off".
Duck hunters say "Hey, a 70km/h nor'ester? With a blizzard you say? HELL yeah, I'll take a day off".

My apologies for the terrible photo quality - the only thing at hand was a cheap cell phone...

There's HEAVEN, there's HELL, and then there's THIS PLACE - which is a little bit of both. Believe it or not, I was narrating this video! I believe I was saying something about how breezy it was...


Reel Geese silos - 10 lbs dry, 50 lbs when crusted with frozen slushy mud.
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Big Al's duck silos - 5 lbs dry, 25 lbs when etc...
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Wonderduck spinning wing decoy - not doing much good
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Self portraits into the teeth of a nor-easter - hard not to make your 'uglyface'
thisisFUN.jpg


Yep, uglyface again - I give up!
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The poor things had no idea what hit them - what kind of an IDIOT would be out there today? Me, that's what kind!
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An Xtreme shotty for Xtreme conditions - never missed a beat, even after someone tripped on a silo and fell on his face
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This was heavy on the way OUT to the marsh. On the way back to the car, it was wobby baby-steps all the way! Good way to warm up though!
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-Croc
 
Y'know, sometimes it's good to be aware of the enhanced odds that come with
being willing to suffer some discomforts to hunt.
Very well done!! You will enjoy those nice fat mallards.
Eagleye.
 
In his later years my old man used to stare out of the Living room window, out across the river, with a wicked blizzard about to let go.
Mom would saysomething like" greta day, eh?"
And he's say" Yup, just about PERFECT!!"
Cat
 
There is nothing like nasty weather and northern waterfowl on the move to get the blood pumping. I haven't been out in the ugly stuff for a few years now, this post sure brings back some great memories. Even a bad day out there is better than looking out my window from beside a warm fire.

I now have a better boat for late fall duck and goose hunting, no more Edmund Fitzgerald trips for me!
 
Thanks for the comments. Just a few replies to queries:
1. Asswipe?
-Dropping the waders out there would be suicide! lol! Best get it done at the last Tim's before getting to the marsh.
2. Plucked?
-Yep, two of the greenheads that were in the best condition are fully plucked for roasting. For the others I plucked the front of them and filleted off the two breasts with skin attached for searing. Kept all the legs (slow cooker then basted on BBQ) and livers (pate).
3. Sled?
-What you don't see in these pics is that this is a tidal mud-flat on the Bay of Fundy. Twice a day 40 feet of muddy water floods over this area and then back down, leaving a myriad of channels that you have to step over/slog across etc... I've tried the toboggan - it invariably tips over or jams in the mud when trying to pull it across the channels, covering all of your stuff in the stickiest, nastiest, saltiest mud you've ever seen! Here's a pic that gives you some idea what's under that temporary skiff of snow. Toboggan's DON'T SLIDE on this stuff! lol!
HarvestPB080065.jpg

DirtyKentSmokerPB080054.jpg

Also, I don't usually carry this much stuff. I normally have just a few floaters and a bucket to sit on. My dog resting just now - paws are trashed from a hard pheasant season, so I brought all the silos to try to pull ducks away from the channel and over land where I could ethically shoot them without risk of losing them. So normally, it's a much lighter load.
4. Gadwall?
-Nope, that's a black duck. I have shot gadwall there before, and pintail too. Lots of teals in October/November too. A few geese.
 
That photo of your dog is priceless. He doesn`t look tired, he is thinking: What? You tired already? C`mon, lets go!!!!
 
Dreamwaters, thanks for answering my question on Gadwall.
Never seen a Blackduck before out here on the West Coast.
Yup, the Mighty Bay of Fundy in one of natures marvels.
Yer Dog sure looks purdy too with a face full of mud.
Thanks Again,
Rob
 
I've done my share of Fundy duck hunting before I moved west... looks like the mallards have really increased since I left! We'd see the odd few along the coast, but more inland. It is tough, tough hunting, dealing with the tides and mudflats... but I tend to remember the hardest hunts the most... especially if they're successful.
 
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