Waterfowl North America 2018

[Random 8]

Starting this for all things waterfowl this season. Guns, loads, decoys, status of your flight, bragging, etc.

Our general "duck" season opened this morning in MN, with early goose having been open for a couple of weeks. Slow flight this morning, very few teal around, mostly just local mallards. This is bad for me, as the slough I usually open on in the back yard is primarily a teal shoot with the mallards and wood ducks coming as a bonus. My theory is a very dry late July through August moved them off the local small water to greener pastures. Had to put my pass choke in and switch to 2s as the close shooting I usually get on small birds wasn't there.

Did manage to get 3 mallards, a single and a 2 shot double. Fortunately my wingshooting was up to par, as this was about the only shooting I got. Buddy put down a goose and a mallard that we couldn't find with the dog. Very disappointing as the goose appeared to be hit hard and we were looking forward to a good meal of marsh roast beef. The mallard was probably a lost cause from the start, went down flapping well out in the cattails, but we gave it our best effort.

Think I'm going to burn some gas and chase some wood ducks tomorrow, the local flight seems a little light for my liking. Barely enough to make the dog take a nap by the wood stove.

 

[MCgunner]

Teal season is open here, but I haven't braved the heat to hunt 'em in a decade. Too, too many gators out in this heat as if the skeeters weren't bad enough. I don't know that I'll ever hunt ducks at the WMA again, just too hard on a 65 year old body with arthritis in several joints and numb legs and feet from type 2 diabetes. I don't have a lot of strength and endurance anymore. Walking in the muck doesn't suit me. I might go down there with the canoe and hunt the lake, don't know. It doesn't start until the first week of November. There are few ducks even down here right now.

We (friends from Waco and I) will likely book a goose hunt or two this season, though. It's not nearly so hard on the body when you can ride a 4 wheeler to the spot in a rice field. We get lots of snows and specks down here. Eagle Lake, 20 miles away, is one of the more well known goose hunting destinations. Lots of goose and duck clubs and outfitters around here.

 

[Random 8]

Good morning today. Switched things up, burned some gas and hunted a beaver flowage an hour west of me on the old home farm. Close shooting on woodies and teal on dry land, with a bonus mallard. Dog has worked out his opening day stupidity and is getting down to business, marking and finding birds like he should. Had my limit in time for breakfast at the local café.

 

[Shanghai McCoy]

Good morning today. Switched things up, burned some gas and hunted a beaver flowage an hour west of me on the old home farm. Close shooting on woodies and teal on dry land, with a bonus mallard. Dog has worked out his opening day stupidity and is getting down to business, marking and finding birds like he should. Had my limit in time for breakfast at the local café.

Ya gotta love it when a plan comes together.

 

[Random 8]

Another report from the semi frozen North. 2 killing frosts in my area now, BW teal are gone for the year, wood ducks departing. Season was just closed for 5 days, re-opened this morning, I had to work last weekend so missed a couple days. Wanted to hunt the big water, as snow and cold in NW MN and the prairie provinces has pushed some divers down our way, but high winds kept me on the beaver flowage chasing wood ducks and a few puddlers. Spent the sunrise hour firing at jet propelled woodies riding a 20mph NW wind off the prairie, low, fast and without warning. Ammunition companies would be happy. My cousin and I fired an embarrassing number of shells to collect our 6 bird limit of woodies. Shifted gears and tossed a few mallard decoys into a patch of flooded beanfield. Managed to get one small flock to commit and dusted 2. Numerous larger flocks of Mallard and Divers sighted traveling far and fast at altitude. Get ready Iowa and MO, they're headed your way. Saw a few larger flocks pitch into a sheltered bay on the big water. We should have braved the whitecaps and shot the pass, would have had a good morning. Dog is up to full speed marking and retrieving just in time for work to tell me I'm working Saturdays until freezeup. Batted 1000, found every bird in heavy cover and a bonus one we didn't know we hit that dropped out behind a batch we shot at.

 

[dak0ta]

Got out for the opener in my region this morning! We get first dibs in Canada Great day with the sun and birds flying. 5/8 today. Trying out some new gear and it all came together. First off, I tried the Patternmaster Extended Range for the first time, and I was skeptical about people saying how the birds just get knocked out of the air. Well, it seemed true, they just seem to get hit all at once and crumple to the ground. Also, used a Lucky Duck motor decoy and it was awesome!

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

<<<This guy and myself are looking forward to duck hunting this year. He isn't two years old yet and has 30+ pheasants and a few field trial ribbons to his credit. Really need to add some ducks to his resume. There is nothing better than waterfowl hunting with a good dog.

 

[entropy]

I don't hunt 'em any more, but I've noticed the teal and woodies didn't stay as long around here. Have seen the odd bufflehead and some bills along with the not-so-numerous mallards, and the over-numerous honkers. I do have a bunch of 3" steel left over....hmmm......