Good luck everyone!
Duck Season 2014
- Thread starter jmitche4
- Start date
The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast
Member Benefits:
No ad networks! Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership Discuss anti-gun legislation Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses Discover free outdoor shooting areas View up to date on firearm-related events Share photos & video with other members ...and so much more!
Member Benefits:
fabsroman
Ultimate Member
Very nice. I can remember those days, and hope to get back to them at some point here.
browning guy
SCRUFFY NERF HERDER
The Woodies sure seem to be doing well these days. What a perfect day for duck hunting. Just wondering, why do you not shoot mallards? Good eating and plentiful.
browning guy
SCRUFFY NERF HERDER
Oh I will shoot them when the season comes back in this week I am all about wood ducks. I like slipping in taking my 2 or 3 woodies and getting out so the birds can calm down and not get spooked.
Oh, that is just a good plan!
metalman3006
Gun Hoarder
fabsroman
Ultimate Member
Have to remember that you only have a certain limit allowed on ducks. You can reach that limit with an assorted bag of species. Cannot remember the exact limit, but I think you are allowed a 5 bird limit, a bonus teal to make 6, 3 woodies, and 4 mallards. So, if you kill 4 mallards, then you can only get a single wood duck.
Browning Guy's plan to spook the birds as little as possible is a good plan too. We would do that with geese when they were using a field pretty good. Get in early, kill a limit real fast, and get the heck out real fast so the birds would keep coming to that field. Then, we could hunt the field a couple days later.
I hunted public land on Saturday. Since last year on opening day I ended up having some other hunters come uncomfortably close to me down on the water, this time I stayed up in a nearby soybean field that has a thick woodline and some good puddles, hoping to catch some wood ducks retreating after being shot at on the water. I had a really good spot on the corner of the woodline/thick grass.
Normally it sounds like WW3 on opening day, but I think the rain must have kept some people away. There was only about half as much shooting as last year and very few ducks did as I'd hoped; I only had one marginal shot all morning and decided not to take it.
Maybe there were other factors keeping hunters at home besides the weather. It wasn't bad at all in my rain suit. It was about 55-60 degrees and lightly raining. Besides, bad/sloppy/cold/rainy/sleeting weather is typically the best for duck hunting, so I actually thought that would bring more people out, not less. I guess I was wrong and ended up over thinking/outsmarting myself.
Normally it sounds like WW3 on opening day, but I think the rain must have kept some people away. There was only about half as much shooting as last year and very few ducks did as I'd hoped; I only had one marginal shot all morning and decided not to take it.
Maybe there were other factors keeping hunters at home besides the weather. It wasn't bad at all in my rain suit. It was about 55-60 degrees and lightly raining. Besides, bad/sloppy/cold/rainy/sleeting weather is typically the best for duck hunting, so I actually thought that would bring more people out, not less. I guess I was wrong and ended up over thinking/outsmarting myself.
fabsroman
Ultimate Member
Most people are fair weather hunters. The good old weekend warrior that just goes to get some away time from whatever they usually deal with. Very few are extremely passionate about hunting.
Guessing you went to McKee Beshers.
Good guess! I have learned to avoid that place but my buddy really wanted to go on opening day and try out this tactic. It sure was easier than going down to the marsh and dodging others, but it also didn't work at all haha.
duckslayer56
Active Member
skunk city for us this morning. Had one mallard try to come in, but somebody shot right as she was making her pass, and she flared. Had a couple grebes come into the decoys, we were hoping they might get some other ducks interested in coming in, but no ducks flew over as they were swimming around, so that plan didn't work. I think next time I'm bringing a fishing pole. We saw some monster cats in the river as we crossed. If I can't shoot ducks, at least I might be catching fish!
travistheone
Usual Suspect
nothing today. mckees
Nothing beats a little blast and cast...especially when there is no blasting going on!
fabsroman
Ultimate Member
DNR would write you up for using a hook on waterfowl. Believe that is specifically against the law. Kind of like going dove hunting and goose hunting in September and having #8 lead shot on you. Gonna have to hope the DNR officer uses some common sense and discretion, versus charge em all and let the judge sort it out.
Sucks that you guys got skunked, but it happens. That is why we call it hunting and not shooting.
itsslow98
Ultimate Member
Went on my first duck hunt saturday and killed my first duck. Drake woody which I'll be dropping off at the taxidermist wednesday on my way to dorchester for sika deer muzzleloader opening day.
rob
DINO Extraordinaire
Every time I see this thread. I get the urge to yell "Rabbit season"
Jim Sr
R.I.P.
10/14/2014
blacklab25
Member
Contrary to what everybody says...I feel rainy snowy weather keeps the ducks from flying unless someone bumps them. A good heavy overcast, windy, cold day is what is needed. The birds do not fly when it is raining too hard, snowing too hard, or too foggy.
