Waterfowl 2022-2023

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  • Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    7,085
    Pasadena
    That's a nice day. What area of the state were you hunting?
    Talbot county on the Choptank. We had 4 guys set up in a field blind and 3 guys hunting a small creek near the marsh. We got the geese in the field, they got the ducks on the creek. I think the season will improve as they birds keep coming south.
     
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    kstone803

    Official Meat Getter
    Feb 25, 2009
    3,928
    Ltown in the SMC
    Sea duck hunting in my area this year has been very quiet compared to last. I don't really follow it - was there a rule change or anything?

    Yes, there is no longer a special sea duck season. Sea ducks fall in with regular ducks during the regular seasons. Most guys hunted them in between splits as something to do but can't do that now.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,880
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    Nice A5. Is that a Brittany? We had one many years ago that was a good pointer but not a good retriever. We used to hunt grouse up in VT with that dog.
    Thanks. The A5 is a Belgium and it resides in my safe now. Not my favorite semi by a long shot. The dog is an English Springer Spaniel. His name was Brownie. The stories that dog generated are legendary.

    I look at that picture now and realize that I take way too much for granted. Just figured I would be able to hunt on that farm my entire life. Lost another farm to development about a decade ago. Only a matter of time until I lose the farm I hunt in Howard County. So, I am trying to find new places in Carroll, learn to hunt off a boat in the Potomac, and/or buy my own place. My wife knows that a farm is next on my list since we bought the house. This summer, we were visiting an area along the Georgia/Tennessee border and we went into a gift shop. A little keychain had "Cabin Keys" on it and my 13 year old pointed it out and said we should get it for the farm we are going to buy. lol

    I'm going to try to take the kids out for geese during Christmas break, before you guys really make me jealous.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,076
    DC area
    Choptank was loaded with buffleheads and sea ducks this morning. I heard a report of red heads showing up towards the head of the river. It was a great morning on the water, with one of the most prolonged sunrises I can ever recall.
     

    Bountied

    Ultimate Member
    Apr 6, 2012
    7,085
    Pasadena
    Choptank was loaded with buffleheads and sea ducks this morning. I heard a report of red heads showing up towards the head of the river. It was a great morning on the water, with one of the most prolonged sunrises I can ever recall.
    Yeah if you're sitting on the east side looking towards the river it can make it hard to see the birds. Need more clouds.
     

    Yingpin

    Ultimate Member
    May 31, 2013
    1,054
    Kingsville, MD
    Thanks. The A5 is a Belgium and it resides in my safe now. Not my favorite semi by a long shot.

    It’s funny, of all the shotguns I have, for the past 4 years my A5 is the only gun I take to Kansas for our pheasant hunt. It’s heavy but I love it!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,880
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    What will this huge cold front do to the migration?
    Push almost everything through Maryland and further south. My brother in-law is telling me that the temps in Atlanta today are in the 20s.

    Hard to comprehend going from the 50s and 40s into the single digits and everything freezing up immediately. Today is worse outside than I can ever remember while in the stand or the blind.

    I have goose hunted when the temps have been in the teens and it was pretty decent bird wise, but I was hunting over cut corn that was a mile or two away from the Potomac and the farm had a spring fed pond on it that we called the sanctuary. We never shot the birds on that pond. Ponds have got to be frozen over right now. If you can find open water somewhere close to a food source, that would be ideal. If it stays this cold for a while and we get some snow, kiss the birds goodbye.

    Still not seeing a bunch of high fliers in the area though. Might do a little scouting tomorrow just for some mental relaxation.
     

    martman

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Jun 2, 2017
    83
    Is it even remotely reasonable to try and snag some ducks without a boat and dog, anywhere in Maryland? Im not a good enough shot yet, but I'm pretty interested in next year.
     

    fabsroman

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 14, 2009
    35,880
    Winfield/Taylorsville in Carroll
    Is it even remotely reasonable to try and snag some ducks without a boat and dog, anywhere in Maryland? Im not a good enough shot yet, but I'm pretty interested in next year.
    The ducks I have killed in my time have mostly been while goose hunting in a field of cut corn or a pond, both of which were somewhere close to big water like the Monocacy or the Potomac. Figured that the birds were roosting on the river and coming off of it in the morning to feed.

    Only ever been duck hunting on a boat once, and that was out around Elliott's Island in the marsh. Took the boat to a spot and then got out and walked to where we were going to set up. That trip I killed two ducks, got completely soaked because I had no waders or waterfowling jacket, froze my butt off, and had a great time. That trip is what got me addicted to waterfowling. I've been invited to blinds overlooking large ponds in Church Hill and then a blind along the Bay at the mouth of South River.

    With that said, I am planning on getting a dog this summer, maybe two, and hoping to get a boat too. Eventually I am getting a farm and would be looking at something close to the Monocacy or the Potomac. It is the knowledge part of hunting from a boat that I need to figure out.
     

    remrug

    Ultimate Member
    Mar 13, 2009
    1,798
    manchester md
    Is it even remotely reasonable to try and snag some ducks without a boat and dog, anywhere in Maryland? Im not a good enough shot yet, but I'm pretty interested in next year.
    Only if you have a small pond you can hunt. Even then, a kayak might be needed for retrieving ducks/ chasing down winged birds
     

    SWO Daddy

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 18, 2011
    2,469
    Is it even remotely reasonable to try and snag some ducks without a boat and dog, anywhere in Maryland? Im not a good enough shot yet, but I'm pretty interested in next year.

    I think there are a few public places you could hunt without a boat (mckee-beshers? - I've never tried it), though I've heard it's a sh*tshow (buddy hunted there once, had his duck torn up by someone's dogs that were running amuck, owner didn't even speak english) - it sounds like WW2 on opening day too.
     

    gtodave

    Member
    MDS Supporter
    Aug 14, 2007
    14,318
    Mt Airy
    Finally, some success!
     

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    metalman3006

    Gun Hoarder
    Sep 6, 2007
    2,305
    Church Hill, MD
    Mallards moved out an what few that were around didn't want anything to do with us. Did have a flock of geese cone in and got our two.We are going for divers tomorrow there's @ 10000 red heads by our spot
    20221230_094602.jpg
     

    BUffaloSocks

    Member
    Dec 2, 2021
    96
    Frederick Co
    Is it even remotely reasonable to try and snag some ducks without a boat and dog, anywhere in Maryland? Im not a good enough shot yet, but I'm pretty interested in next year.
    I asked that a year or so ago. Thought I would be able to find someplace local to hunt (We purchased in rural Frederick Co) but no one seems to waterfowl in my area. Everyone grabs a boat and heads to the bay. This past week a ton of geese have been working but no permission to hunt. Might need to break this rut and head up to PA like mentioned previously and find some pheasant.
     

    Derwood

    Ultimate Member
    Jun 2, 2011
    1,076
    DC area
    Tough going in St. Mary's/Lower Potomac on Friday and Saturday. The weather was not ideal, with bright sunny days and only intermittent wind. I managed to bag two buffleheads on Saturday morning, but not until like 9 and 10 am. I didn't see a single duck flying right at dawn -- not sure if that had something to do with the full moon or what.

    We saw a few flocks of canvasbacks flying, which is always exciting. We also saw some other bigger ducks -- too far to know if they were mallards or something else. We saw a few blue bills flying but all were on a mission that had nothin to do with our decoys. Naturally, this was the one day when geese gave us a good hard look, now that the season is closed for a couple weeks. I gave up on duck hunting around 2pm on Saturday and got in a tree stand for the extra gun season, but again I think the warmer temps affected deer movement, as I didn't see anything but a yearling that I didn't want to shoot. I heard a decent amount of shooting from boat rigs targeting sea ducks and whatever else out on the Potomac.

    Days like these are what make the successful days exciting! I can't get out this weekend but will be hunting the final two weekends of the season. I'm interested if anyone else can share a report. Good luck and stay safe everyone.
     

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