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Author Topic: Another Webfoot Season  (Read 15069 times)

chris gadsden

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Another Webfoot Season
« on: October 08, 2011, 06:55:17 PM »

Boy the year slips by as today time to put the rod away and head to the field for some goose and duck hunting.

Selling corn this year gave me the opportunity to hunt in the last field we were getting the corn from.  The past week a good number of geese were feeding in the field so before first light I made the 10 minute walk to the field, laden down with 13 goose decoys, shells and camera.

I positioned the decoys in a V formation about 35 yards from my natural blind of corn stalks.

I watched the first glimpse of a new day as the sky brightened over Mt Cheam, Lady Peak, Mt Slesse  and the surrounding hills. I snap some pictures including with the first rays of sunlight hitting the decoys.

The sky is void of birds and no sound of geese signaling their arrival.  I snap a few more pictures and as feeling hungry as the early double double and bagel were not enough to keep the hunger pains away.

I grab a cob of corn from a stalk and chew on it. I have never done that before and it was not too bad, especially when hungry. ???

The first birds that take a look at the V formation is a flock of mallards, one tumbles out of 3 shots, I was using BB in the gun for geese so that may have been the problem.

I retrieve the drake mallard and settle into the blind, a few geese start to show but are heading to other fields.

Finally I hear more cackling, louder too, my pulse quickens as I see two formations coming from the west, there wings are cupping into the wind now coming from the east. I ready the gun. The first flock is a little too far out as they settle 20 yards or so from the decoys. The next flock is closer, but if only I was down the corn row a few yards more I would have had a great chance. I wait hoping they will swing into the decoys but I see they are going towards the first flock.

I jump up and run towards the birds as their feet have kicked out, they are a little far but in range, the gun barks three time but no geese fall ground ward. I am a bit disappointed but I hope for another chance.

My next chance however is a flock of ducks again. I am talking on the cell phone and tell Gary will be right back, the birds are right in the sun but one shot yields one hen. Nothing happens for a while except a few geese heading elsewhere.
Then a flock of 3 mallards come for a boo but appear to leave, I lose sight in the mountains green backdrop. I had pumped out the BB load and slipped in some #2. All of a sudden the birds appear to my right, in range, shot one drops a bird, I swing to the next duck a fast climbing drake , he too tumbles, one bird remaining. That drake is still in range, I give him the lead don't ask me how much as 55 years of experience kicks in and I complete the hat trick.

I find two birds easily but can not locate the third, I think it is in the corn rows, I search for 15 minutes, back and forth, back and forth. One should have a dog I know as I think back to the only hunting dog I had in my youth, my faithful dog Queenie who was a great grouse and duck dog. She was small in stature but had a nose and heart that was hard to beat.

 I then think maybe the first bird to fall was on the edge of the corn, that I had retrieved. I then look in the ploughed part of the field and sure enough there was the bird, I can now call it a hat trick. Just now the Leaf's Phil Kessell just got the hat trick too, go Leafs go.

The next birds to appear are geese that pass over in range but their silence is their savior as I see them too late, they donot decoy, most likely saw me moving around.

That was the end of the action for opening day for 2011, 5 plump corn fed mallards was most satisfying and easier to pick than geese. I had to make 2 trips to the Leaf Mobile as 15 more pounds than coming in was just too much for this old time duck hunter.

« Last Edit: October 08, 2011, 08:39:18 PM by chris gadsden »
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chris gadsden

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #1 on: October 19, 2011, 12:49:45 PM »

another nice shoot this am, picked up 8 mallards, fired about 14 shots but did get a triple on duck 5, 6 and 7. #8 came on the next shot. Had 3 shots at some geese but drew a blank. ???

chris gadsden

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #2 on: October 28, 2011, 04:02:00 PM »

another nice shoot this am, picked up 8 mallards, fired about 14 shots but did get a triple on duck 5, 6 and 7. #8 came on the next shot. Had 3 shots at some geese but drew a blank. ???
With a limit of mallards in the bag I decided to film a bit as they looked at the set, not the best as they kept seeing me move around.

At least you can hear them talking a bit over the wind noise. Sorry for the poor quality of filming.

http://youtu.be/ZDJQlIJu-zI

BwiBwi

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #3 on: October 28, 2011, 09:51:27 PM »

Look on the bright side.  May be there wasn't any shots in the shell.   ;)
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chris gadsden

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #4 on: November 01, 2011, 07:10:58 PM »

Ducks continue to fall, a mallard brace tonight on 2 shots. Two others came into the robo just as the cell phone rang. Lesson, turn off when hunting and fishing. ::)

Toprod

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #5 on: November 11, 2011, 09:54:23 AM »

They do have a quacking duck ringtone now...... ;)
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Jonny 5

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #6 on: November 27, 2011, 05:04:49 PM »

Just getting into waterfowling this year... Season started about 20 days ago, seems I am having some beginners luck.

Even got a penguin.  ;)

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chris gadsden

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #7 on: November 27, 2011, 08:42:06 PM »

Nice mallards and bufflehead.

Jonny 5

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #8 on: November 28, 2011, 08:21:58 PM »

Thanks! Definitely a great way to spend a sunday morning. Me and a buddy ended up with 7 birds (some one else scared one our way on the walk back to the car and I had some shells left).

The bufflehead, although very pretty, is not as nice tasting as the mallards... I don't think I will point a gun at one again.  :P

Oh, and there is a gadwall (or Grey duck as they call em here) in there as well, the one with a black beak. There is a 2 hen limit on mallards here in Oklahoma.
« Last Edit: November 29, 2011, 11:24:19 AM by Jonny 5 »
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islanddude

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2011, 08:16:29 PM »

Hi Chris .I read your story about missing all those "for sure" ducks in six shots.I was more of a creek hunter and pond jumper than you.When the east wind blew down the valley around Chiilliwack and most of the sloughs and ponds are frozen,it was the time to hunt the "grader mallard" as I called them.There is a creek near South Sumas Road in the Greendale area that always had open water.Early one afternoon I spotted a few mallard sunning themselves on the edge of this creek. With the sun to my back and the wind in my face, I crawl into to where they are and rise up on my knees. Your mine I thought to myself.Up comes there neck's and they flare into the wind. My Whinchester auto barks twice. Down comes two drakes one dead and one into the creek wounded. The wounded drake takes off down the creek. I am in hot pursuit, fumbling with my frozen hands to get two more rounds into my shotgun. I get a bead on this duck and just as I fire he dives under the water and disappears around a bend in the creek. I spot him again as he surfaces and fire again. Missed him. To make a story short. After a lot of running and two or three more shots I finally dispatch him. Chris don't feel to bad about missing with all those shots.
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chris gadsden

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #10 on: December 09, 2011, 06:56:27 PM »

Lots of birds working the corn fields the last few days. Went out at 2 this afternoon, scared a ton of birds out of the field and set up just a robo duck and by the end of the shooting time i had bagged 7, did not shoot well firing about 20 shells to get the 7 ducks. :-[

At the end of the shootingt time the ducks were still coming in and almost landing on me. ;D ;D

Jonny 5

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #11 on: December 11, 2011, 08:11:06 AM »

I had a nice day out yesterday... After the ponds had thawed out and ducks had settled into their routine, I found this



Which led to some very nice shooting, and a bit of missing  ;D ended the day with 3 teal, 1 pintail, 1 mallard, and a gadwall.  So much fun!



Oh, and I should mention, I did not pond bust. I set up decoys and called em in.
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chris gadsden

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #12 on: December 11, 2011, 09:10:22 AM »

I had a nice day out yesterday... After the ponds had thawed out and ducks had settled into their routine, I found this



Which led to some very nice shooting, and a bit of missing  ;D ended the day with 3 teal, 1 pintail, 1 mallard, and a gadwall.  So much fun!



Oh, and I should mention, I did not pond bust. I set up decoys and called em in.

Very good, nice photos too. Thats the best way to go, flush the birds and then set up and most of the time you will find the birds will trickle back in making for a good shoot. That way you do not scare a whole bunch of ducks by shooting them as they lift off.

I did that on my last hunt, scared a few hundred off the field and the ditches and over the next couple of hours the ducks came back every little while.

kid fisherman

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #13 on: December 11, 2011, 04:08:35 PM »

Nice shooting Jonny!

Hey Chris, are you just setting up with the robo or are you using a decoy spread too. I ask this because I am new  too this whole decoy thing and needed some info.

Thanks

Kid fisherman

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chris gadsden

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Re: Another Webfoot Season
« Reply #14 on: December 11, 2011, 05:05:08 PM »

Nice shooting Jonny!

Hey Chris, are you just setting up with the robo or are you using a decoy spread too. I ask this because I am new  too this whole decoy thing and needed some info.

Thanks

Kid fisherman

(nano from HBC)
Have just used a single robo the last few trips and has been working well.