Days of gray mud

[Baysider]

We hit the seaside Friday launching from a spot in the woods and paddled my canoe out a small canal to the bay. The tide was really high and it was tough to find a spot in the marsh to hide in. We finally got set up and then the fog rolled in. No morning flight to speak of but once the fog burned off a few birds moved. I managed a few fish eaters. Buffie and a hen hoodie. On the walk to get the buffie a marsh hen jumped and he joined the pile. We sat on the bay watching the brant fly just out of range and raft up in the middle. We decided since it was low tide and the bay was only 1-2ft deep and calm that we would lay in the canoe and drift/pole down on them. We made the 1/4 mile drift and got within range. I turned the boat side to so that we could both shoot but an oyster rock didnt let it swing far enough for me to shoot. I finally got a shot as the flock came back around and dropped one. We made the long paddle back and this baysider wasnt thrilled to see the 100yds drag we had in that mud with all the gear and canoe.
Here it is, the nastiest seaside bag one could imagine.

photo.JPG

Saturday we hunted on the Chesapeake and managed a few more birds. My brother and guest were knocking down some mallards on their side of the blind when another pair came in on my side. I quickly realized they were a pair of sprigs. I dropped the pair but the drake sailed to the other side of the waterway and into the marsh. We looked for an hour and never found him. After that I missed a teal and dropped a hen hoodie and the birds stopped moving.

hen sprig.JPG

[assateague]

The tide was insanely high on Thursday, as well. Couldn't believe how far out in the water my blind was, which is normally about 10 yards onto shore.

[Baysider]

I know we would have had a better chance at some more edible birds if the tide hadnt been so high. When they did fly we were 500yds from the spot we wanted to hunt on higher ground. Thats ok though. My duck boat is about done.

[assateague]

I actually like Brant.

[obxbufflehead]

So I guess you can eat them? We killed our first 2 this past weekend. First 2 we've ever seen anywhere near the blind.

[assateague]

I breast them and soak in buttermilk for about 10 hours (or overnight if you want), then slice them thin, bread them, and fry them, like chicken fingers. Pretty tasty. I'll occasionally do buffies the same way, but usually I soak those in buttermilk, them mix the breasts with apple slices, raisins, salt, and cinnamon, and roast in the oven.

[Baysider]

To me a brant can be better or worse depending on what its eating. Ive had some that were close to the taste of a mallard and others made me sick just to pluck the feathers. This one was pretty good but it took some buttermilk and bacon. They are a lot of fun to hunt.