The 2016-2017 season will be different. Hopefully in an interesting and positive way. Hopefully, it is fun and even a bit motivational to try and log it here.
Date: 9/2 (First Outing)
My first outing of the season was something I have always enjoyed as a kid. Just taking the .22 and wondering around the woods looking for squirrels, although it is mostly just about enjoying the time alone in the woods. Was not expecting a lot of success and was not disappointed. However, it was not for lack of squirrels, but the woods I randomly picked was so thickly leave covered I never got a shot at all the squirrels I heard. Great spot, I just need to go back when the leaves are off the trees. Huge number of walnut trees that should hold them if I can get back later in the year. Great afternoon in the woods.
Date: 9/3 (Early Teal with Aunt Betty)
First off, thanks to Aunt Betty for inviting me down to hunt on Clinton Lake. Pleasure to meet you and Milo and spend a morning on the lake. I had a great time and you are a great host.
It was a beautiful morning to be on the lake. Cool for this time of year and clear skies. Betty got there especially early to be sure to claim a spot and then ran back to the ramp to pick me up when I arrived. We saw a few teal and geese, but never got any shooting.
I did end up bagging some honey. It's is delicious. I should have gotten more of the honey comb. I'm getting together with some friends this afternoon. I'm torn between sharing a little and keeping it all for myself.
We had one lone GWT hen fly by at 40 yards and I got caught bird watching. #Shouldashotit Geese flew over but they were just a little high. Probably could have knocked one or two down but am more into decoying birds kind of shooting and always have been. That or pond-jumping them. By the time the grey ducks and mallards get here my killer instincts will kick in.
Looks like the long-range forecast is saying cold mid-40 degree nights around Sept. 15. Last weekend of teal season might be better if the forecast is true.
I've heard that it's incredibly stupid to fuck around with a crazy man's head.
I'm getting settled into my new winter residence. I simply don't know how the southern hunters think about hunting when every day is in the 80's. Hunting is a fall and winter activity, what happens when you don't really have a fall and winter
I was talking yesterday with my wife about plans for the upcoming weekend and then it hit me
I planned on going scouting for hunting this weekend. Hunting, almost always on my mind up north, is not on my mind in the slightest down here yet. Part of that is I still feel like I am on vacation. Part of it was yesterday on my lunch break I grabbed a fishing rod and went fishing about 10' from my patio. Caught a decent ladyfish and had a bunch of small fish tear up my twisters.
It simply does not feel like October 26. It feels like July. It's going to be tough at first to not let the time slip away. I'll be back north in a couple weeks which is prime archery and hopefully the ducks have started to move. That should get me back into the hunting mindset if I don't freeze my ass off in the cold that I have not adjusted to.
Although, a good portion of my season would be over up there already. Down here, I've got months left and a lot more options of things to hunt than I do up north. I just need to get on the ball. Which hopefully I start doing this weekend.
It looks like we won't have that first hard frost until at least November 15. Went opening day. It sucked. The trees are still green mostly. Have a feeling it's going to change like a light-switch this year. Keep us posted and I'll give you a "you ain't missin' nothing" report from up here.
Ladyfish...does it taste like chicken?
I've heard that it's incredibly stupid to fuck around with a crazy man's head.
aunt betty wrote:Ladyfish...does it taste like chicken?
Tarpon, but a whole lot smaller. Fun to catch on light tackle, jump and carry on, but you toss them back when you are done.
I made the mistake of fishing without a leader last night. I got bit off three times, plus I lost a couple decent fish that were not ladyfish. Might have been trout which are good to eat. Went to youtube to remember how to tie a leader to my main line. A lot more toothy critters in the salt water. Now we'll see if we can get something for the frying pan.
I heard the same thing where I would have been hunting. Ducks were terrible, but geese were pretty good. Which sucks a little, since I would have had our best goose spot for opening week.
Rick wrote:Trout won't cut a line. Might have been Spanish or blues.
I wrote that poorly. I think the ones I lost, but didn't cut the line might have been trout. i got a half a look at one that I hooked on the bottom on a jig. The bite offs were near the top on pogies.
I now know the ones that bit me off were probably Spanish, but I need a heavier leader since I still had a couple bite me off. Landed one small Spanish and lost a couple others today. Those guys have some nasty choppers.
Interesting day. Without a boat at present it makes waterfowling a lot more complicated. I'm debating on getting a kayak, but for now I'm assuming no boat. I found one spot that looks promising. It would have been more promising if I had saw any ducks, but definitely worth giving a try and easily huntable and all ducks retrievable with waders. There seems like plenty of water around to hold ducks and it looks like a spot ducks should want to be. Other places were a bust. A lot more scouting to do, but at least I feel I have a place to start. The area also looked interesting for other things. Lots of squirrels. Looks promising for deer and I know there are some hogs in the area. Plus I need to check the rules on turkeys.
Even though I didn't see any ducks, I did see a bold coyote, a couple raccoons, two turkeys, and a suicidal turtle.
Oh, yeah, the suicidal turtle. Driving back this dirt road, there is a turtle on the edge of the track in danger of being run over. I stop, check him out, move him well off the road for his own good. Maybe 10 minutes later I double back, and there he is right in the middle of the track. This time I just drove around figuring if he wants to die, it's not my business. I tried.
Uh...I would recommend that you strongly reconsider doing walk-in hunting in gator-land. Have a boat and am scared to go to certain areas of south-Arkansas due to reports of large gators. Scared for the dog too. Betty no like spiders, snakes, and gators.
I've heard that it's incredibly stupid to fuck around with a crazy man's head.
aunt betty wrote:Uh...I would recommend that you strongly reconsider doing walk-in hunting in gator-land. Have a boat and am scared to go to certain areas of south-Arkansas due to reports of large gators. Scared for the dog too. Betty no like spiders, snakes, and gators.
I am considering gators. The spot I found I think is pretty safe in that regards. Then again, my last log entry could be heading out for first florida duck hunt, I'll report back later ...
It's clear shallow water and not connected to any deep water. I'll check it out more, but I think the biggest risk is the long drive there with gators having only a very marginal added risk if any, especially when it cools down. Snakes are a bigger concern to me.
SpinnerMan wrote:Oh, yeah, the suicidal turtle. Driving back this dirt road, there is a turtle on the edge of the track in danger of being run over. I stop, check him out, move him well off the road for his own good. Maybe 10 minutes later I double back, and there he is right in the middle of the track. This time I just drove around figuring if he wants to die, it's not my business. I tried.
Have seen that myself, but I'm still a sucker for helping turtles out. Almost didn't stop for this one because I could see he was already wrecked:
Turned out to be an old war wound, and I gave him a lift to a bit of turtle paradise of permanent water well insulated from highways and farm machinery and too shallow for big gators. An hour or so later a nice buck stepped into the open and got himself shot, which made me think "karma" for a moment. No such thing, of course, or I'd little doubt be a turtle living in Los Angeles.
That was the afternoon I shot the second shown on my log. Still have an "either sex" tag, but passed an easy chance at a young spike a couple days ago - just not hungry enough to take on the extra work right now, I guess.
Nice morning. Saw more ducks than I expected. A mix of mallards, wood ducks, teal, and the guys in the blind next to us got a pintail which is unusual for around here. With their 9 mojos, we had a little trouble keeping the birds interested in us, but we did get a pair in and we both shot at the drake. So who knows which of us got it, but we did put a duck on the water. One more than I was honestly expecting. We had a few other close calls where we had second thoughts on not taking the shot, but other than the woodies, I honestly don't regret not shooting. I like watching them work and letting a bird or two live for another day is fine by me.
PM Archery hunt.
After packing up in the morning, I ran into a guy that said he saw a nice buck head back into my archery area. I was on the fence about archery hunting since I had seen almost no deer on my camera that had been out for a month and half Although I had seen a fair number of coyotes which I've never got. That actually motivated more than the guy because I'm not sure I can believe him. He seems to exaggerate quite a bit. In this case, I don't think it was BS. I got out around 2PM, it gets dark around 5PM. I got all settled in and I drew my bow as I always do, just to make sure everything is in order. Damn, I can barely draw it I have some shoulder problems, but I thought my shoulder was fine. Oh well. About 4:45 I hear what sounds like a deer definitely coming my way. Out comes a beautiful buck and he stops 15 yards broadside. And I can't draw my bow. No matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't do it. The deer took his good old time leaving. I tried and tried. My shoulder hurts some right now from trying so hard. When my shoulder flares up it can be a little hard to draw my bow, but I can always draw it. I'm literally sick. I should have trail cam pictures of the deer, but I was too heartbroken to go pick them up. I'll probably grab them tomorrow. I just can't believe it. I had known for awhile that I should be thinking about getting a crossbow permit because I have arthritis in the shoulder and it has given me some problems for a few years. Guess I should have. Damn it.
Been there with a massive, drop dead gorgeous Ohio non-typical. I was young and healthy but still couldn't break the circa '70s compound over. Checked for trash in the wheels and strained some more, but just couldn't break it slowly. Finally jerked the bow over, and the buck caught it and blew out. Was some serious cold, so I guess that was it. Know I knocked 10lbs off the draw weight and never had that problem again, cold or no. But I've never seen another buck like that again, either.
Anyway, I can certainly empathize. Feel helpless just thinking about it.
No pictures of the fortunate buck which really makes me wonder how many deer I'm not getting pictures of if I didn't get him. I relocated the trail cam a bit because that really made me wonder. However, I did get a picture of the "big" buck that the guy said he saw at around 9AM.
I'd shoot him without hesitation, but that's not big
AM Duck Hunt
Really dead. We had a pair of mallards sneak in and land just at the edge of range. They finally figured out something was up and bugged out the opposite way. Didn't see a whole lot more. Pretty much just a nice day to be out on the water.
After that I went home. I was able to draw my bow when I woke up. I still dialed back the draw weight about 10 lbs, went to the range after lunch. Back in business. Went out in the evening. Bird watching was pretty good, but no deer or coyotes.
Probably should update the log, but not very interesting. Spent Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday morning staring at this. That ends my Illinois deer season for me. Today and tomorrow is part of the gun season and I don't have a permit. Sunday I'm back in Florida and I won't get back until the end of December and at that point I've never seen a single deer in this area. It's pretty much a rut hunting area that the buck cruise through like that buck I should have killed was doing or the doe are pushed trying to get away from the buck until it is time. There are a few deer in early October hitting our clover, but by late season they move out to the vast cornfields to feed at night and adjacent thickly brushed parks to bed during the day.
The most excitement was a bunny that likes to walk around behind my blind and get me excited until I realize it's just the bunny again. I may shoot him one day just out of spite.
The buck I couldn't shoot came in on the left just off camera, walked past the larger pine at 11 o'clock around past the little white birch near the right of the picture and then up a little hill and was gone. As you can see, absolutely nothing in the way that whole loop. The big pine and the white birch are both 20 - 25 yards from me.
Sounds like you're buggin out justin time to miss the weather that's fixin to bring in more of them greenheads. A week ago Thursday I took a pair of mallards in the same spot we hunted. Went yesterday to the same general area but a little more north east. (bout 150 yards up the bank) Not shit was flying but a hen wood duck landed while I was tossing the last couple things into the boat. She squeeked an took off. Another one of those days. Tomorrow will be more better. Time to run two heaters.
I've heard that it's incredibly stupid to fuck around with a crazy man's head.
aunt betty wrote:Sounds like you're buggin out justin time to miss the weather that's fixin to bring in more of them greenheads.
I know. I'm going to go all out tomorrow morning. Then I pack up the boat and water decoys for the winter. My last day hunting ducks over water in Illinois for the season. I might get some end of the central zone field hunting the last few days of the season if the weather puts huntable numbers at Braidwood when I come back up in mid December.
Very windy. Sustained winds around 20 mph from the WNW and gusts probably to 40. This is a good wind direction for the blind I was hunting, but too strong. They always want to land long when the wind is kicking like this and that was our problem. Saw quite a few ducks this morning. Still quite a few woodies around, high south bound mallards and divers, and even a decent number that wanted to play. Early we had a hen mallard decoy nice an pretty and I got her before she could think about going long. We proceeded to land 6 mallards, all landed about 20 yards out of range Two snuck through and we would have had shooting if we had been looking the right way. The others came in too high and never gave us a crack. After about 8:30 it pretty well died, but prior to that it was a fun morning. Much better than the 1 duck would indicate.
Stopped by Popeye's on the way home for lunch. Had some fine Aunt Betty's honey on the biscuit
Should have gone archery hunting Monday evening. Could have got my first bow buck and coyote all within an hour.
Location: About 1 mile SE of Braidwood Cooling Lake (Migrators - Pit 11)
Field - Completely snow covered bean field
Weather - WInd W to SW ~ 10 mph, overcast with a little snow coming in late in the day.
Started the day in Clearwater Beach, FL. Took the 5:50 AM flight to O'hare. Got home, already had the gear packed and ready, dressed for the cold and headed out. Texted a buddy, said he will join me around 1:30. Got to the field around 11 AM, dropped off my gear at the pit, parked the truck. Hussled back to the pit. Geese flying all over. Just set out my Bigfoots, full body ducks, and 2 spinners. Loaded my gun and set by the pit. Started taking decaoys from pit (each pit has about 70 bigfoot & 50 shells). Got about 20 bigfoots out of the pit.
Damn, those geese look like they are coming my way. Hop in the pit and grab my gun. 2 geese come in on a suicide run and plan to land about 15 yards from me without so much as a cluck on my call. Limit is 2 and decided I didn't want to be done with the geese so quickly, so I shoot one of them. Probably about 11:20.
Haul out another couple dozen big foots so there is enough room in the pit for 2 of us. Get in the pit and haven't even got the cover in place yet. Two geese looking interesting. A few clucks that may not have even been necessary and they are going to land in about the exact spot as the first two. Neither is wearing a band and I decided they are just too close to not shoot one. So 30 minutes from the time I arrive at the pit, I am done with my geese.
It's still duck season and I saw a lot of ducks working a field about a mile away while driving in. Spent the next 2 hours waiting from my friend watching a whole lot of geese that I could have killed. Saw 4 ducks that were far away. Probably could have killed 2 dozen geese without hardly trying. Just took some pictures and video and enjoyed the show. Thought I had a great video of a good sized flock that was going to land in the decoys until I waved them off, but I didn't hit record Did hit record when they actually swung back and I thought they might come back in until the swung wide.
Called my parents because it had been awhile. The geese were so close they could hear them on the phone many times. I had a goose that looked like it might have had some domestic goose in his past. The flight feathers on the underside were much lighter and very different than his buddies. I really wish I could have shot him. He went over about 30 yards up.
Around 1:30 Jose showed up. The geese had slowed down quite a bit, but there were still plenty of geese around. Which I was actually happy. It actually felt too easy. We had some good working birds. They made us work for it, needed a lot of calling to close the deal, but had no problem getting his 2 geese.
Saw a few flocks of ducks, but not anywhere near what was expected and nothing that showed any interest. Talked with others when we got back to the clubhouse. Most saw a lot of ducks, but they just didn't show much interest. A whole lot of geese killed by the club.
Location: About 4.5 miles SW of Braidwood Cooling Lake (Migrators - Pit 1)
Field - Completely snow covered field on the cutline with a bean field to the north and a corn field to the south
Weather - WInd N 10+ mph, light freezing rain most of the day with low cloud cover.
Pretty much a full house at the blind draw in the morning. I was hoping to get Blind 1, I thought that was probably the best chance at getting some ducks in addition to geese. I wasn't drawn until about half the blinds gone and my first choice was still available Starting off on a good note.
Jeremy and Jesse were hunting with me from the beginning. Jose planned on joining later in the day.
We got all the duck and goose decoys out by around 7:30 or so. I've only ever shot one goose before 8 down there. Usually when it is cold the birds don't fly until later, but lately they have been flying early and we were hearing geese while we were setting up.
It didn't take long after we got in the blind and a nice flock of geese around 15 if I remember right heading right over head maybe 100 yards up but showing no interest. I give them a whole lot of very excited clucking, and that gets them going. The work around a little bit giving us a lot of fun and excitement. Put a couple on the ground out in front of the blind and bring about a half dozen back around right in front. I call the shot. I look for bands on them and can't really see good enough. We each shoot just one as we had agreed to. No hurry to be done.
Jose texted and asked where we end up. I tell him. I also tell him 3 down.
See another good sized flock heading our way. Again showing no real interest. Give them the good dose of exited clucking and they work as nice as could be 1 lands behind us, one landed just a short distance to my right, I think another out front to my right. Jeremy is on the left and he doesn't have a shot, so I keep trying to work some in for him. The goose that landed just to my right realized something isn't right and bugs out. Flew about 10' above the pit. So I call the shot. I shoot the one behind us. Jesse shoots the one to my right. Jesse goose goes down, but is walking in the field. It's mate circles back and lands with it.
Jesse goes out to get his goose and the mate keeps staying in the way and then the both got up and flew away
Text Jose 4 down and we had a few ducks work us. He says that's it. I'll be down sooner. Whatever he was doing can wait.
Call in two singles and the three of us are limited out on geese. We see a fair number of ducks but no luck.
The geese just keep on coming. We got quite a show. We landed quite a few geese. Jeremy did some practicing calling to real geese. We had quite a few geese come in and land. We even had one land and hang out for the longest time. We were standing up, talking, and he just hung out not far from us on the left. Jose drove up to the pit, unloaded all his stuff. Talked to us. The goose still stayed there. Jose joked that he felt he should load his gun and shoot him out of general principles. He goes and parks his truck. When he got to about 50 yards from the blind walking back. Then the goose finally got up and bugged out.
We also had a duck decoy in while Jose was parked by the blind.
Jose got in the blind. Wasn't long until we called in another nice flock of geese and Jose popped his two. 8 geese down.
We had been seeing quite a few ducks, but none showed any interest until Jose showed. We picked up a single mallard. Then got a pair of mallards. Then we got a pretty good size flock of ducks to work. Maybe 20. About 5 landed, I thought right in front of the blind and the rest were looking good. I let them work a couple times, but was starting to get a little nervous about losing the ones on the ground. They swung back with a few in range, so I call the shot. Unfortunately, the ducks had landed far to the left next to Jeremy, but he hadn't saw them land and only saw the bigger part. We really didn't handle it well. Jeremy got one to the left. We got one out of the group in the air. And then a big black duck jumped up from the ground and all 4 of us shot it. We did get 3, but we should have gotten more. It was still a hell of a lot of fun, but we didn't make the most of it.
We saw a fair amount of ducks the rest of the day, but not a lot of interest. We could have shot a bunch of geese and even had two singles decoy in with about 5 minutes of shooting time left. Great, great, great day.
Jeremy called one in when Jesse was out of the blind.
Hunting, almost always on my mind up north, is not on my mind in the slightest down here yet. Part of that is I still feel like I am on vacation. Part of it was yesterday on my lunch break I grabbed a fishing rod and went fishing about 10' from my patio. Caught a decent ladyfish and had a bunch of small fish tear up my twisters.
Did hit record when they actually swung back and I thought they might come back in until the swung wide.
