Season Log

Re: Season Log

Postby Darren » Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:49 pm

Eric, regarding spinners, the guys who hunted our field didn't use any yesterday. They said pins worked well for them, something I haven't been seeing. That could be spinners vs. no spinners, OR it could also have to do with sunshine vs. clouds since all my hunts there have been heavy clouds.

They talked to some other guys at the trucks that hunt same farm and they said that in their experience the pins don't like the spinners.
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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:02 pm

Yea I think it’s that big bright sun.


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Re: Season Log

Postby Rick » Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:47 pm

Have had sprig act like they want to hump a spinner - and quite literally watched two yankees kill their mounting sprig while I stood upright beside the pit duck call in one hand and pecker in the other. But that doesn't mean I believe either the best way to kill pintails. I'm always going to want my spinner off (and my pecker in my britches and me in the blind) when pins are close at hand.
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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Mon Jan 15, 2018 4:06 pm

Or pack your stuff: note my Saturday hunt log notes


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Re: Season Log

Postby aunt betty » Mon Jan 15, 2018 5:59 pm

johnc wrote:
Rick wrote:Have had sprig act like they want to hump a spinner - and quite literally watched two yankees kill their mounting sprig while I stood upright beside the pit duck call in one hand and pecker in the other. But that doesn't mean I believe either the best way to kill pintails. I'm always going to want my spinner off (and my pecker in my britches and me in the blind) when pins are close at hand.


If you want waterfowl to appear---urination or defecation is the way to go
My thermos has a shiny cup. If y'all knew how many times I had ducks light while I was sitting there obliviously sipping coffee with the cup out in the open on the firewall.

Then I have to spill coffee on myself to shoot two or thee ducks. It's happened so many times that I think they either smell it or are attracted by the shiny cup. There's an even more sure-fire method but it involves a lighter and ... you know. "The super duck call".
I've heard that it's incredibly stupid to fuck around with a crazy man's head.
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Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Sat Jan 20, 2018 5:44 pm

Date: Jan 20

Time: left at 1 after a decoy tidying

Location: pit blind

Cloud Cover: mostly cloudy to mostly clear and back and forth with some sprinkles

Wind Direction and Velocity: 5-10 SSE

Temperature: 40’s and warming fast

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: still snow on the ground and our pond was 3/4 frozen this morning, complete thaw by noon

Waterfowl Activity: very few ducks except for very high flights headed north on thaw, decent speck flight

Waterfowl Responsiveness: specks very good just couldn’t get the last 3 we needed in range

Hunters: me garrison shack

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): delta

Special Equipment: 2 mojos on remote, stayed off most of morning because of no duck flight

Kudos: specks came pretty

curses: no ducks

Birds By Species:
3 specks
1 shoveler

Photo Ops:
Image

Loaded up on $19.99 Columbia church shirts at Simmons after hunt Image

And some banded pants on sale Ive had my eye on....
Image

All in all a good trip



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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Tue Jan 23, 2018 6:06 pm

Date: Jan 23

Time: left at noon

Location: pit blind

Cloud Cover: clear all morning

Wind Direction and Velocity: WNW 5 to 15 mph

Temperature: mid 30’s warming up fast

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: not the exact wind I would want but a decent wind, cooler temps and sunshine...perfect conditions

Waterfowl Activity: poorest duck flight this month

Waterfowl Responsiveness: specks were spooky despite the sun and wind

Hunters: me Kevin and Greg

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s): I made a nice LONG double speck retrieve

Special Equipment: 2 mojos on remote, mostly off

Kudos: first speck was shot about to land in between us and decoys. Other 2 worked weird but gave us a good enough shot to take them.

curses: no ducks..don’t think many folks were hunting today

Birds By Species:
3 specks (1 was a very large bird but no barring)
1 green winged teal
2 gadwall

Photo Ops:
Image



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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Tue Jan 23, 2018 8:41 pm

Very fresh fried speck breast with rice and drippings gravy with cream corn from 2017 garden. Image


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Re: Season Log

Postby Rick » Wed Jan 24, 2018 5:19 am

Ericdc wrote:3 specks (1 was a very large bird but no barring)


As you may already know, if the big bird had much of a white-front behind it's bill, it was probably an adult just genetically predisposed to lack barring. After learning barring wasn't a sure sign of maturity, I started paying closer attention and was a little surprised by how many clean or nearly so breasted adults we shot.
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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Wed Jan 24, 2018 7:51 am

Right, the white front wasn’t anymore significant than normal, it was just considerably larger than the other two. I guess I should have made size more of an emphasis because I have learned over the last couple years that the barring is just genetics. All 3 yesterday were bare, but 2 were clearly young.


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Re: Season Log

Postby Darren » Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:15 am

Nice haul with the specks and the clothes! Looking nasty this weekend but I've got a green light for both days so darnit I'm going both days. Rain saturday then looks to clear for sunday, both days with good wind in different direction. We'll go see!

Also to get back to the spinners issue: have been entirely leaving them at the house last few hunts and our productivity has been good. Know that at least some of the neighbors are still running them, and also could see two blinds on another farm running them from the truck on way home last trip. Our spread is really scattered out and natural looking right now so hoping we're the refuge-looking place without all that flash that shoots at them. :lol:
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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Wed Jan 24, 2018 8:35 am

Yea I did a big decoy makeover this past Saturday. Included picking up a few sinkers and any of the lower quality filler decoys. Spread the rest of the duck spread out with lots of open holes in the spread. Left the goose decoys in a tight group because they’ve been hanging out in tight groups on the farm.


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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Sat Jan 27, 2018 3:46 pm

Date: Jan 27

Time: left at 9:40

Location: pit blind

Cloud Cover: low and heavy with on and off sprinkle

Wind Direction and Velocity: SSE 10 mph

Temperature: 50’s

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: “ducky” weather according to most...

Waterfowl Activity: fewest ducks I’ve seen in a month

Waterfowl Responsiveness: specks worked better than expected in weather, hardly touched the duck call

Hunters: just me

Guns:

Malfunctions:

Dog(s):

Special Equipment:

Kudos: didn’t get soaked and got home safe. Also pulled a 2” board from our drain pipe structure on west end of field to see if it will put the water at “just perfect” level for next year once it settles out by next Saturday for youth hunt. Will then put a small mark on structure to remember for next year. Too nervous to pull board earlier in year because we haven’t had much rain and didn’t want to take too much out.

curses: really hoped for a teal flight but I didn’t see 1 teal. Should have shot twice on 2 different single specks but was trying to see “how low” I could get them by myself. Also, regretted shooting mallard hen after realizing that would save my scratch. Would have honestly preferred to send her back to the nesting grounds...I hunt very different solo than when my guys are with me.

Birds By Species: 1 mallard hen

Photo Ops:
Would like to get the water to stop right where I have the goose decoys, bout 40-50 yards east of pit
Image

Big water to the west just want it as shallow as I can and still float decoys on east side...will know what to do next year after rookie season in new field...praying for rice too
Image


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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Sat Jan 27, 2018 4:32 pm

Simmons said it best Image


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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Sun Jan 28, 2018 8:49 pm

Date: Jan 28 last day

Time: shot last duck at 12:15 in the bright sunshine that case out about noon

Location: pit blind

Cloud Cover: low and heavy with mist to clear

Wind Direction and Velocity: N to NNE 10-15 mph or as I like to say perfect

Temperature: 50’s to 60’s

Barometer:

Moon phase:

Special Notes: my partner backed out this morning due to a bad case of acid reflux so I went solo and “did it my way” like Sinatra said

Waterfowl Activity: goose and ducks stirred good before daylight then 1 group of teal and a good snow flight. Ducks got going around 9:30 or so when clouds changed colors and it started misting. Speck and duck flight got better and better as sky got brighter

Waterfowl Responsiveness: did very little calling, ducks came on their own mostly. Maybe a little finesse work on corners to line them up

Hunters: just me. Wish my buddy would have downed some Pepto and toughed it out...he missed a good one. Including me videoing decoying mallards after I shot my last bird

Guns:

Malfunctions: costed myself a speck by forgetting I had spinner on when I had 2 coming about 20 feet off the water into the wind.

Dog(s): me

Special Equipment: 2 mojos on remote...ducks seemed to really break good on them once I put them out

Kudos: I shot well and picked out my birds

curses: nobody but God to share it with, but He’s good company

Birds By Species:
2 mallards
3 gadwall
1 green winged teal
1 speck

Photo Ops:
Image
Beautiful sun and north wind...didn’t get to enjoy it near as much as I’d liked this year
Image
Last duck of year for me and he was beautiful
Image
My birds
Image
Solo hunt selfie?



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Re: Season Log

Postby Ducaholic » Mon Jan 29, 2018 4:40 am

Very well done DC!
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Re: Season Log

Postby Rick » Mon Jan 29, 2018 5:19 am

Yep, a nice way to finish it.
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Re: Season Log

Postby Darren » Mon Jan 29, 2018 8:02 am

Great way to finish, that'll stay with you in the offseason!
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Re: Season Log

Postby Deltaman » Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:39 am

Awesome close to the season Eric, congrats :beer:
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for sure, that just ain't so"
Mark Twain
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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Mon Jan 29, 2018 9:45 am

Thanks fellas, after Saturday I was really hoping to end on a good one.


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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Sat Feb 03, 2018 5:20 pm

Date: feb 3 youth hunt part 2

Time: called it at 9:30

Location: pit blind

Cloud Cover: clear but kinda hazy early to partly sunny to clouds rolling in from south

Wind Direction and Velocity: dead calm to SE 8 mph

Temperature: 28 early which put ice in the shallow water behind pit

Barometer:

Moon phase: bright

Special Notes: my wife came to take pictures and cook breakfast, ridge came to get ace a few more retrieves, and I called the shots for Hunter

Waterfowl Activity: strong local spoon flight, saw 1 gadwall and 1 mallard, and 4 groups of teal. Specks very localized and educated. Mostly focused on ducks

Waterfowl Responsiveness: teal really good, everything else slow

Hunters: Hunter

Guns:

Malfunctions: my gold failed to load 3rd shell on a volley where a 3rd shot wouldn’t have mattered. First malfunction this season, gun is pretty dirty.

Dog(s):

Special Equipment: 2 mojos on remote

Kudos: he got to shoot at 4 groups of teal

curses: no wind

Birds By Species:
2 green winged teal

Photo Ops:

Image

Hunter and aunt Tricia

Image

The guys

Image

After wearing my extra camo for last 2 years, time for my bride to have something nice made for ladies.


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Re: Season Log

Postby Rick » Sun Feb 04, 2018 5:44 am

Glad hunter got a couple.
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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:09 pm

Rick wrote:Glad hunter got a couple.


Me too, it looked bleak early before the sun came up since it was so calm, but I’ve learned over the years that birds generally move later in the morning once we get late into the season. Hunter probably could have had a few more chances had we stayed later but ridge needed to leave and I was glad to have his help and his ranger to chauffeur decoys to the corner of field I could drive my truck to.


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Re: Season Log

Postby Rick » Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:31 pm

I'm curious how the season went for the fellows in your old blind. Was your move a worthwhile one?
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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Sun Feb 04, 2018 12:59 pm

Rick wrote:I'm curious how the season went for the fellows in your old blind. Was your move a worthwhile one?


We ended up 2 ducks short of last year. First year on this farm that mallards weren’t our top duck taken, but I was very happy with the green wings, which took top place, followed by gadwall, then mallards at 3rd. Just didn’t see a lot of mallards this year, except for a few hunts where we had a real good north wind. Big thing to remember was we lost 9 days of hunting in early January to the big freezes, which is typically a great time to be there for mallards.

As far as specks, we shot about 1/3 of the specks we did last year. We only had a couple by Christmas but started killing a few each hunt once we got into January. We had some specks earlier in the year but they did not show any interest in our big slick bean field. I finally got the water about where I wanted it for the last 2 weeks or so. I’ll know right where to have it next year. I do think we’d generally do better if we were in rice, but we did have quite a few specks using the dry bean stubble on our field and the field next to us for the last 3 weeks of the season. I would love to see that big field in rice next year, I just think it would be a really nice looking spot. I did get the bean field looking better towards the end with more stubble showing. We probably started the season with water 4” too high, but I didn’t want to pull it down since I was unfamiliar with how that field was leveled.

The old field did ok early on but struggled later in season. But they had a brand new big wide bare levee, that was real hard to hide. Next year they should do better in there with a harvested crop and vegetation on levee. They didn’t hunt much in January though. They are going to try it again next year though.

No regrets about switching. After having old blind flood about 3 times last year and the previous 2 years, it was nice not to have to worry about that this year.


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Re: Season Log

Postby Rick » Sun Feb 04, 2018 1:15 pm

If the rotation there is like ours here, beans are never more than an every-other-year crop on rice ground, so you should get your wish.
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Re: Season Log

Postby Ericdc » Sun Feb 04, 2018 1:28 pm

Rick wrote:If the rotation there is like ours here, beans are never more than an every-other-year crop on rice ground, so you should get your wish.


It’s been in beans 3 in a row haha


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