Big Duck

[Darren]

Can't imagine any glass pirogue matching wood's stability.

Absolutely agree. I have been in a nice fiberglass Chapman and a couple others but none I can manage to stand and pole with a dog and gear without changing underwear. The next will be wood too.

Have a pair of the Chapman Cottonmouth pirogues, with the vinyl gunwales.......wouldn't have anything else for most hunting situations. I stand and pole and it slides nicely across slick bottoms, and the dog's not too bad in it. I have run a big wooden pirogue that I refinished and it was super stable BUT heavy. (below)

DSC03188.JPG

Hunting buddy had a pair of PawPaw's pirogues and they handled well, but were heavy and only stacked with themselves given they're particular design.

[MallardBay]

Curious, how far you pole that Chapman each hunt?

[Darren]

Curious, how far you pole that Chapman each hunt?

Varies greatly, could be just 50 yards, could be half a mile each way back in my public hunting days.

[MallardBay]

2nd Split Opener
Sat 12/21/19

Saw alot of ducks in the marsh the last couple afternoons while working on the blind. Had alot of early teal that we could never get on due to the low light and cloud cover. Shot our 3 pintails in the first two groups and could have shot a dozen or more all AM. Mallards never showed up as I only called the shot on two single greenheads all AM. Only ones I saw. They are around just didn't show this am. Did kill a real nice widgeon pair that floated in like only they can do. Finished the hunt when a group of 40+ GWT came in and we dropped 4. Young dog on his 3rd hunt did a fine job marking and retrieving all AM and finding one teal in the grass that my guy marked out of the 4.

3 guns

3 pintail
1 greenhead
3 greys
2 widgeon
1 spoon
1 Jack
7 GWT

[MallardBay]

Pair

[Duck Engr]

Sweet start!

[MallardBay]

Sunday 12/22/19

Slow, slow,slow

Shot our 3 pintails quickly then 3 spoons out of one flock. 6 ducks total.

Monday 12/23/19

3 guns

9 ducks

Tuesday 12/24/19

2 guns

Only had one hunter in the blind this morning + myself. Didn't see much at all moving early.
Expecting pretty dismal morning, another blind picked up and left at 8 and must have moved a few birds around. We went from 4 to 10 in a hurry killed four out of four blue wings and killed two green head mallard all within about 20 minutes. Ended up being a fine hunt 10 Birds total.

4 greenheads
1 wooduck
4 BWT
1 gadwall
___________
10 ducks

[MallardBay]

Quite AM pirogue

[MallardBay]

Pretty birds

[Deltaman]

Beautiful mess-o-birds, congrats!!!!!

[MallardBay]

12-26-19

Fog set in as we were leaving the camp. That usually means a really slow hunt or a fantastic one. Was a good omen as I pirogued in that there was a brace of speckle belly lit in the pirogue trail, lost as could be. Was almost non stop action till the 24th bird fell.

4 guns

16 GWT
1 greenhead
2 pintail
2 widgeon
2 greys
1 spoon
__________
24 ducks

[MallardBay]

Lost birds

[Duck Engr]

Heck yeah! I love a good foggy morning when it’s action packed.

[DComeaux]

What a hunt. I really miss seeing ducks live.

[Deltaman]

Love the sudden fog surprises, and it sure keeps your neck exercised! Congrats on a fine hunt!!!!

[MallardBay]

Thanks for the replies guys, glad yall have got some enjoyment out of the log.

12/27/19

3 guns

Another fantastic hunt. Probably more enjoyable today than yesterday because fog wasnt as thick so we got to see the birds work to the pond. Was done by 7:30.

15 GWT
3 greenheads

[MallardBay]

GWT be back!

[BGkirk]

I hope the green wings show up for us tomorrow


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MallardBay]

Another unbelievable flight. Was reminiscent of flights after Rita. Was done by 7 am. Sat and watched and drank a cup of coffee after we finished as teal continued to pour in.

12/28/19

3 guns

3 pintail drakes
2 mallard drakes
13 GWT
-___________
18 ducks

[MallardBay]

Foggy birds

[MallardBay]

A few of many

[MallardBay]

Last couple days have been very good flight. Some teal, some big ducks. Not alot of mallards but enough of everything else. This am was slower throughout the AM but ended up a fine hunt. With our 18 ducks including 3 nice sprigs out of one flock, a flock of 4 GWT that came and stayed and a bonus specklebelly that worked beautiful.

[Darren]

Some stellar hunts there, very nice! thanks for sharing

[MallardBay]

WED 1-1-20

3 Guns
Slower flight with just drabs of BWT and spoons. Couldnt get a big duck to think about it...circle-circle-leave. Only upside was my sports were from Virginia and hunt Atlantic flyway were they report a good hunt is 6 ducks for 4 people. They were happy with BWT and spoons, go figure.

5 BWT
5 spoons
1 jack
__________
11 ducks

[Rick]

Been a "ducks is ducks" season for most of us. Count your blessings.

[MallardBay]

Been a "ducks is ducks" season for most of us. Count your blessings.

No doubt about it, just a hard pill to swallow. As recent as last season we had many days we could pick our ducks. Spoons were always given a pass and greys got a pass most days. Not this season.

[MallardBay]

Thur 1-2-20

3 guns

Had my favorite couple in the blind this am that come down once a season. Great hunters and the nicest people you could meet. Dog always loves it too as she snuggles extra biscuits for the hound. Shooting ducks is just lagniappe.

Decent little GWT flight and we decided to not hold off spoons. Couldnt get a mallard to come within 100 yards. Did see quite a few. Maybe once sun comes out in a few days.

13 GWT
5 spoons
___________
18 ducks

[MallardBay]

FRI 1/3/2020

On and off rain kept the little ducks moving. The overcast sky kept nearly all big ducks from finishing. We did pluck 3 nice sprigs out of one flock of about 20 that dropped from way up. Mallard came as a single. Grey was shot out of flock of 10 when we needed one more to finish limit.

3 guns

11 GWT
1 greenhead
3 pintail drakes
1 jack
1 grey
1 mottle
______
18 ducks

[MallardBay]

Wet ducks

[MallardBay]

SAT 1/4/20

Was hoping the clear skies and north wind would help us work a few more big ducks. It did but it also blew out our teal flight. Should have capitalized on a few early GWT but we had a novice 11 year old holding the end pit. Still a pretty solid am. Shot everything nice and tight. 3 Specks yodeled in on young mans side. I let them clear overhead and told
them to shoot. They dropped one. Later we had a pair come in behind the blind and we dropped one.

3 guns

3 mallards
3 pintails
1 widgeon
5 teal
2 specks
___________
12 ducks and 2 geese