SpinnerMan 2020-2021 Logs

[DComeaux]

Someone missing something they need.

[Duck Engr]

Looks like he’s on his way back from subway

[SpinnerMan]

Looks like he’s on his way back from subway

That was one of my thoughts.

Jared the coyote.

Someone missing something they need.

Now we know who's been lifting the Amazon package from people's door steps.

[SpinnerMan]

A very rare sighting around here. In additions to the specks, I saw a blue goose flying with giant Canadas. Another rare sight. I'm certain I heard a Ross. I'm pretty sure I heard some cacklers. And I saw a fair number of lesser Canadas. Definitely a good push of birds from the far north in addition to the tons of giant Canadas that couldn't all be locals.



I just love watching geese come gliding in even when I'm just on a walk with my wife.

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And I pulled my trail cam card after two nights at a new spot. I'm quite happy with what I'm seeing.

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[Rick]

Something to look forward to.

[Duck Engr]

Sweet! That’ll shoot for sure.

[DComeaux]

DAMN! That's a big mantis.

[Darren]

Nice geese and deer! Early goose over now?

[SpinnerMan]

Nice geese and deer! Early goose over now?

Yep. Early goose is Sep 1-15. The north zone season opens the 17th.

It's not unusually for us to get a big push of geese the first couple weeks of October. I went fishing at my blind last night. Geese all over the place. This is typical. But what is also typical and very frustrating is that about a week before opening day, the goose numbers just drop. Two weeks before, you think everyone is going to limit out with no effort. Then opening day comes and where did they go?

Had fun archery hunting this morning. We can also take turkey with the bow. I had a gobbler gobbling and strutting a little for a pretty good while. Ready to shoot him as soon as he stepped out in the open which he never did

I also had this squirrel "cleaning" himself for a very long time about 15' from me. He's very very very clean down there now

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[Duck Engr]

A gobblin turkey in October. How about that. I’ve heard them gobble in June and January. Everybody stresses out in the spring wondering if they’ve “quit gobbling”. They do turkey things all year long, gobbling included.

[SpinnerMan]

A gobblin turkey in October. How about that. I’ve heard they gobble in June and January. Everybody stresses out in the spring wondering if they’ve “quit gobbling”. They do turkey things all year long, gobbling included.

Yep. First time I've ever heard that. Got to watch him fan his tail and kind of strut a bit. All behind a little screen of brush that I could see through pretty good but no way I was getting an arrow through.

[SpinnerMan]

Well, he probably won't be gobbling in October any more.

He flew down and landed about 35 yards in front of me. Right behind a bunch of brush so it was easy for me to get into shooting position. He walked right towards me next to a tree that I had measured at 30 yards with my range finder. Everything looked good on the shot. Bird acted like nothing happened. Looked in my direction then turned and walked back into the brush. I probably went looking way too quick but I was really confused combined with adrenaline, don't make the best choices. About 30 yards or so from where I shot him, he flushed and flew about 50 yards before he dropped below the grass and I couldn't see him but probably landed. I hunted high and low for a long time but never found anything.

The arrow had a few very small feathers on it, no blood. It was barely in the ground so I must have hit solid bird. From what I've read, even a good hit won't necessarily have blood. Hopefully, just grazed him but I don't think so.

First time I've ever shot at a turkey in my life. Big bummer.

[Duck Engr]

Dang man! That is a bummer. I’ve never hunted one with a bow but have several friends that do and often they have to chase them down even after a good hit, simply because as you mentioned, there may not be blood, much less a blood trail.

[Rick]

During my turkey crazy years I was quite fond of observing that nothing seasons success quite like prior failure. Must have been a reason...

[SpinnerMan]

During my turkey crazy years I was quite fond of observing that nothing seasons success quite like prior failure. Must have been a reason...

My #1 priority is getting a turkey this year. No doubt this will motivate me more and make it feel that much more rewarding when I finally succeed whenever that may be.

Well that's my focus at least for the next few weeks. A really nice 10 point and an impressive 11 point on the trail cams are going to become a distraction from the turkey chase. Lots of pictures, all at night, doesn't distract. Expect that to change in a few weeks when the rut starts. I'm definitely even more motivated on the turkey chase than at the start of the season but once the hormones start overriding good sense and I get that first daylight picture of a big mature buck. That has been very well seasoned with prior failure.

I caught the teenagers starting to getting frisky the other night.

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[SpinnerMan]

Put some more seasoning on that eventual turkey success.

About a half hour after shooting time, I heard hens and young ones off to my left and right. Then I heard a short gobble up on the hill behind me. For about the next half hour or so I heard turkeys on both sides and behind me. Some pretty close. Eventually, I see two turkeys about 40-50 yards to my right in some tall grass/brush. Trying to keep an eye on them without moving. Eventually, I lost sight of them. Trying not to move but trying damned hard to find them again. About 10 minutes later, there they are, right in front of me about 30 yards. Two gobblers. One feeding and one staring at me I thought for sure I was done as long as that bird stared right at me without moving a feather while his buddy was oblivious. Finally, he puts his head down and starts feeding. I get my chance to move to shooting position. They move a hell of a lot more than a deer. Nothing like trying to hit a smaller target that doesn't stand still. Finally, he stopped. I'm pretty sure he was a little further out than I thought when I finally shot and hit low Damn it.

Still no deer in the daylight on the cameras. Won't be long before those hormones start kicking in. But got a few more nice images at night.

[Rick]

Pretty buck.

[SpinnerMan]

Pretty buck.

He's on public land and a lot of people know about him. Me and my buddy were strategizing about him today.

[Rick]

He'll be camped in some old gal's rose garden for the season.

[SpinnerMan]

He'll be camped in some old gal's rose garden for the season.

I would bet money that during daylight hours he is on the ExxonMobil property a couple hundred yards from where those pictures were taken. The only hope is that his hormones will override good sense here in a couple weeks.

My brother shot a mature bucks a few years back that was almost bedding in my mom's flower bed. My parents caught a glimpse of it sneaking in. Called my brother at work. After work he came out and shot it in his shirt and tie while my parents and his daughter watched from the living room.

[SpinnerMan]

I had a turkey fly down and land about 15 yards from me, but behind a little roll in the hill. Couldn't see him but he spent quite a while scratching around before he must have went up the hill because if he came down the hill, I would have been able to miss another one Heard a few others as well.

Having a blast with the turkeys before work.

Opening day of duck season is Saturday. Been seeing a few more ducks around and geese are everywhere. They are hitting the corn hard. I'm hunting grass/water. However, there is a consistent 5-5:30 flight that I suspect is heading back to water. My wife's supposed to head out with me in the evening. I like our odds. I hope I'm just watching after the morning hunt.

Still seeing that nice buck on the camera, but still always at night. Relocated a camera to where I think he is coming from. Unfortunately there are a lot of options for him to take so I will need a little luck but if that is where they are traveling, there is a really nice place to hang a stand and easy in and out.

I find it funny that he is still running with these young bucks. Probably a week or two away from them being unwelcome company.

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[Duck Engr]

Sounds like you’re having some action-packed hunts! You’ll connect soon!

[SpinnerMan]

Date: October 17 (Worst Opening Day Ever)

Hunters: Myself, Jesse

Time: Morning

Location: B&G Blind 22

Weather Conditions: Overcast light wind to very windy

Waterfowl Activity: A few ducks around and a few geese emphasis on few

Birds By Species: None

Our entire club, about 50 guys shot 4 Canadas (One guy got a triple) and 6 mallards

Jesse and I blew our one chance on geese. Hit two. One went to the neighbor blind to die. Don't think they actually needed to shoot it. The other flew off and went down in the jungle.

A nearby blind appeared to be shooting at ducks and geese out to about 200+ yards. Probably shot more times than the entire club and got nothing.

I ran into the one guy later and chewed him out, probably not nearly as much as he deserved.

[SpinnerMan]

Date: October 17 (Evening with wife)

Hunters: Myself, Wife

Time: Evening

Location: B&G Blind 22

Weather Conditions: Overcast and very windy

Waterfowl Activity: Relative to morning a decent number of ducks

Birds By Species: None

We saw more than expected ducks in the evening. None really did much. Saw very few geese.

I pulled all my land decoys. Would have pulled my decoys in the water but didn't feel like the hassle.

Heading off to turkey hunt right now. I'm probably done duck/goose hunting, except when my wife wants to go, until I don't know. Opening day was completely disheartening.

[Rick]

[b]I ran into the one guy later and chewed him out, probably not nearly as much as he deserved.

Never can resist asking how all that noise worked out for them.

[SpinnerMan]

[b]I ran into the one guy later and chewed him out, probably not nearly as much as he deserved.

Never can resist asking how all that noise worked out for them.

They got absolutely nothing. When I confronted the guy (I'm on the board of the club and the second for running the duck hunting so it was my job to do this), that was one thing I asked. How many did you get? He himmed and haaaed. My response was because they were way too far away.

It was literally the most ridiculous thing I have ever seen. The first 4 or 5 times, we were thinking there had to be birds we were not seeing. Nobody on God's green earth could imagine you could shoot a bird that far.

I've heard of people doing this. Always assumed it was an exaggeration. This was completely insane.

And the guy I confronted. When he was a new member, I took him along for the first time. Put two geese in our lap. Pretty as can be. He's been a complete pain in the ass ever since. When you are in a club, there are always those 2 or 3 guys, any time there is a problem, you can almost guarantee their name will come up. Yep, he's one of those guys

I need to track down the other guys he was hunting with. A lot of the time it was just one shot. I'll bet dollars to donuts, it was all him.

[SpinnerMan]

Date: October 21

Hunters: Myself

Time: Morning

Location: B&G Blind 22

Weather Conditions: Heavy overcast and light west wind

Waterfowl Activity: About 8 ducks and 10 geese

Birds By Species: None

I decided to go hunt the morning because they had got snow up in Minnesota which is where a lot of our wood ducks come from. Also had to pick up my decoys by Friday.

About 10 minutes after shooting time had a woody fly low to my right at about 25 yards. Couldn't see it because the overcast was so thick it was still practically dark. It disappeared and I thought it landed. Couldn't see anything. Then it talked. Looked harder. Still couldn't see it. It talked again. Nope, 10 minutes later still can't see it in the shadow of the far island. Finally, it got up. Even then, didn't really see much more than the ripples it made when it flushed.

I'm taking a guy and his son out for their first duck hunt Saturday. I hope we get at least a little action. There are a ton of geese in the area, but they are all roosting to the west and head west to feed in the fields or roosting north and heading north. On the drive home I looped around the west of the nearby refuge. I got to see a hell of a lot of geese on the water and flying out west. We are less than 2 miles from there and we don't hardly even seen any geese. We are 180 degrees away from the X.

Got my first deer picture in the daylight. Still can't figure out where to hunt. Not seeing anything in the daylight. Found a bunch of fresh scrapes in an area I went to check out. Saw new mature buck and a couple new immature buck on the cameras.

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[SpinnerMan]

Date: October 24 (The New Guys)

Hunters: Jason and his son Seth ( Can't include myself )

Time: Morning

Location: B&G Blind 15

Weather Conditions: Sunny, cool, light north wind

Waterfowl Activity: Lots of geese and even a few ducks

Birds By Species: None but should have been more

It was their first time duck hunting and first time hunting with me.

Had a short run to the blind, so instead of cramming everyone and everything into my little boat. I just took Seth and all the gear and dropped him in the blind and then went back for his Dad and the decoys. When I'm handing him the stuff, there are only 2 guns. I know we didn't drop anything.

So I guess for some reason Jason decided to just bring one gun for the two of them. I'm not even going to repeat his explanation because I don't get it. Seth is 16 not 10. Just being way t0o cautious, which is not a bad thing, but ... So I loaned Seth my gun.

We were a little slow getting everything set up and going. Just about to check the time and I hear a mallard hen, close. She's circling our decoys. I'm trying to talk her into landing but I don't know if it is shooting time. Jason could have shot her when she swung by at about 20 yards but I didn't let him. She lands behind us. Check the time. Damn it. It was EXACTLY shooting time.

The next blind over had a pair of geese dive in. They shot. The guys were back in the blind. I told them to get up in case we get a fly off. Just about the time Jason gets up. Her comes a low goose hauling ass. I couldn't get him on it before it was too far but he did take a crack at it about 60 yards. It passed probably 20 yards behind us.

That was the main excitement. We saw a fair number of ducks and there were quite a lot of geese that headed out pretty early. Only had one group show any serious interest on their way out to the corn.

I think everybody had a good time which is the most important thing. Not having a gun never turned out to be an issue. So next time I take new guys, I'll bring a spare gun

[Duck Engr]

Sounds like the law of averages is catching up to you from your unbelievably hot start last year. Hope things turn around!

[SpinnerMan]

Sounds like the law of averages is catching up to you from your unbelievably hot start last year. Hope things turn around!

It's getting comical. Good early season and poor rest of year. Bad early season good rest of year.

But I am not waterfowl hunting much, so that will lower numbers. Saw a turkey this morning but no shot. Somebody erased the card on one of my game cams

Haven't seen the big boy on the cams in a while. Patterns are shifting. Which should be a good thing.