SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Thu Sep 01, 2022 10:30 am

Date: September 1 (Opening Day Early Goose)

Hunters: Myself

Time: Morning

Location: B&G Blind 22

Weather Conditions: Sunny, very warm, slight south wind.

Waterfowl Activity: Maybe heard a few geese that might have been in another county. Saw a few ducks but not many.

There's a lot of geese around. Just not flying in this hot weather.

Birds By Species: None

Curses: I stepped in a hole and strained my right upper thigh muscle. Really hurts bad if I move the wrong way which is most any way I move my right leg. Hopefully it heals up quick because I am pretty much out of commission for physical activity until it does. Definitely at conflict with my plans for the holiday weekend.

Fishing: Fishing was very good. I caught 9 bass, a couple of them around 17"

Photo Ops:

First bass of the morning. Isn't it a beauty? :lol:

PXL_20220901_102708753.jpg


Casting, but I'm ready to do some blasting. :thumbsup:

PXL_20220901_110135776.jpg


I always get a kick out of the the little bass trying to eat a bait half their size.

PXL_20220901_124652726.jpg
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Anotherone » Thu Sep 01, 2022 10:34 am

At least you were able to fall back on bass today. Looks like a good morning.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby PorkChop » Thu Sep 01, 2022 10:35 am

I really miss Bass fishing!! Thank You for sharing!!
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Sat Sep 10, 2022 9:42 pm

Date: September 10

Hunters: Myself

Time: Morning

Location: B&G Blind 22

Weather Conditions: Dead calm. Mostly sun warm to hot as soon as the sun broke through.

Waterfowl Activity: Geese in all directions making noise, but almost nothing flying. Saw a few ducks.

I had a pair fly by that should have been two dead geese. Smacked the first one good. Thought he was on the way down. Swinging on the second when I saw the first catch himself. Which threw me off and I punched two holes in the sky.

Only two geese I saw.

Birds By Species: None

Curses: Hopefully I am over my injury prone part if the season. After recovering from my opening day injury. I twisted my knee while trimming shooting lanes for my tree stand and it swelled up and put me out of commission for a few more days. Thus not hunting since the first.

Fishing: Not a single bite.

Photo Ops:

Should have taken a picture of the beautiful full moon.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Tue Sep 13, 2022 10:57 am

Date: September 13

Hunters: Myself

Time: Morning

Location: B&G Blind 22

Weather Conditions: Light to moderate west wind. Mostly cloudy. A little cool for the long-sleeved t-shirt before sunrise which was nice to comfortable once the sun peaked through the clouds.

Waterfowl Activity: Geese in all directions making noise, but very little flying. Saw a fair number of ducks.

I had a flock of small ducks fly over me early in the morning. Couldn't tell if they were teal, but I'm pretty sure they were not wood ducks.

Birds By Species: DNS

Curses: I tell everybody I like hunting in September because the geese are dumb. I ran into the smart ones today.

I heard some geese getting up south of me. I suspect a fisherman kicked them up. I had a single heading straight for me. I'm asking myself if I'm going to shoot him or wait on the big bunch I can hear getting up behind him. Then another single hauls ass and catches up to him and appeared to tell him he doesn't want to go there and they swing wide behind me. Five more behind them are looking real good, but as soon as they pass the big cottonwood (that's getting cut down soon) they swing wide out in front. Then the main body of about two dozen geese stayed well behind me. I'm pretty sure some of those birds had been shot up in the blind I was in. They definitely acted like they knew the blind was there. They sat right back down in the big lake a couple hundred yards behind me and didn't get up the rest of the morning.

I saw another high pair far off in the distance and that was it for geese flying.

Fishing: 2 bass and 1 northern pike.

I made up in quality what I lacked in numbers. Biggest bass of the year at 18-19" and the biggest northern pike of my life which isn't saying much, but it was about 25".

Photo Ops:

It's not easy taking selfies with a fish in the dark. This guy took my buzzbait about 10' from me. The amount of water he moved when I hooked him, I thought he was quite a bit bigger.
PXL_20220913_105037049.jpg


Glad he was hooked perfectly because I didn't have my pliers with me :shock:
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Deltaman » Tue Sep 13, 2022 12:27 pm

At least the fish wanted to play :thumbsup:
"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: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby DComeaux » Tue Sep 13, 2022 2:15 pm

Nice fish!
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Ricky Spanish » Wed Sep 14, 2022 5:16 am

DComeaux wrote:Nice fish!

It is.
We used to catch those at Lake Kampeska near Watertown, South Dakota.
They fight.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Thu Sep 15, 2022 6:38 am

Date: September 14

Hunters: Myself and Gina

Time: Evening

Location: B&G Blind 22

Weather Conditions: Dead calm until near the end of shooting time then a stiff east wind. Sunny and hot. Exactly what you don't want for an evening hunt or so I thought.

Waterfowl Activity: Most geese I've seen in early season in a while.

Birds By Species: SHS, but DNS

Curses: I thought I had the perfect thing. Passed on a good thing and got no thing. My wife needs a better guide.

Five singles got up north of us heading our way. They grouped into a pair and a trio. They worked great. They really looked like they were going to land. The trio came by really nice and I let them go because I thought they were setting down in the decoys. We should have shot (SHS). My wife's a pretty good shot. She was ready. I just need to have confidence in her and let her shoot and not try for the perfect shot when we have a shot I would never pass on :(

We had a lot of fun. Had two just drop from the sky hook around behind the blind. As soon as they reappeared in front we were going to give 'em hell. Never appeared. My wife could see them on her side. She said they leveled out and flew on. They were with a third that never missed a beat. Guess they followed momma's lead.

About 100 yards north of us, about 5-6 coyotes just lit into something. They were raising all kinds of hell. I could even hear them splashing in the water after whatever they were after.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Deltaman » Thu Sep 15, 2022 8:42 am

Sounds like you might need to take a wounded rabbit call and rifle on your next evening hunt, for additional action!!!!!
"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: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Duck Engr » Thu Sep 15, 2022 9:03 am

Sounds like a nice outing with the ole lady. Glad to hear she likes getting out there with you.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Thu Sep 15, 2022 11:35 am

Deltaman wrote:Sounds like you might need to take a wounded rabbit call and rifle on your next evening hunt, for additional action!!!!!

I told my wife, "you want to hunt coyotes?"

I had my wood duck call in my bag. I made a pretty good squeal with that. At one point all the birds at the far end of the field flushed our direction. I don't know if we had a coyote checking us out or something else sent them flying, but I've never seen them do that before even when a car comes in.

Duck Engr wrote:Sounds like a nice outing with the ole lady. Glad to hear she likes getting out there with you.

A few times a year she'll go with me. Last evening was definitely a fun night. She doesn't really care that much about shooting more geese, but she really wants to get a duck. Let's hope I can make that happen this year.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Thu Sep 15, 2022 11:51 am

Date: September 14

Hunters: Myself

Time: Morning

Location: B&G Blind 22

Weather Conditions: Heavy fog that burned off early, then warm and sunny. No wind initially and then it couldn't make up it's mind on direction. I had east and west winds this morning.

Waterfowl Activity: Saw a decent number of geese, a fair number of wood ducks, and my first swans of the year.

Birds By Species: DNS

All the geese had their routes and no detours and no unscheduled stops. I had one pair fly dead straight by from a long ways out passed by at about 80 yards and maybe 20 yards off the water and never skipped a wing beat. About time to wrap it up I see 3 coming right at me. No calling, no nothing. I'm just going to shoot these low fliers heading right at me. They start closing the gap. Something seems not quite right. "Oh damn it, where's my camera." They were the very big, very long-necked white variety and they frown upon shooting them.

Curses: There weren't a lot of mosquitos, but the ones there were, were determined to feed. Plus they must have put some extra itching powder on. One bit me on the back of the hand and it itched like hell all morning. Same with one on my elbow and back. Got bit more this morning than all days combined.

Fishing: 2 small bass, but I spent most of my fishing time shooting the breeze with another hunter at the sign in shack. His son that looked to be about 10 has gotten 2 geese this year :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Photo Ops:

The hen woodie didn't want to stick around for her photo. I had another hen woodie fly by me just as I was about to call it quits fishing. I probably could have poked her with the end of my fishing rod.

PXL_20220915_122749394.jpg


I knew I was going to shoot these guys. Just didn't expect it to be with the camera.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Rick » Thu Sep 15, 2022 1:02 pm

Greater-necked snow geese.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Thu Sep 15, 2022 8:56 pm

[quote="SpinnerMan"]Date: September 15

Hunters: Myself and Gina

Time: Evening

Location: B&G Blind 22

Weather Conditions: Warm and sunny. Decent south wind.

Waterfowl Activity: Very little. Saw 2 singles far off. Not even sure one was actually a goose. A few wood ducks. Would have been golden if it was Robin season.

Birds By Species: DNS

Curses: Just a disappointing way to end the season.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Duck Engr » Thu Sep 15, 2022 10:08 pm

You’re still paying for that unbelievable early season you had a few years back.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Rick » Fri Sep 16, 2022 3:26 am

Was thinking maybe you'd been leaving your lucky charm at the house, but see she's been along some, too.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Fri Sep 16, 2022 9:44 am

Duck Engr wrote:You’re still paying for that unbelievable early season you had a few years back.

No. Early goose is typically feast or famine. About half the time I get 0. About half the time that I do get geese, it's usually a pretty good number. I got 10 and 11, the year before and after my big September. The back to back 0's is just how September goes. Most 0's are absolutely dead. This year was fun. Should not have been a zero, but that was my fault and not because we didn't see some geese.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Ricky Spanish » Sat Sep 17, 2022 5:20 am

We got shafted by the guy with the momarsh Bitty boat.
He shot the roost two days and it's over.
We hates him.
Gollum
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Fri Oct 21, 2022 4:36 pm

A true bummer of a morning archery hunting. I thought I made a good enough shot on this guy. Apparently not. My buddy and I spent about 5 hours looking for it. We would find a few drops of blood and then nothing. Then run across a few more drops.

You can see my blind in the background. I am going to shoot him about 15 yards from where he is at.

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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby 5 stand » Fri Oct 21, 2022 5:04 pm

My goodness spinner that's too bad... I know you been looking forward to shooting one like that for a long time...
I wish I was closer, I'd like to give Trigger a try at finding him...
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Ricky Spanish » Fri Oct 21, 2022 5:13 pm

I've always been super lucky on deer.
They run 35 yards and fall down dead.
Sorry Ed.
Been saving this one...


" I got one and he's got antlers like this"...pow.
Gets me every time. :lol:
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Sat Oct 22, 2022 5:46 pm

Date: October 22 (Opening Day)

Hunters: Jesse & Myself

Time: Morning

Location: B&G Blind 3

Weather Conditions: Sunny, very warm, south wind.

Waterfowl Activity: Consistent mallard, wood duck, and goose activity. Good for us.

I've seen the geese flying before shooting time while archery hunting. And they flew early today. We had 3 land in the decoys about 5 minutes before shooting time. Never had to watch the clock for geese before. A couple times they pecked the duck decoys. Everytime a decoy went "bong" I thought they would jump :lol: When the clock struck shooting time we got all three.

We only managed two wood ducks. Saw quite a few and we missed a couple times when they buzzed us. We had working mallards a number of times and couldn't close the deal. One drake we should not have given him one more pass. A fun morning after a couple really bad years.

Birds By Species: 3 Canada geese and 2 wood ducks.

Curses: Birds that didn't want to die. Many an extra shell burned and one whack with an oar and I still got flopped by a goose.

Photo Ops:

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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Duck Engr » Sat Oct 22, 2022 8:02 pm

Good start! Glad you’re getting some duck action.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Ricky Spanish » Sun Oct 23, 2022 4:02 am

Did you catch any ducks?
:lol:
Cracks me up when the fishermen get chatty and start asking questions. :lol:
I humor them. Then they tell me how all the thousands of mallards are in the "no go zone".
They ain't dummies.
Get anywhere near the reactor and actual troops show up with guns I've heard.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby SpinnerMan » Sun Oct 23, 2022 11:52 am

Date: October 23

Hunters: Jesse & Myself

Time: Morning

Location: B&G Blind 3

Weather Conditions: Sunny, very warm, south wind.

Waterfowl Activity: Some early morning wood duck buzzings, a few mallards and decent number of geese.

After shooting the first legal birds in the state of Illinois yesterday we weren't so fortunate. The geese still flew early and of and on until mid morning, but not interested in water. Had we been looking the right way, we could have shot at a fair number of wood ducks. I caught one out of the corner of my eye coming in hot. I was going to let him land, but as soon as he increased altitude an inch I knew it was now or never and made a nice shot on a full speed wood duck. We had another do the same, but landed. I told Jesse it was his and before he could even get the gun up it was in the air. He shot behind it as did I.

For where I hunt, I would be happy if every day was like this.

Birds By Species: 1wood duck.

Curses: none

Photo Ops:

I had a mouse hitching a ride in the boat. He decided to abandon ship when I got too close. Would have been a cute video of him swimming to shore but was too slow.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Ricky Spanish » Sun Oct 23, 2022 12:03 pm

It's very rare to have any time to think about wood duck shots. I've shot a lot in Arkansas. If they slow down at all they're still going fast.
It's always dim light so once they get with brush behind them it's very tough to see. I shoot where I think they'll be and get lucky like popping a bunny that hopped into a bush. When missing console yourself because you scared the daylights out of em.
Water swat them if u can
:lol:
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby DComeaux » Sun Oct 23, 2022 8:36 pm

Always a good day when you see birds.
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Rick » Mon Oct 24, 2022 3:37 am

Are you trying to call the woodies?
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Re: SpinnerMan 2022-2023 Log

Postby Anotherone » Mon Oct 24, 2022 6:17 am

What I’ve learned over the years about wood ducks:

If you see them, grab your gun not your call.
When you think you’re leading too much, lead even more.
#4 steel through an improved cylinder or more open choke is your friend.
They are a very humbling duck to pursue.
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