2022 thru 2023 Hunting Season

[Deltaman]

Nice dove hunts PC, and appreciate you sharing!!!!!!

[PorkChop]

Cranes open Saturday and I am about to pop with excitement!! Also youth and veteran’s weekend!! I am about to pee my pants!!!

[Duck Engr]

Like a kid on Christmas!

[PorkChop]

Exactly

[PorkChop]

My current view.
Release the cranes

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[Anotherone]

Now we’re talking! Can you use lead on cranes up there?

[PorkChop]

I believe so but we do not. Just in case ducks or geese come in. Cranes are going everywhere but here today

[PorkChop]

Well it was a typical opening day for us. Not sure what the reason is but I would say 90% of my opening days have been lackluster in my life. The cranes short stopped us big time. Looking forward to tomorrow morning though. Then we went and eased a couple thousand ducks off of a pothole and only a group of about 15 Greenwing teal came back which I got one out of that. The dog didn’t listen very well. Had to throw a rock for him to retrieve the duck. Brand new duck decoys covered in mud. Couldn’t get my tailgate open because I had so much stuff jammed in the back of the truck. And a few other stupid things that I’m sure in a couple days I will laugh at. I’m sure if we would’ve stayed at that pothole they would’ve returned but we gave it a few hours and decided to come home so we could go to Saturday night mass and not risk missing mass tomorrow morning.

Hopefully we will have more to report tomorrow! One of my daughters filmed the green wings coming in but she did not focus in on the right birds so you just hear a bunch of shooting. Plus it’s pretty blurry so I won’t waste the time uploading it to YouTube

[DComeaux]

Sounds like most of my outings...LOL!

[PorkChop]

Hahaha

[Ricky Spanish]

Had to throw a rock for him to retrieve the duck.

I guess you know what these are for then.
A duck in hand is worth 5 in the sky.

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No shame in getting the dog on line with a rock.

[PorkChop]

My wife has a tendency of doing this. At least it was only one this time!

[Rick]

God's way of punishing ground swatters.

[PorkChop]

Date: 18 Sep 2022

Time: morning

Location: ND

Cloud Cover: would have been nice but did have some light fog

Wind Direction and Velocity: westerly at maybe 2mph

Temperature: Day started off at 43° and when we left it was 66°

Moon phase: Not sure and I’m not googling it or getting off my chair to look at the calendar

Special Notes: could not find the spot we wanted to hunt in the field due to the fog. Found a spot that looked suitable and made the best of it. Due to the lack of wind we were definitely too close to the roost. First three birds came into the decoys and when we shot most of the birds got up. Some bugged out but thankfully most went down further to the west side of the roost.

Waterfowl Activity: we had no less than 40 flocks of mallards flying out of the roost heading somewhere to feed. Also maybe 150 honkers in small groups flew over the field. Wish I would’ve brought some honker Decoys.

Waterfowl Responsiveness: did not try to get a response.

Hunters: My wife Sarah, Vinny Quack and me.

Guns: SX4s for each of us

Malfunctions: my call. Wasn’t sounding right so I pulled it apart and when I touched the reed, it and the tone board fell out.

Dog(s): Reaper who is not sure what to think about cranes

Special Equipment: None that I can think of

Curses: I do not believe in curses

Kudos: The ladies both shot their first cranes and Vinny Quack shot her limit.

Birds By Species: 8 sandhill cranes

Photo Ops:

Their first crane

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Our 8 cranes

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Lagniappe:

[PorkChop]

God's way of punishing ground swatters.

Haha
If you ever look up the price of deception crane Decoys or SX crane Decoys you’ll know that there are no ground swatters in my group. Crane was a good 5 feet over the decoys. She must’ve had her head off of the gun looking at the bird.

[Duck Engr]

Love seeing the big smiles from the crew PC!

[Rick]

No cranes, but do have Deception (and DSD and early HC) specks, and someone's managed to swat some of each, regardless of cost.

[PorkChop]

I have always been anti ground pounding. I have only just recently eased up on that and that exception is only when somebody requests that I give them a plucked bird. For most of my Waterfowl Hunting years if somebody water whacked or ground pounded that would be their last hunt with me. Unless of course it was a cripple.

[Anotherone]

Nice hunt!

[DComeaux]

Good hunt!

[Deltaman]

Sweet Success!!!! Great report and pics PC

[Ricky Spanish]

The only time I couldn't swat at a pile of ducks was when Henry tried it first. Was waiting to get this big wad of teal.lined up they just about were perfect when Henry opened up.
I still dropped two but I wanted the entire flock.
Had my bead lined up an everything. Was sighting thru a hole in between two trees. Henry!!!

[PorkChop]

Thanks! Today did not have a crane fly towards us. Probably will try again on Thursday morning. Time to do some serious scouting for our waterfowl opener on Saturday

[PorkChop]

This spot has been dry the last couple years. It’s great to see it full of water again and filling up with ducks!

[Ricky Spanish]

This spot has been dry the last couple years. It’s great to see it full of water again and filling up with ducks!

Sweet! I saw the finger shadow....
You hold the lens side too.
Bad habit. I do it a lot.

Now the content: I have to drive very far to see any concentration of ducks OR go to the park and fight with the Karens.

[Deltaman]

Damn PC, that got me excited, and made me realize just how sparse our end of the flyway has become. Looking forward to your duck reports

[PorkChop]

Sweet! I saw the finger shadow....

Yupppp I definitely won’t be heading to Hollywood anytime soon!!

[PorkChop]

Damn PC, that got me excited, and made me realize just how sparse our end of the flyway has become. Looking forward to your duck reports

Hoping I can pull myself from work to get some hunting in to make some reports!!

[DComeaux]

Nice video.

I'm really looking forward to your posts as we transition into fall and winter.

[Darren]

Thanks for sharing video! Couple things:

1.) What flavor ducks we talkin mostly? early birds like Pins/Grays?

2.) Based on their "arrival" timing in the area, is that about the norm, early, late, etc.?