WaterfowlForum.Net

Not sure if any of you guys have ever had the opportunity to hunt these little birds but they are a lot of fun and spectacular to eat! Been seeing a lot of them lately. They are having a hard time with the crusted snow but for the most part seem to be doing good!

The first one I ever encountered was with triggers mother Teal in 2019...

The next year in 2020 Teal and I managed to kill these two...

I would love to be able to find some with Moe, I was actually going to try to take him to a few places this year on our Thanksgiving trip to South Dakota but it was canceled due to work...

That’s awesome! Did you enjoy eating them?

I usually only shoot one or two out of a group. We are allowed three a day here. I’ve been taking a lot of videos of them the last few days. Trying to get a video when they are all balled up and look like a rock. unfortunately a lot of times they do it in the middle the road when it’s dark out. I’m surprised they are not extinct.

Yes sir, I do enjoy eating them...
I do enjoy your short little YouTube videos...
The Christmas one of your crew was special, that little cheerleading squad you have is awesome!!!

5 stand wrote:Yes sir, I do enjoy eating them...
I do enjoy your short little YouTube videos...
The Christmas one of your crew was special, that little cheerleading squad you have is awesome!!!

Thank you I have been Blessed with a great crew! Kind of hate putting things on YouTube but it seems to be the easiest way to share stuff.

I understand your concern, and it's a good one...
You take care of that crew

PorkChop wrote:Trying to get a video when they are all balled up and look like a rock. unfortunately a lot of times they do it in the middle the road when it’s dark out. I’m surprised they are not extinct.

It is totally amazing how resilient those critters are up there in your country... Never would expect them to roost in the road, I would expect them to be off in the bushes somewhere. lol...

I think they are just getting the gravel but when the roads are icy they get in a real tight group. I think it helps melt through the ice.

Sometimes they do the same thing in the fields when the snow is deep

PorkChop wrote:Sometimes they do the same thing in the fields when the snow is deep

I think you nailed it..
They huddle to heat the ground enough to expose grit.
If they're eating grain then the grit is not optional.
I discovered thru my chicken thing that if you feed birds commercial food they don't need the grit.
It's life or death to them wild birds. Here the birds will hang out along the edge of the road where Salt has melted the ice.

Yup the same thing with our late season big honkers in the snow.. A lot of times when you let them land in the decoys they go to sleep almost immediately. Then when they wake up they are able to eat right where they were sleeping.

Interesting bird PC, and appreciate you sharing!

Deltaman wrote:Interesting bird PC, and appreciate you sharing!

I’ve never had the opportunity to hunt quail but guessing they are somewhat similar when they flush. These typically don’t fly that far as you can see in the video. Not sure how far quail will go after you flush them.

PorkChop wrote:I’ve never had the opportunity to hunt quail but guessing they are somewhat similar when they flush. These typically don’t fly that far as you can see in the video. Not sure how far quail will go after you flush them.

As with quail, much depends on how worried they are. Might hop, might fly out of line of sight.

Was a time when I was more upland birder than waterfowler and planned a move to ND with Huns, rather than pheasants or sharptails, primarily in mind, but then-abundant (and now nearly extinct) quail kept me down here until a little Cajun gal nailed me down.

I would say it worked out great for you! The last few years the Huns have been making a come back. I typically see 2 to 3 groups a day.

I know this isn't the place to put this but I figured you would check in here pork chop.... Don has these sandhill crane windsocks thought you might be interested and if not please disregard...
https://www.duckhuntingchat.com/threads ... ks.914688/

5 stand wrote:I know this isn't the place to put this but I figured you would check in here pork chop.... Don has these sandhill crane windsocks thought you might be interested and if not please disregard...
https://www.duckhuntingchat.com/threads ... ks.914688/

Thank you for keeping me in mind. I have gone the full body route for cranes. I know a lot of people use the wind socks with great success but I have this weird thing where I don’t like mixing Decoys. I did break that rule this fall with Snowgeese though I mixed fullbodies and sillosocks. I will spread the word that these are for sale. Lots of cranes have died over those sillosock cranes.

PorkChop wrote:I have gone the full body route for cranes.

Deceptions?

Rick wrote:

PorkChop wrote:I have gone the full body route for cranes.

Deceptions?

I have those and then when I couldn’t get them anymore I started getting SX. I hear you can get the deceptions again but supposedly they are now hard plastic and are not so good. Have not had them in hand so cannot confirm.

First generation Deceptions got my vote for best speck decoy size and postures - so, of course, they changed them. But the fellow was easy to work with about an easy paint mod I requested, and i thought their crane decoys impressive.

I prefer the look of the deceptions body especially the tail feathers over the SX. Also the original ones are a softer plastic. SX are a hard plastic. Both brands got shot this fall with no problems to the decoy so if probably doesn’t matter. The deception stakes are bulky metal and a pain in the dark especially if it’s windy and you have to hook up the bungee cord. SX stakes are fiberglass and you just drop the decoy on the stake and move on to the next one.

I can’t imagine the guys down in Oklahoma and Texas that have several hundred deceptions. Just the weight alone in the stakes has to be an issue unless they are smarter than me and have figured something else out.