Rick wrote:Not much fun yet, as there still were too many specks and not enough mallard hens among the ducks on the "X" this morning. Maybe tomorrow afternoon. Crew in Sweetlake did get 6 hens this morning, but Lizz having explained the process complete with phone photos while we were waiting for a shot that didn't happen, I passed on driving over to watch the transmitters actually be installed.
Something I found interesting, though, was that the corn they were intitially baiting with apparently started fermenting when conditions were warmer, and while geese eventually moved in and cleaned up, the ducks started avoiding it. To get the ducks where they needed them, they had to move the net over 60-70yds and re-bait with rice and milo. Or at least that's how I understood the goose tech, Kyle.
Rick wrote:It would seem that unless you're targeting them, it doesn't take a whole lot of specks to be too many to put through the stress of netting for just a couple of your target species.
Rick wrote:The focus of this particular netting effort is getting transmitters on a total of 20 mallard hens.
Darren wrote:No need in leaving departing specks with a stressful experience of S. La, we want them to return
Darren wrote:Hard to pass on that free meal.
SpinnerMan wrote:Darren wrote:Hard to pass on that free meal.
Free food and jewelry and all you have to do it put up with a few guys getting a little handsy. Sounds like a woman describing a date.
Rick wrote:Spent a long afternoon in the rain making my sixth, count 'em 6, in a row banding and transmittering scratch yesterday. This time over in Sweetlake. Just about the time they they were going to get netted, the birds in front of the net bugged out and others eventually followed, instead of moving over the bait.
But at nearly 69, I can finally add baiting a spot for ducks to my life's experience list. Given how spread out the birds have been in the Go-Pro and game camera stuff I've seen, I was a little surprised by how concentrated the baiting is, perhaps a 5'x10' area. Lots of other stuff in a moist soil unit and pasture swale that the birds apparently prefer to poultry (corn) chops and rice.
10/15 Mon:
Darren wrote: “Weather does appear to be shaping up properly well to our north
......hopefully”
Had coffee with Clark from Cherry Ridge this morning, and he's all fired about favorable weather patterns. But I'm afraid to even consider the possibility of what I think a "normal" first split show of big ducks, let alone bonus birds. Last first split's memory is way too fresh in mind, and I’m focusing my efforts on making due, as best I can, with little ducks.
Rick wrote:Been transcribing my log here to Word and came across this in the "2018-2019 Preseason" section:10/15 Mon:
Darren wrote: “Weather does appear to be shaping up properly well to our north
......hopefully”
Had coffee with Clark from Cherry Ridge this morning, and he's all fired about favorable weather patterns. But I'm afraid to even consider the possibility of what I think a "normal" first split show of big ducks, let alone bonus birds. Last first split's memory is way too fresh in mind, and I’m focusing my efforts on making due, as best I can, with little ducks.
Given that blue-wings ended up taking the top spot in our regular season bag, it's a good thing I did.
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