Feathers and Fins

The most effective call you can learn is a lone suzy quack. I use it 90% of the time and it will finish birds ducks. Geese you really need to learn to talk like a goose, I have probably 30 diffrent sounds I can make over the three species. The hail call is so over used it is hilarious yet sad at the same time. I have hunted with several Compition callers and they can get a duck to come in to save their lives yet I have seen 12 year olds only knowing how to quack finish off birds all morning long.

Nope small pond with open water, I watch it because its big enough and creek fed so it doesnt freeze. the other ponds around were and it wasnt so the birds came ot it. I just drove Prairie Creek and didnt see a thing on it.

Um Justin he just did. http://apps.washingtonpost.com/g/documents/politics/gun-violence-reduction-executive-actions/244/

Justin currently I know Wyoming, Missouri, Texas and Indiana have bills introduced to protect even high cap mags and assault rifles and im betting more states follow suit this week and next. Especially if we see Obama do a Executive Order ( that will certainly get an instant injunction placed on it on constitutionality reasons ) But the article really IMO was very well written and explained the "Assault Weapon". A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State This would tell me that gun control is in fact a matter for the STATES and that the Federal Governments job is actually to enforce the second part of the second amendment which is the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. Therefore any infringement on that right should be decided by the second part of the amendment. And that is clearly put that NO Infringement is to be made. If you read the deffinition of infringement it is clear ; encroach on somebody's rights or property: to take over land, rights, privileges, or activities that belong to somebody else, especially in a minor or gradual way To understand the word STATE it was not referring to the United States as a whole but each State as explained in the Federalist papers and each states individual constitution at the signing of the Constitution. So IMO an arguement could be made to the SCOTUS on this and probably hold enough water to get a majority to side with States rights of governing authority to overturn any executive order, but furthermor if enough States do inact laws protecting them from the federal goverment it is not out of the questions to see the States actually create a constitutional amendment strengthening the 2nd amendment.

Justin all my decoys are on long lines, I run the shore line into the blind and can literally have 10 dozen decoys jerking, I have sucked birds in before doing it and they go crazy when I do it. So movement is a big factor, many times we have had birds come in with a dog in the decoys making a retrieve.

This was on another site but I have to say its one of the best articles ive read on the subject.

John when it comes to decoys you are so right on Location, I can put out 28 dozen duck floaters 10 dozen honker floaters and there is a time and place for that ( big water competing against large rafts) but in most cases less is more, 3 dozen is my set for mornings like this with ice out on small ponds, I had my limit in 7 minutes this morning i put out 3 dozen decoys in a big ball so close they were touching. some times just 3 decoys is all i put out. What is even funnier is the spring snow goose season I see spreads of 1000's of decoys and will scale down to 2 dozen or less and outshoot the big spread, you have to do something diffrent. Early season I like the BIG SPREADS but come the CO you really have to see what the birds are doing, I have seen a big flock on the ground but they have smaller break off flocks that go to other fields and I have learned you can get many more birds being a break off flock than trying to compete with the superflock.

This is for the newcomers to waterfowling, please understand what you see on the television shows and read in magazines are designed to sell those magazines and create ratings for the networks. It might look cool and may well be what perked your interest in waterfowl hunting. As a veteran hunter I would like to take a few minutes of your time to give you some helpful hints and advise. Do Not set up within 300 yards of another group ever, first it is a safety issue and second its respect for your fellow hunter. If a groups is there first move on to that safe distance. The first person/group to a spot gets the spot. Do Not show up 30 minutes before shoot time and tell someone that’s your spot, there is no “your spot” on public land. Doing so can result in bad things happening. Do Not shoot at birds that are working another person’s spread, again this can lead to bad feelings and a bad situation. Never cut through a person’s decoy spread. Learn to call, just because you own one and can make it make noise doesn’t mean you know how to call. The best teacher is to go out to a lake or pond and listen to the birds and understand why they make a certain call so you know when it is to be used and also learn when NOT to call. Go to a range or a field and practice shooting and learn the range of your gun for a clean kill 40yrds or under is best. Never park your truck on the land where you or others are hunting at waters edge it is not normal and the birds know it. This goes for ATV as well. Learn species identification and never shoot till you are sure what it is. NEVER TRESSPASS, if it is not your land you are trespassing Show respect for nature pick up your trash and that mean your empty hulls. If any members here have additional suggestions please add in.

The mud was irratating me, Dont worry about a swap out the info is free, If I go down south I just go to the familes properties and I aint making that trip again this season.

roflmao THAT IS HILARIOUS

I got dibs on co-host

Give me Cali Squid anyday, I would hate to have to clean one that big the 3 and 4 footers were bad enough, but OOOOOOOOOOOOOH did they taste good

John thats not even my favorite picture, I have one with me in my jeans and a Blue Columbia shirt and a couple limits of geese and teal. I went out yesterday and put a limit of geese and 4 redlegs down wearing my Blue Rain Suit, Probably would have limited faster but a nice 4lb smallie latched onto my Keitech as I was drifting toward the geese and caused me a little delay. BTW he was only in 3fow and spit up a ton of shad.

John I have had more people run through my spread, set up within 100 yards, actually stop in front of my spread to ask how i was doing and if it was a good spot this year than in 30 years. NO concept of respect or how to duck hunt. Face paint and Beards galore with more Camo this and that than I own including my wifes gear. I had one guy actually tell me at the ramp early goose season no way I knew what I was doing you have to wear camo and be hidden and have 2 to 4 dozen decoys out to kill birds because thats what they do on TV and the Magazines say. He told me this as my brother and I were pulling in and he saw the guns on the deck and my brothers Lab. I just had to chuckle, he told us how they only saw a couple birds and how shy they were and it would be a tough year for guys like us untill we learned how to "properly hunt" I know my brother was wanting me to open the center compartment and start flipping the geese out so bad he could barely contain himself. I just looked at the guys talking their game and said "well maybe we do need to watch tv more and read a little more" and then went up to the top of the parking lot to clean the boats trash out and take a picture. GUESS WE NEED TO READ A FEW MORE BOOKS AND WATCH TV MORE LMFAO I think Ive worn Camo one time this year that was because I had to wear waders and they are camoed lol. Most days Im dressed just like the picture above. I think its only going to get worse as that shows popularity increases and more want to be just like them. Kinda like after the movie {River runs through it} came out and how many people wanted ot be a fly fishermen

For your need down imaging works best, no reason for sidescann if your going to be jigging under the boat. I would probably go with a model that is color, no lake insight no sidescan, that should bring it down to the price range you want. Lawrance and Hummingbird have units that will do what you want no problem.

Hey you met the Barnies that busted my hunt a couple weeks ago huh. Did they have DuckCommander crap and blow a call like it was a kazoo. I tell you the wousre thing this season is all the Duckcommander wannabies I would like to kick all the Robertsons square in the nuts.

We live in a area i call one of the best kept secrets in waterfowl hunting. We get overlooks because of Stuttgart and SE Missouri and Cheyene Bottoms in KS. What we are blessed with is COE lakes that are free, Missouri has many Public Lands with scouting can be very productive in this region, Tack on so many fields with a little asking permission, then tack on all our little creeks its an unbelievable area. But with that comes a problem of what areas to go to and when, it takes a great deal of local knowledge and contacts you can trust for information. This site is very diffrent than almost any other the members will tell you the truth and yet we are small enough that most of us have offered eachother hunts to the others. But it really takes local knowledge. Bird numbers here can be very good, nothing like the Arkansas Delta area, that said though I have been able to limit almost every day of season if the right weather patterns show up, other years it can be very tough like this year. The one thing about this are though is an insane amount of resident Honkers we could easily rival any of the well known area for geese. As for drawing people from around the country i doubt as they get keyed in on the " well known" spots aka bucket list. If they knew what a cast n blast was or how nice it is to hunt in the AM go to Taney for world class trout by noon and then Branson for shows and dinner we might just become more popular especially as a destination for a vacation for the family. Or Duck in the AM and stripers and walley on Beaver in the afternoon follwed by a trip to Crystal Bridges or a game at the UofA etc. We have the eliments to be a world class destination but SHHHHHHHH. I kinda like it the way it is lol

Nav points, they are not fishing location, AND YES there seems to be no reasoning to where they are. For an OOSER it can be a confusing lake and many get lost and have to ask for directions even with maps and lord help people in the fog on the lake. It would be nice to have Navbouys that start off #1 at blue springs and go every mile to the dam and have billboards at the mouth of major arms but i dont see that happening.

Thats the field not hard to find just follow the lines. Did see one tornado bout an F2 a little further west of it. Ya it was 7 years on my finisher so it was time.

Chris I had to go to Basspro Yesterday and if your looking for Geese. the field I was telling you about I went and checked and it is holding about 2 to 300 of the shorties and around 1 to 150ish of the longneck, Saw a few Mallards in it. Might want to go check that area as well. They were all in a field and im out of field hunts till next year my layout had an accident today.

Jeff; I have cruised around Benton County today checking ponds, the smaller shaded ponds out of the wind are freezing over but still some open water, the ones not protected are showing ice around the edges. I looked at 72 ponds and counted 2772 birds not every pond had birds of the 72 checked 43 had birds the number 1 bird was Mallards followed by Gaddies, I did see birds on other ponds that I could not get close to the larger ones had Divers on them one pond I know had at least 100 Bluebills on it and a small raft of Canvasbacks but I could count those birds os did not include that pond in my count. I also checked a couple small creeks and counted another 327 ducks on them Mallards and Gaddies again were the highest count with a few woodies on it. We have lots of birds but they are scattered on nice safe ponds, if the weather prediction temps hold true Wends morning will be a great day to be on Big Water, Open Water large ponds and most creeks and rivers. By Thursday ill bet they are pack to small ponds again. It is a typical pattern I see every year up here 3rd day of a freeze on till a thaw is highly productive.

Justin, I said it back then and I say it now, giving up freedom and rights because of criminal is stupid. Yes security did need to be tightened but when you read or see on tv people still getting on planes with knives and other items supposibly banned it makes you ask why. I have a friend that got on a plane with a kimber 45 in a pelican case in his carry-on and got off the plane with it. When he got off he was met by TSA and went through the BS but i call that to little to late he already made the flight. The people of this nation and our polticians seem to have lost their fricken minds. Getting hurt growing up was a fact, Criminals were a fact and mentally ill people were a fact. The only thing that IMO has changed is the Media Coverage thats spreads fear to every Sheep in the flock. Im not saying the media is a big evil but im saying why does a mentally disturbed person who committed a horrible crime in Conn need to affect the entire Nation? Use to be you might here about it on the evening news the night it happened and maybe a follow up late but never weeks on end. People also knew it was Isolated and really still is, not like people everyplace are running around shooting large numbers of people.

Thats simple, If a person can be charged for a double murder for killing a pregnat mother and unborn child then its murder to kill just the child as well.

We Agree!!! It is ridiculous that our politicians are thinking about more restrictions on our RIGHT because of the actions of criminals and mentally distrurbed people.

Its slow and i mean slow enough I washed the mud and feathers out of the boat and except for a mandatory hunt next weekend I doubt ill be going again to Beaver for any serious duck hunting.. Goose killing is pretty much when I feel like it I do know where they are but its more of a im bored hunt than seriously chasing them anymore. The Walters are very shallow and you better know how to contour troll and be ready to cover a lot of water 5 miles wourth of water per bite and loosing lots of gear is common. There is no rhyme nor reason to where they are right now. Stripers are near any massive bait balls but so are the whites. Give it about 3 weeks and things should get in a more predictable pattern.