Duck Hunting Update

[duckydoty]

Since hunting with Flatbottom Boy, I have been real busy with family for Christmas and hunting ducks. Figured I would update you all on whats been happening. I got out one more morning after the hunt with Eric and managed to scrape up 5 gaddys on a solo hunt.

My wife's son and his family spent Christmas week with us. I was able to take him out duck hunting twice. That boy has got the bug bad but the Army won't allow him too many chances to get out an hunt. First day out, we were on Table Rock. We scouted from Kimberling City area all the way to the dam. Only found a few golden eye to play with and Doug got 2 shots off at some but no connection. The next morning we went down to lower Taney and managed to bust 4 ducks, down in the Cedar Point area. Doug and his family left on Thursday so a buddy of mine and I packed up the truck and headed north looking for adventure. Called Marty (Billethead) on the way up looking for ideas and ended up in the Osceola area of Truman Lake. We found lots of geese and lots of ice, but not one sign of ducks. Headed over to the Warsaw area and while driving, we started seeing duck flying over cornfields. Finally found the place we were going to spend the night and went and launched the boat for some late afternoon scouting. As we were launching the boat, we saw literally thousands of ducks flying. Got the boat launched and went out around the bend of the lake in the Tebow Islands area and saw probably 1500 ducks get up off the water. We headed directly to that spot and set out decoys. We only had 15 minutes of shooting time left and ended up getting one duck without hiding the boat, or even ourselves. My brother Dave joined in later that night to partake in the adventure. The next morning we were going to get up at 4:30 to get ready and head out. Someone set an alarm for 3 a.m. and we ended up getting up and heading out 1 1/2 hours ahead of schedule. Went to where we had left our decoys the night before and brushed up a small blind to lay down and hide in. At shooting time, we had incredible numbers of birds flying over but nothing even looking at us. Around 8:30 that all changed. The mallards started coming in and working us. Some of the groups would make 7 or 8 passes before fully committing. There were flocks of 300-400 birds at at time tornadoing down on us. The only way we could keep them interested was for all 3 of us to blow nonstop into the calls, sometimes for 10-15 minutes at a time. There were so many ducks working, we did not want to shoot until they all came in. It was absolutely crazy. We all ended up limiting out by 1 p.m with all green heads. The next morning we went back to the same spot and only hunted till 9:30 due to my budding having to be back in Branson by 1p.m. Again the morning was slow and just started to pick up as we were packing it in. We still managed 6 more green heads.

Sunday morning, Brother Dave and I headed back to Lake Taneycomo. He set up east of Rockaway Beach and I set up west of it. I was having some severe shooting problems that morning. I shot a box of shells by 8:30 and still did not have a duck on the water???? Ended up cutting my lead in half and started dropping ducks. By 9:45 I had a limit of gadwalls and Brother Dave only had one duck under his belt. He came and joined me at the spot I was hunting and by 11 he had dropped 4 more ducks for a total of 5. The ducks at Taney did not want to be talked to. I think I only quacked at them a total of 4 times.

Had some good hunts over the last 2 weeks, with family, good friends, and awesome numbers of ducks.

Solo hunt one short of a limit

Great hunt with my wife's son who I think of as my own son, Doug

The Great Adventure to Truman Lake

Hunting the bone yard on Taney with Brother Dave

[JohnP]

Great report as usual DD.

[Chief Grey Bear]

We found them on the smaller bodies of water Sunday. It was brutal due to the wind and low temps but CD scored some Red Heads.

Canada's were flying all day but the ducks were sitting tight.

[BilletHead]

Another great report Duane. Pretty neat to get calls in two days with stories from you, Birdwatcher and Feathers and fins. We all got to trade stories with each other. Twenty-six more days here in the South zone for ducks to fight ice, mud then ice again and more mud. Then deeper thicker ice and mud to the knees.

BilletHead

[duckydoty]

Its been a fun season Marty. I have really enjoyed all the reports and doing my own reporting. This forum section has really taken off in the last couple of years with some great information being shared and good friends made. I got Scott to check some things out up your way yesterday and he apparently had a good day, but I guess he talked to you already too. That Truman adventure was awesome. We just loaded the truck and headed north with no idea where we were going. We were considering Four Rivers, Talbot, Stockton, Truman, or anything else that sounded interesting. Glad I was able to fill you in on the rest of the story. Flatbottom Boy is down on Taney hunting right now. Been getting updates from him daily. Hoping he posts a report on his adventure there.

[Feathers and Fins]

There is bad things need to be done to feathered critters for certain. Also helps having good friends that keep the current reports coming very detailed and accurate.

My best so far this year came last week on the farm when I had an eaglehead try landing on my belly I wish that it could have been video taped when I grabbed his legs. I look so forward to the farm every year and hunting old school just laying in the corn rows with only decoys to cover me. Don't get me wrong layout blinds are nice but its sometimes nicer to go back to the roots when laying in a frozen field with thousands of geese are landing on you.

And to everyone if you have never hunted honkers this year is the year to do it they are everyplace, as Ducky alluded to he gave me the heads up yesterday and I went and looked and killed. Find anyplace with open water and just wait! If the water is open its because the birds are keeping it open and they will be back.

[Bird Watcher]

So, you are saying that you grabbed a blue goose out of the air with your hands?

My best so far this year came last week on the farm when I had an eaglehead try landing on my belly I wish that it could have been video taped when I grabbed his legs.

[Feathers and Fins]

Chris he was literally landing on my belly feet down. So I grabbed them, one of those moments you just go WTH I think you have seen some of the pics from the farm. When you can park a Red truck on a levee and try dropping geese in the bed it tells you how easy it is. They get no pressure at all on it and you can walk the turnback with them on either side and they don't even get nervous.

Here are a few

and my favorite

Keep in mind im just standing on a levee taking these with a crappy camera at that. Only ones who hunt it are me and my wife for geese,

[JohnP]

Great pics FnF even it was with a crappy camera.