Allllmost a wrap on ducking...

[Dan Sweeney]

I browse more than post on here but thought I'd throw out my 2nd year big water duck hunting experience.  I'm not sure if I am so much learning to duck hunt as learning to shoot ducks on our big, deep, not-so-fashionable waters in NWA.  That said, it's a heck of a lot of fun and the variety is nice.  

 

 

[Dan Sweeney]

Gotta wonder at some of our access points around here... 

 

Anyway, it gets done.  Found a few birds most days.  They were kinda tucked up under the seat in the above.  Those were buffleheads and a coot or two for the gumbo pot.  I've noticed one can't be too picky or you'll go a long time between meat.  

[Dan Sweeney]

Found a pretty island with some geese flying by.  This was the day before I traumatized myself by trying to return to this island in the middle of the night in a two foot tall row boat in two and a half foot waves across a mile of open water.  I had a life jacket on, but all that would have done is change the cause of death from drowning to hypothermia and make the body a little easier to find.  I wore blisters on my hands from the oars and couldn't drop them long enough to check where I was in the dark looking for the little island.  That was not a great experience and I'll never knowingly do it again. 

[Dan Sweeney]

It finally cooled off a bit.  Started seeing some more birds.  I've kind of become a fan of these Goldeneye.  

[Dan Sweeney]

I'm not a very handy photographer, but these might be my best shots of the lake.  Not a lot was to be had on these particular mornings, however. 

[Dan Sweeney]

Towards the end, the past couple of weeks, there have been a few teal and the usual mixed bag of divers around.  Most of my hunts are for an hour or hour and a half after work in the back ends of coves close to home.  It isn't magazine cover stuff, but I typically am not enamored with glossy magazines anyway, and it's a fine way to spend an evening after working all day. 

[Dan Sweeney]

That's about a wrap.  Gonna head out today and this weekend, Lord willing, but then it will be back to the bow for another month.  That ought to get us almost to the white bass run and crappie waking up.  Good times all!

[Flysmallie]

Thanks for sharing Dan. Good luck.

[JohnP]

Good stuff Dan.  Glad to hear you made it thru that ordeal.  Mother nature isn't something to mess as unfortunately a couple duck hunters found out the hard way this year :(.  I've pushed the limits in the past but no duck is worth is a life human or dawg. 

[BilletHead]

    Well done Dan,

You made the best of what you had work. Adaptations we all do in our areas. Thanks for sharing and the photos,

BilletHead