Fountain grove

[wily]

Thanks for the tips...and for stoking my imagination about the area...I'm taking my boys and trying to make a memory.

I called and got a hotel in chillicothe...probably hit 4rivers on the way up.  

 

[duckydoty]

One of my most memorable hunts was at FG.  It was the last day of the season and all the water was locked up tight except the blind we got had a 20 foot circle of open water right in front of it. Had to walk across the ice to get to blind. I was able to stay on top, but my buddy kept breaking through and it was a struggle to get back on top.  I finally had to grab all his gear and go get the decoys set up while he struggled to get back on top of the ice. After gettting everything set up and about 15 minutes before shooting time, I went back and helped him bust 3 inch ice all the way to the blind.   We had every duck in the county trying to land on that open water. Great hunt!

[slothman]

10 hours ago, duckydoty said:

One of my most memorable hunts was at FG.  It was the last day of the season and all the water was locked up tight except the blind we got had a 20 foot circle of open water right in front of it. Had to walk across the ice to get to blind. I was able to stay on top, but my buddy kept breaking through and it was a struggle to get back on top.  I finally had to grab all his gear and go get the decoys set up while he struggled to get back on top of the ice. After gettting everything set up and about 15 minutes before shooting time, I went back and helped him bust 3 inch ice all the way to the blind.   We had every duck in the county trying to land on that open water. Great hunt!

Those are the BEST days!

[Terrierman]

I've broken a lot of ice to kill ducks.  And it always seemed to be worth it.  At the very least, it never killed me.  Yet.

[jdmidwest]

Ice has always been a waste of time for me.  But further south, it seems to loose its allure.  Maybe killer up North.

I walked into a blind with a sled of dekes at a blind on Duck Creek one time by myself on a reservation in mid Dec.  Opened up a nice hole in the timber and was all ready for action.  Turkeys came thru.  A deer stumbled thru.  The sun popped out and warmed up nicely that day.

Ice that I walked thru rotted and I had to lift a leg up waist high and step out an opening all the way back out in a swamp with a load of gear.  Took several hours and I about blew a gasket getting out, but I was younger and sturdier then.

[snagged in outlet 3]

We busted ice two years ago on a late season hunt in St Charles county.  Slid the slabs under the thick ice to open the hole in front of the blind.  It was like a magnet.  It was afternoon and we had been watching the blind from the clubhouse for two hours prior whole shooting some pool.  Nothing.  Opened that hole and it was on! 

[Greenheadrocker]

A chainsaw does wonders for clearing a shootin hole.😁

[dnj21]

I drew Dec 7th at FG, will be my first trip up there also.  Need to branch out a little with Schell out of service and learn some new areas. 

[wily]

Cool...that's what I was thinking too.  we might come up and try the 8th...but its a long way to drive after work...so was planning on 4rivers on the way up...but I'd much rather have a blind.

Let me know how you do...and if you guys stick around...maybe I'll buy ya a beer or something. 

Super8 in chillicothe is cheap

[Terrierman]

Good luck to you guys.  You'll be best in a layout or boat blind that can handle shallow marsh for 4 rivers.  And a ton of decoys.