A waterfowl update.

[BilletHead]

          A quick update on some hunts,

 A hunt by the BilletHead solo at the duck park netted three. Quite a few birds that day but with many hunters that day when you got birds working others had birds working too. So first party to shoot flared birds off others. No complaints it is what it is on public ground,    Another day Mrs. BilletHead and I were able to get back away from others on another duck park hunt. A very tight hole. Tight enough we used Improved cylinder chokes and #4s. We took out four mallards. Feet down hovering in our faces. Every hunt that is our goal to decoy the birds by letting them work so that was a success in our book,   Then of course there were hunts where we did not pull a trigger. 

 Last weekend hunted a small pond where geese had been crossing between to large ponds. Got two to look and set in. This netted us two canadas. Friday went with a friend again to the duck park. Birds wanted to land wide out of decoys. Seen many birds and all we got was two. 

    Which brings us to today. Scouted yesterday and found more Canada geese. Quite a few as a matter of a fact. So a plan was made and we went out. No hurry up at five Am took our time with breakfast and loading up. Fescue field with a pond. Actually set up in the light. Put out a dozen floaters and six full bodies in a wad behind us. I like to hunt this pond but do not like to wade it. Cattle has the banks and mud worked up bad. You will sink up to your knees so I refuse to step out where I cannot touch the bank. Long lines on the floaters let me drop the weights in a foot of water but decoys will go out from the bank nicely. Add the 30 Mph gusts from out backsides the decoys moved great. To keep the bigfoots from toppling over pinned them to the ground. I bet we seen 200 plus canadas. Some high ones going to places they wanted to be,   We decoyed two large groups and took out five. Then they quit flying. Should we have got one more bird? Yes for sure.   We tried to shoot them in the face and after prepping for pulling skin to render for fat and filleting off meat it was evident only one took a hit to the body.   Today was a great day. The best hunting buddy I could ask for with me

BilletHead

[wily]

That's exactly what happened with us...birds would start working...someone would shoot at a different group...and ours would lose interest.

You guys did great tho...good job hiding...I had to triple take to see

[BilletHead]

14 minutes ago, wily said:

That's exactly what happened with us...birds would start working...someone would shoot at a different group...and ours would lose interest.

You guys did great tho...good job hiding...I had to triple take to see

          Yep sometimes hard to get that perfect shot in areas where other hunters are close. I bet we have done the same to others when we get a shot. 

  We have learned to hide in even short fescue and it can be done. Cover the layouts well. Push the blinds close together and fill in the gap between then mound on sides. 

Billethead

[jdmidwest]

People still shoot at ducks?

That last surgery tweaked a nerve that runs thru the face of my right shoulder.  I caught myself flinching the other day at the range on just a mild 300 AAC round at 100 yards.  Lighter rounds still grouping fine.  Still not ready for multiple rounds of 12 ga to that yet, sit this year out again. 

If it persists, I may find a surgeon to remove that nerve.  I have grandkids that need to learn the sport.

Meanwhile, I live the hunt thru others reports.  And I heard this year, like the last 3, is still pretty lame.  My comeback tour will be on a hot year.

[Johnsfolly]

Marty congrats on your hunts. Did you have the layouts setup before today?

[BilletHead]

42 minutes ago, jdmidwest said:

  My comeback tour will be on a hot year.

          We will be ready to hear the stories you will have for us JD.

6 minutes ago, Johnsfolly said:

Marty congrats on your hunts. Did you have the layouts setup before today?

          Thanks John,

            Nope just took them in this morning. From above they cannot see them even though geese are pretty smart picking up anomalies. No sun, no shadows from sides of the blinds. The birds that locked in did from a long ways off. Doing didoes flipping almost upside down in excitement. It was a hoot!

   BilletHead

[Johnsfolly]

They sure look like a mound of grass. Folks in MD like to set up semi-permanent blinds. Most of the time they are right in the middle of the field. Even the corn fields get leveled out after harvest so thatthere isn't much standing stubble.