Duck Season 2024

[ness]

On 11/25/2024 at 6:35 PM, Ryan Miloshewski said:

Did my first Kansas hunt since teal yesterday. Did not shoot a duck. Saw a few, but nothing in range. However, it was eventful.

I deer hunted KS in the morning so I got to the public marsh around 9:30. Was prepared to wait if the lot was full. Not a vehicle, which is usually a bad sign. I hauled my Invisiman, Hank's Invisilab, decoys and gun to a good spot on the south end with the south wind. Jumped up 20 or so mallards walking in. 

About 2:30 these two younger cats come walking down the levee. Mind you, this is a very small marsh. It can hunt one party on a south wind, two on a north. They get to within 150 yds of me on the levee and finally see me (was happy with my hide). Well they decide to keep going and setup within 120-yds of me. Strike one.

Then they start talking loud. I mean I could hear every word loud. Then came to cacophony of their attempts at duck calling. I mean it might be the worst I've ever heard. Whatever, no ducks were flying over anyway.

Finally a group of gadwall and mallards circle and they just blow them out with their first note. I said calmly "guys, I can call and I'll let them pick where they go." No answer. So the entire rest of the day they blow their calls and essentially ruined my hunt. They were ignorant, loud, and horrible hunters.

So shooting light end comes near and I know I wasn't going to shoot anything so I pick up my decoys and gather all my things and haul them in two trips to the levee. They yell at me to quit moving. I ignore them. It's now 10 min after shooting light and I watch a drake mallard circling. I knew they were going to do it, and they did. Of course they shot at him at 70 yds and he flew away. I said "hey you know you're supposed to stop shooting at sunset, right?" Their reply was "f**k off, go away you p***k!"

Ok, now I'm going to get petty. You ruined my hunt for 4 hours, so I am going to ruin yours. I hustle back to the lot and get their plate info and call my buddy Tanner, who just so happens to be the game warden. "Shoot, I'm 5-min down the road, I'll head there now." 

He waited for them at the lot. Tickets for shooting after legal hours, tickets for no hunting licenses, and tickets for no federal duck stamp.

I am no narc, but these guys were the absolute worst and they deserved it. I was going to let everything go and just chalk it up to younger guys not knowing any better and maybe have a parking lot conversation, but nope, they had to mouth off after ruining my day. Petty? Yes. But hopefully they never set foot on that area again, because those types of people are the one's ruining public land duck hunting for everybody. Lesson: be careful who you mouth off to in the marsh when you've been an a-hole all day. 

Anyway, this front should make things fun!

Not petty, in my opinion.

Glad you were able to get a quick response and nail the jerks. Maybe they'll follow the rules next time. There's no excuse for not having proper license and stamp or knowing the times.

But they're still inconsiderate, mouthy a-holes, which will likely continue. I hear stories about those kind quite a bit.

 

[Johnsfolly]

Clueless🤔😉

 

[Ryan Miloshewski]

3 hours ago, ness said:

Not petty, in my opinion.

Glad you were able to get a quick response and nail the jerks. Maybe they'll follow the rules next time. There's no excuse for not having proper license and stamp or knowing the times.

But they're still inconsiderate, mouthy a-holes, which will likely continue. I hear stories about those kind quite a bit.

 

You know, you are right. I'm no narc but those are the type of people who ruin public land duck hunting for everybody. Maybe now they'll think before doing what they did. Or just stay away. There are TONS of guys who go about it the right way, don't get me wrong. And those of us who despise the type of guys I ran into want them to go away. I get it, it's public land, but it's not too much to just be a decent person.

Some good examples. When I was in Iowa this year, I was dressing at the lot and met Frank, a professor. Pro tip: you will know within 30 sec of meeting somebody at a lot if they are good people. I knew Frank was. He said "well hell, we might as well hunt together instead of competing." I agreed. I had a blast. We shot ducks and laughed all morning. I have his number now and invited him to come to Missouri or Kansas should he want to. 

Teal season in Kansas met Trevor and his son Malcolm. Asked where they were going and he said well I don't know, haven't been able to scout. I had. It was his son's first duck hunt. I said well if you want to hunt together, come with me and let's get him his first duck. We have been friends ever since. Had my buddy Chris make him some calls that I am delivering on our next hunt together.

Two years ago I was in between jobs so I could hunt whenever. Got out to the marsh at 8:30. Two guys in the spot I wanted to be. I watched them shoot their limits from the lot and as they came back helped them lug their gear and full straps back to the trucks. "Wow, thanks so much for not walking in on us and setting up close. That's rare these days." They left and I went in and shot a limit, too. 

It's more good than bad, but the bad ones certainly stand out. 

[BilletHead]

 A duck here a duck or two there until this morning. Permission to hunt a really old pond. Its just a puddle now surrounded by trees compared to what it used to be. There is a small lake half mile away. Big enough it can roost many birds. You can't see what is hanging around there but in your mind you know they are there.  Ducks fly out of the lake to surrounding ponds every year. We have tried to hunt this pond last three days. Up at 4:30 each day. Rain or foggy as heck. We are don't have to be miserable so passed until this morning. Actually the sun was supposed to shine early. It did and mallards trickled in for an hour. Four each met their maker and our table. It was the outing we both needed. 

   Comfortable too. We hunker under a pin oak in chairs. View from the pond towards our sitting place,

Deepest place in the pond is crotch deep. Loaded up and ready for the ride back to the truck. Way too easy,

[Ryan Miloshewski]

Nice, Marty! Buddy out this morning said we got a ton of ducks overnight.

Since two guys quit at work, I haven't been able to go but three days since 11/17. Wish they would've quit in June. Oh well, maybe I can salvage the rest of middle zone. I don't know much in the South zone so maybe I'll just wait until KS opens back up. Not the season I envisioned, that's for sure. 

[Gavin]

Good for you Marty! We wrapped the North Zone season with 4 this morning. Then we pulled decoys and cleaned out the blind. Best season in a couple years! Now, it's time to trout fish!

[Ryan Miloshewski]

Well closed out middle zone with 6 mallards Thurs/Fri and a goose Saturday. Part of me wanted to go yesterday, but I'm getting wiser as I age. Things will lock up quite a bit for the foreseeable future outside of rivers and creeks. May have to jump down to the South Zone a few times. Still have plenty of bloodlust.

[Gavin]

I’m done. Boys in AR & LA may get some late ducks. I really could not care less about field hunting for Canada geese or snows. 

[Ryan Miloshewski]

Had the unthinkable happen this weekend. One of my best friends was chasing down a cripple in a boat and hit a stump. It threw him into the water and he didn't make it. 

Only reason I am saying this is to remind everyone who duck hunts how dangerous it can be, especially in weather like this. Things can go south fast.

He was only 28, and one of the best guys I knew. He taught me a lot about duck hunting, fly fishing, fly tying, and just about anything you can imagine as far as outdoor activities. 

Be safe, carry a knife to cut wader straps, and don't take anything for granted. 

[DADAKOTA]

Sorry to hear this Ryan.  Thoughts and prayers to you and the family.