Since fishing is out for me I have turned to one of my old favorites; duck hunting for my outdoor thrills. I haven't been in a few years, and haven't been serious about it for about 7 years. It has been pretty fun.

Most of my old private property areas are leased up now. I have a pretty legit boat/blind set up and so I am hunting rivers and bays. I also have some new fancy friends/contacts so I am getting invited to better private spots, but it is not as fun for me as the freelance deal.

I have been impressed with the numbers of ducks these past few weeks. One thing that I have not been impressed with is my shooting. I suck really bad, I could use a lot of time on the range. It is sort of like a jump shot or a golf swing. It takes some time to get back to good.

Yesterday was my first bay hunt in probably 3 years, and guessing ranges was atrocious. I stood up to shoot at birds that were 60 yards away and then let other birds pass through the set up at 20 yards away a bunch of times.

Oh well, I have changed my hunting to be just about getting a couple of nice birds for a single meal. When I was younger I always wanted to shoot my limit, but I don't like freezing them and making jerky anymore. I like to shoot, age, brine and grill/roast all the same week.

Last week I ate an awesome meal of teal breasts and chantrelle gravy. How many of you are hunting ducks this year?

How has it been?

Good on you RR, just wishin here......didn't do South Dakota this year, so me and the dog are feeling sorry for ourselves

RR, beautiful shot. I can see why you'd like it.


c/22

Being a central fly way guy, I just can't bring myself to shoot salted ass. But have fun!

You obviously have never hunted the E. Wa. I've met parties from La and Ark getting a jump on their season. There's some fish eaters but most of my limits have been all greenheads .

The one day I headed east with the dekes I got blown off by 30+ winds. I'm thinking of coming home a few days early from Twin Falls over the Holiday break and give it another go.

Well then invite me dammit!

I wanna go.
Anyone want to do a guided Mardon trip

I went again last Sunday on a solo trip to some flooded willows.

I don't have a dog so I limit myself to shooting what I know I can find or retrieve from the boat.

I had a great hunt. Good action over the decoys and I let plenty of birds splash down in the timber where I couldn't shoot them because I couldn't get the boat to them.

I ended up with a drake teal, and 3 nice greenheads. Will eat some tonight. I could have easily shot more widgeon, and mallards if I had a dog along who would swim in the flooded timber. I missed a wood duck that landed smack dab in the middle of my spread. I don't shoot ringnecks, widgeon, or any other black and white duck because they taste bad.

I'm probably going to take the blind off the boat for a while and get after some fish these next few weeks.

Nice. Good job. You gotta get a dog.

I have always loved having dogs to hunt with, but my schedule is just not conducive to having a dog around to train and that stuff.

Funny that I posted in this thread today. I just had a farmer in here that I don't know very well, but I know his bottom land property really well (from the river anyway). We were looking at a survey he is having done, and he was telling me that his cows were stuck on an island. I know the island I have shot mallards off the edge of it plenty of times.

I told him I would run up to his property and scare the cows back over and maybe plop my decoys out in the little bay below it. He was like "Sure, anytime." So now I just have to cultivate the rest of this relationship. . . .

A flooded field and a drive up plunking spot.

Cross your fingers.