12-12-15

Very warm and muggy this morning. Felt like an early teal hunt. It was 71 degrees on the truck mirror and ran the a/c on the commute. Had a good chance of rain but didn't get anything but a little sprinkle while picking up the decoys and some more sprinkles when almost to the house later. Nothing moving around early. Heard some widgeons whistling but never saw them. A few minutes before legal had three puddle ducks come in only to jump and leave immediately. Shooting time came around and it was like someone flicked a switch. Quite a few birds moving around. Had several birds land on the water. They were scattered about with nothing close enough to shoot. Two minutes into it and a gadwall gets shot to the left. More birds circle and some land as one of the dogs is getting the bird. I step out of blind to spook the birds off. Eleven minutes in and a pair a gadwalls come in and one stays. Thirteen minutes later two more gaddies come in and another stays. Almost immediately a bufflehead hen lands in the decoys. GF shoots and it jumps and I get a piece of it when it goes to the left. Thing is still alive. While giving that bird a few minutes a small flock of gadwalls come in. All three get taken out. A couple minutes later three spoonies circle in and one crashes into a field to the left. I get out of the blind to see about the bufflehead and the bird jumps and flies right at me. It ends up doing a few cartwheels through the decoy spread. The dogs are sent to clean up all the birds. A little more than half an hour goes by with several groups of birds moving in the area but nothing wanting to play. At about 8:00 five spoonies come in from the front and one gets dropped as the others get whiffed on. Several more flocks move through. Thirteen minutes later a single redhead crashes into the decoys and gets swatted. More birds hop from hole to hole. About thirty minutes later a lone widgeon goes by high at a pretty good clip. Some sweet talking turns him around and he gets dropped to the left. A few minutes later the wardens drive by and light us up and call to bs for a bit. Ten minutes later three come high from the front right and get talked into swinging by the decoys but the GF hesitates and no shots were taken. At 9:08 two teal come in from the front and sit down. One gets taken out to finish up.

Whipple picking up a few birds...







This was not amusing...



Paxton with a spoonie...



Whipple with a redhead...



Paxton picking up a widgeon...



Wardens driving by...



Paxton with a teal...



The birds...

Great pics as always. Love those dogs! Keep em coming.

12-14-15

Rained the day before. Running water and muck all over the place. Weather pushed a lot of birds out of the area. Clear and calm with some wind later in the morning. Twelve minutes before legal hear some widgeons overhead but never see them. Two minutes later two birds land in the middle. A few minutes later I spook them up. Then notice another in the middle. I go to spook that one up but it wasn't having any of it. Just before shooting time the bird flies over and sits down to the left of the decoys and swims in. Shooting time comes and do not see a thing flying around. While watching the coot, a gadwall somehow lands in the middle undetected. They mingle for a bit before flying off. It's now four minutes in and finally hear some birds fly over but never see them. Two minutes later a pair of gaddies land in the middle. Beaucoup blackbirds flying through. Twenty-five minutes go by and the gadwalls decide to exit stage left. It is now 7:22 and notice a small flock traveling high out front and moving to the right. Call them over and they come into the decoys to the left. Two of the five gadwalls get taken out. Have a few groups moving around as the wind starts to pick up a little while waiting for some action. Just before 8:00 some cranes fly through. Five minutes later a pair of buffleheads come in from the right and get taken out. Twenty minutes later a big flock of dove buzzes over. The next half hour is filled with various small groups of birds moving around but nothing interested. About 9:00 a pair of gaddies swoop over out of range and head back the direction they came. Five minutes later a group of four come over with a single behind them. They circle and two land in the middle while the other two go back to the right. No clue where the single went. Thirty minutes later while watching the gadwalls feeding on the water a lone canvasback drops into the decoys. It gets shot. The gadwalls jump and leave to the left only to come back a few minutes later but still out of range. They finally leave for good when picking up the can. Nothing else flying around so call it a day. While loading up a hawk took a blackbird out of a flock about five feet from the truck.

Whipple with a gadwall...



Paxton bringing in a gadwall...



Some cranes flying over...



Paxton picking up a bufflehead hen...





Whipple with the drake...





Paxton picking up a canvasback...



This guy buzzed by...



The birds...

12-17-15

Water level has gone down some. Had steam coming off the water. Clear, crisp and calm this morning. Would get some very light wind later in the morning. Had some birds landing in the water as decoys were still being put out. Birds would continue to trickle in for the next fifteen minutes up until legal shooting time. Problem was most of them were out of range. A gadwall drake gets dropped right at legal shooting time. Three minutes later a single spoonie would drop in out of range. It made it's way close enough to shoot about four minutes later. Several small flocks moving around the area but most were skittish. Had a two pair of gadwalls land out of range in two different spots and spend some time feeding before flying off. Had a couple of opportunities for shots that were not taken. Had two spoonies crash in from behind the blind about fifty minutes after shooting the last bird. They were promptly shot. The rest of the hunt consisted of more skittish birds flying over and giving a look only to fly off. Some geese would fly over as well.

Whipple bringing in a gadwall...



Whipple heading out for a spoonie...



Whipple with the bird...



This pair hung around just out of range for a while...



Whipple heading out to pick up some birds...



Whipple with the first bird...





Whipple with the second bird...



Some geese flying over...



The birds...

12-19-15

Clear and crisp this morning with a decent wind. Some frost on the ground. Had quite a few ducks come and go while setting up. Had some early shooters in the area. Legal shooting time comes around and a couple more ducks join some others in the middle that never left from earlier. I spook them off the water as a single circles overhead. A lone coot never leaves. About a half hour later a single teal comes in from the front and lands out of range to the left of the decoys. We have a conversation for a bit until she is finally coaxed close enough to swat. Twelve minutes later a flock of redheads drop from the heavens and circle over the decoys. They turn back and crash in. We take out our four and the others bug out. Several more flocks moving around. Some giving us looks with a couple landing in the middle but most not that interested. Some geese flew over. Four caracaras were hanging around the area with one even swooping down at the decoys. Had three dove try to land on the blind. Ended up having to wait a little over an hour for the next birds. Four spoonies come in from the front right and all get taken out. Another half hour goes by and four gadwalls circle and come in. Three get taken out to wrap up the hunt. When the dogs were picking up the last birds they spooked up the coot that was still on the water and it flies off and crashes into a tree line. Swapped out gear for a quick dove hunt before heading to a Christmas party.

Whipple heading out to pick up a couple of redheads...



Whipple with one of the birds...



Paxton heading out to pick up the other two...



Paxton with one of the birds...



Paxton picking up the other bird...





Some ducks flying over...

Caracaras...





Paxton with a spoonie...



Whipple with a spoonie...



Paxton with another...



The girls with a couple of gadwalls...



The gf picking up...



The ducks...



The ducks with the dove...

12-22-15

Thick fog this morning, which would hang around for quite a while. Visibility was maybe five foot in front of the truck on the way. Planned to hunt out of a layout but could not find the water's edge. Decided to just hunt out of the big blind and even had trouble finding it. It was calm and hot with some light wind cooling it off a little later. Heard some widgeons before even getting to the spot. Could hear some ducks four minutes after legal but never saw them. Eighteen minutes in a lone bird swims to the decoys from the right. Turns out to be a grebe. Four minutes later a gadwall lands in the middle of the water and jumps and flies away shortly after. About fifteen minutes later a flock of widgeons could barely be made out flying high over the blind. A light wind comes in ten minutes later. Another twelve minutes go by and a single gadwall lands in the middle and swims the opposite directions. It is now about 9:35 and the sun finally breaks out and starts to burn off the soup. Fifteen minutes later a single gadwall comes gliding in from quite a ways out and talking the whole time. First bird down. Three minutes later another vocal gadwall circles to the right and goes down elsewhere. Another twenty minutes goes by and a pair of gadwalls come in from the left and land in the middle out of range. Not a minute later another gadwall comes in from out of nowhere and sits down to the left. It gets swatted. The two gadwalls that were in the middle fly off to the right. Four minutes later a lone diver buzzes by from right to left and goes behind the blind. See a group of six hightailing it off to the right four minutes later. A half hour goes by and a pair ringers sail in and get taken out. Twenty six minutes later a trio of gadwalls circle. One lands to the left as the other two continue to circle. The hen on the water calls them down and they land on the other side of her just out of range. Shot the hen that was in range and end up having to shoot her again when she jumps. Took a shot at one of the other birds as they bugged out to the right but missed. They would circle high for what seemed like forever before disappearing. About forty minutes later a flock of five gadwalls come over high from the right and split up. Four end up going off into the distance in front of the blind and one going behind the blind never to be seen again.

The soup...



Everything was dripping wet...





Whipple picking up a gadwall...

This guy entertained me throughout the duration of the fog...



Whipple with another gadwall...



Whipple picking up a couple of ringers...







Whipple with another gadwall...



The birds...



The ducks with the dove that were taken afterward...

Great stuff. Thanks for taking us with you on the hunt.

12-24-15

Huge moon upon arrival that would set while setting up. Clear, hot and calm with some sporadic light winds later. Heard some ducks overheard that were never seen and some widgeons whistle in the distance a couple minutes before legal. Shooting time comes and there is absolutely nothing in the air. About thirty minutes later a single would circle and go down on an adjacent property. Fifteen minutes later heard some quacks off in the distance. Few minutes after that had a collared dove come in hot right towards me at head level that I nearly swatted with my barrel. Seven minutes later three spoonies would come in from the right and set down only to immediately jump. All were shot. Another fifteen minutes pass and a flock flies high to the right. Roughly twenty minutes later a grebe drunkenly sails in from the right. A bufflehead hen follows and gets taken out. Another fifteen minutes go by and a decent sized flock flies high overhead. That would be the last movement of the morning. Heard some geese while picking up and had a small flock of cranes fly over high when leaving.

The decoys...



Whipple picking up a spoonie...









Paxton picking up a spoonie...

Paxton with another...





Whipple with a bufflehead...



The birds...



The girls with the birds...

12-29-15

Rained the previous few days. Muck and water everywhere. Cool and calm with some sporadic light wind throughout the morning. Heard ducks the whole time while setting up and even got buzzed by a few. Six minutes before shooting time two gadwalls land to the left. They come check out the decoys and eventually swim away to the left. Few flocks moving in the area but nothing close. Thirteen minutes into it and the two that were on the water jump and go down in the little pond. With nothing moving I decide to go sneak on them. Two in the bag. About half an hour later a single gadwall sails in from the front left. Three shots and he flies away hurt but we can't get to him. See another high flying flock a minute later. Twenty minutes later a lone redhead comes in from the front left and gets taken out. About fifteen minutes later a pair of teal come in from the same direction. Take both of them to finish up at 8:16. Had a decent sized flock of pintails and some geese fly over while picking up. Also had a pair of hooded mergansers visit.

Still a little mucky out...



The sunrise...



It was bright out early...



Whipple picking up a redhead...





Whipple retrieving a teal...

Whipple with another teal...





Some geese flying over...



Some hooded mergansers that came to visit...



The birds...



The ducks with a dove that was shot afterwards...

12-31-15

Cool and clear with some clouds moving in a bit later. Decent breeze all morning. Birds were moving around while setting up. Had a pair and then a single land in the decoys ten minutes before legal but they didn't stay long. A couple minutes later a flock of seven or eight lands in the middle and immediately jump. Heard some more birds moving around only to be followed by some early shots. About a minute after legal a gadwall tries to sit in the middle but couldn't get comfortable and bugs out. A minutes later two buffleheads buzz in from the left and crash to the right of the decoys. The drake gets swatted as the hen dives. She pops up and gets swatted. The bird manages to scurry off hurt to the right and turn back to the left until visual is lost. Eight minutes later five gadwalls that have been circling for a few minutes swoop in from the left. Four of them land out of range but the other one was in range and gets taken out. Four minutes later a couple of divers zoom by to the left but never slow down. Have a few more groups moving around but no takers. About half an hour after the diver flyby three gadwalls swoop down and immediately pull up, circle and fly away. Ten minutes later four geese fly by slowly checking things out but never stop. Another ten minutes go by and a single redhead drops in from the left and gets taken out. Thirty minutes later three fly over high from right to left. Then about a dozen come over high from behind. Then a pair of pintails circle and cup into the deeks. One gets dropped at the edge of the water as the other slowly flies away hurt. See several other groups of birds but nothing showed any interest. Watched two gadwalls drop in and seven geese land in the field while loading the truck.

It was bright out again...



Small flock of geese flying by...



Paxton picking up a redhead...





Paxton retrieving a bufflehead...

Whipple getting after a gadwall...











The spread...



Whipple chasing down a crippled pintail...







The birds...