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What are the rules for Snipe? And can you post a pic of your Kayak, thinking of getting one.

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Hopedale,
Mine is a 14 ft Old Town Predator. I can highly recommend it. It is fast, stable at 31 inches wide. Has room front and aft for gear. With a little ingenuity it makes a great layout blind. I use it fishing at the coast too.

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Nice pics John

I always like pics taken at this time of year. Something about the starkness of the trees contrasted with the water and background lighting kind of remineds me of Ansel Adams stuff.

Maybe we can do a season end duck hunt next year.

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Yea man, thought we had a tradition going. We will have to make up for it next year with at least two hunts.

For Ansel Adams I should have taken the pics in Black and White. Hey, that does look better.

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Yea man, thought we had a tradition going. We will have to make up for it next year with at least two hunts.

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Some Refuges or WMA's may require steel for all game and some other States require steel for Snipe, but in Texas you can use lead for Snipe.

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Though it was the last weekend of Duck season, Snipe was to be the bird of the day. First I launched my Kayak far up a creek and did some exploring. Had the gun, but was not really hunting yet, just killing time. I paddled to the mouth of the Lake and got a couple neat pictures of the fog from the kayak. I pushed Ducks out a couple times and would hear shots on the Lake a few minutes after, so hopefully I did somebody some good.




Loaded up the Kayak and hit a nearby Dairy Queen for a Burger to go so I would have enough energy to get me through the rest of day. I pulled into the day's first hunting spot to find two Game Wardens waiting. One came over and offered to let me finish my Hamburger before checking me. I let him know I was just waiting on the Duck hunters to be done, then I was heading out for Snipe and Rabbit. I am fairly certain I was the first Snipe hunter he had ever encountered. I had to fill him in on the rules. He looked at my license and wished me luck. Then to my surprise one of the Duck hunters coming out called out "Sniper John"??? It was Nate76. Guess the red Dog gave me away. Always nice to meet another forum member.

Then off I went. This first place had no Snipe unfortunately, so I soon loaded up and moved on to the next place. But before leaving, Blaze found the rarest of Birds. A North Texas Public Hunting Land Quail! Surprised me. At first I thought she was goofing off with a Field Rat, so I did not have the gun up and watched it fly away. It did it's best to bury up and hide, but Blaze had no problem locating it a second time. Only a single, but happy to have got it.



We did find Snipe and Rabbit. I would say over 5 hours of hunting, total flushed game would be, one Quail, three Rabbits, and about ten Snipe. Game taken was only one Snipe, and one Quail. Some I could not pull a shot fast enough, others I flat missed. I did not deserve to have "Sniper" on my name today.

I have no excuses., but if I were to make up excuses.

1. First Rabbit flushed was quartering away in the woods, expecting an easy shot, but in one hop it changed directions about 120 degrees, came right at me and almost hit me with Blaze in tow. I yelled "WAIT" to stop Blaze, spun around as the Rabbit passed and put the most perfect round pattern of shot into the trunk of a big Pecan tree. Mr. Rabbit made it to the Briar Patch and was gone.

2. Second Rabbit was found with us on top of a tank dam. Field below so expected an easy, from above shot, so I took my time . Nope, it disappeared into a den at the base of the Dam. Did I say Dam, yep.

3. Two birds come up. One came up to my Right crossing left, One came up to my Left crossing Right. I picked the Right bird and as I was about to blot it out, the two met and suddenly turned together straight away. I shot way left.

4 Another Snipe comes up right in front of me, flying straight away down the bank. Oh yea, easy shot, but wait, darn Killdeer joins it just as I am about to pull the trigger. It stayed with it, almost touching wingtips until out of range. I aborted the shot of course.

I could go on, but really it just comes down to "I missed them" or could not make the shot. Blaze was not happy with me at all today but we had fun trying.

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Awesome John Thanks for sharing