This hunt was one I won't soon forget. It was from last season.
We had an unusual amount of rain and ducks just weren't where we typically find them. The honey holes we were used to were empty.
I ,like most duck hunters, am always keeping my ears open for new spots. A good friend of mine lives just north in an area known for a lot of geese. So I obviously always make sure to put a bug in his ear to let me know if he has any geese hitting his fields.
Well it paid off but not how I expected.
One morning he tells me.."Hey these damn ducks are coming into this flooded pasture behind my house and they are so loud it's waking us up in the morning!"
I couldn't get over there for a couple days and going in blind I thought I should scout it.
So the day before the scheduled hunt I go up and take a look.
Well it was impossible to see what was in there without jumping everything off. I knew there were a few but couldn't tell how many.
I was only able to get one buddy to go with me.
We set up in a little opening and had the perfect place to hide.
It started to get light and we waited and waited and waited. Nothing
Then a pair of Mallard drakes came in and did it perfect, floated into the decoys like you dream it.
Then another and another and another.
They dropped into the dekes in groups of 2-4.
100% Mallards and in this part of the country that is pretty rare. We typically only shoot a hand full of Mallards each season.
What made it even better was Kimber was absolutely on fire. We some how ended up crippling one and the chase was on. For some reason that duck didn't want to leave that hole and they did about 6 circles in there like a grey hound chasing a rabbit.
We could have taken 5-6 limits no doubt but killed our 10 and then watched and admired the rest.
I think going in somewhat blind on place I've never hunted and not know what to expect made it even more fun.
Last edited by BradyBuck; 01/03/2005:01 PM.
HRCH Washita's Kimber Locked N Loaded GRHRCH Firefly's Rally The Troops MH
My first hunt ever is my most memorable hunt. Totally spoiled me. A friend drug me to his lease. I had never hunted anything before, and had very little shotgun experience in general. There were so many ducks piling in there it was unbelievable. I’ve still never seen anything like it, except yesterday when he took me out there again. Yesterday was great, but not even a third of what we saw the first time many years ago.
And yesterday, I saw more birds than I’ve seen where I hunt all of last year and this year combined.
Originally Posted by bill oxner
I just turned it on . I was looking bird dogs in the butt this morning.
Sooooo....after 2Beez did his "I'm a gator on my belly in the swamp" dance for a couple minutes he finally got up and let loose with the two minute expletive laced rant with the words goose, hunt, never, and again periodically thrown in for good measure.
He then proceeded to stomp....yup, stomp his way over to the decoy bag being filled with hard shell decoys about ten yards away. I was already tired of trying to walk in that muck and since there were already several people around the bag I decided to just toss them over close to the bag so they could put them in the bag.
I had one in my hand and two tucked under my arm. I tossed the first one almost loosing my balance since my boots were stuck. It fell quite short, so I tossed the second one a little harder and a little higher. Remember that comment Bullfrog made mentioning hitting BigPig some 30 feet away with a hat.....well, that shell caught some wind just about the time 2Beez got to the bag.....I watched in horror as it floated ever so slowly towards his head. I was in a panic thinking that I had just beaned him smack in the head with no time to yell a warning to him. Ramsey was standing next to me watching the whole thing.
Well, the decoy didn't hit him in the head....instead it hit him in the middle of the back right between the shoulder blades, slid down his back and bounced off his butt on its way to the ground. With furry in his eyes he whirled around and yelled DAMMIT RAMSEY!
Ramsey and I looked at each other and doubled over laughing....which did nothing to improve Josh's demeanor....
Once we recovered laughing after a minute or so I still had one shell left. I looked at Ramsey then turned and tossed it towards Josh ensuring that it was well low and short enough as to have zero chance of making any contact with his body. I did not however, account for the large puddle immediately behind him that the shell landed in creating a huge splash throwing muddy water all over him from the middle of his back down to his boots...to which Ramsey and I looked at each other and doubled over again laughing hysterically.....
Until this very moment I don't think he was even aware for the thirds shell splashing him with muddy water but we enjoyed it immensely.....
Originally Posted by Sneaky
I believe in science and I’m an insufferable [censored]
Originally Posted by beaversnipe
Actually, BBC is pretty damn good
"You Cannot Simultaneously Be Politically Correct And Intellectually Honest!"
A few years back, I hunted a backwater spot off the Arkansas River in eastern Oklahoma with my buddy. Was a spot that had been good to us over the years. That winter, it was cold enough that everything froze except the main part of the river. We had to break a lot of ice once we got out of the channel in the boat. Once we got as shallow as the boat would go, we struck off on foot, dragging our gear and dekes. Took us a long while to get to our spot, and we were both about wore out from breaking ice. Opened up about a 25' hole and set out a half dozen decoys. Before daylight, it started raining ducks. Seemed like every duck within 10 miles heard about that hole. At times, there were so many ducks in the hole that others would have to land on the ice around it. Watching mallards hit the ice and slide for 30 feet is one of the most hilarious things I've ever seen. Didn't seem the bother them in the least, they would just get up and waddle to the hole. We had our limits of greenheads in about thirty minutes, and that was taking turns and shooting only one per group. As soon as the sound of the shot died away, another group would be cupping their wings to hit that hole. Was the most insane duck hunting trip I've ever seen. After shooting our limit, we just sat and watched for an hour or so. Unfortunately, was before cell phone cameras, so memories is all I have.
25 years ago we hunted some public water very close to Lubbock. Lubbock Water Works? Anyway it was the day the second split opened, birds hadn't been pressured and it was foggy. Mallards and Pintails were dropping through the fog, feet down, at 20 yards. 5 easy limits and then we just enjoyed watching them come. Got checked by the GW and ended up pulling her truck out of the mud. One of my best hunting memories with my brother and Dad.
I have to say my son's first duck. It was 2007, youth season, he was 10 years old, he hunted 2006 season and never shot a duck. He wanted to mount his first duck, but I told him I would not mount a skillet shot, he had to shoot it on wing. This hunt he missed a few groups that came in, and it was starting to get slow, it was not looking good and he was not in a mood for pics, lol....
Then a group GWT came in and he splashed his first bird in the deeks, his teeth were chattering, he could not believe his eyes...
Re: What is your most memorable hunt?
[Re: Guy]
#770747901/04/2003:37 AM
It was dove hunt with a day outfitter. The dove were flying over harvested milo and I was almost at my daily limit after after only 20 min.
These was an older guy that had is two grand-kids (maybe 12 & 14 with him). His son had come back from the sandbox without some limbs, and wanted his kids to learn to hunt... but the old man's eyesight was so bad he could not identify a dove directly overhead. He ask me to help his older grandson kill a couple of birds.
Not having any sons, I was honored to help the kid gets his little single shot 410 in touch with a few dove. The younger one even manage to bring down one before the sun set.
Ended up making some great friends that day and a week or two after, when I met the kids dad.
My most memorable hunt took place up on the red river/Texoma sometime in the late ‘80’s. It started snowing real heavy with huge flakes. Didn’t take long to turn everything white except for the water which looked black. It was almost eerie. The snow would let up a bit and the birds started flying. We would knock a few down and then the snow would come down again. There wasn’t hardly any wind so everything was super quiet as the flakes kept coming. Total white out. All of a sudden through the snow was a beautiful bald eagle soaring about 15 feet right over my head. Towards the end of the hunt a huge buck popped out of the woods a few hundred yards away and walked down the snow covered bank towards us. Big Red River/haggarman type Buck that ended up walking right between my cousin and I. We were set up only about 30 feet a part up in a cove. It was by far the most beautiful morning of Mother Nature I’ve ever seen.
I've thought and thought. Lots of memorable moments on great hunts. Some for humor (knocking a 25hp Merc lose off a rotten transom and getting it back in the boat whole screaming at your buddies to unplug the gas.) Some for horror ( watching your buddy get thrown from go devil and the kill switch cord breaking so the motor is still running with him back peddling away from it). Some with great shot. Some with horrible shooting and lots of birds. Some getting up stupid.earky working real hard for nothing.
I can't say there is one hunt for any certain reason. Just lots of memories of the last 25 years.
Re: What is your most memorable hunt?
[Re: Greg]
#770772601/04/2002:56 PM
My most memorable hunt took place up on the red river/Texoma sometime in the late ‘80’s. It started snowing real heavy with huge flakes. Didn’t take long to turn everything white except for the water which looked black. It was almost eerie. The snow would let up a bit and the birds started flying. We would knock a few down and then the snow would come down again. There wasn’t hardly any wind so everything was super quiet as the flakes kept coming. Total white out. All of a sudden through the snow was a beautiful bald eagle soaring about 15 feet right over my head. Towards the end of the hunt a huge buck popped out of the woods a few hundred yards away and walked down the snow covered bank towards us. Big Red River/haggarman type Buck that ended up walking right between my cousin and I. We were set up only about 30 feet a part up in a cove. It was by far the most beautiful morning of Mother Nature I’ve ever seen.
Sounds awesome!
I have another hunt I'll never forget but because it was so horrible. Broke drive shafts on front and rear of my mule 300 yards from dry ground..had one tire that would rotate
Took us a couple hours to get it out, exhausted and covered head to toe in mud.
HRCH Washita's Kimber Locked N Loaded GRHRCH Firefly's Rally The Troops MH
My daughters first duck. Water swat on a very small pond about the size of a swimming pool. Only duck that cane in that morning, couldn’t have been a better one. I think she was 9 or 10. 28ga Single shot H&R Pardner.
My son doubling up, on a two pintail year with a 28ga Silver Pigeon.
Some have opinions regarding cliques or groups but this trip, right at about a year ago is my most memorable. I really don’t know where I’d be had I passed it up. My Dad had past away not long prior, I got fired from work and I was NOT in the greatest place. I received a phone call as we were getting out of the truck to meet my family at Babe’s Chicken in Roanoke. I was asked if interested and felt way too humbled to pass on the opportunity to meet 12 of what I feel are men of the highest caliber that I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting, let alone STILL able to communicate with, repeatedly throughout the day, whether its me being a jackazz and joking around constantly or laughing at others bickering amongst themselves like twin brothers would, I swear I owe these men much more than they’ll ever know because of the fellowship, advice, support, sharing and just downright willingness to call me out on my BS if I was being a really big girl. I’m all better now btw. Lol. The hunt itself, especially with set up/tear down was probably the most miserable, uncomfortable, exhausting and comical hunt I’ve ever been involved in. So many different walks of life that all share an equal part combination of mutual respect/love/hate/sharing/teaching that will never in a million years be duplicated. I still think to myself, “how’d I ever get to be a part of this?” Thanks guys, each one of’s ya. There isn’t much, if anything that I wouldn’t do for ya, if asked. Just watch out for the one in either green or camo,
Originally Posted by machinist
Man if I knew what Oxner knows I could throw away what I know
Sooooo....after 2Beez did his "I'm a gator on my belly in the swamp" dance for a couple minutes he finally got up and let loose with the two minute expletive laced rant with the words goose, hunt, never, and again periodically thrown in for good measure.
He then proceeded to stomp....yup, stomp his way over to the decoy bag being filled with hard shell decoys about ten yards away. I was already tired of trying to walk in that muck and since there were already several people around the bag I decided to just toss them over close to the bag so they could put them in the bag.
I had one in my hand and two tucked under my arm. I tossed the first one almost loosing my balance since my boots were stuck. It fell quite short, so I tossed the second one a little harder and a little higher. Remember that comment Bullfrog made mentioning hitting BigPig some 30 feet away with a hat.....well, that shell caught some wind just about the time 2Beez got to the bag.....I watched in horror as it floated ever so slowly towards his head. I was in a panic thinking that I had just beaned him smack in the head with no time to yell a warning to him. Ramsey was standing next to me watching the whole thing.
Well, the decoy didn't hit him in the head....instead it hit him in the middle of the back right between the shoulder blades, slid down his back and bounced off his butt on its way to the ground. With furry in his eyes he whirled around and yelled DAMMIT RAMSEY!
Ramsey and I looked at each other and doubled over laughing....which did nothing to improve Josh's demeanor....
Once we recovered laughing after a minute or so I still had one shell left. I looked at Ramsey then turned and tossed it towards Josh ensuring that it was well low and short enough as to have zero chance of making any contact with his body. I did not however, account for the large puddle immediately behind him that the shell landed in creating a huge splash throwing muddy water all over him from the middle of his back down to his boots...to which Ramsey and I looked at each other and doubled over again laughing hysterically.....
Until this very moment I don't think he was even aware for the thirds shell splashing him with muddy water but we enjoyed it immensely.....
You forgot me falling on my face damn near and what I said to Skinner when the tirade started lol. And the guide telling us to keep the mudd off the decoys
One was with members from here and included Crazy Horse. He had his 10Ga spanish SxS. He took a shot that for a 12 Ga would be a skybust, but with the 10 he dropped the bird cold out of the air.
The joke we made was that he didn't hit the bird, it was more the percussion that knock him out and he fell to his death.
The other was on a lease I was on. We must have had no less than a 1000 birds fly in just at legal. They actually formed a duck tornado. When legal came, I didn't shoot. I pulled out the iPhone to video the birds getting up.
I'll have to pull the video from Photobucket and repost, but in the video you see several hundred birds get up, and I"m telling you it doesn't do it justice.
Most recently was a few years ago when all the lakes were flooded. I found a small oak grove that was absolutely loaded up with mallards. Since it was public on a major lake I knew it was only a matter of time - I tried hard to get some buddies to go, but no one wanted to. I think I got about 5-6 hunts out of it before the lake levels dropped and it was over. Every limit was 5 drake mallards with a drake wood duck. 6 shots every single time. I had never hunted true flooded green timber - and man was it awesome watching those big fat mallards fold up their wings and come crashing through the canopy to get in there.
Next year it happened again and someone else found it so I let them have their fun.
We used to own some land in the Crandall area that had a big soil conservation lake on it. That's where I hunted from age 5-17....that place spoiled me. It was ridiculous the amount of birds it held. Never seen anything quite like it since. I think it's owned by another real estate investment firm these days...may try to lease it next season.
Only other thing that stands out was a goose "hunt" back in high school during the conservation season. This was in NE Texas on a friends place. They had about a 10-15 acre lake that was literally covered in snows. Owner didn't want the geese on his pond (he had made it "park" like and didn't want goose chit everywhere or it messing up his trophy bass fishery). It had a huge dam - about 6 of us snuck up the back of the dam and emptied our guns - you could literally watch your pattern take down birds. With 18 shots we killed like 60 birds and 7 of them were banded. None of my buddies or the owner wanted the birds so I cleaned every one of them and me and my Dad went to town for months on geese.
I started Waterfowling about 5-6 years ago usually traveling down to Garwood to hunt with Houston friends and a good guide friend of mine. We have had some great hunts but I got on a duck lease on a flood control lake up in Oklahoma 3 years ago. The first year in January I did my first solo hunt. I had bought decoys on Craiglist, had a Teal Mojo and had some Canadian decoys as well. Bought me a panel blind from Tanglefree and took to the lake. I had calls I was practicing with but was not comfortable using. I did have a whistle and could use for Teal, Pintail and Widgeon pretty good actually.
That sunny morning was 18 degrees, sunny and windy. My haul was amazing not really sure why but here is a pic. Drake Pintail, GW Teal, Mallard, Shoveler, Woody and a Gadwall hen.
Just an unreal hunt. The Woody and Mallard are in my office today.
This is a very tough one for me to decide. So I have 2. The first one is my oldest sons first hunt. I took him to a tiny pond that I had permission on because the weather wasn't too cold and he was dying to go. I had scouted the day before and it only had a small handful of mallards on it but I thought it would be perfect for him. Wouldn't have to sit there too long, we'd shoot a few and head home. During the hunt we had only 6 birds come in, 5 drake mallards and a drake wood duck. all came in single and about 2 minutes apart. It was absolutely perfect and 1 of 2 times I've ever shot 5 greenheads and another drake something for a perfect limit. That is still what he calls that pond, "the perfect limit hole."
The second is the only band I have ever shot. Went in blind on public water with a couple buddies and my brother and shot this banded pintail. Both are hunts that I can remember every single detail of and are my 2 favorite hunts of all time. Don't know what will top them either.
Holy smokes: pick one!! Specific birds, specific hunts, kids first hunts, dogs lasts hunts, last hunts with family members, and annual hunts with lifelong hunting buddies. Over 1600 hunts in the last 40 years and this one just popped into my mind as the one.
5 years ago we got an unusual early heavy rain and about 5000 coots found the food we planted and were mowing it down. I told the boys on Monday that we were going “coot hunting” on Thursday. Wednesday I notice something written on my youngest sons leg and when I asked him what it was; he said: I didn’t want to forget.
Coot gizzards Make the best ditty rice ever.
My boys have grown a ton 5 years ago and are now my travel partners and every hunt is now the best hunt.
Holy smokes: pick one!! Specific birds, specific hunts, kids first hunts, dogs lasts hunts, last hunts with family members, and annual hunts with lifelong hunting buddies. Over 1600 hunts in the last 40 years and this one just popped into my mind as the one.
5 years ago we got an unusual early heavy rain and about 5000 coots found the food we planted and were mowing it down. I told the boys on Monday that we were going “coot hunting” on Thursday. Wednesday I notice something written on my youngest sons leg and when I asked him what it was; he said: I didn’t want to forget.
Coot gizzards Make the best ditty rice ever.
My boys have grown a ton 5 years ago and are now my travel partners and every hunt is now the best hunt.
Good stuff.
Originally Posted by bill oxner
I just turned it on . I was looking bird dogs in the butt this morning.
One hunt, actually two, being they were back to back hunts that stick out. They were during the conservation season. A buddy and I hunted opening day and had a good hunt.
The following 2 days I was hunting solo. I decided to try another location. I had driven by the field the day before and no birds were in it that time. The next morning when I got to the field I noticed fresh sign. I setup and got ready unknowing what was lying ahead. It was one of those days that all the stars aligned up. The birds started trickling in and then the flood gates opened. There were times I couldn't load fast enough. Came to a point I wasn't concerned about being covered up. Before I knew it I was at 30, then 40, then 50 and so on. I kept trying to convince myself to stop but they kept coming. LOL I was stacking them in piles of fives and said at 80 I'm done. I stopped when I thought I reached 80, but had missed counted a pile and had 85. I ended up with one banded Ross goose.
It was a long night of cleaning geese. I finished around 11:30 that night and laid down for 2 hours and got up and went again the next morning.
I went back to the same field. The birds came fast and started coming right at shooting time. I shot 35 pretty quick and decided I didn't want to clean near as many as the day before, so I stopped. I did end up shooting a couple more decoying in while I was picking up the spread. On that hunt I shot a collared Blue. Fun times but a lot of work.
Today’s was pretty memorable. In addition to hunting with good friends and getting a three man limit, I also had my buddy’s lab pick up her last bird, which was mine - a stud redhead drake. She is retiring after today. He got it on video. Great dog.
Originally Posted by bill oxner
I just turned it on . I was looking bird dogs in the butt this morning.
Today’s was pretty memorable. In addition to hunting with good friends and getting a three man limit, I also had my buddy’s lab pick up her last bird, which was mine - a stud redhead drake. She is retiring after today. He got it on video. Great dog.
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