Duck Hunters here?

[smitty0255]

I just came in from opening day of our early split. We bagged 2 geese (Canadas), 2 woodies and a mallard. My first shot of the day was a banded woodie. Nice way to start off the season! Man it feels good to get back out hunting.

 

[MiamiCubano]

Congrats. Can't wait to head out to Nebraska myself next month.

 

[golfgar]

I just came in from opening day of our early split. We bagged 2 geese (Canadas), 2 woodies and a mallard. My first shot of the day was a banded woodie. Nice way to start off the season! Man it feels good to get back out hunting.

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Nice opener. We don't start until November!

 

[Gonz]

Sunday morning was the opener, at 6:00 am. At roughly 6:01 it sounded like Baghdad on our lake! I don't hunt, and really don't know alot about hunting, but wouldn't you think it might not be the best idea to be shooting into the air when you're within a couple hundred yards of someone's home?

The best part was when I saw these two guys paddle past our dock in their canoe, and the guy in back is holding the shotgun by the barrel, so it's pointing at him, and he's leaning forward trying to hand it to the guy in front. I guess that's what those never-malfunctioning safety's are for?

 

[Gonz]

I just thought I would add that although I may appear critical of the duck hunters, because they are literally in my backyard, I don't mean to group them all as a bunch of lunitic morons. I know alot of very responsible people that hunt very responsibly, and enjoy themselves quite a bit.

Enjoy the season while it lasts, then it's on to Deer in November!

 

[Allofus123]

......wouldn't you think it might not be the best idea to be shooting into the air when you're within a couple hundred yards of someone's home?

..... and the guy in back is holding the shotgun by the barrel, so it's pointing at him, and he's leaning forward trying to hand it to the guy in front. I guess that's what those never-malfunctioning safety's are for?

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Most city and/or federal laws require a minimum distance from any residence. Usually 200 yards but I have seen them as much as 500 yards. Effective range of most any shotgun is 50 to 75 yards depending on load and I would doubt capable of sending any of the pellets father than approx 150 yard range. I would look into your local laws if someone is hunting too close for comfort.

As for the way the guy was handling the shotgun..... you are assuming its loaded. I would have no idea if this guys shotgun was or was not loaded but any seasoned hunter would not have a loaded shotgun in a canoe or any other type of boat for that matter. I know when we are going to and leaving from our hunt sites our shotguns have the actions opened so that it is not operatable and easy for anyone to see that it is unloaded. I would hope that your canoeist was following similar safety precaution. If not... Darwin recipient candidate.

 

[Allofus123]

Forgot to add congrats on your opener.... please allow some a free pass to make it down here to the gulf coast please.

Our regular duck season opens Nov 5th. We had a 9 day early teal season during Sept. Was able to get out 3 times and shake off some of the rust. Nothing finer than watching nature "wake up" all around you at sunrise.

 

[smitty0255]

This is just a 4 day early season through Saturday. It used to be an early teal season, but they opened it up to all ducks and geese a few years ago. The regular season comes in Nov 12 - Dec 3 and then again from Dec 17 - Jan 28.

I kind of know where Gonz is coming from. We definitely encounter our fair share of idiots on the water, but for the most part the folks I have come across are smart and safe. And, for anyone shooting pure steel shot, I would be surprised if they could even pepper you at more than 40 yards. The law here is 200.

How did you do in early season, Allofus?



Edited for spelling.

 

[Allofus123]

LOL.... I know you're exagerating the steel shot range just a little but do understand your point. My long range possibility of raining a pellet out to approx 150 yards would be using a heavy shot load angled at about 50-55 degrees with a good tail wind.

Pictures, Pictures..... hunting stories are worthless without pictures...LOL!

 

[muddstick]

Congrats. Can't wait to head out to Nebraska myself next month.

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Where area are you hunting? If you get around Omaha give me heads up and I am sure I could find us a blind and some cigars!

 

[smitty0255]

LOL.... I know you're exagerating the steel shot range just a little but do understand your point. My long range possibility of raining a pellet out to approx 150 yards would be using a heavy shot load angled at about 50-55 degrees with a good tail wind.

Pictures, Pictures..... hunting stories are worthless without pictures...LOL!

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What exaggeration? :whistling:

That HeviShot is badass. The mallard I got today was probably 50 yards and going away and that HeviShot got him with no problem.

I wish I had pictures, but I didn't have a camera with me and we cleaned the birds on the way back to the launch. It's probably good that I didn't take the camera anyway because I managed to drop my cell phone in the water because I just had to call in the band right then. Hopefully when it dries out, it will come back to life. I don't even want to think about how to recover the 200+ numbers stored in there ...

 

[bhaney]

Sounds like a successfull first day in the blind. Our youth waterfowl season starts saturday and is in through Sunday. I am taking my boy out for both days. The North Zone opens up the following week and my south zone opens the week after that. I am looking forward to the opener.

Brandon

 

[Allofus123]

Our youth waterfowl season starts saturday and is in through Sunday.

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One of the great rewards.... taking youth's out to the blind. They will remember the moments for the rest of their lives.

How did you do in early season, Allofus?

I hunted three times with one other person. The first two hunts we both shot our 4 bird limit and was eating breakfast at the local diner by 8:30am. Birds everywhere and just eat us up. We had birds trying to land in our spread even while we were picking up. It was quite the site. Teal are not the brightest duck in the world thats for sure. Sunday Sept 25th was the last day of our teal season. Some of you may recall we had a little wind storm blow through here called Rita on Saturday the 24th. Yes, the wives called us crazy but we were in the blind on Sunday after the hurricane and to our surprise we had some birds. I fully expected not to see any birds and was really going to the lease to see what kinda damage was done and maybe enjoy some coffee and a cigar or two in the blind. I was very surprised to have four different groups come in on us and we managed to put 4 in the bag between us.

 

[Ironworker]

Our season starts tomorrow and lasts for 105 days.
The best duck hunting of the season is never opening day here in California. Its still mid 80's to 90's and it hasn't rained since June 2.
Late Oct to Mid Nov will be the time for Whackin & Stackin the ducks every other weekend and once or twice during the week.

Quack Quack :laugh:

 

[bhaney]

Me and my hunting partner have a creek we float the first two weeks of season that is great for wood ducks. Usually after the first week or two of season the woodies have moved out. One of us sits in the back and paddles the boat until the guy in front gets his limit, then we switch. Mid November is the worst for us in the south zone because it is not cold enough to move the ducks down yet but too cold for the wood ducks.

Brandon