Was it as good as it sounded?

bigshark · 12-01-2001, 04:50 PM

When the wind blows like it did today we can hear most of the action from the eastside check station south to Johnson. Today it sounded as if it was really good for those in Stutzer, Hunt, Racetrack etc. We will get the results on the ODFW report in a day or so. What I am hoping to hear is that ifish hunters were out there in force. I know that one of us posted that there might be a 25 shell limit on the public land. I don't know if thats correct or not but I can tell you that it sure didn't sound like its in force.
I hope ifishers were well represented and had a great day on the island. If any of you would like to share todays fun, I for one would like to hear about it. :smile:

[ 12-01-2001: Message edited by: bigshark ]</p>

Fishalot · 12-02-2001, 12:59 PM

Bigshark the group I hunt with on a lease did not do that good. There was not that much shooting that we could hear. The weather got to the point that we could not stand it anymore. If the ducks were working I'm sure we would have stayed longer.

The best duck I ever ate was in a sausage,
Fishalot out :grin:

[ 12-02-2001: Message edited by: Fishalot ]</p>

bigshark · 12-02-2001, 05:46 PM

Fishalot we had a so-so day as well. Rain came through the rain-gear as if I had forgot to put it on. The wind blew so hard that when one of our guys tried to dispatch a cripple about 40yds out on the lake the shot pattern was downwind of the bird. Most ran for the clubhouse lockers to switch to size BB after that little demonstration. We could not see birds falling on the public land but it sounded like a war movie soundtrack over there. Hope they didn't have as much trouble hitting them as we did.

Bounty Hunter · 12-02-2001, 08:52 PM

I happened to be in Aaron yesterday. Hunted with a couple of others out there for the better part of the day. We had a so-so shoot with about 2 birds a piece. The birds were flying early, but we couldn't get more than a couple to decoy. Of the passers, we missed way too many because of the gusting wind and my inability to find the correct lead. I can't speak for the rest of the East side because I could only hear the units in my general area (especially the guys in Malarky that were shooting the cannons!)
Coolest sight of the day was to see my friend's crippled shoveler get plucked out of the lake by a hawk!

crabbait · 12-03-2001, 08:29 AM

I was on a lease just south of the West Unit. Saw a bunch more ducks thaan there have been but most were not into decoying. Had teal in the decoys all morning. I had to face north since I could not see a thing looking south due to the heavy rain coming sideways.

Very difficult shooting when birds are flying sideways at 40mph or hovering over your head at altitude (still have to lead them a ton!). Cleanly hit birds were falling deep in the corn even when shot right over the decoys. Tough retrieves.

Managed two mallards and two geese by noon. Then headed for a warm fire and the Ducks game. All in all, a rugged day. Wouldn't have missed it.

Tilla · 12-03-2001, 02:21 PM

I have been noticing a little trend about these storms. When they first arrive it seems to be pretty darn good shooting, the next day or two it starts to slow down out there on the island. If the ducks can get blown off the coast and out of the lower Columbia, can they also get blown off the island also? Just before Thanksgiving (Tues) the hunting was great, Wed they flew high, and Thanksgiving AM it was just as stormy or better and pffft, nada! Cool weather in Canada brought new birds a few days later. A new storm comes into the picture and last Wed was superb, the storm sticks around and by Sat it is mediocre again.
Anyway it seems that the leading part of a storm system is always better. Maybe the ducks are caught unaware and scramble around to find themselves in the sights of a shotgun. My three best hunts last year were when the storms arrived mid day. There was nothing in the morning and then the fronts moved in and by 2 pm ducks are everywhere after everyone went home.
Where do they go? I figure either to new sheetwater that forms and/or the Willamette valley. New sheet water in the grassfields and just about anywhere, floats up seeds and makes it very accessable to the birds. The wind blows this stuff to one side of the 1000's of newly formed or expanded ponds and the birds have easy feedin'. Then again maybe California is callin'.

Flathead · 12-03-2001, 02:34 PM

It must be California calling. We had a ton of sheet water down here in the Halsey/Brownsville area last weekend but very few birds around. I'm looking out across about 2,500 acres of flooded ryegrass right now and there is not a duck in sight. The boys hunted the slough behind the house on sunday and saw 2 green heads and that was it. I suppose they could be on the river or stayed north of Albany. But my guess is they headed for warmer climes and rice fields.

birdhunter · 12-03-2001, 03:17 PM

Yeah, we were out around Yaquina bay this weekend and for all the beautiful looking flooded fields there weren't too many ducks. Mostly bufflehead, some mallards and a few scaup. Nothing too impressive for numbers either. I guess the storm blew them farther south.