Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 01-31-2010 12:03
Cloudy, Snow & Rain Mix – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
I went out for the season closer and the season went out with a wimper for me. Got skunked. I went near the house to a spot that I got skunked in last time I went there. Seems to be a continuing trend.
I intended to go east of New Bern and target puddle ducks, but the ice storm and frozen roads changed my mind. I got about 30 minutes from the house in the pre-dawn darkness when the road began to ice over and I decided to err on the side of caution. To make a long story short, I wimped out and decided I better hunt close to home.
I launched the boat near my home and still had plenty of time to get out. The wind was high, freezing sleet, snow and ice were blowing sideways as I unloaded the boat at the ramp. the dog and I set out for my old spot. This spot used to be excellent, but it has gone downhill due to heavy pressure in the last few years. But when your options are limited by weather, you have to make the best of it.
I saw a few ducks, but I didn’t fire a shot. I had a flock of 5 geese circle just out of range, but they didn’t commit.
But it was a awesome morning from a epic adventure standpoint. The snow falling was awesome, the boat actually filled with snow and sleet while we were hunting. It made for a beautiful scene, it is not often that we get to hunt in the snow down here. I picked up my decoys and went home at about 11:30am.
Another season is over. Nine months to go till next season.
Posted By:
Sloughslogger
Guest
Upper Cape Fear River Slough 01-29-2010 12:47
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 35-40 Degrees
This was to be my last hunt of the season since I’d probably need a 4WD tomorrow am.
Saw about 50 woodys blow through but they were on the other side of the sough and out of range. Wrong spot at the wrong time. Ten geese flew right overhead but I’m on the Southern James Bay Hunt Zone; wrong side of the river to take one. Still it was great to finish the year out with a splendid sunrise.
Several weeks ago I took a new guy with me and he shot his first duck. He’s hooked and called me to report he got his limit on woodys and a mallard one day this week.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 01-28-2010 11:35
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
As the season winds down to it’s final days, the hunting is not improving for me. I decided to go to a spot that I hunted earlier this season to pretty good results. It was the spot that my partner and I bagged our only limit of bluebills this season on the Nuese River.
I got to the ramp at about 5:30 am and was alone when I set out. The water was glass slick in spite of the small craft advisory that was given by NOAA the day before. It seems even NOAA is not right 100% of the time. I would not have gone to this spot unless I have high winds as it only produces ducks when it is too rough on the big water for the ducks. In spite of this, I did not go home completely empty-handed.
At about 7:15 am I had a single ringneck blow through and I knocked him down. I then sat there until about 9:30 when I managed a single ruddy duck that flew in and decoyed. But that was it for the day.
All in all, a beautiful day,bagged two ducks and the dog got wet. A good day, overall.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 01-25-2010 13:15
Cloudy, Rain & Thunderstorms – 60-65 Degrees
My son and I went out this morning for a quick wood duck hunt. We had to be home early, so we had to go to a spot near home. I decided to go to a spot that used to provide well for me, but that I had quit hunting due to heavy pressure several years ago. 25 years ago, I had it to myself. I started having to share it starting about 7 or 8 years ago and starting about 3 years ago it got so messed up due to roost shooting, afternoon hunting, sky-busting, etc that I gave up on it. I didn’t have time to go anywhere else, so I gave it a shot.
We got to the ramp about 5:30am and set out for the spot. It was pouring cats and dogs. The winds were blowing 15 to 20 mph with 30 mph bursts. This produced sideways rain and poor visibility on the river. We went slow and careful and arrived at our spot safely.
It was as I feared. We saw some ducks, but they were all high. None would decoy, in fact, none would answer the call. I usually have good sucess calling woodies, but today I struck out. I tried a single that was at the edge of range, 35 to 40 yards, but I missed. I normally pass on shots like that in the timber, but it was such slow going I gave into the temptation. I saw a large number of shell casings in the water, jammed up in the tree limbs and logs, I would say that means that this spot has been blown out. It is a shame. I used to hunt it all season, right up to the last weekend and it was good for a wood duck limit most of the time. You would see several hundred woodies in a single morning. But those days are gone.
But it was a good day. My son and I sat there in the heavy rain, having a adventure and my son now knows that in sideways rain,you will not stay completely dry, no matter how hard you try. We enjoyed it. And on our way out, we found a wobbling mallard decoy jammed up in some tree limbs. It’s anchor line was broken and it got jammed up in the brush. It was one of those expensive armoured Herter’s decoys that have the photographic finish on it so the morning was productive in one way, we brought home a duck from the hunting trip.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Hyde Co. 01-24-2010 12:56
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
We set out for a swan hunt and it was quite a difference from Weds. When my son and I set out from the house, Dixie the wonderdog howled in protest at being left, but I will not put her up against a wounded swan should that situation arise. I don’t want her to get hurt. We got to the field about 30 minutes before sunrise and set up our decoys. In addition to the set-up from last Weds, we now had a group of full body swan decoys to go into the spread. After setting out the decoys we settled into the drainage ditch to wait. It was really muddy down there, with all the rain it was slippery and hard to try to get comfortable. Also there was all the water from the aformentioned rain.
We saw a ton of snow geese, but none paid us any mind. None even gave us a look. They just flew over, going to wherever they were going. We sat there until about 8:00am when we began to see swans flying around. We had some large groups pass by, most gave us a look, but none would decoy as they have in past years. At about 8:30, we had two pass over and begin to circle as we called aggresively. They circled over and began to circle lower. They passed overhead so close that we could hear the wind in thier feathers as they glided over a mere 10 yards above us. We were waiting for one more pass to actually decoy them(part of the fun) when they flared and off they went without us even firing a shot.
We kicked ourselves for this mistake, but it was still early yet. But as flock after flock went over without coming in close enough for a shot, we began to realize the significance of our screw-up. There was a group of about 9 hunters in another nearby field, they were pounding away at any flock that came anywhere close to them. We saw a couple fall down, but they were really up high. To see them fall from that distance, over the trees is a testiment to how high they were.
The swans were gun-shy. They had been shot at so much and so high that they were also decoy shy as well.
Then John(the man that takes us on these annual pilgrimages) noticed that I had made a mistake and mixed snow and swan decoys. He stated that swans and snows like to maintain a little seperation when they feed. After he quickly corrected my mistake, we settled back in.
From now on, we will refer to John as The Swan Commander. Within 20 to 30 minutes, we had a pair come in low and circled. We called and they circled. When they passed by within about 35 yards, we realized they were not going to decoy, in fact, they moved to flare off, they must have seen our movement. My partner and I stood up and knocked down both of the swans. My swan went down in a gliding descent, landing about 100 yards away. He was not dead and there was a concern that he might escape. My son and my partner set out to finish him off as I am a cripple and I can’t run across the field to chase down a wounded swan.The Coup-de-gras was administered and they returned with both swans in tow. They were both fully mature birds and my hunting partner’s swan was huge in size. We took down the only two birds we fired at and we were proud to have done so.
John decided not to fill his tag yet, we just watched the birds and he intends to come back on Weds to hunt. For him it is the hunt that counts, not whether he gets a bird. If he shot one today, he would not have a excuse to return next week. He is a true sportsman and I consider myself lucky to count him as a friend.
We picked up our birds and went home. It was a good day.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Hyde County 01-21-2010 13:51
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Went out for a swan hunt near Pungo Lake, it was less than opitimal to say the least. The calm conditions, coupled with 70 degree temps seem to have convinced the birds to stay on the lake and not move around.
We got to the field we had permission to hunt and set out the decoys. We had a collection of shilouetes,full body decoys, and Texas-style rag decoys. We got them out and awaited the swans.
Long wait. They never did arrive. We had a large group of about 25 to 30 that passed about 100 yards to the east of us about 10:30am, but they would not decoy. We flagged them, some of the group broke away to come to us, but they fell back into the flock and continued on. They broke away two or three times, but they always returned to the flock. Only birds we saw all day, other than a flock so far off in the distance that they were only visible through binoculars.
We picked up our decoys and set out to do some scouting from the road. Just to see where they were. They weren’t anywhere. We rode a large triangular shaped search pattern, we did not see a single swan in a single field. We saw none in the air. We saw none on the water.
They just weren’t moving. We intend to try again on Saturday. Perhaps the rain and falling temps will get them moving again.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Roanoke River 01-19-2010 11:58
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 40-45 Degrees
My buddy, my son and I went out to target some puddle ducks in the aftermath of the week and a half freeze out. We were hoping that the cold had driven in new birds without having the frozen water drive them on straight through to SC. We decided to go to a spot off the Roanoke that we have been frozen out of for several weeks.
We got to the unimproved ramp and set out for our favorite spot in the creek. We put out a spread of widgeon, ringnecks, mallards and woodies and awaited legal time. After two weeks of temps in the low 20’s, the 40 degrees of this morning felt like a summer day.
It was slow going, we had some ducks come through before legal time. We then sat there until about 8:30am when two mallards came across the creek up high. I hit the call and they turned and circled overhead. With some concentrated calling, they finally locked wings(on the 4th pass) and they sat down about 50 yards away on the other side of a small point. We watched them swimming about, they would peek around the corner, but they would not swim out into the open water. While we were watching them, a duck blew through the decoys and my partner and myself stood up to shoot at what we thought was a wood duck. My partner pulled the trigger first and he splashed the duck. It was a merganser. While the dog was retrieving it, a woodie came overhead and I smacked it 3 times, knocking feathers off with each shot. It started down into the woods, my partner put a round into it and it went down in the water instead. I have to give him a assist on that. Didn’t keep me from ragging him mercilessly over being a merganser hunter.
Then a second merganser came in and landed in the decoys. We decided to let my son take a try at it. He stood up and as he shouldered his Mossberg 20 gauge, it took off and he hit it flying, putting two shots into it on the wing! It was time for some high fives and congratulations. His first duck on the wing. Made the whole trip worthwhile.
One woodie, two sort-of-ducks and a wet dog. Good day.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Pamlico Sound 01-17-2010 17:30
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
My partner,son and myself went out to hunt sea ducks on the Pamlico Sound. I had heard good things from the coast earlier in the week and set out with high hopes to shoot some bluebills and buffles(and possibly some scoters as well).
We arrived at the uninproved ramp at about 4:30 am and set out for the big water in good time. We broke ice for the entire creek(about 2 miles) and made it out to the open water of the sound. We got to the spot and began to set out a large spread of bluebills and buffles. We set out a good spread of the old Herter’s foam mags and supermags for the bills and regular sized buffles. We got out the entire spread and began to set the boat in the proper position to hunt. We got the boat properly anchored and began to set up the blind when we noticed our decoys were moving. To our dismay, we discovered that a huge ice flow of Biblical preportions was going through our spread with the outgoing tide! A good 300 yards from shore!
There was nothing else to do but to pick up and move further out to get out of the ice. We got up the blocks and moved. We now were running a little late, but there was nothing else to do. We got them out, a little less organized than our first spread. In fact, it was a totally disorganized spasm of blocks out in the open water.
It was calm. There is no way to properly drive that home, it was so calm the water had the appearance of a mirror, reflecting the morning sunrise. NOAA was predicting 5 to 8 knot winds and waves less than 1 foot. It was dead calm and the water was slick as a sheet of glass. Even NOAA isn’t right all the time I guess.
We sat there and watched hundreds of ducks sitting around us on the sound, stationary and content to sit where they were. We had ducks fly by, but they would not come near the boat blind in such calm conditions. They would flare off about 50 yards out from the boat, just out of range. We sat there and glassed the ducks;bluebills,buffles and scoters until about 10:00am when a single male scoter blew through the decoys and we splashed him. The dog made short work of the retrieve, with the outgoing tide it was a good 40 yard swim. Only duck we took the whole morning.
It was so calm that when I cranked my outboard to pick up the blocks, ducks flared from the sound at over 200 yards! I have never seen that before. That would seem to indicate very wary birds indeed. My buddy and I discussed the need for us to purchase some kind of layout boats for the next season!
Got one scoter and the dog made a good retrieve. The sunrise was spectacular. The mirror-like conditions of the water made have been bad for hunting, but it was perhaps the most beautiful sunrise I have seen this year.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 01-13-2010 12:29
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
I went out for a wood duck hunt on the Nuese River this morning and it was quite a difference from Monday. The water has dropped another 3 feet in 3 days, I was barely able to access the water I wanted to get to. In fact, I had to get out and walk the boat about 50 yards where the water was too low to run my outboard. Took some intestinal fortitude to step out of the boat in the dark in 21 degrees.
Got back to my spot and set up. At legal time, a group of 4 came over and I missed the lead duck, all three shots. I then had a pair of hooded mergansers come in and land in the decoys. I hate mergansers. I don’t like to shoot them, I won’t eat them. I watched them swim around for about 10 minutes and then they swam away. About 30 minutes later, a single came through and I missed him,two shots. I had some ducks blow by me, just didn’t see them in time. Then I managed to splash a woodie drake with the third shot. Sent Dixie the wonderdog after it, she had a brain fart and I spent the next 10 minutes trying to get her to acknowledge my hand signals. Sometimes she just gets contrary and won’t look at me to get directions. She wants to do what she wants to do and she doesn’t want to be told. Finally got the situation handled after some highly descriptive adjectives, and the morning was over.
Wet dog, beautiful sunrise, less than stellar shooting performance. Typical day in the field.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 01-11-2010 13:39
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
Went out for a wood duck hunt this morning and the key was finding open water that was out of the hard current. I went to hunt my old stomping grounds, a area that 30 years ago I had all to myself, but I quit hunting there about 3 years ago due to heavy hunting pressure.
There was a multitude of reasons for giving up this area. One, too many hunters began to suddenly hunt there. Starting about 10 years ago, a few began to show up,no problem. There was room enough for them. Then there were more. Then there were hunters going in every day of the week. Not one hunter, but many hunters on many days, hunting the same stretch of water. Two, roost shooters. The roost is fairly easy to access if you know where it is and once it was found, hunters began to hunt the roost and it scattered the ducks. Three, skybusting. This forced the ducks up too high to hunt. Four, hunters who were gunning from moving boats. Unethical and detrimental to hunting quality to those obeying the rules.
Pressure is down this year in my spot. One reason is that for the reasons above, the hunting got so crappy that the above offenders gave up on the spot. Another appears to be that the last 3 seasons of drought conditions may have convinced some hunters to quit the sport as the easy hunting was not to be had. I think also that the 17 degree weather may have run off the lightweights.
I went to my old trusty spot this morning and had it all to myself. No gunfire from the creek, or from the river itself. I was encouraged to hear woodies squealing in the roost and I awaited legal time. There was enough current to keep the water open, yet it was out of the main current and this made it a ideal spot for weary migrators as well as resident woodies needing concealment. I had a pair of woodies go over about 5 minutes after legal time and I hit the call. They turned as if on rails and came right in. Two shots took down one woodie at about 25 yards. Dixie the wonderdog went off in pursuit and made short work of the wood duck that went down in the creek itself. Upon recovery of the dog, I reloaded just in time to have a group of three come up the creek. I stood up and they flared off to the right of the creek. One shot took down the leader and he went down in the woods directly opposite the boatblind. Off went Dixie across the creek. She crossed over to the other bank and off into the woods on the other side. In no time she was back with the drake. While she was gone, I reloaded and got ready for the next group. Upon getting Dixie back in the boat and the blind reset, I sat there for about 30 minutes. Hearing woodies squealing, I hit the call and got a response. Calling and them answering, I was ready when a group of 4 came up the creek at full speed. One shot at 30 yards took a drake down that went into a fluttering descent into the same woods as the last duck. Off went Dixie and a wood duck limit was achieved.
I did some scouting after the hunt, there are ducks on the river. The ponds and beaverswamps are locked up in ice and I don’t see any change in that over the next few days.
