Posted By:
Bert Holtzman
Field Editor
Around Indy 01-08-2010 15:03
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 0-10 Degrees – Open Water
Randy, Tony and Marty got 11 ducks and a goose this morning.
Season Totals
120 ducks
57 geese
Birds in the Ohio River Zone around here are becoming more numerous. However, most of the activity is occuring in the afternoon on the river in general. Ducks have been sitting in the mornings and feeding in the afternoon. I witnessed a massive mallard stage yesterday afternoon on the river. They sat down for a while then poured into as KY cornfield.
Posted By:
Bert Holtzman
Field Editor
Ohio River 01-07-2010 11:18
Cloudy, Accumulating Snow – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
I scouted Monday and saw about a thousand birds in a time period of 30 minutes and was feeling pretty confident about getting out on the river this morning. Randy, Tony, and I threw out our decoys on the mouth of a creek and got ready. We didn’t see much at day break. Two gadwall came in and one left, though it was hit. Those were the only two ducks we saw. Unbelievable. Birds are here on day and gone the next. The boys are heading to Indy tomorrow. I’ll be sleeping in and watching Lexi. I’m sure we’ll both have another snow day!
Posted By:
Bert Holtzman
Field Editor
Around Indy 01-02-2010 19:16
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
We set up on the lake again this morning. It was mostly open water when I trotted in to set the decoys out. By the time I was done with the chore, and adjustments, it seemed to start to ice in immediately. Nonetheless, after a half-hour wait until shooting time, we did have at least some open water. Unfortunately none of the ducks we saw wanted anything to do with it. After an hour or so of freezing our tails off, Randy decided to make a run to the lower end of the lake. I volunteered to tag along, much to his dismay! Upon arrival we noticed a stack of ducks and geese lounging in the open water. They jumped up and we sat waiting for some to return. One did, out of range. We decided to head back to the crew soon thereafter and made our way back in the Ranger. When we got back ducks and geese started to fly. We invited them in to our decoys. Four geese accepted the invitation. We got three but lost one to the ice. Goose did a good job on getting two. We decided it wasn’t worth sending him for the third, which was a good ways out huddled dead on the ice.
Our next target was the cornfield we took limits of geese in earlier this week. We stopped to get something to eat on the way. When we arrived to the field we got our things in order and were ready to go get set up. We did and spent the next three hours calling in earnest to a few flocks of geese. None answered our pleas and we picked up and headed home with two geese late in the afternoon. We had another good time but were slightly disappointed with our bag. We’re taking tomorrow off but will be back at it again next weekend or sooner if I get a snow day Thursday and/or Friday.
Posted By:
Bert Holtzman
Field Editor
Ohio River Zone 01-01-2010 10:12
– – –
Hunting reports the past two days
Thursday- We set up in the beaver slough and saw 5 ducks. No shots fired.
Today- Once again they set up in the beaver slough minus Tony and I. They saw seven ducks and killed three.
Whatever ducks we had are gone. Hopefully this cold brings more down. Even though this season has pretty much sucked minus a handful of hunts we’ve already surpassed last year’s totals. But it has been a lot of work to say the least. Off to Indy tomorrow. We’ll hunt the river Sunday.
Happy New Year. Cheers
Season Counts-
108 ducks
56 geese
Posted By:
Bert Holtzman
Field Editor
Around Indy 12-30-2009 12:02
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
We set up for a quick duck hunt on the lake this morning the most to a field for a goose hunt. If was early action once again for ducks. We had three groups come in and killed seven but lost one in the ice. Once ducks stopped flying we moved to the field. Nothing was in it when we got set up but soon after geese started flying. We had a limit of ten an hour later and are heading home after a nice three day jaunt. We’re heading back out in the morning in a marsh along the river.
Posted By:
Bert Holtzman
Field Editor
Around Indy 12-29-2009 18:21
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
We set up on the lake again this morning. It was cold! We stayed warm early. Two mallards dropped in and we busted them both. Then we saw several groups that wanted nothing to do with us. A solo dropped in and we got him. Minutes later six came in and landed behind us. We decided to pop up out of our layout blinds and give it a go. Four stayed with us. We should have got five as we missed a couple of easy shots. That was it until around four. We took a lunch break and came back. When we did we sat and waited. At about four a group of four dropped out of the sky. I’ve only seen them drop down like they did once. It was kamikazi! We only got one. The others dropped too far behind us. We worked several other groups until shooting time was up. They poored in when we were picking up. One more hunt with our buddy Scooter. Then we return home for some of those Ohio River Zone birds, or at least we hope.
Posted By:
Aaron-Vogler
Web Member
Southern Indiana 12-29-2009 15:09
– – –
Haven’t been in over a week, but am hearing good things about many new birds, so its sounds like Bert was correct. The guys I hunt with shot some redheads and greenheads today and saw several groups of 50+ mallards. They also reported many divers: Cans, Goldeneye and Buffleheads. It sounds like our regular late season push has arrived, finally. I’m gonna give it my best here the last few weeks or until I get burned out on blank skies.
Posted By:
Bert Holtzman
Field Editor
Around Indy 12-28-2009 17:34
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
We had another fine morning today. It started quick. Ducks were all over us early and often. We had ten birds on the water twenty minutes in. After that it quit for a while. Pairs to four came in every so often. We worked three groups of geese. One came in perfect. Ended up with 19 mallards and three geese. We tried to wait for that last bird to fill our limit but couldn’t wait it out. Birds started coming in ten minutes after we picked up.
Scooter put us on them again. Thanks to him! Dad doesn’t get out with us much due to work. He made it today.
I’ll post pics when we get back.
Posted By:
Bert Holtzman
Field Editor
Ohio River Zone- THE X 12-27-2009 09:44
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Complete and total CARNAGE this morning.
I woke up pretty tired and truth be told, went back to bed. We were planning on setting up where we hunted yesterday and I didn’t see any birds returning after being under the gun yesterday. Boy was I wrong. I arrived at Randy’s around 5 and we shot the sugar for a while and left for the X around quarter till 6. The walk in was pleasant and not as taxing as it was yesterday. We got to the X and threw out our decoys, some of which were inflatable, which are nice for the type of area we were in. We moved up from where we were yesterday and had ten or so minutes until shooting time. It was a perfect morning for birds to fly. Five minutes in I heard a mallard whistling and blew on the call for a while just to get warmed up. The first group flew in about ten minutes later. Three landed right in our faces. We got two. How one escaped is beyond me but he was lucky to say the least. Doubles and triples continued to come in for the next 20 minutes. The shooting was right in your face. If the few ducks that landed behind us or out of range in front of us would have came in like they did it really would have been something. The hunt was still our best of the year here in the Ohio River Zone, as we ended up with nine birds for the morning. They can rest for the next few days. We’re headed to Indy in the morning.
A shout out to Randy. He put us on the X this morning. Thanks buddy! Marty and Tony did real well for us too this morning. Our little clan is fun to say the least. The only sour note came from the fact that dad was at church. We hope to get him some action in the morning.
Pictures posted in grip and grin.
[Edited By Bert Holtzman on 2009-12-27 18:33]
Posted By:
Corey-Cordray
Guest
South Zone 12-27-2009 07:35
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
Hunted a field today and killed 3 honkers and a mallard. Dad shot a banded goose from Wisconsin. Some of them must be local birds that have been getting hunted hard since they were slightly skittish. Going to let it rest for awhile and go down to Goose Pond tomorrow morning.
