Posted By:
bridgeman
Web Member
Ohio River at Carrolton Ky 01-16-2010 19:45
Sunny & Clear, Morning Fog – 45-50 Degrees
Duck Hunt 1-16-10
Since it was iced up above Meldahl last week I decided to try my old hunting grounds Down stream, I went to Carrollton Ky mile 546 Ohio River. Had a fantastic Breakfast at Welch’s downtown on the river. I walked in with a local Gordan , who allowed me to sit at his table with Mike and Mike’s grandson. River at pool, low 43 no wind sunny. Put in at the new ramp next to the Ky River. There were a lot of trucks at the ramp, I suspect some were fishermen. A commercial fisherman was pulling out at 9:30 when I was putting in. He gave a local catfisher a 30lb live catfish, The river was green and a sheet of glass. I started up and motored across and started putting down the Indiana bank. It is easy to spot ducks, it is a sand bank. I also was spotting the Ky. Side as I went down. I spotted two decoy hunters within 500 yards of each other below the little Ky. I said to myself this is beautiful, the river was fantastic. There was only one problem, no ducks or geese. I putted down 8 miles, within site of the Milton Bridge. I did see another skiff, he was running up and crossed over in front of me. I turned around a putted back up the ky bank, and saw no ducks. I did see 3 groups of geese flying downstream. When I passed the decoy hunters at the little Ky they had already pulled up. I pulled out at 2:00, did not fire a shot. I took a ride up to Milton and saw a few local ducks at Madison. I ran back 42 and stopped at gent Warsaw, and Craigs creek to look for ducks, nothing. Home by 4:00, did not fire a shot.
Posted By:
bridgeman
Web Member
Ohio River Downtown Cincinnati -no hunt 01-13-2010 12:20
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
I drive over the Ohio river at downtown Cincinnati (mile 470) every morning and nite. This morning there was ice in downtown Cincin. It has been frozen from bank to bank above Meldahl (mile 436) since last sunday. I have hunted the Ohio above Cincinnati for 43 years now, and back in the 60’s and 70’s the Ohio was never at pool stage during duck season. Pool stage at Cincin. is 24′, and the river never droped more than 30′ all winter long. Now it is at pool stage all winter long. The problem is when the big O is at pool, there is no current, so when it gets cold- ice. You cant float hunt with Ice or decoy hunt, which sucks. Pray for rain and a little warmer weather, then 1 more cold snap.
Posted By:
Shawn-Keeton
Web Member
01-11-2010 11:48
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Hunters are out in force right now and most are taking a few birds. We tried to get out on Saturday but our water pump went out on the boat ramp and we headed to the shop. A quick search for parts showed there wasn’t one anywhere around to procure and put on for a hunt on Sunday. I did see several groups of hunters set up on the river. Some were boat hunting and some were simply walking in from the shore. I talked to several guys yesterday and they said numbers had dropped some from the middle of last week. I suspect a few headed out after the snow rather than stay and dig for food. There are decent numbers of mallards and geese seem to be pretty thick in several places. I talked to a guy who hunts out of a pit locally and he said they had been killing birds daily but not seeing a ton of birds. The ones that are passing seem to be willing to work the decoys. Diver numbers are still very low. A few buffies being killed and a couple of bluebills but that’s about it. Only a few weeks left, time to really get out and make it happen.
Posted By:
bridgeman
Web Member
Ohio River below Foster mile 438 01-10-2010 16:53
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
Duck Hunt 1-10-10
My partner Jim could not make it today, he is having some minor health problems. (the man is 79). I had to work all week as well as Saturday, but got up at 6:30 and was going to drive to Rome mile 384 Ohio River. I was a little concerned about the ramps, the transmission is out on my 97 chev pickup , so I took the 97 Suburban, both are 4×4 (and 265,000 miles, yes I said 265,000) because the suburban has conventional tires and gets stuck in a heavy dew. I took the skiff, River at pool, no wind low last nite 11. I stopped and got coffee at the mentor marathon and decided to drive up Route 8. As I passed the river below Foster, it was clear, no ice. With the Ohio at pool stage for 3 weeks now and the low temps. I was surprised to see open water. But above the Dam was solid ice, from bank to bank. The normal Red full size chev was parked 1 mile below Snag creek. I crossed over at the new Maysville Bridge. I had a great breakfast at the Yum Yum and had a spirited conversation about Avartar, you all must see it and in 3D. As I drove east out of Aberdeen, it looked bad, river was still solid ice. I don’t think I saw trucks at the Maysville ramp.
Drove up to Manchester, and saw that it was hopeless, solid ice. Drove back and put in at Foster. Mile 438. Ramp was salted by the commercial fisherman out of Mentor. I was first at 10:00 am. Started the C motor after 20 pulls, (still waiting for parts for the A motor) Started up the Ky bank. Ran up to just below Bear Creek and Crossed over to the Ohio side. With no high water, I decided to putt down spotting ducks with the glasses. A decoy hunter ran up my bank and stopped at the new ramp across from Foster, to pick something up because 5 minutes he headed back down. I watched all of this though the Binoculars. Since he scared up the Ohio bank, I switched to the Ky bank, putting down slow. There was about 100 Geese between barges at Black River (mile 441.5) I passed them because I will not shot a goose next to a barge. I went over to say hi to the decoy hunter on the Ohio bank across from Black River. They said they had 1 but did see a lot of Geese. I switched back to the Ky bank. Below Black River, I spotted about 50 geese about 1/8 mile below the last barge. I paddled very slow with the almost non existent current. There were two just above about 50. I got right up on them and got one goose. I pulled in the bank and had a cup of coffee. I headed on down. I screwed up on about 10 mallards at the second set of barges below Zimmer on the Ky bank. I putted down next to the barge, and they saw me while they were 1/8 mile DS. I pulled into the bank to let them settle down. I pushed off and never did get close to them, they took off while I was maybe 300 yds away.
I spotted 2 ducks below me and floated right up on them. They were fish ducks, and I thought they were Canvasbacks, I got right up on them and dropped the drake. At this point I am across from Point Pleasant, and I look up and here comes a runner (bored decoy hunter) up my bank and crosses over at Point Pleasant. Since the bank below me is disturbed, and there really are not many ducks, I decided to head home. I ran up the Ohio bank, spotting with my binoculars as I ran up. Very easy to do when there are sand banks. Across from Black River I spotted 4 mallards. I ran across the ky bank, and up and above these ducks, and crossed over again. As I was running up I saw 3 bald eagles, 1 had a white head and tail, but the other two did not. They were too big for hawks. I floated down right on the mallards. At this point the sun is out and it is very pretty. The mallards are walking at the waters edge, and have no clue that I am not a big log. I dropped a drake and missed a hen. I started back up the Ohio bank and spotted 4 blacks about a mile above Moscow. I crossed over ran up about .5 mile and crossed over and floated down. I had spotted them below a down tree. As I was floating down , crows were sitting on the bank below me taking baths at the water edge. I don’t recall seeing that before. They would duck their heads in the water and splash it on their backs. I spotted my 4 blacks, and headed down. I was maybe 20 yards from the bank. I got within 25 yards and they decided to swim out, but at a non-alarmed pace. We chased each other for maybe 100 yards when I decided to take them, two shots and nothing. Headed back to Foster and was home by 4:00.
Posted By:
nimrod57
Web Member
little bit north, river 01-04-2010 19:03
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 0-10 Degrees – Open Water
hunted straight north of louisville on Sat. 8 degrees at dawn. scared up two flocks of geese with 20 to 25 in a fl0ck as we were motoring in to our chosen site. after we got set up we had one bufflehead fly by . he was gone by the time I thought to shoot him. We later saw two geese fly over and then one flock of 8 mallards they came and circled several times and finally came in to light, way out past the decoys. We convinced one to stay.
Sunday hunted a lake, saw several ducks but none of them wanted to work.
Cold cold, cold!!! But have seen no resulting ducks as yet.
Posted By:
Shawn-Keeton
Web Member
01-04-2010 12:48
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On Saturday we hunted a pond that wasn’t completely frozen. There were about 100 geese on it when we got there. They flew off, we set up and waited. We saw 0 ducks and only had one small bunch of geese come back. Saturday night I found a pond that was open and had birds on it. Sunday morning we got there and it was frozen solid. 4 degrees temps will do that I guess. We set up anyway and saw several flocks of high flying geese all heading south but none gave us a look. We decided to hook up the duck skiff and go to the river for a little while. I was totally surprised by the lack of birds on the river. We went about 6 miles total and other than the usual town birds we saw very few ducks or geese. The other thing that’s odd is the fact that there are no divers around. We shot one goldeneye and that was it. Normally when it gets cold like this and the ponds freeze there will be buffies, bluebills, cans and so on down on the big water but we didn’t see any. The birds that we did see were all on points or in cuts behind points where there was calm water and exposed banks. I got a report a few minutes ago from a fella that was on the river this morning. They ended up with 2 geese and 1 wood duck (which was a cripple) but he did say they saw about 400 geese and 200 ducks. Hopefully with these sustained cold temps some more birds will show up. Stay careful, this is deadly weather right now.
Posted By:
bridgeman
Web Member
Duck Hunt 1-2-10 01-02-2010 23:36
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I forgot to mention, I saw a bald eagle on the Ohio band below Manchester.
Posted By:
bridgeman
Web Member
Ohio River at Manchester Mile 397 01-02-2010 16:45
Cloudy, High Winds – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
Duck Hunt1-2-09
I decided to take the skiff to Manchester today mile 397 Ohio River. Low last nite was 17 river at 29, which is really to low to float, and high wind. I had a great breakfast at the Dairy Yum Yum. At water by 9:00. I picked this stretch because it is not as bad when the west wind blows, and it was already windy at 9:30. My regular 10 hp is still waiting for parts, so I tool my C motor, my 10 hp 1959 Johnson. It did not want to start, but finally did. I started up the Ohio bank until the Island then ran to Ky bank. Since there is no current I putted down slow looking though the glasses. I screwed up on a black and then 2 mallards, they were already swimming out when I saw them. The wind seemed to be blowing from my right side, so I decided to switch to the Ohio bank. Putted on down and spotted some fish ducks and 1 goose. The goose got out of the water and walked up to a barn for protection, unreal. By now the wind calmed a little, so I went back to the ky. Bank which I like better. (better cover and no houses) I spotted some ducks and cut the 10 hp and started paddling. I looked at the bank and there was maybe 10 mallards walking along the bank, and they appeared to be eating the weeds. I got right besides them, got 1 drake and the rest crossed the sun, and I was blinded and did not shoot. Picked up my one and pulled into the bank for coffee and a cupcake. Started back down. Wind started picking up so I tried the Ohio bank, but it was worse. By now it is really blowing. Decided to call it and day and had a fun run US in the 3’ white caps. (luckily I was going with the wind) .I ran up the Ohio bank but out far due to low water. At Isaacs creek I saw about 4 blacks and 5 mallards at the mouth, but it was too windy to run up and float down. Pulled out and had chili at the yum yum . Home by 2:30
Posted By:
Shawn-Keeton
Web Member
12-30-2009 08:19
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The action is still hit or miss but I think its getting ready to get better. Some of the small ponds are starting to freeze which will concentrate birds on bigger water. I have seen several flocks of geese flying high and several new groups of birds in the neighborhood. There are not many divers here yet but I have gotten reports of a few buffies and bluebills on the river. We put our skiff in on the Kentucky river Saturday and went 10 miles and did not see a single bird, duck or goose. Its the first time we have ever hunted the skiff and not seen a bird. We talked to some other hunters who were decoying and they saw one goose. Sunday we hunted a pond and shot two limits of geese (1 was banded) and a mallard. Its just being in the right spot until things freeze up a little more. The weather reports for this weekend look like some things will really freeze tight, several nights in the teens. Keep your eyes on the big water, we are going to find out pretty quickly what is here. Stay safe.
Posted By:
Shawn-Keeton
Web Member
12-23-2009 08:44
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Its still spotty as heck right now. We killed 6 geese and a duck on Saturday and 0 on Sunday even though I thought for sure that Sunday’s spot was better than Saturdays. The birds that are around are very scattered as the ponds are not frozen. There have been a few ducks on the river but not enough for me to say go there right this minute. I’ve seen several wood ducks of late in some standing timber but that’s mostly it. The geese are changing fields and ponds frequently so if you find them try to set up the next day you can as they could really move a lot over the course of a few days. Keep in mind this weather as well, if it gets bad they will fly later so instead of being there before day light get out a little later so you can stay later.
