Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Southern Maine, Ocean 12-05-2006 15:45
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This am was a cold one. I hunted with WF.com member, Teal Tumbler from NY. It was overcast with 10-15 kt NW. Low tide at 0420. We were all set just after 6. There was a little chop on the water with a slight swell. The wind died down around 10 and was flat calm and sunny. There were some nice drake ediers buzzing around at legal time (but we didn’t shoot at any today). Mostly singles and pair. Had pairs of hen eiders and scoters coming into the decoys. The Oldsquaw was the primary duck today. They have teased me this year but today they gave us some fast shooting. My shooting was way off today and there should have been more ducks in the boat. Shot 2 nice drakes with long sprigs. unfortunately the one I shot was not recovered along with a white winged scoter. Not a lot of eiders around. After this cold wheather I had expected some fresh birds? Slow! Overall we saw good numbers of oldsquaw, black scoter, white winged scoter and very few eiders. There were around 6 big flocks of high flying canadas heading South. Had a great time today. Hope to be out Saturday. Should have some nice pics posted soon. I forgot my camera but Teal Tumbler had his.
[Edited By Andrew-White on 2006-12-05 15:46]
Posted By:
paul-reynolds
Guest
biddeford 11-30-2006 20:00
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 50-60 Degrees
We had a great day last Saturday. The new diver spread seems to be working well. We had lots of Buffleheads, mergansers and some scoters work the rig. Three mallard rounded out the day. There was a few flocks of geese in the area but they had a different destination on thier minds. I’m looking forward for some real winter weather coming in to start moving the birds down to the coast.
I hunted the two previous days in the Saco area. There were plenty of mallard and geese in the air. We shot a limit of mallards and some bonus geese. I was very disapointed to have another hunter in the area 1. shoot 10 minutes early and 2. shoot from a no discharge zone. Actions like that will close an area to hunting very quickly especially in tight urban areas.
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Edgecomb 11-30-2006 12:38
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
Hunted this morning for puddlers bofore work. I arrived a bit later than I would have liked There was one other hunter on the other side of the road hunting the marsh off the river. I set up 4 mallard dekes. Before I was set up a coulpe of low flying ganzers flew by. I sat at this one spot until a bit past 7 and then decided to try and jump shoot. Shortly after getting in tht yak There were some shots in back of me that put some mallards in the air. Took one shot and missed. After that I headed back to the launch and headed to work. Hope to get out Tuesday for some sea duck action. Hope this wheather pushes some fresh birds our way. Will see!
Posted By:
flylineguide
Guest
Ocean 11-27-2006 13:41
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
It was blowing pretty good in the early hours then lighten up around 10. Quite a few more eiders around then on Thursday and previous hunts. Seems the eiders are finally coming down from the maritimes. Lots of WW scoters around this year also. The sprigs on the oldsquaws are really getting some good length. Thursday there was a distress vessel being directed by the Coast Guard. I could hear the station at Boothbay but not the vessel on the radio. Hopefully all turned out Okay.
Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a waste of motion. Action with vision can change the world! www.flylineguide.com flylineguide@outdrs.net
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
11-26-2006 14:07
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Nothing to report on since last report. Have had inlaws up since Thursday and this coming week is out. I may try and get a puddle hunt in before work.. mid cost. Looks like I will be getting my smoke pole stamp. Haven’t tried real hard for dear this year. Chasing ducks has been more exciting. Teal Tumbler and I have a sea duck shoot coming up in December, just hope the wheather holds out for us. Hope everybody had a good turkey day and ate till it hurt!
Later
Posted By:
flylineguide
Guest
North Atlantic 11-21-2006 14:20
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Slow gunning today as well Andrew. 1030 before drake limits where met. Love the dog story. Seems like it 4 to 1 ratio hens to drakes this year. Hopefully the cold will bring in more birds. Saw a flock of teal this morning they just wouldnt come in to the eider tollers. Tons of black duck also I guess the black decoys will go back in the boat for Thursday.
Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a waste of motion. Action with vision can change the world! www.flylineguide.com flylineguide@outdrs.net
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Southern Maine 11-20-2006 22:39
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
Hunted this afternoon with a friend of mine and my lab Murphy. The tide had just turned and the winds were light at less than 10 kts NW. Mostly clear with light clouds. Seas were calm with a slight roll. The current was the strongest I have seen it at this one spot probably due to all the run off. My decoy strings were dragging quite fast and had to be reset several times before the tide slacked off a bit. I use 20″ sash weights that go about 5lbs or so. My friend was doing the shooting while I was keeping the dog under control. It came time for me to pick up the gun due to some bad shooting. I droped a drake eider and released the dog. He was coaxed to the bird with some thrown rocks and locked onto it. The bird was about 50 yards from the boat. He was 5′ from the bird and it twitched a leg causing my dog to put the brakes on and swim towards a decoy string. He picked up a decoy and swam over 2 more before coming back to the boat and swiming around the anchor line with the snarl of dekes. We all had a laugh. After all was reset he retrived his 2nd and 3rd birds with no problem. They were blinds which I lined him up on and were coaxed to by thrown rocks. The 3rd bird was a drake hooded merganzer which I have never seen out on the ocean before. Ended the day with 4 birds…1 eider, 2 scoters and 1 hooded merganzer. Was not the best day but was a good day for the dog. Saw smaller #’s of eiders and scoters along with squas. We shot small flocks mostly singles and pairs. The birds just were not inshore. There was another hunter on his way in (from MA) from offshore and he reported slow gunning also.
All for now
Posted By:
flylineguide
Guest
Southern maine 11-20-2006 08:13
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 35-40 Degrees
Took a regular duck trip first thing this morning. Buffies and goldeneyes. I was back home at 815 am. 3 buffs 2 whistlers 1 mergie quite fun just me and the dog on foot jumpshooting and pass shooting a local spot. Larry I sent you a pm. Back to eiders tommorrow.
Vision without action is a dream. Action without vision is a waste of motion. Action with vision can change the world! www.flylineguide.com flylineguide@outdrs.net
Posted By:
Larry-Gausch
Field Editor
Berks County not Maine 11-19-2006 17:31
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Any of you guys possibly up to taking some Pa. boys out for eiders this season? I would be willing to make the drive and would look forward to having some of you guys down our way for longnecks. “g”
Posted By:
Larry-Gausch
Field Editor
Berks County not Maine 11-19-2006 16:07
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Any of you guys possibly up to taking some Pa. boys out for eiders this season? I would be willing to make the drive and would look forward to having some of you guys down our way for longnecks. “g”
