Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Southern Maine 11-17-2004 09:32
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 35-40 Degrees
First I want to correct an error on my post from 2 Nov. I reported shooting a drake surf scoter. It was a white winged scoter that I shot. I have yet to even see a surf scoter down here. Have only seen them off of Boothbay and surounding areas.
Went sea ducking again yesterday morning. It was not to cold and the winds were light 5 kts or so out of the NE, seas 2-4. It was very dark due to being overcast so I took it slow as I headed towards the mouth of the river. I set up in my usual spot with 2 strings of dekes out(ind blocks). The tide & wind was perfect. Of course the ducks started flying after I had two stings out so I put my anchors out and waited. Beleive I had about a dozen and a half out. There were lots of surf scoters and old squaw flying around. I really didn’t see to many eiders, maybe half dozen or so. My aim was was absolutley horrible. I missed a nice drake eider at 20 yards twice, along with a lot of short shots i.e 2 feet behind the birds. Give them a good leed. Had a couple nice drake squaws come in but of course I was fidleing around with my anchors and not paying attention. A hen eider came in and I shot once. She did a touch and go and kept on going. Hate crippleing birds. Ended up with a drake and hen white winged scoter. Wished I had another person to help set the strings out. I got one in my prop and realized I didn’t have a knife to cut it out as I was drifting towards the rocks. Got it out in the nic of time. All for now.
[Edited By Andrew-White on 2004-11-17 15:43]
[Edited By Andrew-White on 2004-11-18 13:05]
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Southern Maine 11-12-2004 15:02
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 35-40 Degrees
Went deer hunting Thursday morning. Got to my stand about 0545. At 0630 I had just put on my camo fleece balaclava and was starting to doze off when I heard leaves cruncing to my left. Was hunting on the side of a small gully that opened up into a scruby clearing. Had a button buck come in a bit out of breath and grunting. I fugured he was coming from an area ahead of me where there was alot of shots or chasing a doe. So I took the 40 yard shot and he droped. I could not see him from my stand due to the scrub brush and finaly saw him at 5 yards away. He had droped in a small 4′ wide stream at the bottom of the gully. Was using my good old Remmington 30/06, 700 ADL with 180 GRN silver tips. Was back at my apartment to enjoy the rest of the day by 0900. Weighed out at 108 LBS. Ya it’s no monster but it’s meat in the freazer. Now I can concentrate on ducks for the rest of the year.
[Edited By Andrew-White on 2004-11-12 15:04]
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Southern Maine 11-08-2004 11:22
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 35-40 Degrees
Hunted sea ducks on the 2nd. Was a bit bumpy! Managed to scratch a drake eider and surf scoter + one hen commoon scoter. Saw lots of old squaw and eiders. Took two anchors to keep me in one spot once they sanded themselves in. Of course when I was messing with the anchors or something else a good bunch of birds would come in. Was done and back at the launch by 0830. Stopped flying by 0730 or so. Tide and wind was right! Will try aging depending on the marine forcast.
Posted By:
Mark-King
Field Editor
10-31-2004 14:54
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HI TO MAINE. I’M A VFE FROM MICHIGAN AND AM PLANNING A HUNTING TRIP FROM THE 29TH NOV. THRU DEC. 2ND.
ANY ADVICE WOULD BE GREAT.
SHOT SIZE?
WEATHER CONDITIONS
CLOTHING NEEDED.
WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT TO SEE ? DO SEA DUCKS DECOY WELL? DO THEY FLY ALL DAY ? PLEASE SEE STATE TOPICS TO REPLY THANKS
To a true sportsman being out there is what it’s all about.
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Mustard Island to Chops Point, Merrymeeting Bay 10-29-2004 17:07
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 35-40 Degrees
Hunted this past Thursday on Merrymeeting with some friends. Up at 0330 out the door by 0400 and at the launch by 0450. Due to the full moon we were in the the middle of an outgoing tide. I beleive the tide finaly turned around 0800+-. Hunted on the bank with about 20 or so dekes out which we had to move twice to keep them floating. Saw 2 huge flocks fly over but went way up towards the power lines and landed in the middle. We moved the boat after two hours of nothing and went up river a bit to a spot we hunted last year with great luck. Since the tide was so low and still going out we could only get 200 yards from it. Barely floated the boat in and then were left high and dry until the tide turned. Once the dekes were floating again we had small groups break off of massive flocks and a few would give us a fly by. Shot at some but did not connect. I’d reccomend the 3 1/2″ mags for distance as they were not going to come right in. Also saw some scoters out in teh middle to! So do ducks in the bag but the sight of 1000+ ducks funneling down by the power line was awesome. Being a week day we did see 4 other hunters and be weary of the marine patrol. They checked licenses, plugs, shells registrations, id’s and boat gear.
One thing that turned most ducks that gave us a look was some good calling ang face masks. Once they come in put the call down and get ready. Will try some sea ducking next week now that the season is closing this sat.
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Southern Maine 10-26-2004 11:44
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 35-40 Degrees
As mentioned in ealier reports I hunted twice in the early honker season and did not shoot or see any honkers. In fact I have not even seen but one small flock and a couple loner honkers flying about. Have been hunting mostly the same 5 acre pond and have seen very few ducks. All the times I have gone I usually have 2-3 fly by just before legal time. Mostly woodies and maybe blacks and mallards. This past Saturday I only had 2 wood ducks fly out of range and a half dozen scaup fly in behind us and then flushed when I went to grab some coffee. Managed to call them in and they landed just out of range. So I have not really seen a whole lot on the move. I thought the cold snap would get them moving and I think it did a little but then it droped out. I have recently seen some Maine sea duck pictures in the photo gallery. On that note I have seen old squaw, scoter and a few eider (note fully featherd out yet) around the Boothbay harbor area. Have not hunted for sea ducks in Southern Me, yet this year but would assume it is up and furious as usual.
Andrew White VFE
Later
Posted By:
teal tumbler
Guest
10-24-2004 19:31
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Wow, seems pretty quiet over here. Is anybody hunting ducks, or your just keeping all the info to yourselves.
Posted By:
teal tumbler
Guest
Freeport / Brunswick 10-12-2004 21:19
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I know this isn’t the right place for this but I’m looking for some help. The guide that I hunt with is going to deer camp the week we are going to be in the Freeport area.Nov. 8 through 14 and I really want to get after the Eiders and Oldsquaw again. So if anybody could recommend a guide please contact me.
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Boothbay & Southern Maine 09-28-2004 10:15
– – –
Have been meaning to post this for the past three weeks so here it is both past and present.
Several weeks ago I ran into a raft of about 1,000 eiders off the Sheepscott river. Along with some small (40-50lb) blufin going after the spike mackerel. Have not seen any scoters or old squaw yet. Lots of honkers on fields off Rt 27. Have been hunting a small pond(southern Maine)for the early honker season and have not seen any fly over while hunting or any roosting on the pond. Need a good cold snap! Went out this past Sat in Southern Maine for the last day of early honker season and again no geese and no ducks seen flying. Last time I went I saw blacks and mallards with a few small groups of woodies flying over. I may try Merrymeeting for the opener to see if anyting is moving up there. Opening day for the first half is Oct 4. The regular bow season opens up Sep 30, Thursday. Will give that a go. Still need to put my stands up. One of my spots has a house going up, no suprise. So far I think I have the leaks in my boat patched, decoys all rigged up and everything else ready to go for the hunting season. Hopefully I can get a deer with my bow and concentrate on ducks for the rest of the year. Happy hunting.
[Edited By Andrew-White on 2004-09-28 10:16]
Posted By:
leatherman
Guest
09-23-2004 17:14
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Jesse,
consider yourself lucky, as a child I spent a lot of time “Down East” and am planning a hunt there this Dec. You’ll find it very much like MN ( where I currently live), great people,very hospitable, lots of game both waterfowl, upland, and large, and the weather and country feel and look like MN.
Enjoy and keep in touch, maybe we’ll touch base in early Dec.
