Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Merrymeeting Bay, Brunswick 10-19-2005 14:01
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
It felt as though I hadn’t gone to sleep once the alarm finally went off. I kept waking up at 0130, 0230 and 0330 thinking that I had hit the snooze and just needed to get up and get it over with. Must have been the sickness, I mean anticepation. Was the first at the ramp which is what I like. Once I found my spot and started setting up I heard another boat coming from the launch. Got set up with plenty of time to spare. My pup was driving me crazy. Since he couldn’t see me while setting the decoys he kept wineing. Legal shooting time came and there were not that many ducks in the air. I noticed one hunter just starting to set up about 2 miles from me. Minutes later I saw hundreds of blacks and mallards get up from the marsh. All and all I shot once and missed. Every group I saw were really checking things out and were “high flyers”. As I was tracking and calling some mallards, I was following them to my right and noticed my lab pup had a radar lock on em. For me it was kind of like watching your child walk for the first time (he’s my child). And all the other hunters around me shot very little. The birds were high and fast. I have come to the conclusiond that these birds are being worked hard and have turned a little weary. The dozens of empty hulls on the shore only convinced me more. There are a few hunters who must hunt there every day since I have noticed there car and trailer more than once. Hope to go after some sea ducks next week depending on the weather. Later
[Edited By Andrew-White on 2005-10-19 20:03]
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
10-16-2005 17:31
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One interesting item I forgot to mention on my last post. Has anyone ever come across a duck with it’s head riped off? Was sitting in the blind and we kept looking at this object bobbing in the water. Couldn’t figure out what it was with the binos. While adjusting the decoys I walked over and found a nice black duck and it’s head a few feet away. I have seen this with turkeys and have been told that a great horned owl does this. Interesting. And no it wasn’t shot off. The head had part of the spine with it. Nothing was eaten off of it.
[Edited By Andrew-White on 2005-10-16 17:33]
Posted By:
rrattie
Guest
Hartland 10-15-2005 09:08
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Will be in the Hartland area next weekend doing a little grouse hunting. I was wondering what the chances are finding some ducks to hunt in that area.
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Merrymeeting Bay, Brunswick 10-14-2005 10:04
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
Had a great day on Merrymeeting Bay yesterday. Woke up @ 0400, on the raod @ 0425, arrived at the boat ramp @ 0515 and had the boat in the water by 0535. The tide was half way in so I couldn’t get to where I wanted but made do in the main channel. There were lots of ducks in the air @ leagal shooting time but it was way to dark to even think of shooting. Had a nice group of teal come in with a whistle or two up wind of the spread and let them drift down before my friend jumped them and missed all 3 times! It was a special day for me because I had my 8 month old black lab Murphy (8 months this Sunday the 16th)on his very first hunt. He snuck out of the boat while setting out the decoys and proceeded to drag every decoy to shore. Of course he would not let me catch him. I just let him get the crazies out of his system before I caught him and put him on a leash in the boat. We had some wood ducks come in and managed to knock one down. I put murphy on a 25′ lead and sent him after the duck while I followed from behind. He fetched it, brought it back and dropped it in my frineds hand on command. What a good feeling that was!! That was the only duck we got due to horrible shooting from both of us. Once the tide came up we moved against the shore where there was a good lee and where we were seeing most of the ducks fly over and land. Had 4 singles come in without calling–mallards, blacks and wood ducks. The action stopped at about ten and we picked up at quarter of 11 or so. It was a day to remember! May go next Tuesday with the dog again. Hopefuly this beautiful Maine wheather clears out.
Posted By:
Scott Pope
Guest
Hey Andrew 10-13-2005 08:10
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Andrew,
I saw you private message but the server deleted it when I clicked it on. Please send again if you can
Thanks
Scott
Posted By:
Scott Pope
Guest
10-11-2005 08:22
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Andrew,
I enjoy your posts..My buddy and I are flying out your way from Iowa for a little Sea duck hunting at the end of the month. We have never done it before and are looking forward to it. What are the prospects? Have you seen birds? The fact that you are reworking decoys into old Squaws must mean there are a few of them around.
Any info would be appreciated
Scott
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
10-10-2005 07:52
Cloudy, High Winds – 40-45 Degrees
The alarm went off @ 0400 and I anxiously lept out of bed Sat (not realy) and walked into the living room and saw that it was a downpoor and very windy, so I set the alarm for 0630 and went back to sleep. Got up again and saw the same thing, no hunting for Saturday. This week is going to be a nice blustery one. I hope to hunt Pleasant Bay marsh on my way home from woork on Wednesday, we will see. Haven’t hunted that yet but driven by it countless times.
Last week I spent about 5 hours converting Flambou and Carrylite pintail, red head and blue bill dekes into common, white winged and old squaw decoys and now have about 40 for my spread. Also painted up about 6 odd ball dekes I have found over the years. They came out pretty nice. Not sure when I will get out for sea ducks again. Will have to see when this wheather flops out.
Oh, I tried this recipe for an orange sauce I read about in Wildfowl, it’s awesome. Made my eiders taste darn good. Calls for 1 can frozen orange juice concentrate, 1/2 cup reg sugar and one stick of salted butter. Mix up in sauce pan on low heat and serve over thinly slcied med rare duck breats. Tasty!!
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
Southern Maine 10-04-2005 09:32
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
Hunting season is finally here!! the regular archery season opened on the 29th with high winds and warm temps. I did go out and sat on stand for a few hours with no results then did a bit of walking and saw some sign around some large oak trees. Lots of acorns on the ground this year. Sat Oct 1st marked the first day of Maine’s sea duck season. I awoke at 0400 and arrived at the public launch on the Saco River about 5 after 5 and was shocked to see four other hunters launching there boats. I was the last one out but did manage to find a spot away from the crowd. I did see one member of the journal there that I recognized from the photo gallery from last years season. Not sure of his name but will look him up. So I found a spot, set out three strings and got anchored up at 0606. Legal shooting time was @ 0603. the tide was also perfect with a low at 0446. All ledges would be exposed. Knocked two hen eiders down about 5 min after I set up and continued to hear other boats shooting. Overall it was fairly slow. I only saw one drake eider in all the groups that went past, mostly out of range. Hopefully the temps will drop and start moving the birds around. The seas and wind were a real nice bonus allowing set up to go a little quicker. There is nothing like the smell of two stroke and gun powder in the morning! Monday Oct 3rd marked the opener of the regular duck season. I was going to head up to the Merrymeeting Bay but the tides were wrong so I went to a pond and set some mallard, teal and wood duck dekes out. Only saw 3 blacks fly past. 2 were close enough for a shot which I missed. The sun came up straight in my eyes so I decided to move around the point. As I did the sky filled with blacks and woodies. I managed to take one black. Seeing and hearing all the woodies flying around I decided to try some stealth jump shooting wich I did with good results as those little critters are tough to sneak up on. I knocked 2 drakes down, one unfortuatley had enough gas to dive and never resurface. The other one I retrieved and dispatched. This one I brought to the taxidermist. It had taken me about 8 years to shoot one of these critters. So far for me the season has gone well. I would be interested in hearing from other hunters on there sucsess. All for now. Hope to jump shoot some more woodies this Fri or Sat. Later
Andrew White VFE Maine
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
09-13-2005 22:09
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So it is September! Where the #$%& did summer go? I am ready for Fall but wish I could skip Winter and head into Spring. Oh well. I have been seeing and hearing decent flocks of resident Canada gesse flying about. Have also seen LARGE rafts of eiders from the Boothbay Harbor area to the Kennebeck river. The Kennebeck seems to have the most abundant rafts I have ever seen. The Sheepscot also holds a good number. The early season for honkers is open till the 24th. Haven’t been yet. Just doesn’t feel like Fall yet. I hope to put my boat blind on soon. I keep saying I will get out for stripers and blues one more time, who knows. The blues have been hitting pretty good off the Saco River. Take a look at the Trina Lyn’s fishing report (under Captain’s notes) on Capt Todd’s web site. So far I have gone a total of 7 times in the salt. Put about 40 or so stripers in the boat and one 34″ blue. Got skunked twice. Need to start going through all my duck hunting gear and make sure I find all of the would be suprises. I have decided to get a wader dryer. Nothing makes me more grumpy than cold damp waders. Found one for $40 in Cabela’s. Well all for now.
[Edited By Andrew-White on 2005-09-22 20:42]
Posted By:
Andrew-White
Field Editor
07-23-2005 16:43
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Yes, it’s about time! As summer flies by for me (at least) I find my self thinking about the upcoming duck season and what I need to build or fix regarding all my duck hunting stuff. I am thinking about building a fold down cunduit blind for the boat. My sea duck spread needs some attention i.e. droppers need to be shorter. Am also wondering how my new pup will be when Fall rolls around. He loves the water and can’t get enough of it. We have to stop throwing his dummies in the lake after a while and let him rest up a bit. All in all he is shaping up.
The striper fishing has been great so far. I have found a rare charter captian who does a weekly report. He is Captain Todd off the Trina Lynn, Saco River. I say reare becasue there are a lot of charter services but few take the time to type up a report! I have been fishing 5 times this year and have caught from 3 to 20 stripers/blues each trip. In doing so I have found a new spot I would like to try for sea ducks this Fall.
As for duck sitings I see small groups of eider, mostly hens and imature drakes. Haven’t seen much else. Fall is right around the corner. I may be going to the Outer Banks this fall for some casting and blasting with a couple of good friends. We’ll see!
All for now
