Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
Strafford County 12-29-2011 04:48
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
I am not sure why my previous posts are empty, a flaw in the system somewhere.
Duck hunting around Great and Little Bay remains very slow for the most part. In spite of the freeze ups over the last couple of weeks puddle ducks remain scarce and scattered on the brakish waters. This is the slowest 2nd half I can recall and I have been going out since ’74. Geese are here in normal numbers and if are in the right spot when they fly from the Bay to inland in the morning you can get some good shooting.
Lack of snow ice allows for easy access from all boat ramps. Long range forcast indicates relatively mild weather all the way to close.
Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
12-12-2011 17:26
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Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
Strafford County 10-02-2011 15:14
Cloudy, Occassional Rain Showers – 60-65 Degrees
Our warm and humid weather continues. This has kept farmers from being able to harvest their corn. Goose hunters looking to hunt a cornfield in Stafford County may be disappointed to find the corn still standing on the opening day this week. The wet weather has filled low spots and there are many more places to float a duck than at this time last year. Over the last few weeks I have seen a fair number of high flying southbound V’s of geese. Seems like a few more moving south this early than usual. Good luck this week!
Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
Strafford/Rockingham County 11-29-2010 10:00
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
As always ducks are where you find them, maybe more so this year at this time. My partner and I shot a limit of mallards and geese on the opener but we were in sheltered waters with the high winds. We went out around Little Bay on Thursday morning and never fired a shot. Friday afternoon we got one goose between us. We heard no other shots even though 3 other boats were hunting in our area. Saturday we limited on mallards again and each of us got a goose too. Same spot we hunted Wednesday. Yesterday I took a break but had a coffee at the boat ramp on Adams Point, 5 boats had put out. I heard very few shots in the first half hour of shooting time and saw very few ducks moving about. As always do your scouting and be where the ducks want to be.
[Edited By Peter-Lester on 2010-11-29 10:01]
Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
Inland 10-14-2010 05:32
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 50-60 Degrees
Well the first half is well underway and I have enjoyed some success. Wood ducks have been as plentiful as they are sporting. With the near drought conditions it is almost a find water and you’ll find ducks situation. I am seeing more ducks than years past but it could be they are more concentrated because of the water situation. Although I have had success each time I have hunted geese I have not seen as many them as I would expect at this time of year. I saw my first V of high flying migrators last Saturday but I have not seen the steady flow of them I have come to expect around Columbus Day weekend. As usual there are many anxious hunters in the fields who shoot at them at extreme or out of range which helps no one. We have a nor’easter predicted for tomorrow which should make for a good morning to be out and hopfully more birds will arrive with the high pressure system that follows it.
Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
The Bay 12-27-2009 18:33
Cloudy, Snow & Rain Mix – 35-40 Degrees
The long Christmas weekend provided some opportunities to get out for some late season AM hunts. We finally had some good days with lots of close decoying ducks, mostly blacks but some mallards mixed in.
Saturday was the best of the three days. Divers, both Buffleheads and Goldeneyes seem far more scarce this year. Geese are plentiful and are moving throughout the morning but usually going to “safe” fields.
Hunting activity is relatively light with only a few boats seen moving about. High winds with a new round of cold weather is predicted to arrive on Tuesday.
[Edited By Peter-Lester on 2009-12-27 18:35]
Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
Litttle Bay 12-13-2009 07:59
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
In the space of a week we went from too warm to near freeze out. I wish I had more to report but in the last 5 days I have had two outboards go out of commission. Very disappointing the second engine, my backup, had a full tune up by the local dealer this summer. I put it in the water this morning for the first time since and it will not stay running. Lesson learned, never trust the dealer to return your engine in running condition. Second time they have done this to me.
That said, ice is major problem and several rivers are pretty much locked up this morning. I did see more birds flying this morning as I stayed out to watch what happened from shore. Although 4 trucks and trailers were at Hilton Park I never heard a shot in the first half hour of shooting time. I hope to have a servicable engine by Tuesday and get out again. 2009 continues tobe the slowest year for ducks in the areas I hunt since 1973, and bad luck on motors has not helped. I truly hope you are having better luck than I this year.
Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
LIttle Bay 11-27-2009 16:56
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 45-50 Degrees
I have been hunting each day since Wednesday. Ducks are rather scarce in the brakish waters. Morning flights are small in number. Shots nearby or in the distance are few and far between suggesting others are having the same result. Geese have been movng around the Bay but not in the numbers one expects to see at this time of year. Perhaps this storm and cold front will move some birds down. It’s almost December and the weather for the most part feels like late October. I do not expect to see much action in the brakish waters until it gets colder.
Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
Strafford County 10-26-2009 09:43
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
Greetings. I spent October doing more pheasant hunting and crow shooting than years past but did get out for some waterfowling. As I write this there are still lots of Wood ducks around,in fact I think they are the most abundant species at present. Big ducks have been scarce and hard to find. I did get one report from a friend who canoed a local river last week and he said he put big ducks up at every turn in the river. Geese are plentiful if you hunt the right area. They have been hunted hard and most flocks are decoy shy now. Your best bet is hunt when there is wind and rain. They are more anxious to decoy under those conditions. Hunter activity is light and sporadic. I am not hearing a lot of shots in the distance like I normally do. Good luck,be safe and let’s hope for a big push of birds for the coastal 2nd half opener!
[Edited By Peter-Lester on 2009-10-26 09:44]
Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
Strafford County 12-10-2008 10:14
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 45-50 Degrees
Geese are plentiful and can still be taken in fields. We shot a limit this morning but most birds were decoy and call shy which is to be expected by this time of year. I have started to see large groups of ducks on the brakish rivers. They seem to be roosting there for the night. Not too much flight activity where I have been after legal shooting. I did shoot a drake woodie last Saturday on brakish water. Pretty late in the year for that. As always location and persistence pays off.
Is anybody reading, seems very slow in here this year?
[Edited By Peter-Lester on 2008-12-10 10:16]
