Posted By:
Jerry-Nicholson
Web Member
Upper Valley 11-26-2004 18:11
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Mallards, mallards, mallards! Yep, somebody got it right when they called for a liberal season. I saw more mallards in one day than I have in any other year. Lots of puddlers moving, divers arriving to liven up the deke spread and plentiful geese soared today.
I believe I’ll hit the goose fields in the morning just to give the water a break. But it was a blast this morning pulling in fresh birds and working the dog. He didn’t mind as well. “About time” is what I think he said.
Posted By:
Jerry-Nicholson
Web Member
Upper Valley 11-24-2004 16:23
Cloudy, Occassional Rain Showers – 35-40 Degrees
For once I’m jealous of the big water hunters on the coast. Over on the bay you can see birds miles away and know where they are. Around here you’d have to rent a plane and fly around looking.
In spite of the low ceiling and intermittant showers, not much flew by me this morning other than a really big flock of geese. The birds are here though, just not anxious to fly. By the looks of it, Friday morning might be the ticket as the cold weather wraps around behind this low pressure system passing through.
Posted By:
Peter-Lester
Field Editor
Little Bay and it\’s tributaries 11-24-2004 16:05
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 45-50 Degrees
With a low tide this morning we had the opportunity get some excercise by dragging and pushing the boat through the mud. Glad we did. From 20 minutes before legal shooting to a half an hour after we had steady duck activity around us. Hundreds of ducks but the pickins were slim because 90% of them were blacks. It was awesome to see so many at once, sort of like the old days for me in the early 70’s. The bismuth handloads out of the ole Parker’s did the trick and every bird shot at was brought to bag (that does not always happen). A goose each, a black each plus a hen mallard that seemed to be trying to land on the boat. We stayed out several more hours and nothing much moved and what did move were black ducks. Worse yet we did not flush one puddle duck while motoring back to the ramp at mid day. Only saw a couple of other boats and heard a few shots from other locations, but not that much. I am guessing the poor tides kept people home. A lot of fresh water remains open and the birds we saw and shot were headed that way, the salt water will get better as it gets colder. High winds are predicted and tomorrows tides will be just about as bad. We may try some fresh water ponds first thing. Hit a rock this morning and spun a hub. Not sure which system I like better, the rubber hubs or shear pins. Break a pin and your dead where you float, spin a hun and you can limp home. Pins are a lot cheaper. Oh well that’s duck hunting. There are lots of ducks around, the blacks are here in good numbers but spread out.
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
Great Bay 11-24-2004 14:31
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
Well, the NH opener was kind of a disappointment. Not for lack of birds but because the tide was awful and the weather was so calm the birds didn’t move much.
Tons of ducks and geese on the Bay but they didn’t move much as stated. They rafted up and sat unless jumped by boat movement or shot echos. When they did move it was in huge swarms and if they came over you it was amazing. I had one brief spurt where they came and came and came it seemed for ever although it was probably no more than a minute or so.
Saw Teal( still – was amazed ), Widgeon, Blacks( TONS! ), Mallards, some Scaup and thousands of Canada Geese. Was great seeing so many birds!
I had brought some older, slower, shells to finish off and it cost me birds unfortunately. These birds are already totally bulked up for winter. I was hitting birds hard and with no effect. You could hear it hit and I clearly saw birds rock and feathers explode off bellies but they just flew off without a missed beat. The one bird I killed, a nice Black, decoyed in nicely and was hit in the head.
If you head out again this season bring some high velocity stuff and leave the #3’s and #4’s home! I was shooting #2’s but at just 1350fps. Clearly time to load the ammo box up with 1550fps stuff!
** NOTE – if anyone lost a Mallard cork deke on the Portsmouth Golf Course/Nannies Island end of Great Bay today shoot me a PM. Be sure and give me a good description however( ie; is it a top quality grade deke by a master carver or a crude deke by a beginner? How is the head attached? Drake or Hen? That kind of info )or I won’t return it. I want to be sure it goes to the person who lost it. Provide a good description and I will gladly return it to you. **
[Edited By Scott-Haight on 2004-11-24 14:33]
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
REMINDER TO HUNTERS: DON\’T FORGET THE HUNGRY! 11-22-2004 13:36
– – –
CONTACT:
Jane Vachon, N.H. Fish and Game: (603) 271-3211
Michele Garron, New Hampshire Food Bank: (603) 669-9725
November 22, 2004
REMINDER TO HUNTERS: DON’T FORGET THE HUNGRY!
CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s hunters can help the less fortunate this holiday season by sharing some or all of the game they take with the “Hunt for the Hungry” Program. The New Hampshire Fish and Game Department is reminding hunters that donations of whole or processed game animals are being collected by the New Hampshire Food Bank, which distributes food to more than 270 food pantries, soup kitchens, homeless shelters and group homes statewide.
Last year, Hunt for the Hungry took in more than 1,000 pounds of donated deer, bear, moose, duck and other game meat. The program will provide packaging instructions and can pick up your meat donation. To give game meat to Hunt for the Hungry, call the New Hampshire Food Bank (located in Manchester) at (603) 669-9725.
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
Shores of Great Bay 11-17-2004 18:18
– – –
Made the complete road tour of Great Bay and it’s tributaries today to see just what has moved in and hasn’t with a week to go until the season reopens. I am happy to report seeing huge numbers of geese and a big increase in duck numbers. Looks like we have finally received a decent push of birds. Barring another freak Northeaster we should have plenty of birds next week.
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
Seacoast Inland Zone 11-15-2004 06:29
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 40-45 Degrees
Went back to the same spot that I hunted during the snow storm. You couldn’t have a different type of day weather wise. This time it was sunny and clear. The ONLY good thing going weather wise was a good stiff wind. As it was the last day of inland I had the itch to get out so on a whim decided to try the spot again despite the bluebird like day. Glad I did!
I was nervous at first because I didn’t see or jump a single bird during the boat ride. When I hit the creek mouth nothing as well? When I rounded the corner to my spot however I put approx 75-100 Blacks and Mallards up.
Tossed out a handful of dekes and then anchored the boat along the weed edge and threw up the Beavertail blind asap. The birds started coming back about 10 minutes later and for the rest of the afternoon we had sporadic action. The best of the day was when a flock of 20+ Mallards locked up and came in on a string to the decoys and were all fluttering and hovering among the decoys just 15 yds from the boat. Was AWESOME!
Ended the day with 3 Mallards and a Black. I actually doubled on a pair of drake Mallards with one shot and should have ended the day with my 4 bird Mallard limit which is rare in these parts. Unfortunately, one of them crashed into the middle of some major weeds and I was unable to retrieve it.
With a 12′ tide it was just way too deep to wade, the bushes were too thick to force the boat in/through, and there was NO WAY I was going to send my dog and have him possibly get hung up and drown. So, I counted that bird as part of my bag and stopped at 3:50PM when I shot the 3rd of the Mallards I had in hand.
I hate to sound preachy but I wish more folks would count downed birds they “should be able to get” as part of their bag. I took a risk hunting the spot with that tide knowing it might mean a lost bird. Thus my decision to count the bird in the bag.
Anyway, it was a great end to the first half. Saw 2 flocks of Teal during the day and even a Pintail that dropped in like a Snow goose doing the funnel thing and caught me totally unprepared( closed anyway but startled me ).
Freshwater inland bodies of water are really starting to freeze and I have my doubts that the second part of inland will be doable unless we get a warm spell. But for the bigger fast moving rivers inland may be done for the year? I usually hunt the coastal zone anyway so I prefer inland being locked up.
Word on Sea Ducks is that a few more Eiders have moved in but it is still sporadic near the shore and harbors. Best action is still out to the Isles.
Hope you all had a great 1st half.
[Edited By Scott-Haight on 2004-11-19 06:54]
Posted By:
Msg&son
Guest
upper conneticut river 11-14-2004 10:45
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
well if the weather doesnt warm up this week not sure of a second season here. went out this morning and most of the river was frozen over. did jump shoot a nice male mallard and a big black on the river where there was water saw about 40 or so in there. no geese at all. but we will see next wed thats all. if weather stays the same will set up in that spot on wed i think. on the bright side the mallard was bannded at least. take care all and be good . Mark
Posted By:
Scott-Haight
Guest
Seacoast Inland Zone 11-13-2004 05:54
Cloudy, Accumulating Snow – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
The early season snow storm that hit on Friday around noon time was just too much for me to take so I lined up a partner and we hit a local river for the last 2 hours of the day. Was a wise choice!
Had Mallards and Blacks all over us. Jumped out a couple hundred when we arrived and then had lots of action the rest of the hunt as they came back. Was a great way to end the first half if I fail to get out again this weekend.
It “appeared”” that some new birds had moved into the area by the numbers seen. Not sure however if I didn’t just pick “the spot” though? Certainly this type of weather is going to get birds moving. Hopefully they won’t all come through before the Coastal and Inalnd zones reopen on the 24th.
The Surprise of the day came after shooting time as we were picking up. Birds were really moving around and we couldn’t help looking around and watching the show. I was stunned to see a very large flock of Greenwing Teal buzz right over us. With the cold weather we have had recently and ice starting to form on the inland ponds and swamps I was really surprised to see Teal still around.
Word from my friends who Sea Duck is the action is spotty. Not a lot of Eiders in yet but plenty of Scoters still around. Best action has occured out in the ocean along the Isles and such.
Posted By:
Jerry-Nicholson
Web Member
Upper Valley 11-12-2004 11:57
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Birds are moving! There are lots of new divers and even a few mallards that have moved in since Sunday. I suspect the predicted weather will continue to move birds. Only two days left for the first half of the inland season and now they start migrating! Murphy’s law strikes again.
The second part of the season opens on November 24 and it will be interesting to see how much open water we have. There is already a skin of ice on the quieter parts of setbacks and marshes.
