Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp CMC 10-09-2010 19:41
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey!
Geese –Geese and more Geese were making the jump on the bay today to Delaware and beyond. Black Geese flew all day and the white geese were spotty at best.
GWTeal have arrived too. Out and about today and we did spy a fair amount of GWTeal but where are the BWTeal? I would have thought they were already here – must be out on the Delaware bay side because they are not on the Ocean side of the peninsula LOL.
We did enough chores today so we are getting out in the Kayak after church to a see what’s up in Cedar Swamp and Middle River.
Not long now!!! BANG! BANG!
[Edited By Ray-Sands on 2010-10-09 19:41]
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp CMC 10-01-2010 21:48
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – Over 70 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey!
Hard to believe Sept Canada Season has come and gone, as always, if you were where they were going – you did well. If not- then not.
The drought has put the hurting to some of my honey holes. The water is so low that there are more stumps and mud than water. The rain over the past couple days has helped quite a bit but there is still a long way to go to make it right.
I spied some GWTeal, Sprig, Blacks and Mallards when scouting this week but the numbers are low. In years past BWTeal were heavy right now but they have been few and far between lately and this year is no exception.
Times they are a changing. Hunting now some 37 years, so many of the places I have hunted are now developed and fewer people have a positive attitude about gunning. If that wasn’t bad enough, now my long time gunnin and carving friends are moving south to kick back in the sunset of life. Best wishes Knoll and Richie – just watch those gators when wading about.
The Feds have an on line video – the 2010 Status of Waterfowl Video Report. Nice to hear some positive news as season gets here. http://www.flyways.us/status-of-waterfowl/video-report
Have fun and enjoy the heritage we share in the meadows
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp CMC 12-28-2009 19:41
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
Wow is all I can say – it doesn’t get any better than this – the ice made the difference this week. I was only able to get out two days and they were cold but very productive. Amazing just how many mallards there are around when the drainage ponds freeze up. With the river open they didn’t want to go far so it was open hole in a pond and keep the gun handy. I ended each day with a limit of mallards, a black and a pintail. Only carried six stools two green heads and the rest blacks, open water in a pond (used an H2O magnet on each stool to keep it open) and they just came right in. If I had carried a floater or two and a couple of full body Canada’s I think I could have scored. The birds came by but would not come down to the call … no vacation days left so it’s New Years day and Saturday with the cold again. Looking forward to the shooting … Happy New Year
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Out n About 12-20-2009 18:40
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Tis the Season …. Well the snow n cold has moved in ducks, white geese and black geese. Checking out Great Egg this morning, I saw my first flocks of broadies. One flock had at least a half dozen drake cans mixed in – no missing them! I did spy a large flock of sprig this afternoon working Middle river and pairs of black and mallards just jumping around the meadows. I know I am putting in vacation time tomorrow to hunt this week Up in Absecon, I saw a bunch of ducks and a half dozen flocks of blacks geese bailing in at dark off Rte 9 – New Road between Meadow view and Ohio Ave. Just before that I spied a jag of black geese looking for a place to land along English Creek… Between the birds and a low tide rising – have to get out there. Have a Merry Christmas
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp 12-10-2009 20:30
Cloudy, High Winds – 40-45 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey! I love this weather; “big” ducks abound right now out in Griscom and on Scull Bay. Of course the best I can do is glass them just before the sun goes down. I think I will end up flipping a coin to go to the brackish or salt meadows. I have seen a +30 bird flock and a +40 bird flock of sprig working the meadows from middle river out to swan pond. I am not sure if they are coming into the impoundments yet. Out on Scull Bay I have been seeing two dozen pairs and trios of blacks and greenheads at day break as I go to work … what a tease. Hope you can get out – it is a real chore for me right now
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp CMC 11-29-2009 22:14
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 45-50 Degrees
Greeting from the flat lands down Jersey! Well Saturday actually felt like season. The wind definitely gave the birds the advantage. I had one shot for one duck for each flock that came in. I also had one shot and no ducks for three other flocks that came in. It was strange to shoot a juvenile woody and a couple of black jacks this time of year. Both usually have left for parts south. I guess the weather hasn’t moved them out or other birds in. I uploaded the woody’s pic. Just click my pic and it will be displayed.
I did see two nice sized flocks of sprig, a six pack of cotton tops and quite a few pairs/ trios of blacks and green heads traveling the meadows. Couldn’t persuade them to come over and say hello. It was nice to see birds around. Also had a flock of Canadas drop in form the altitudes and land about 400 yards off. I could hear them with the wind so I am sure they could not hear me against the wind. Forgot to bring a flag along – it will be the last time that happens.
Hope we have ice soon – cuts down their options, gets them hungry, and brings them right in!
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp CMC 11-26-2009 22:14
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 50-60 Degrees
Greetings from the flat land down Jersey! Should have slept in today … thanksgiving. The spot I was hoping to gun was a sea of flashlights so I broke one of my own rules and gunned a different spot I didn’t scout. All I needed to make this a perfect day was ducks and bug spray. A sprig came in early before legal, a high flying black around 730 (who was just looking), and three Canadas that talked to me as they circled a dozen times only to fly off. I was entertained by a pair of swans that weren’t liking my swan decoys. They made all kinds of noises and displays. Then they swam full speed towards them to within a foot and just stopped and looked. You could almost hear them say … “My God they’re only decoys.” Then they paddled off and didn’t look back. Just like me. Hoping Saturday is better. Gobble Gobble
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
McNamara WMA, CMC 11-22-2009 20:58
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 45-50 Degrees
Greetings from the flat land down Jersey! The Nor’easter really changed the game. Birds I was watching (and waiting to get time off for) are gone. Yesterday, the couple of flocks I did see moved late morning were large and headed inland up river on a mission. I should have slept in. The majority of the teal are gone (if not all of them) and the two pair of blacks I spied did not want to have anything to do with my rig or anyone else’s. I think the only saving grace this year is going to be the coastal zone. It doesn’t go out until January 26th. I started pulling out the bay rig and washing off the cob-webs. A little weather with a little luck and late season should make it all right. I may even shoot brant this year. Last time was ’89 and I had one taxidermied… swearing not shoot them again … I think swearing may have a 20 year expiration date. Well turkey day is coming and the way it going right now, the butterball may not be the only turkey that day. Gobble Gobble
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscon Swamp 10-24-2009 20:14
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – Over 70 Degrees
Greeting from the flat lands down Jersey! Well my shooting didn’t get any better from last week and the GWTeal were a little smarter today. Picked up limit of the little buggers but we’ll keep the number of shells a secret! I think it took me longer to pick up the hulls then it did the decoys. Did see more “big” ducks this morning but they weren’t interested.
Ken N advised me that the Tuckahoe ramp is closed for repairs till 10/27. We guessed that those in the DEP scheduling the ramp repair (for this week of the year) are crabbers and not duck hunters. Thanks Ken.
A couple of people asked me if I had any tips for gunning the impoundments. One thing that I was told by an old timer some 30 years ago was to have a couple of white goose decoys to mimic the swans – off to the side and not too close to the spread. He told me that his father told him to use white decoys from the era before the impoundments. It seems that trumpeter swans used the meadows down here even before the mute swans took over. They act as an attractor from far off and the ducks feel more confident – that no one is hiding in close proximity. Even though the swans are not on the menu, they do not hang around if they see movement of any kind. With their size and height advantage, they see everything. I always gun with a pair of swan decoys just outside. Does it matter? I would say yes. I have had more success bringing high flyers down with the swans decoys then without them. The other thing I have learned is to use feeder decoys and a chuckle call. I carved most of my decoys. Some are wooden with heads tilted forward or my corks without their heads and I only used the bodies. Too many guys highballing it and decoy spreads with all of their heads up – they learn real quick to beware. Another thing is to not put your decoys to close to the bank. I would say no closer than 20 yards. There are a couple of other things I do but I will save them for another day. Well this is from my experience – you welcome to share yours.
I loaded up a pic of my spread – well part of the spread. I hunt two groups this is the front group. You can see my two swan decoys and a swan off in the distance who swam over and took a snooze. Was he surprised when I walked out of the frag 🙂
Just click on my pic and it will come up with my contact info. See ya out there
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp CMC 10-18-2009 22:06
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 60-65 Degrees
Greetings and salutations from the flatlands down Jersey! The Southern opener was wet and wild. The Nor’easter didn’t let anyone down with the wind, the high tide and the rain and the teal had no place else to hide. The birds started flying late but in fifteen minutes I had (6) GWTeal in the kayak. Not many big ducks flying. Only saw two pairs of blacks and a trio of sprig. The cormorants were on the move. As the wind would stop wave after wave of them would go by. There were easily 500 to a flock and I saw maybe (3) dozen flocks taking advantage of the push across the bay. Snows were flying and I had stools out, but they were moving to cross the bay and had no intentions of coming down. If the weather holds this should be a great week!
