Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Cedar Swamp and California Creeks 12-26-2011 20:28
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 45-50 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey!
Saturday I gunned the Corbin City impoundments. Popped a black duck @ first light and there were ducks trading the river early. By 9am nothing the show was over. Not too many ducks but many duck hunters – many duck hunters. I cannot remember when I saw so many people out duck hunting since maybe the early 80’s.
Today they were calling for wind with gusts of 25-30 and the tide was high @ 1030. I figured the ducks would be moving inland to find some shelter. So I gunned the fork of Cedar Swamp and California Creeks. WHAT AN AIR SHOW! Black ducks flew all morning long – evan as I was picking up at 11am. I easily had 75 birds come right over the stools and had another 200 land around me. I periodically popped a shell to spook them off and keep them moving. They didn’t help me with the incoming birds. They stopped looking at my spread and were going to the big groups of live ducks that were quacking their heads off. I was no competition for them. You would figure with so many birds a mallard would have squeezed in there but no, no mallards, not at all. I didn’t see a white belly or a wing bar on any of them. Trust me I had the gun up and EXAMINED every duck that came by. One of the pains was getting back to the truck. What normally takes an hour to canoe took almost three. I fugured I would get a break with the wind and tide late in the morning but it didn’t happen. I could make next to no headway and I thought I was never getting back – speaking of backs, the other pain today is in my back – but the air show was worth it!
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Cedar Swamp Creek between the bridges 12-17-2011 18:35
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 45-50 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey!
Last weekend we got shut down gunning the impoundments by some sky busters – so off to Cedar Swamp today. Nice we made the change. Mixed bag, black, two green heads and two GWTeal. A little beat up canoeing against the tide both ways but a good time with many memories gunning cedar stump creek.
Snow geese flying up in the altitudes all day – even now at 730pm the buggers are flying overhead to make the jump over the bay.
Not much of the season is left so make the most of it. Merry Christmas
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
MacNamara WMA – Corbin City 12-06-2011 18:06
Cloudy, Occassional Rain Showers – 60-65 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey!
What a Ho hum year. No weather to stress the birds and move them down or around. If it were not for a black duck in the first half hour each time I was out, I would have not shot the gun at all. Looking for some ice to make a difference. Maybe I’ll buy a pheasant stamp? No that’s not happening. Maybe late season Canada season will make the year. I should paint the stools while the weather is so warm. Hope you’re doing well.
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Atlantic County 10-24-2011 19:49
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – Over 70 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey!
Late year this is. Saw the first jags of snows yesterday, had expected them a week ago. The same goes for brant. Spied the first brant today in Lakes and Scull Bay.
The GWTeal have been hit or miss. Just not adding up to be the best start of a season.
Maybe there will be early ice, which will make it all better!
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Cedar Swamp Creek/ MacNamara’s 09-18-2011 23:23
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey!
Wow what a difference this weather is making. Three days ago I couldn’t find a GWTeal, today the wind stopped and they were everywhere I went. Just unbelievable! Spooked all of the birds I saw but NO BWTeal mixed in. I figured with the salt line so low on the river, I would see a few but no luck. Did spy a dozen Sprig in the impoundments.
September Goose Season is a bust for me. Have not had the time to chase them and they tease me every night going over the house just after legal shooting time.
If your hunting white geese and need to add to your rig I have outlaw silhouettes, wind socks and several different brands of shells I would let go REAL CHEAP … just drop me an email
Tuckerton Decoy Show is Sept 24th and 25th – maybe we will see you there?
License, state stamp, federal stamp, and HIP number – Then scouting and some luck! South season is almost here!!!
[Edited By Ray-Sands on 2011-09-18 23:24]
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
McNamara’s WMA 08-23-2011 20:34
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey!
September Goose Season is almost upon us. Pulled the decoys out and did some touch up on the black heads and the white butts.
Geese are starting to congragate in some good numbers but September is September. You hav e to be where they are going – so scouting is a must.
Over all the season should be good. The feds have a good video on the “excellent” conditions we had this year.
http://flyways.us/status-of-waterfowl/video-report
Tuckerton Decoy Show is Sept 24th and 25th –
maybe we will see you there?
license, state stamp, federal stamp, and HIP number. thhen some luck!
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Cedar Swamp Creek 12-28-2010 19:03
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Greeting from the flat lands down Jersey
With all of the iced up ponds gunning the open water up Cedar Swamp Creek has been some of the best shooting in a long time. Black ducks, black ducks, and more black ducks I couldn’t tell you how many we had on the water at one time. You have to be quick picking out the white bellies or the wings bars because the mallards will slip right on by. With so many REAL birds on the water you only get one pass. We tried jumping them up to better the odds only to have the next flocks peeling off to follow the distance birds to places unknown.
Even if it’s a one black duck hunt the aerial show is worth the time and effort.
Have to get the new license this week for the annual January 1st hunt – see you up there Frank
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp 12-08-2010 22:39
– – 30-34 Degrees – Ice
Greeting from the flat lands down Jersey!
What a day. Took me longer to get out break the ice and pick up then it did to shoot limit! One shot one duck – mallards, a black and a sprig. I bought a lottery ticket getting lunch!
Of course it will have warmed up by Saturday (my next day out) but rain and warmth… I’ll take it
Merry Christmas
[Edited By Ray-Sands on 2010-12-08 22:39]
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp 12-06-2010 22:43
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey
White Geese, white geese, and more white geese were jumping the bay yesterday and today. I was hoping some would hold the jump and come down in Griscom with the wind but that didnt happen.
It has been a good year so far with Mallards and Grays being the bulk of the bag. I like this skim ice in the morning – gives them few options except the holes with the stools LOL – ducks and ice are like fish in a barrel.
Merry Christmas
Posted By:
Ray-Sands
Field Editor
Griscom Swamp 10-19-2010 17:47
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 60-65 Degrees
Greetings from the flat lands down Jersey
Geese, geese, and more geese are jumping the bay and heading to points South. They are predominantly black geese but you do hear the occasional bark of some snows – not like it use to be in the mid 90’s when the snows would fly straight from sun up to sun up during the peak of their two big migrations.
Opening day proved to me that it takes practice before you get there and try and hit GWTeal. Took a box to get four and they died with a single shot. Maybe a heart attack from because I couldn’t find much for shot in the meat.. A twist and a turn and they were movin in the wind! A twist and a turn back and I realize just how old I am getting to be.
I was surprised to see a lot of cotton tops – widgeon. They didn’t come low enough for a shot but knowing that they are there will get me to add some blocks to the rig and carry my call. Did see quite a few blacks, mallards and sprig but they didn’t give a second look. It will take pressure from the elements to get them into the spread.
This was the 36th opening day for me. It was not the best day but we didn’t and haven’t been skunked yet. Next time out could tell a different tale – – – –
