Posted By:
Greenhound
Web Member
11-07-2006 21:52
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Great story seeker, do you have a degree in creative writing? Glad to hear you guys got out and about. I’d like to hear some of Randy’s calling one of these days. I didn’t know California produced callers like that:)
Posted By:
NMDuckaholic
Guest
11-07-2006 21:14
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Sounds like ya’ll had a good time!!! Payton gunna be alright???
NMDuckaholic
Posted By:
seeker28
Guest
Marci’s Duck Hole 11-07-2006 17:44
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
Hooked up with the reigning NM Duck Calling Champion today. Said he’d seen a few ducks in a place he put some sweat into scouting. I wasn’t really expecting to see a lot of birds as the moon was full, the winds were calm, temp is up, and we are between fronts. But I realy didn’t feel like raking leaves.
So the call master says bring your gun, shells, personal gear, and a dog. No problem with the first three but both dogs have kennel cough so I teeter on the fence about that part. Up at 2A.M. and the dogs want to go. Payton seems alright so off we go.
After a few gear issues and playing with an abnormal current, we are a bit behind schedule. Ducks are in the air and the sky is getting light. We wade through the muck and the dekes go out. We settle into Marci’s Duck Hole. The master warms up his call. I feel woefully inadequate. O.K. you call ’em and I’ll happily kill ’em.
The first fatality is a drake Widgeon. Then a Greenhead is feet up in the hole. A Gaddy is next into the kill zone. Unfortunately, she’s a cripple and gets into the thick nasty cattails. The dog busts his butt to no avail. The cattails are so thick he gets lost down the way. We get him back 15 minutes later and run him through the area again. He comes out with a duck but it’s old and very riggored. Back at the hide we wait and a Suzie let’s us know she’s on the way. My caller sweet talks her and gives me two shots to kill her. I fail in my attempt to finish her. The Master Caller drops her in classic back up fashion. She spirals into the thick n’ nasty stuff. Again the dog busts his hump and this time comes up with the bird. Payton is looking a little rough. Thick, knee high muck and wall to wall cattails are tough on a dog. The lull starts and we wait and have a cup of coffee.
Some teal roar in and plop down. Two spent shells and and we have one in the bag and another cripple across the hole and in the crap. The dog goes in again for the hunt. Again he comes up empty. We go in for a look ourselves and not a feather is found. Back to the hide to wait.
Mallards!!! Big–full ploomed–red legged Mallards!!! A flock of 40-50 are on their way in. Three drakes land in the decoys. The master works the pattern for three swings as we expect the group to come meet their buddies feet down. We blow our chance at a solid passing volley to try and get the landing gear down. Instead, the group bugs out and we get nada. Grrrrr!
Now it gets really slow. Finally, a pair of Mallards is in the pattern. Marci gives them their clearance to land and again one duck is dead and another is on the loose. My hen is into the twisted, muddy gunk and the dog is again giving everything he has to find it after getting Marci’s fat Greenhead. Two guys and a dog scour the area trying to find my duck. A small flock of Greenwings smoke in and we each dump one. The dog comes out of the ‘tails to take a look and I can tell he is done. He’s all out of go.
We have our limit now, including our lost birds, so we pack up and head out with 9 birds.
I asked a lot of a sick dog and he worked until he couldn’t anymore. His nose and eyebrows are cut up and at home we pulled a nasty devilhead sead out of his eye. The cattails and mud did a job on him. He won’t be out again until he kicks this cough. I probably shouldn’t have taken him.
A good hunt and I must pay homage to Mr. Marci and his calling. The ducks thought he was the real thing. Thanks for calling them in for me man!
Posted By:
Greenhound
Web Member
11-07-2006 16:10
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What are you doing over there? Well have a great time, take pics.
Posted By:
dbercier
Guest
11-07-2006 06:03
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I’m out in the Netherlands right now and there tons of ducks out here. Lots of water and all full of birds. Not sure if they are migrating through, but I’d sure wish I had my gear and dog out here with me right now. I’m seeing a few birds I’ve never seen before, they would be nice for my collection.
Posted By:
Greenhound
Web Member
11-06-2006 19:52
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Looks like we have some new members aboard. Welcome to the site.
I headed to TX Sunday, hunted with Lonestar_Farmboy. Quite a few snows had already showed up. We had a shot at two pretty good sized canadas early, but we missed. We were holding out for the greenheads, but they weren’t coming in. I did end up taking my first hooded marganser drake. I considered mounting him but I don’t think he was as mature as he could have gotten.
Yeah, I hope a cold spell will produce some new birds from the north, we could use it.
Oh, and Sen I’ve hunted the PV for quite a while and there are no black ducks there, nor in NM for that matter. You probably saw a mexican duck.
Posted By:
NMduks
Guest
11-06-2006 09:23
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
It was a virtual duck buffet this weekend. I shot mallards, shovelers, blue-wings, green-wings a pair of cinnamon drakes, mexican duck, goldeneye, and a ruddy duck. Needless to say, I found a sweet spot! We were covered up in ducks. Lots of ducks around but there is sure a lot of water scattered around. I think it will be feast or famine until we get some real nasty weather up north and the playa lakes begin drying up. A bit of scouting seems to be paying off since my usual spots are not like they have been. Sill have not got to Caballo to look at it yet. Maybe this week. Hope you all had great hunts. Best of luck this week.
Posted By:
senmquack
Web Member
Pecos Valley 11-05-2006 15:08
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
Did two hunts this weekend, one at Bitter Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, and one on an oxbow on the Pecos. Theres a lot of birds at the refuge for this early in the year, but the mallards, and other big ducks are not coming into the public hunting area. I got skunked but some other people there were getting teal, one snow and a black duck. There are lots of pintails, and especially immatures, sure made me nervous. based on the ducks that were there it should be glorious come december. Lots of sandhill cranes, and a far number of snows. there are even a few canadas at a golf course lake near there, that moved in a couple days ago. as for the pecos, there are also a lot of ducks for this time of year. I got a single gadwall hen. there were lots of ducks flying, and a a far number were mallards, but the weather was to nice and they were flying to high both days. Its still awesome to be duck hunting period. yall ahve a good week, and good hunting.
Justin.
Posted By:
grayfox
Guest
South 11-05-2006 12:08
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Went south, but tore my waders before legal, so spent the morning scouting. Saw very few big ducks. Need some cold up north.
By the way, how do I email Al. I thought that there was a direct link as a member.
grayfox
Posted By:
Norman-Harris
Guest
Gila/Rio south 11-03-2006 13:50
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Even though there are no longer that many deer in the Gila, I was at the right place at the right time. I was able to bag a nice 4X4 buck with my muzzle loader. The Snow Lake area is incredibly beautiful. It was a stark contrast to where the fire this summer did so much damage. Mile after mile, west of the lake there was nothing but blackend trees. I have never seen it so bad before. I got the deer Sunday morning so I was able to hunt the Rio south Monday morning. I only got two teal and only saw two big ducks. It’s still too early I guess…
