Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Lower Roanoke River Dove Area 09-05-2011 17:41
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Went for our draw hunt to the Lower Roanoke River Dove Area.We got there in the pre-dawn darkness and got out to the field. There were very few birds flying and very few opportunities. We got set up in a corner of the field, where the corn and sunflower were next to the trees. At about 30 minutes after shooting time, we had a group come up and set up about 15 yards away. Every bird that even started for our corner was flared away before it ever got in shooting range. In spite of this, 3 of our party managed 2 to 3 birds each before we called it a day at 10:00am. We sat there in the field and watched people shoot at everything from Killdeer to bats.
On a up note, the problem with my son’s new BLM Shadow not wanting to pick up doves has been cured. I called the trainer and he told me to take the doves I saved and freeze them. On Sunday my son and I took the frozen birds to a local pond and we got the dog fired up on the shore and threw the birds in the water. Shadow went nuts to get them. Turns out that on Saturday he just didn’t know what to do with the doves as he had never seen one. Several water retrieves later and he wanted doves just as bad as he wanted ducks. Shadow retrieved a dove(his only opportunity)in a very professional manner. My son and I are very pleased.
As we got ready to leave, we were checked by the Game Wardens(two of them). Very nice and professional. They checked us quickly and told us they had been watching the field all morning from cover. They came out to check us before we left and then were on thier way to nab the Kildeer killers. The had witnessed it from cover and were just waiting to go in for them.
Gonna be a bad day for those dudes.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Hyde Co. 09-04-2011 16:14
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
Went out for the dove opener, it was a day frought with disappointments. We got to our field, and there were lots of birds, but few hunters. The doves just sat in the field and ate corn.The second dissapointment was that my son’s new BLM Shadow would not pick up the doves. He just didn’t seem to know that he was supposed to retrieve them. I did not want to force the issue, I have never had this arise before and I didn’t want to over-react and cause a long-term dog problem. I was sure it had a solution and I was going to find out what it was before I proceeded. I froze three doves upon arriving at home last night in case I needed them to correct this.
We shot only a few doves until we moved locations at about 3:30 pm and from 4 to 5:30 pm I shot 11 and my partner shot 8. My son Logan shot one. It was a good long shot, he only fired a few times and didn’t get as many opportunities dealing with his new pup.
On a high note with the pup, I called the trainer and he told me what to do. We took the aforementioned frozen doves to a local pond and threw them in the water for Shadow. He launched for the birds and after several retrieves was bringing them back with abandon. In fact, we was on fire for the dove. I then threw them on dry land retrieves and again, he was flawless in his technique. I think the problem is solved. He has retrieved ducks during training, he just was unsure what to do with a dove.That is my fault, not his.
We have a draw hunt at the Lower Roanoke River Game Area tomorrow on Labor Day, the report will follow.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Dove Opener, pre-season report 09-01-2011 16:09
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – Over 70 Degrees
It is now time for another hunting season. The annual ritual that is the dove opener is upon us. I am getting things ready, but I am not well prepared. With the hurricane and subsequent damage and clean-up, the oppressively hot weather and some health issues have kept me from my usual preparedness.
That being said, my son,buddies and I have a draw hunt from the Roanoke Dove Area for Monday. It has always been a excellent hunt there. Our only question mark is for Saturday. My hunting buddy is going to scout our hunting area in Hyde Co. tomorrow, I will scout out a few locations closer to home.
I have pulled the guns out of storage and cased them up. I have prepared gear bags for myself and my son. I have frozen six two-liter soda bottles of water for the dogs and have two unfrozen bottles ready for instant use. Two cases of ammo, one 12 and one 20 ga are ready to be loaded in the truck.
We have been unable to work the dogs for the last 6 or more weeks due to the extreme heat. I took them out today(temps in the 80’s)and they both did well. Dixie is a veteran, at 13 she has a few seasons under her belt. My son’s new pup Shadow, age 1 1/2 is a bit more of a wild card, but he did well today. He remembered his hand signals and ran straight blinds. Both dogs responded well to the whistle. I think we are ready as we can be, dog-wise.
The dove opener is a prelude to the season we all live for. Duck season. The opener is little more than a month away and it is that season that I find my mind wandering to.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Lake Mattemaskeet 01-29-2011 16:41
Sunny & Clear, Morning Fog – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
We went hunting for our draw hunt at Lake Mattemaskeet and it was good. On our first day(Friday), the results were less than stellar. 3 guns, one shoveler, one merganser and one coot(shot out of boredom and frozen for dog training this summer. We sat out there until 11:45am before giving up.
On day two (Saturday), it was excellent! Two guns, 11 ducks. We took 5 teal, 2 wigeon, 2 mergansers, 1 ringneck, and a pintail drake. Our season ended on a definite high note.
One Saturday, we were covered up with wigeon prior to legal time, they practically buzzed the blind. Upon legal time arriving, the air went dead. We sat there and took 4 teal singles, all were called in with the whistle and all came into the dekes, feet down and wings cupped. Then a flock of pintails came in, Mach II and buzzing the decoys. They went up and over the blind and I took a drake with one shot as it was flying away. I have been hunting a fully plumed out drake pintail for 25 years, this one is destined for the taxidermist. We had another teal come in and immediately upon getting set up after the dog retrieved it, a flock of wigeon came in and we knocked down a double, one each.
Then the wind died down and the ducks quit flying. We sat there and didn’t see another duck for an hour. We called it a day at 10:30am and headed out to have some lunch.
We ended the season on a winning note and we were very pleased.
Posted By:
Sloughslogger
Guest
Sampson County 01-24-2011 11:09
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
Went out for a quick hunt before work this morning. The marsh was mostly frozen and only put two mallard decoys in the main creek channel where it was thawed. The woodys were flying and I managed to splash one. Should have had my limit but let my partner take most of the shots. Saw about 30 birds in all. We saw mostly local predictable woodys at first light and a few mallards flying high with a purpose and not paying attention to our decoys or attempts to call them back. Still a good way to start the day.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Pamlico County 01-22-2011 12:58
Cloudy, High Winds – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
We went out for a hunt this morning and it was cold. The temps were in the low 20’s and the wind chill put it in the mid-teens with hard wind. We arrived at our boat ramp to find one boat unloading, one boat leaving and two other trucks parked. Not to worry, no one ever hunts in our spot. We launched and set out to our spot with time to spare.
Upon arrival we set out a dozen ringnecks, a dozen teal and a couple of mallard decoys. We set up the Avery Quickset on the boat and awaited legal time. At about 10 minutes before legal time, a pair of mallards appeared in the creek swimming towards our decoys, They turned around about 70 yards out and swam away, never to return. We sat there until about 7:20am when a flock of mallards came up the creek, low and looking. When they buzzed the dekes, we opened the blind and splashed two, a drake and a hen. Dixie made short work of the hen, it splashed feet up in the decoys. The drake, however, went down behind the boat, in the heavy scrub. I sent Dixie on the blind retrieve and hand-signaled her in to the spot I thought it went down. Dixie worked the area about 5 minutes, found the missing drake and returned to the boat. About 8:30, a flock of teal buzzed through and a single hen broke out of the flock and set into the decoys. My partner and I stood up and smacked it simultaneously. No need to tenderize that duck. Dixie picked it up and we sat down to wait.
We sat there until 9:30, and in spite of seeing a few ducks flying around, we decided to call it a day. It was a miserable, bone-chilling cold that cut clean through you. I am not normally too adversely affected by the cold, but today it was really severe in the high winds. My son was getting too cold and it was time to go home.
We arrived at the ramp and were the first to be leaving, a unusual situation for us. We are usually among the last to leave. We got the boat on the trailer as the second boat pulled up. By the time we had the blind stowed for highway travel, all the other hunters had arrived, loaded and left(we like to get our boat squared away before we leave the ramp for the next trip). Turns out that we just barely beat the rush. Made me feel less wimpy. I didn’t like being the only lightweight bailing out because of the cold.
Two mallards and a teal. Not bad
Posted By:
Sloughslogger
Guest
Sampson County 01-20-2011 10:24
Mostly Sunny, No Precipitation – 35-40 Degrees
Went out for a quick hunt this morning and was pleasantly suprised to find the marsh completely thawed. Saw about twenty woodys and shot eight times. They were done by 7:10. Mallards were flying up the creek but I left my calls in the truck and just watched them go on their way. I was packing up to leave and had my backpack on and about twenty geese came flying down the creek at 8:00. They got within 20yards and I shot one two times with a load of 2,3/4″ BB’s. Feathers went all over but it flew on also. Bad hit? Wrong shot? I’m still scratching my head over that one.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Hyde Co. 01-18-2011 10:36
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
We went out for our annual swan hunt and it was awesome. My son(age 13) had his first swan permit and hopes were high that he would take a swan. He is hunting with a 20ga, but I tried to give him every advantage and procured Black Cloud #2’s for the hunt(the largest shot I could find in 20ga).
My friends John,Raul,my son and I arrived at the spot and set out John’s decoys(as John is our resident swan expert and we were hunting as his guests). We could not have timed it more perfectly, getting out the decoys exactly at legal time with no down time to wait. We loaded up and began to scan the sky.
We saw thousands of snows, but as usual they had plans elsewhere and did not come close to us. We sat in the small irrigation ditch in the 30 degree temps until about 7:30, when a pair of swans came in low across the field of winter wheat. When they got close, we sat up and all waited to let Logan(my son) take the first shot. At about 40 yards he fired one shot, bringing down the swan like it flew into a wall. A perfect textbook head shot. I was so excited that I didn’t even fire and my buddy Raul took down the other swan in the pair with a clean shot as well. They ran out to retrieve their birds and tag them(which must be done immediately)and we settled back into the ditch to wait.
We sat there about another 45 minutes while several flocks buzzed us, just a little too high for the shot. Then a single came in low and set wings into the decoys. It was my shot now, so two shots later he was on the ground. We sat and watched swans flying all around and then when another single came in, John took it and our tags were filled.
Posted By:
Sloughslogger
Guest
Sampson County 01-17-2011 10:53
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 30-34 Degrees – Ice
Hunted saturday (1-15) and the marsh was froze solid for the fourth day and the ducks were gone. Didn’t even flip the safety off.
Warmer temps Saturday & Sunday brought them back today and we saw about twenty wood ducks and several mallards that wouldn’t decoy. Took a new young hunter with me and we burned some shells on some fast wooodys.
Posted By:
Sloughslogger
Guest
Sampson County 01-14-2011 10:35
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
The marsh was iced up all the way across the creek this morning. I could walk on the ice so I didn’t attempt to break my way out to put out decoys. Just shot at wood ducks as they passed overhead. Not as many this morning but I did get one wood duck and it crashed on the ice. That’s still good eating. I saw maybe 15 woodys. I passed on two groups that I should have shot at but they were on me and in the trees behind me before I could get the safety off. Everything was iced up and they’re probably on open water somewhere if they can find any. All the local ponds and swamps were froze solid that I passed on the way home.
