Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Pamlico River 11-08-2008 16:55
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 40-45 Degrees
Went out for a hunt on the Pamlico River in a spot that has produced well for me in the past. We were at the boat ramp at 4:45 am, and we set out in good time to be set up before shooting time. As we were getting ready to pull out of the ramp, another truck pulled up to the ramp, and the men set about to launch thier boat. They looked at us and asked us if we were hunting and we were suprised to learn they were there at 5:00 am to go fishing!
We set out to our location and were set up in plenty of time. When shooting time came, a flock of ringnecks flew over, right at the edge of shooting range, headed back up the creek past our location to the very headwaters of the small creek we set up in. We let them pass thinking they might pass back back later in the morning(which happens frequently at this location). Then a wood duck came in low, well within range but surprised us as it was barely above the grass when it cleared the creek and blew past us before we could recover.
Normally in this spot the ducks come from up the creek and we set up accordingly. We were surprised when by 7:30 am no ducks were seen coming up the creek. At 7:45 am a flock of 3 teal came in from behind us, not from up the creek as expected, but from directly behind our boat, cutting across the creek. They set wings and parachuted into our decoys. We stood up and took two of them just off the surface. The dog made two excellent retrieves, both blinds on cripples, one that took off several times and was actually caught in the air by the dog about 75 yards from the original location that the dog first tried to take the duck.
After that excellent dog work we were enthusiastic about the morning. This spot is one that traditionally has ducks flying late so we were fired up. Several boats pulled up fishing the small creek we were in but both turned around when we waved them off(politeness you so seldom see anymore). We set there until 9:30 and to our complete bewilderment we never saw another duck fly by. We picked up our decoys and set out to the ramp.
We soon saw why no ducks came up the creek. At the mouth of the creek, a dozen or so fishing boats were set up fishing for trout. We continued down the river to the ramp, running a obsticle course of boats all the way to the ramp. The ramp we had been alone at when we left at 5:00am (except for one truck) was so packed that trucks were parking along the road outside the parking lot! There were 27 trucks and trailers that I counted, and they were all fishing in the area we were hunting. It explained why we saw no ducks coming up the creek, normally they came up the river, turned into the creek we were hunting and followed it to near where we hunted. No ducks made it past the gauntlet of fishing boats without flaring long before they got to our creek, and any that did were turned away by the dozen boats in the mouth of the creek itself!
We still had a good day, we shot two teal and the dog made two retrieves that were excellent. We also learned that we only want to hunt this location during the week, never on Saturday and NEVER, EVER WHEN THE TROUT ARE BITING!
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Lenoir County 10-24-2008 13:13
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
I went out for a scouting trip this morning and I once again found mallards. It is quite encouraging to find mallards this early in the year. I just hope they continue to hang around until Nov. 8th.
I was scouting a small beaverpond near my house. I found this spot last spring, but the low water at that time made the area inaccessable. This is my first return trip to check it out and the first time I have found water in the location. The pond was shallow, about a foot deep except for the channel running down the center of the pond. The ducks were located in the open area near the dam itself. I jumped up about 25 to 30 woodies and at least a half dozen mallards.
The weather is already turning cool, that is a good sign . The forcast is for rain tonight and tomorrow. That is good news as well. If the positive signs continue, this might be a really good year.
[Edited By Scott-Tolar on 2008-10-24 13:16]
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Lenior County 10-22-2008 14:37
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 40-45 Degrees
I have two scouting trips to report.
First scouting trip, last Monday. Went out to scout a small beaverpond near the house. The water is in the swamp, not as deep as I would like, but usable. It is difficult to navigate the swamp due to the shallow water,cypress knees and fallen debris, but it can be done. I got back to the hole in the back of the swamp and jumped up about 30 woodies as well as at least 2 mallards. This is the second time to scout this spot, both times I found ducks in the same hole around 10:00am (a pretty good sign for woodies!). The fact the ducks are using the same hole every time is encouraging for this spot.
Went to scout a spot in Greene County that I found after the end of last season. Last Feb. the water was high and the ducks were in this spot. Now the water is low, and I did not even hear a single wood duck squeal in the distance. Not a good sign for Greene County in this location.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Lenoir County 10-11-2008 12:47
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 60-65 Degrees
Went out with my son to scout a location near my house this morning. We got in at first light. We saw about 10 or 15 ducks in a small swamp near my house. This is small hole, not to be hunted more than about twice a season, but it should produce a 3 duck woodie limit at least that many times. We moved down the creek that feeds the swamp and saw some more ducks, not many, but low flying and at ease.
I will use this as a quick hunt in Nov, and perhaps once again in Jan.
Posted By:
Paul – Kiker
Guest
Anson County 10-04-2008 18:10
Sunny & Clear, Morning Fog – 50-60 Degrees
My 2 oldest sons and I hunted in a wet slough about 400′ from the banks of the Pee Dee this morning and it was all over in 5 min. 50-75 woodies poured in thru the hardwoods and heavy fog and we each bagged our limits. We each had our labs and took turns allowing the dogs to retrieve. I had my yellow lab,Maple and her puppy, Maggie. It was Maggie’s first duck hunt and fun to watch her excitement. Maggie is 10 mos. old.
Last year this slough was almost dry and no woodies, but this morning it was full of water and woodies.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 10-04-2008 11:07
Sunny & Clear, Morning Fog – 50-60 Degrees
Went out with my son for the closing of the 4 day October season. We arrived at the ramp on time at 5am and set out up the river for the 6 mile run from the ramp to the spot we wanted to hunt. We arrived about 6am and set up our decoys.
A flock of about 5 or 6 woodies buzzed our blind just prior to legal shooting time. A flock came through our location about 20 minutes after legal time and I didn’t connect on a shot. Then a flock of 4 came through about 15 minutes later and I dropped a nice wood duck drake. Then it happened.
A fisherman in a white bass boat pulled into the small creek we were hunting in. I tried to wave him off, but he didn’t seem to see me. So I got out my strobe light and flashed him. I thought it looked like he saw me strobing and waving, but he continued to fish, moving closer to my position. So I then fired a shot into the air to get his attention, strobed him and waved him off. He continued to fish. I pulled up my boat anchor, and rode over to talk to him. I pointed out that he was fishing so close to my spread that he would mess up our hunting. He continued to fish as he answered that he didn’t know I was hunting. I asked him did he see me waving and hitting him with the strobe? Yes he had, but didn’t know what I wanted. I found that hard to believe, but I then asked him what he thought it meant when I fired a shot in the air. He said he had no idea, never missing a cast in our entire conversation.
I realized he didn’t care if he messed up our hunting, so I decided to move myself. I told him that my son and I would go farther up the creek about 300 yards to take the small branch to the right and reset up at the end of the creek. So I bid him a good morning and my son and I picked up our decoys and set out farther up the creek. Just as we finished setting out our decoys we looked up, and there he was again, fishing up the little branch we had gone to, even after I had informed him of our plans. I didn’t say anything, we picked up our decoys and decided to go home. As we passed his boat, he called out “I’m sorry I am messing up your hunting.” I informed him that it was okay, that the important thing was that he got to have fun fishing today and it was my fault for expecting him to show any courtesy or respect for our hunting this area and having gotten there first. Just because we were at the ramp at 5am and rode up there in the dark and set up to hunt this small creek before he got there, it did not mean he did not have the right to do as he pleased with no concern as to the needs of others.
He looked shocked, and I think a little ashamed for his actions. He didn’t answer me back, instead he sort of hung his head and didn’t face me. My son and I rode away and went home.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Pamlico River 10-03-2008 13:31
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 45-50 Degrees
Went out for the third day of the four day October opener and got skunked. I am disapointed, this is one of my favorite spots that has always produced for me in the past. It is true that it is much better hunting in November, but it is usually good for a couple of wood ducks each, sometimes some mallards and teal.
We were cutting it kind of close to shooting time getting out our gear, but we were set up with 15 minutes to spare before legal shooting time. We saw several flocks of mallards, four or five small flocks of woodies, but nothing that came within range. Then a flock of four gadwall came in on us.
I have no explanation for our poor marksmanship. Up to this point neither my partner or myself had fired more than two shots to down a bird, but we both stood up and emptied our guns at these ducks at about 30 yards and didn’t touch them. I am baffled and a little disgusted with myself. Had we knocked down two or three of this four duck flock, our poor day afield would have been a rousing sucess.
All in all it was a good day however. This particular spot is spectacular, the scenery is amazing. We saw some ducks,and in spite of not taking any, it was a great day afield.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 10-02-2008 17:47
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 50-60 Degrees
Went out for the second day of the 4 day Oct. opener. I decided to stick to the Nuese River(being close by with gas at 3.79 a gallon). I picked an area that was downstream from my opening day hunt.
I went alone today, my usual partner had to work. He will be rejoining me tomorrow as we hunt one of our favorite locations.
I got to my spot about an hour before sunrise and set out my decoys, about a half dozen each mallards/woodducks/ringnecks(I like ringneck decoys because they are brightly colored and seem to draw the attention of ducks in timber) and got set up. It was a good spot, even though on my next trip I intend to relocate my boatblind to a different location. With the flight path they were using, in the location I picked I only saw them at the last possible second. I had numerous ducks get by me(in groups of 1 or 2 to groups as large as 5 or 6). I did manage to drop 2 wood duck drakes by about 8 am, with the action slowing to a complete stop at about 9am.
[Edited By Scott-Tolar on 2008-10-02 17:48]
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 10-01-2008 16:41
Cloudy, Winds Calm – 60-65 Degrees
Went out for the season opener this morning. I went to a newly scouted location that I had never hunted before. I had paddled my canoe into this spot but discovered that the area that I would want to set up in to hunt was over 6 feet deep, making it too deep for waders. I attempted to find a good route to access this spot with my boat and returned today.
As we arrived, heavy fog began to roll in. Without having a route marked on GPS I was unable to find the exact spot I wanted to set up in. I found a pretty good spot after about a half hour of wandering around lost in the fog and we set up. We put out about a half dozen mallards,3 woodie and 3 ringneck decoys and concealed the boat in a good spot.
We saw and heard a fair number of ducks, not a huge amount, but had we been been in the open landing zone I wanted to find we might have faired better. As it was, we managed to down 3 woodies between the 2 hunters. The dog made some good retrieves so it was a good day, all things considered.
The water is up, the swamps have water in them and the ducks are beginning to find the backwaters. If the water stays up, should be a good season.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 09-20-2008 10:47
Cloudy, Light Rain & Drizzle – 60-65 Degrees
My son and I went out for a scouting trip this morning. The water is finally up, the river was easily navigable and the creeks were deep enough to access with a boat for the first time in months. Prior to the trip today, the only way up the creek we were scouting was to transport the canoe in the boat to the mouth of the creek and switch to the canoe to access the creek.
My son wanted to paddle around in his new creekboat, so we hauled his cb and my canoe in my boat to the creek and off loaded to paddle up the creek.
I was at this same location about 3 weeks ago. At that time I saw no ducks and no sign of ducks in the area. What a difference a little water and some cool weather can make. I did not see a lot of ducks, but I did see about 25 to 30 wooducks and 2 mallards. This was not a whole lot of ducks, but it was 32 more than I saw three weeks ago!
The beaver ponds are starting to fill up with water. With the extended drought of this entire summer, the vegetation has really grown up, filling them with plenty of forage for the ducks when they show up.
If the water stays up, and the weather stays cool, it would be a good omen for the upcoming season.
