Posted By:
Paul – Kiker
Guest
Pee Dee – Anson Co. 01-22-2009 06:30
– – –
Hunted one morning last week and then yesterday morning on the Pee Dee and very few ducks on the river in the areas where we hunted. Never fired a shot. Conclusion, very few ducks.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Albemarle Sound 01-19-2009 13:56
Cloudy, Heavy Fog – 35-40 Degrees
We went out in an effort to target the huge flocks of mallards we saw on Sat. And we were not the only ones. The small ramp we launched at that is usually deserted or at most will have one boat launching from it instead had a half-dozen trucks parked in it’s parking area. We saw hunters setting out in all directions, the information about the huge numbers of birds had leaked out.
But we were all surprised. Not one of the hunting parties bagged a duck, in fact only one boat even fired at a single small group of mallards and they missed. I am baffled by this sudden movement in birds that were in this location by the thousands just two days ago.
We had extremely heavy fog that stayed on the water until about 11:00 am before it began to lift. At times the visibility was less than 50 yards. I don’t know if the ducks were moving around and we just couldn’t see them(a real possibility) or if they had just moved on. The season counts down.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Roanoke River 01-18-2009 08:12
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 0-10 Degrees – Ice
We decided to forego our second day at Mattamuskeet as we figured the lake would be frozen over. We went up to hunt a creek off the Roanoke hoping to find some open water. In spite of the river current the creek was frozen. We broke ice, thinking the current would keep it open long enough for us to hunt. In spite of the current it quickly refroze. We saw large numbers of mallards, but none would decoy. We saw another group of hunters that went out into the sound itself, they saw large numbers of ducks as well, but none would decoy for them either.
Might be a see duck hunt for Monday.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Lake Mattemuskeet 01-17-2009 15:41
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 10-20 Degrees – Ice
This is my report for Friday, Jan. 16th. I drew a hunt for Blind #1(the disabled blind) for the 16th and 17th of this month. We were concerned about the low temps freezing up the lake like it did last year for my hunt and they were not unfounded.
My hunting buddy began to put out the decoys at about 5:30 am after the oreintation speech and sign up for the hunt. We were pleased to see no ice and he went to work. As I am unable to wade out in the water due to my disability, he had to put out the decoys alone. Amazingly, in the time it took him to throw out the decoys(about 40 minutes) the water began to freeze. At legal shooting time we were locked up in ice. Just that quick. The wind was howling off the water at about 20 mph and with the low temps it was dangerously cold.
About 8:30 am a single tundra swan came in, about 10 yards off the water and about 30 yards out, allowing me to fill my swan tag. We then sat there for two hours without firing a shot, watching helplessly as the ice drug around the decoys. About 10 am my buddy went out to save a group of decoys before the ice drug them out of recovery range.
Then the wind switched from the north to the west/northwest. The high winds blew the ice free of the point and we suddenly began to see some ducks. We began to bring in a few ducks close enough for pass shots and managed to take 3 widgeon,a pintail and a teal; all between 10:30 and 11:30 am. A reasonable turnaround considering the way the day started out.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 01-14-2009 10:23
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Went out for a hunt on the Nuese this morning and was dismayed to discover the boat ramp that I used last week to go to one of my favorite spots is closed for repair UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! .Very disconcerting. However, after some quick rethinking, I went to a second spot that is near to this location that I have not hunted since last year(and only once then).
It is a small creek off the Nuese that my buddy and myself refer to as the “Woodduck Hole”. It used to be very productive for me in years past but I had given up on it as several locals had taken to shooting the roost at this spot and had subsequently scattered the ducks. Evidently they are gone now, for the woodies came in low and over the decoys and I shot a limit of the little feathered speed demons.
It was a cold day, a good day. A duck hunting day.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Washington County 01-10-2009 16:06
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
Went out for a puddle duck hunt this morning and were dismayed to have zero wind at sunrise. It was cold, but no wind. We put out our decoys and set up for a hunt with the sun to our back.
Just after legal time we had a pair of wood ducks pass through, but we did not shoot thinking they would swing in and decoy. They didn’t. We then had 3 ringnecks blow through at the edge of range, but again we let them pass thinking they would swing in and decoy.
We had several groups of mallards they flew by, returned to the call, circled overhead several times before flying off. We even had two that circled, then landed about 200 yards away.
We had about given up hope when a flock of 5 teal blew into the decoys and we stood up, dropping 3 of the 5(we could have gotten 4 of 5 but my partner and I both slammed the same duck with the second shot for both of us).
Interesting day, 3 teal. Not a great day, but a good day in the sense that we spent it duck hunting instead of sitting at home looking out the window.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 01-08-2009 17:18
Mostly Cloudy, No Precipitation – 40-45 Degrees
Went out for a hunt on the Nuese this morning and I saw some ducks, but I was only able to connect on a single drake wood duck. I should have taken my three, but for some reason I was not able to complete the deal in spite of several excellent chances to fill out the limit. I took the drake(a very large well plumed out bird) at about 35 yards and it was no challenge for Dixie the Wonderdog as she made short work of it.
The river is still down from last week, I hope it doesn’t drop any more than it already has.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Nuese River 01-06-2009 15:28
Cloudy, Rain & Thunderstorms – 45-50 Degrees
I went out for a hunt this morning and it rained. A lot. Came down in buckets. The big,fat rain drops that almost leave a bruise. It rained so hard I had to use the bilge pump at regular intervals to keep the boat pumped out as I would look down and find myself ankle deep in water.
But I saw ducks. All woodies(with a single,lone mallard hen)and in good numbers. I went to the same location I hunted for the first time last week but was not in the right location(the same as last time, but I was closer to the right spot). I am fine tuning my location, now I know exactly where to set up when I return next Tuesday. I saw 30 to 50 woodies setting up in a section of flooded timber about 75 yards from my location. I did manage a single woodie, but I have much higher expectations when I return next week.
The river has dropped at least 4 or 5 feet since last week. This is surprising considering the amount of rain we have had. I guess the extended drought conditions have the water table so low that the ground sucks up the rain at a incredible rate. I hope the rain from today and that predicted for tommorrow get the water back up.
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Pamlico Sound 01-03-2009 13:45
Sunny & Clear, Winds Calm – 35-40 Degrees
My son, my buddy and myself went out for a hunt on the Pamlico Sound. We set out a couple dozen Herter’s magnums and a Ure-a-duck scoter wind powered spinner. At about 10 minutes after shooting time a single buffle buzzed through the decoys and my partner splashed it. After two more whacks on the cripple as it swam out of the decoys we dispatched Dixie the Wonderdog. After a 100 yard chase and several submersions, she caught the hen buffle and returned to the boat. About 10 minutes later a flock of about 6 or 7 buffles blew through the decoys and my partner and myself managed to drop another hen and a drake. Dixie chased down the drake, again going about 100 yards in the open water before chasing it down. We then pulled anchor and went after the second buffle as by now it was completely out of sight. We found it about 150 yards out and at a distance of about 30 yards we sent the dog and she made quick work of the cripple as it was not able to submerge.
We had pretty high hopes at this point for a good day. The wind was light, but steady from the NNW and we were seeing ducks in the area. But then the wind died completely, the water of the sound becoming as slick as glass. I mean zero wind, not even a ripple on the surface of the water. The ducks sat down and did not move at this point and we did not fire another shot all morning. We sat on the spot until about 10:00 am before we decided to call it a day. We had come prepared to hunt all day, but it became apparent the ducks weren’t moving and it was a waste of time.
I intend to return to this spot, maybe next Saturday. I will just hope for more wind(just not too much more!).
Posted By:
Scott-Tolar
Field Editor
Washington County 01-02-2009 08:04
Sunny & Clear, High Winds – 25-30 Degrees – Open Water
Went out for a hunt on the Roanoke River this morning. I was hoping the cold temps and high winds would push in the ducks looking for sheltered,open water.
Didn’t work out that way, I got skunked. I did have a group of 3 mallards buzz me at first light, but they came up from behind me, crossing the creek instead of traveling down it and I did not have time for a shot.
Saw another group of hunters in the area and they had the same idea I did, but they were baffled as well as to the lack of ducks, they too got skunked.
I guess that is why they call it hunting.
