Posted By:
Shawn-Keeton
Web Member
02-11-2009 07:42
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I pray that everyone’s lives are getting back to normal again. The ice has melted off a lot of the ponds and I’ve already been seeing geese paired up. Watch out for the downed trees today after this big windstorm goes through. On a brighter note, I read an article that says turkey numbers will be the best this year that they have ever been due to the abundance of cicadas last year when the poults were small. That will make for a bunch of jakes this year but next year should really be a banner one with all the two year olds.
Posted By:
Sean Riley
Web Member
02-03-2009 18:00
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Prayin for ya Skee…Hope you Ky boys pull through tis weather…we are having a blizzard here right now, sucks Azz, but at least its not ICE, Good Luck boys!!
Posted By:
nashua
Web Member
02-02-2009 15:41
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Well, we are convinced that we need to increase our Canada Goose spread for next year. (Can you believe we are already talking about next year? No wonder our wives think we’re crazy.) If anyone wants to part with some silouettes or full-body or any style of Canada decoy please e-mail me at fredpf@aol.com.
Thanks
Posted By:
Bert Holtzman
Field Editor
Skee and all 01-29-2009 20:39
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Best of luck recovering from this tremendous storm. It is tough up here but nothing like what is going on south of here.
Posted By:
mojcar
Guest
Corn Field, Gallatin co. 01-28-2009 15:50
Cloudy, Accumulating Snow – 25-30 Degrees – Ice
Well boys, its about done. Another year of hunting coming to a close and another year of logging on to read Skee and bridgeman’s posts comes to a close with it.It was a good season, not great in terms of the number killed, but it was the good times and the hunts that we remember. This season will be remembered for several reasons: in 10 years of getting up and getting after em’ I had never killed a bird with a band, this year the duck gods rewarded me with 2 banded mallard drakes, one from canada and one from South Carolina. This year I got to witness my buddy (and boat captain) kill his first drake Pintail and witness for the first time in all of those years bull canvasbacks land in the decoys. I will also remember this year for tuesday’s goose hunt. After a year of inviting her to accompany us hunting, The lil woman finally got up and went with me during the winter storm that was roaring through. We sat in layout blinds as sleet rained down and watched as 1000’s of geese poured in on my decoys. we killed our limit in short order and retreated to the warmth of the truck. I have never seen anything like that in any goose hunt and the fact that I got to share it with her will be remembered long after the snow we sat in has melted away. Skee, we were the ones who launched in front of ya’ll in ghent on Sat, glad you had a good hunt, maybe next year we can join forces for a hunt. Keep the posts comin boys always a pleasure to read. 3 more days to knock em down and I will be in the corn and snow all 3. This season is almost gone, but the times spent afield with good friends will be remembered every time I look at the 2 banded mallards on the wall. Stay safe everyone.
Fair winds and following seas……
JC
Posted By:
bridgeman
Web Member
Ohio River at Manchester 01-27-2009 14:08
Cloudy, Snow Flurries – 10-20 Degrees – Open Water
Duck Hunt 1-25-09
Today was on of the best hunts I have had in a long while. We ended up with 3 Geese, 3 bluebills, 2 blacks, and 4 mallards. We decided to go to Manchester Ohio mile 397 Ohio River. River at pool stage, low last nite was 13, no wind and later a DS wind. I met Jim at his Mentor farm at 7:30 and his son Randy decided to follow us in his truck for breakfast at the General Store in Augusta. Before stopping at the General Store, I stopped at the Mentor Marathon for a thermos of coffee. I went up route 8 after getting coffee. The river below Foster had ice. Above the dam there appeared to be a lot of ice. These was no ice at Augusta. After breakfast Jim and I hit the AA highway and crossed over at the new Maysville Bridge and ran up route 52. There was only 1 truck at Maysville, and ice on much of the river. We were 3rd at my secrete Manchester ramp, so much for my secrete. We put in and decided to head right across the river due to the ice. Normally I run up above the islands and come down the ky bank. We ran across and screwed up on 4 mallards, and scared up blacks and mallards below us. I pulled into the bank to wait the ones below us to swim in. They did and we pushed off. We got to within 50 yards and they just took off. No reason except no high water. The floating was great, no wind and the river was a sheet of glass. We started down putting the 10 hp and spotting with binoculars. We worked down a good 2 miles, and saw nothing. The bank was a pretty sand bank the whole way. We then spotted fish ducks below us. We could tell they were fish ducks, because every now and then they would disappear as we watched them though the binoculars. They were blue bills and canvas backs. There was 25 blue bills and 25 CB. As we floated down a barge went past and the bouncing up and down brought the CB out and they took off when we were maybe 30 yards out. We got right up on the BB and I told Jim to take them. I watched as Jim shot the 20 gage La-fever double barrel. The first shot he got 2 and the next he got one, I did not shoot. Picked up our 3 BB, pulled into bank for coffee and cookies. Headed on down. We went another 2 miles and nothing. Jim was glassing the other bank and he said there is a duck. I got my binoculars and Jim said below the blue barrel. I thought I saw it. As we were floating down we spotted 4 swans swimming up the Ohio bank. We had passed them, and Jim was watching them, when he spotted his duck. We ran up the Ky band and followed the barge US who had just passed us. Jim said we will use the barge for cover. I ran up beside it at .75 throttle, the barge guy must have thought we were nuts. I got to where I wanted to cross, and waited for the barge to run up, so I could cut behind it. I grabbed the binocs and spotted a bunch of geese across from us, so I ran up a little more with the barge again using it for cover.( We really did not need the barge) The geese were DS from the swans so I decided to run over and get pictures of the swans. When we were within 500 yards of them Jim says there ducks in with them, I turned the boat DS and idled to the bank. We decided to float down on the Geese, and let the ducks above us calm down. I started paddeling down and we get within 100 yards of the Geese and about 10 more land right in front of us. We got within 30 yards, and they all got up, no shots fired. We then decided to float Jim’s duck. Jim says he is right next to the red Jug. You must understand this was the most garbage strewned bank I have seen in a long time. There was all kinds of old tires, clorex bottles, coke bottles, 55 gallen drums, you name it. I look in the binocs and I don’t see it. Then I do. We got right up on the drake mallard, I said take it Jim. We jump up and it is a cripple. We then crossed over and ran up to get above the swan ducks. We stared floating down and Jim spots them, we got right up on them, and I said take them. Jim gets a drake and hen mallard and I got a black. We had lunch and coffee and headed back down at a idel. About 2 miles down we spot more Geese and ducks. Jim says they are below the blue jug. We got right on them, we jump up and I drop a goose with my first, and miss a mallard with my second. Jim drops a Goose, but swears he got two. His is a cripple so I run out and cut motor and Jim shots it. We pick it up and then get mine. I has been snowing lightly for 1 hour. We pull into the bank and walk around to get warm. I think it was at Old Hollow Run. We stared back down. I look out in the middle of the river and there is a dead Goose, Jim’s first shot, we ran out and picked it up. Started back down . Jim spots more ducks, we pass more blue bills to get on some blacks and mallards. We got right on them, and Jim gets a black and I got a mallard. During the firing the goose that was dead jumps out of the boat all wrapped up in my life jacket, Jim says at least it was safe. I started the 10 and picked up the Goose with life jacket and wrung its neck. We picked up our dead ducks and headed down. We spot another drake, we floated down, and it keeps paddling down stream at a pace that is not normal for a duck, it was odd. It would swin in for a bit then head back downstream. We spotted it just below Moyer’s restaurant. We chased the duck for 1 mile, when it finally sat on a log. We got right on it, Jim jumps up and it is the same cripple mallard. We headed on down and Jim spots ducks below Elk Run. It was 5 what we thought were mallards. Now it is snowing like crazy. I look over and there is snow on there backs, it was 3 blacks and 2 mallards. We got right up on them, Jim gets his mallard and I missed mine. It is 4:00 and we had enough. I could barely see across the river it is snowing so hard. The run up the Ky band was fun, it is snowing like crazy, and we jumped up a bunch of ducks. When we hit the ramp the other trucks were gone, we never did see them. Had a great supper at the Aberdeen Dairy Yum Yum, home by 8:00. Best day I have had in 20 years, it is a shame the season is over. The river was super clear and pretty, though the lack of current made for tough hunting. Looking forward to next year.
Posted By:
WAS
Guest
01-26-2009 23:40
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Turn out the lights the parties over….finished the season in ARk and had a real good time. Can’t wait to do it all again next year.
God Bless and Godspeed to all!
Posted By:
Shawn-Keeton
Web Member
01-26-2009 13:19
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On Saturday morning we decided to set up some dekes on the river to see what happened. At our first ramp choice there were already 4 boats so we went on up river to the next launch site. We were the only boat that put in there. We were running a tad late (after switching ramps) so we ran across to the IN side and set up. We set 18 goose floaters, 2 dozen mallards and black ducks and 2 dozen bluebills and goldeneyes on long lines. We soon had a group of geese come by (they really had no intention of landing in the dekes) and we got 2. We continued to see group after group of geese. Many would give us a look, only to head out to the middle of the river and land. While we were watching some geese a single duck worked in over our heads and plopped right in the dekes. It was a canvasback drake and boy was he a beauty. We watched him swim around for awhile and finally he picked up and headed off. It figures that we never and I mean never have cans in the dekes and the one time we do, there’s no season on them. Not long after that a single goldeneye worked the lines and we got it. That turned out to be all of our shooting. As soon as the sun pooped out of the clouds, birds immediately stopped flying. All told we saw about 50 ducks and 400 canadas. They were mostly rafted in the middle of the river, with very few of them working along the shores. Too much hunting pressure has conditioned them to stay out a ways. It makes me think that if a guy had a layout boat, and could get 75 yards or so off shore (and still not close to the barge channel, that he could do some good. Put the dekes around the layout and have a buddy pick up the birds. Oh well, maybe try it next year.
On Sunday we decided to give the skiff one more try. The ramp we had used on Saturday was frozen in so we had to go north to the next ramp to put in. We got there at 8:05 and were the 4th boat. There were some major ice flows on the river. While we were launching the boat I spotted some ducks sitting in the middle of the river. Upon closer inspection it was 6 bluebills and 2 canvasback drakes. We launched and started paddling our way out. We got to within 20 yards of them before they realized something was amiss. We got our 4 bluebills with 4 shots. After picking them up we headed to the IN bank and soon ran into some of the other hunters. There were two groups, one across from the other. We waved and went on by. We saw 3 mallards on the bank and rolled the boat over for the sneak. We got within 25 yards and came over and got two drakes. After picking them up we went on down a ways and found several more cans and bluebills. We went back up stream and soon found another small flock of mallards. Some really poor shooting led to only one drake being taken. That turned out to be our last duck of the day. We saw a small group of gadwalls, a pair of black ducks, a small flock of buffleheads and a bunch more bluebills and cans but most were sitting close to houses so we just left them and went on up. We took out at 12:00 with our birds and called it a season. Not to bad a finish. A couple of notes: I was surprised to see the numbers of hunters that late in the year. Usually the majority have quit by then but hunters were still out in force. Most parties did at least some shooting while we were out. The birds were hanging in the middle of the river, but evidently a few got close enough for some shots. This was by far the most cans I’ve seen in a season in the last 10 years. We hadn’t seen any in the last 3 seasons and the ones before that, we only saw a few here and there. Hopefully the numbers rebound with the season being out.
Dux, give me a shout when your down this way.
Posted By:
Sean Riley
Web Member
01-24-2009 22:56
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bridgeman and skee, just so you know I come on this page every weekend to read your reports, very enjoyable. I lived in Dry Ridge Ky, and my parents live in Erlanger, so I am very familiar with your area used to fish that stretch and we had a blind down stream from the dam good times keep up the good reports…..
Skee, I am gonna come visit you one of these days, I have got to come see my kids soon, so when I do I will drop you a line and we will get together
[Edited By DUX 3 on 2009-01-24 22:56]
Posted By:
bridgeman
Web Member
Ohio River at Augusta 01-24-2009 17:19
Cloudy, High Winds – 30-34 Degrees – Open Water
Duck Hunt 1-24-09
Due to high winds I decided to go decoying at Augusta Ohio River mile 426. I got up at 5:00 am and got coffee and a beacon egg and cheese sandwich at the Mentor Marathon. Was at ramp at 6:30 and I was the 6th. As I was getting ready when another boat pulled in. He put in ahead of me. I got in and headed up Ky bank. I turned off my running lights because the rear light blinded me. I could see well enough to not hit a barge or another boat. Headed up to stony Point Creek and put out 6 geese and 10 ducks. I was ready by 7:30. Jewels and I were ready. I looked across the river and there was a blind directly across from me. US and on the Ohio Side was another set of decoys hunters, I could see there spinning wing decoy. And DS on Ohio bank was another set of decoy hunters. Geese were flying from 7:45 to 9:30. I think all 3 groups across from me got shots. I saw maybe 5 groups of ducks. Nothing wanted in my decoys. Since there was so much competition in my area, I pulled up and went DS below Augusta. I set up about 1 mile below the ferry. Saw maybe 4 groups of Geese and 3 groups of ducks. I did talk to the MR. Mayes a cool 1949 barge, and the West Virginia on the marine radio, I told them to scare up ducks. I noticed this last Thursday, the ducks are sitting in the middle of the Ohio to keep from getting shot. I saw 6 swans fly up the Ohio bank, and two dropped off a little DS from me. The other 4 kept on flying US. I pulled up at 2:00 and had a great breakfast at the General Store, home by 4:30.0 shots fired.
