We hit the seaside Friday launching from a spot in the woods and paddled my canoe out a small canal to the bay. The tide was really high and it was tough to find a spot in the marsh to hide in. We finally got set up and then the fog rolled in. No morning flight to speak of but once the fog burned off a few birds moved. I managed a few fish eaters. Buffie and a hen hoodie. On the walk to get the buffie a marsh hen jumped and he joined the pile. We sat on the bay watching the brant fly just out of range and raft up in the middle. We decided since it was low tide and the bay was only 1-2ft deep and calm that we would lay in the canoe and drift/pole down on them. We made the 1/4 mile drift and got within range. I turned the boat side to so that we could both shoot but an oyster rock didnt let it swing far enough for me to shoot. I finally got a shot as the flock came back around and dropped one. We made the long paddle back and this baysider wasnt thrilled to see the 100yds drag we had in that mud with all the gear and canoe.
Here it is, the nastiest seaside bag one could imagine.
Saturday we hunted on the Chesapeake and managed a few more birds. My brother and guest were knocking down some mallards on their side of the blind when another pair came in on my side. I quickly realized they were a pair of sprigs. I dropped the pair but the drake sailed to the other side of the waterway and into the marsh. We looked for an hour and never found him. After that I missed a teal and dropped a hen hoodie and the birds stopped moving.