Slow Start

[Legband]

Today's birds
Lost one Mallard so had to fill in with a third ring neck.
The son of a gun was face down when I climbed down in to the boat port and jumped in the boat , when I backed out of the blind he was gone.
I didn't see either of the wintering bald eagles so I don't know where he went.
But you can bet your bottom dollar he was banded , the banded ones always get away .

[Legband]

I was invited out to call for a guy who owns a 2200 acer ranch with four nice ponds on it.
One of them is well know in area as a real shooter.
Like anywhere I know it slow days even though you hear it doesn't.
You know the story's " man the Green Heads are so thick on this pond you couldn't see a inch of water showing"
We have a good south wind so I am passing up what might be the best day this year in our big water blind.
I hope I making the right choice.
I have seen this pond before it's a beautiful piece of marsh water and it's all alone in a large area so if the ducks are around it's the only show in town.
They have a nice stilt blind in it, and I hope it's brushed well.
Anyway we will know for sure in a couple of hours.
I will post a couple of pics of the pond.
And hopefully a couple of limits , I can guarantee the pond pics , I will do my best on the limits lol.

[NuffDaddy]

I was invited out to call for a guy who owns a 2200 acer ranch with four nice ponds on it.
One of them is well know in area as a real shooter.
Like anywhere I know it slow days even though you hear it doesn't.
You know the story's " man the Green Heads are so thick on this pond you couldn't see a inch of water showing"
We have a good south wind so I am passing up what might be the best day this year in our big water blind.
I hope I making the right choice.
I have seen this pond before it's a beautiful piece of marsh water and it's all alone in a large area so if the ducks are around it's the only show in town.
They have a nice stilt blind in it, and I hope it's brushed well.
Anyway we will know for sure in a couple of hours.
I will post a couple of pics of the pond.
And hopefully a couple of limits , I can guarantee the pond pics , I will do my best on the limits lol.

Good luck!!

[Legband]

We had a great shoot with the dark sky spitting rain most of the morning, and the pond was beautiful.
The owner put the decoys out and I was reluctant to critique the spread being a guest.
But after the first two groups sat to far to the north to get a shot.
I asked if it was ok to make a few adjustments to the blocks, with his approval I moved them 30 yds south/east.
The rest of the birds came in from several directions but with a stiff south wind each bunch circled the willow tree the blind is built in and sat down right out front behind the Decoys.
Mallards and Gadwall were the birds of the day and we finished up early.
We took the rhino around and checked out several other ponds on the ranch, it's a gorgeous piece of property.
I told him he was very blessed to own such a place and I felt very blessed that he shared it with me on this perfect fall day.

And thx Nuff

[3200 Man]

Wow Legband , that looks like a great place ! Thanks for sharing your invite .

This am I'm also headed to a invite , there has been several hundred Geese living on the ranch along with the Mallard
population building ( daily ) according to the owner . I hope they are all there as it's been a few weeks sense I was there last .
We'll just push them off and wait for them to come back , is the plan , as it has worked before , in the past !

The owner says , his BBQ is in a week and he needs some birds to satisfy the group . I love helping anyway I can !

Thank You Lord for Friends and another daylight !

[Legband]

Wow Legband , that looks like a great place ! Thanks for sharing your invite .

This am I'm also headed to a invite , there has been several hundred Geese living on the ranch along with the Mallard
population building ( daily ) according to the owner . I hope they are all there as it's been a few weeks sense I was there last .
We'll just push them off and wait for them to come back , is the plan , as it has worked before , in the past !

The owner says , his BBQ is in a week and he needs some birds to satisfy the group . I love helping anyway I can !

Thank You Lord for Friends and another daylight !

Let us know how it go's.

[Legband]

I got word that today a few mallards arrived in the trees at our lake.
I'm hoping it was the front guard and that we will have more come in tomorrow morning.
Im taking a junior out and he has the fever.
I would love to sit a big bunch of green heads down 10 yds in front of him and watch his eyes light up.
We will see how it go's.

[3200 Man]

Wow Legband , that looks like a great place ! Thanks for sharing your invite .

This am I'm also headed to a invite , there has been several hundred Geese living on the ranch along with the Mallard
population building ( daily ) according to the owner . I hope they are all there as it's been a few weeks sense I was there last .
We'll just push them off and wait for them to come back , is the plan , as it has worked before , in the past !

The owner says , his BBQ is in a week and he needs some birds to satisfy the group . I love helping anyway I can !

Thank You Lord for Friends and another daylight !

Let us know how it go's.

Well , with the nice North-wind this am I had all the excitement it was going to be a Great Day of success....BUT !
We setup our spread as we knew how the birds would lift off the lake and what direction they would travel and everything
went as planned .....until... 2 fellas about 1/2 mile away started shooting the mornings Wood Duck flight , this changed
the flight of the geese as the first 2 or 3 bunches slid ( with the wind ) more east of us and there was nothing we could do
no matter how hard /loud we called or flagged or just sat there , waiting for a response !

None the less , it was a Great morning , watching birds react to the consent shooting to our north.....which shows how
smart these birds are , as if we'ed not do the same of following the leader ? There will be another day and we'll be set-up
with so-many birds using the lake....... We'll just look for a change in everydays movement and pattern them once again ,
I hope !

[Deltaman]

Great report Joe, and it sounds like you made the right decision! Hope the birds show up today for you and your young guest, in you go to spot in the trees!

3200, very frustrating to go to all the trouble to set up for geese and get screwed up by a nearby hunter, but nothing you could do about that. Some days you are the fly, other days, the windshield. Hope you get another whack at'em!!!!!

[3200 Man]

Great report Joe, and it sounds like you made the right decision! Hope the birds show up today for you and your young guest, in you go to spot in the trees!

3200, very frustrating to go to all the trouble to set up for geese and get screwed up by a nearby hunter, but nothing you could do about that. Some days you are the fly, other days, the windshield. Hope you get another whack at'em!!!!!

OH Yea , there's no hurry as long as the birds are using this ranch , there's opportunity in the waiting ! In the past , with
some of these birds being hatched here , they know where home is and as long as they are not over-shot or blown off the
roost...success is in the future days of the season . With Fog this morning it would've been a good day there but we decided
( with all the weekend shooting) to let them calm down and get back to their normal days pattern .

[Legband]

A beautiful fall day in the blind
Good times , good food and some important lessons learned.
The birds were working low and close one of those days that keep you coming back.
They would break over the trees and be in your face with out a moments notice.
Being in the shadows and down in the shooting holes, as long as you hold still until they pass by your golden.
But we lost several bunches to my young hunting partner reacting with movement to the close birds.
I was expecting this as he is new and no matter how much you talk about it , until someone experiences it you don't understand.
I also let a couple groups go that circled and circled at 15 yds because I wanted him to see the birds sit down in the decoys.
His only experience has been refuse style hunting on passing birds.
We ended up with five Ducks , a pair of Woodrow's , Widgeon Drake and a pair of Mallards.
The woodies came straight in and I let them swim around in the spread for a while in front of him.
The Widgeon fell from a mile high and landed smack in the middle of one bunch of Mallard Decoys.
I said now your the only one shooting , take your time , push your throw cover down and when he gets up make the shot , but don't shoot the decoys.
We threw the covers down and the Widgeon Drake sat there , I mean his Mallard buddy's didn't take to flight so I guess he didn't think he needed to either.
So I gave it the old "get out of here " .
At which time he center punched three of my brand new Mallard decoys.
Lol , at least he killed the Widgeon.
I didn't let him of the hook with out a good scolding even though I was cracking up inside , i don't want to reinforce bad hunting etiquette in any young man.
The mallards worked text book perfect and broke 10 yds right over the blind on his end and sat down right in the kill hole.
His eyes were as big as silver dollars , are you ready I asked , I thought he was going to nut up , when we came out the birds busted up and he shot his side of the blind just like he should have.
I baked up some fresh biscuits in the oven and supplied some home made apricot jam and the little turd unexpectedly pulled out a log of elk summer sausage to round out a nice breakfast in the blind.
All and all it was a great day, no doubt two seasoned hunters would have brought out limits.
but I couldn't help but think something more important than a few more ducks on the tote took place here today.
and maybe when I'm a old man and can't make it out to the blind by myself this young fella will drag a worn out old Waterfowler to the blind and put up with him for a hunt or two.

[Legband]

Had a good shoot yesterday on the big water
They weren't all mallards but they were all Drakes

[Legband]

Had a few new birds today.
It's a night and day difference.
Had a early morning group of mallards that has been on the lake for a while.
The GoPro showed I worked them for 7 mins 33 secs before they sat down.
On the other hand the fresh birds hit the lake and in four or five rounds committed and sat.

[Legband]

Great report Joe, and it sounds like you made the right decision! Hope the birds show up today for you and your young guest, in you go to spot in the trees!

3200, very frustrating to go to all the trouble to set up for geese and get screwed up by a nearby hunter, but nothing you could do about that. Some days you are the fly, other days, the windshield. Hope you get another whack at'em!!!!!

Thx Deltaman

[Legband]

A few more birds today left early and still ended with 19 for three guns.

[Deltaman]

Beautiful!!!!!!

[Legband]

Had a Great pond shoot today
28 mostly mallards and a Banded Mallard Drake.

[3200 Man]

That should keep the picker busy ? Like the saying goes...clean these and I'll get some-more , Pilgrim !

[Legband]

The day started with a disappointing weather forecast.
No wind.
My buddy didn't want to hunt with a full crew and on what we all knew would be a slow day.
So I gave him pick of the blinds and he chose the big water.
I took 3 with me and headed to the trees.
Sure enough the water was like glass.
Four guys that want to call on a still day.
So I just asked them , do you guys want to call ducks today or shoot ducks today?
I explained it was going to be deafeningly quite and the birds were going to be spooky as all get out.
If we get loud or aggressive at all the birds would circle at 50 yds and leave.
They chose to shoot and I told them I would call the Ducks and they could take turns with their whistles on the Pintails and Widgeon if we saw any.
After a few groups sat in the decoys everyone got excited and started blowing we lost the next two bunches.
One of the guys asked is it the calling , you guys sound good I told them , but together it gets to loud and too much calling for as still as it is.
They backed off and we finished the day with four limits 28 ducks for four guns.
We got a little ripple on the water when we were picking up decoys normally that's to little to late.
Fortunately it didn't hurt us because the guys were willing to put their pride aside and work as a team.
And at the end of the day we were all glad we did it right.

[Legband]

Had a good shoot the other day and again today with mt buddy Greg.

[Olly]

Had a good shoot the other day and again today with mt buddy Greg.

Well damn I'd say so.

[Legband]

Not a bad shoot today a little light on big Ducks.

[Legband]

A couple recent shoots

[SpinnerMan]

I hate your pictures because they make me so jealous.

Awesome

[3200 Man]

Those sure are some nice looking birds you got there , that proves , if you put-in the time and have the gear success
is in the making . Along with some darn good table fare !

Now start picking , tomorrow will come soon enough and you got'ta be ready , right ?

Thanks for the Pic's Legband.....This shows OUR areas in the Central Valley...can be...pretty good too !

[Legband]

Pulled a Zero at the lake today the ducks have moved on
Left early So headed out for a afternoon hunt at the refuge with a buddy.
Shot a two limit mixed bag but ended on a sweet note with a double on a pair of redheads.

[Legband]

Took a youngster out this morning he had a blast even though he wasn't happy with his shooting.
The birds worked in on a sting.

[Legband]

Knocked down 12 today.
One snaked off.
Could have shot several working higher but I was filming and we wanted all the birds to sit.

[Legband]

Still slow here's today's talley.

[Flightstopper]

Boo hoo