First successful duck hunt of the year and for the pup, update 11/6

[lokidog]

Went out this morning and set up on the beach.  Tide was high and going out with the wind in my face, no other choices.  I put out nine duck and three goose decoys, one of each was a wing spinner.  A couple minutes into shooting time I glance at the decoys, crap two are bunched up... oh wait, it's a teal next to them.  Too dark to shoot really, she takes off as another flies past.

One teal flies by, boom, boom, keeps going but looks like it lands in the marshy flat down the beach, plan to look for it later with the pup.  Another teal comes by boom, boom, down it goes, pup is still sitting by me (yeah), send off to fetch, brings her first "real" bird in.  I did have to remind her to come a few times though.   

A bit later, another teal lands in the decoys at 12 yards, after some arm waving, body shifting and a handfull of gravel she decides to leave.  Straight away shot, miss one, down with the second.  She is a long way out and the pup did not see it go down.  I send her out but cannot throw a rock far enough to show her where it is, need to work on hand signals more.  Some mallards fly over, miss them.     Get the dog and drive over to the dock to get my dinghy to try to retrieve the swimming teal.  Have to bail out many gallons of water from yesterday's rains first, ugh.  Motor to where I last saw the teal swimming, I see a bird and head towards it, should I shut the engine off and shoot it?  I'll just try to catch it.  At fifteen yards it flies away, what??     At least it could fly I guess.

Headed home to get more shells and back to the beach.  Moved the decoys out with the tide, it is definitely nice having them on a gang line.  Sat for a bit, missed a crow, how the heck?     Sit, sit, sit...  hen mallard!  Swing boom, flop, good retrieve by the pup but just on the beach.  A while later had a drake mallard fly up the beach, swing, boom, splash, she still only had to wade a little bit, no swimming.  Man, I sure do better when I don't have time to think about it.   

Time to go, it's a little after nine.  The only goose I heard was, of course, when I went out to get the dinghy.  Drop the dekes and birds at the truck, OK time to go look for that first teal.  It's a big area to search.  Tell her to find the bird, she loves running around in the grass.  Realize I should have tossed the teal behind us so she would have something to "find".  We walked several hundred yards and shortly after we turned back up the beach I see wings in the grass, she is on it, and bam, fetches it to me.  COOL!

A good day and no rain to boot.   

Hope you like the story. 

[steve04]

That's awesome. Way to go.

[seth30]

Great job!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Nice to have no competition ...that's sweeeeeeeeet ! 

[lokidog]

Thanks.

Nice to have no competition ...that's sweeeeeeeeet ! 

My competition is the 1/3 mile of shoreline that they seem to prefer and a really nice pond that I have no access to.     The buffleheads seem to stay about 45+ yards out as I think that is where the bottom gets muddier for their feeding.

A layout blind would actually work pretty well here to follow the water line out, or in as the case may be.

[NW-GSP]

Good looking dog!

[h2ofowlr]

Time to get a marsh rat or something sea worth to hunt out of.  A nice string of buffies may help as well.

[lokidog]

Time to get a marsh rat or something sea worth to hunt out of.  A nice string of buffies may help as well.

I've got plenty of watercraft suitable for the job, some (wife?) might even say too many....     I'm trying to get the pup some action and that's not easy away from shore. 

[Kola16]

Pretty dog

[Hunting7mm]

Best part of duck hunting is watching the dogs work!!!!   

[Timberstalker]

That's cool. Glad you got the pup on some birds.

[hntrspud]

Great Job! We need to go hit some puddlers inland if your up for it.

[seth30]

Best part of duck hunting is watching the dogs work!!!!   

[LeftCoastLoren]

Nice work!

[Carl]

It looks like a great day and a beautiful dog!  And - a lot of fun...

Carl

[lokidog]

She is a cutie alright.  Thanks everyone.  And, Hntrspud, I'll be in touch.   

[lokidog]

Went out this morning since I didn't have to bring my daughter to the bus this morning.  I put out a small decoy string before light, then realized I forgot my box of duck shells.  When I got back, I set up two more decoys including one on a string since there was no wind for the spinning wing ones.  As I'm wading back to shore, two Mallards land ten feet away from me, it is five minutes before shooting time.  Luckily, they swam off seemingly not too alarmed.

They swam back in about fifteen minutes after shooting time, a handful of gravel and I got the drake but somehow missed the hen.     A bit later I had three Widgeon fly by and got all of them.     After a bit, I was setting up for a photo of the dog and a drake Bufflehead came in close enough to drop, then a second one, splash.  Missed a drake Mallard on a slam dunk shot, I need to practice those sitting down left to rights I guess.  Then, just before 8:30 a hen Common Merganser made the mistake of coming in a little too close.  Amber made great retrieves of all seven ducks, in the water this time.  I did have to chuck a rock out for each of the second and third Widgeon though to show her where to go.

Thanks for looking.

[seth30]

Great job

[GrampasGuns]

Score!! 

[LeftCoastLoren]

Looks like a fun hunt to me! Great looking dog too...

[TheSkyBuster]

 

[Shoffy]

Is your dog a Golden Retriever?

[Special T]

Yes it is.... Nice shooting Loki! ALWAYS kill mergansers! 

[h20hunter]

She looks right at home!

[BOWHUNTER45]

Good job ...man the fowl has arrived ...I seen thousands of birds today ...I better get my stamps because I need to get our new lab out there too !!! 

[lokidog]

She looks right at home!

She does loved the water, and the beach, and the tall grass, and chasing sea gulls.   

[Shoffy]

She looks right at home!

She does loved the water, and the beach, and the tall grass, and chasing sea gulls.   

I have a golden too. Every time he gets in the water I can't get him out!

[Curly]

Love the stories and pics

[Widgeondeke]

Nice limit and a good mixed bag