Had the best few days of my season here the last 3 days. I had a couple good days where there were a lot of widgeon back in late Nov thru Dec. And a few decent days of spoonies and teal in the first couple weeks of season. But hands down this weekend was best. Even though the first 2 days I missed plenty of opportunity during the first 5 minutes cause I looked at the wrong week in the regs for the shoot time and wasnt yet shooting when it was legal.
Friday I had birds all over me before legal light (or so I thought). To the point that the water looked like it was boiling in the moonlight as far as I could see.
Ended up with 1 mallard drake and 1 teal that day.
Saturday I switched from the main lake to a grassy beaver pond. Ended up setting up where it was easy to hide instead of where I saw the most ducks working the day before. Even though its not a big pond, the 200 yards made all the difference. Got 1 mallard at first light but then nothing wanted to come my way. I moved to the other end of the pond and squatted in the tall grass. Should have started there. Ended up getting 2 pintails and 2 teal there.
Sunday, last day of season. I learned from the last couple days. I got there early and made a blind out of branches and grass at the end of the pond where the birds were working the last 2 days. And at this point is where I realized my error in knowing legal light. I could have been shooting 5 min earlier the last 2 days. And that would have changed a lot, as long as I shot well. Teal, mallards, and pintail were all over me. Then the watch sounds the alarm for legal light. First 2 shots and I had a mallard and a pintail down. Wait a min so I dont flare more ducks, then walk out to pick them up. 3 ducks swing in, I manage to drop 1 before the flared out of range. So far 3 ducks, 3 shots, less than 3 minutes. I get back to the blind, already content if thats all I would get for the day. And to top it off, the third one was one I never expected to see on this side of the state, a gadwall. Then I hear a splash, I look over the top of my blind and there is a mallard in my decoys I didnt see come in. I jump up, he gets about 2 wing beats above the water and drops straight back down. After a cup of coffee some teal come in, I had really wanted to get as many bigger ducks as I could since I got a ton of teal this year, but hey, its the last day. Took 1 teal and it dropped on the other side of the pond. And i have to walk all the way around the pond to get it since its the type of mud in the pond that if the water is ankle deep, you sink to your knees or crotch. As I walk around the pond a group of mallards come in and land 10 yards in front of me even with me in the open. I ended up with the drake and missed the follow ups at the hens. I sit and have another cup of coffee and send some pics to buddies, esp of the gadwall (was a hen). Then I hear something that sounds like a jet liner coming by. Look up as a duck is circling back to come right at me. 1 shot and dropped him. Turned out to be another gadwall, a drake, I was stoked. All in all my best day of the year ended up being the last one. Limited by 9:20. What a way to close out the season, esp for an otherwise very slow season.
The last pic is at home with the whole weekends haul.
