Hunting Washington Forum
Other Hunting => Waterfowl => Topic started by: Feathernfurr on October 11, 2024, 09:10:17 AM
-
24 hours folks! Hopefully everyone’s guns and dogs are ready for a productive and safe season. I couldn’t stand the wait and travelled out of state to knock the rust off, but I’m looking forward to my second opener of the season, and my first in Washington! Good luck everyone!
-
The dog and I are already on the board from early goose, and hoping to build on that success. My boat is still getting serviced so my access is limited to a few spots but my scouting says tomorrow looks good for greenheads.
-
CastnBlast these next two weekends
Always a great time. Got everything ready over the summer. Got a few extra days to play this season and hope to get 30 hunts in. Great group of folks to shoot with and even get to start it all off with my daughter and son-in-law. Stay safe
-
My boat is out of state until December so I’ll be limited to walk in access myself, but I’ll make it work!
-
Had a great shoot. Finished by 815 with two limits. Great mix bag. Partner"s 8mo lab pup did exceptionally well following Der Panz.
-
Pic
-
Nice work! I had to work this morning, but I’m hoping there’s a few birds left for tomorrow morning!
-
Ducks didn’t show so I got a goose limit instead
-
A whole bunch of woulda, coulda, shoulda’s, but had a pretty fun day none the less.
-
A whole bunch of woulda, coulda, shoulda’s, but had a pretty fun day none the less.
Looks like inflation has hit the honker world too! A lot less bang for your buck! :chuckle:
Great boat BTW!
-
My labs first retrieve. He is 9 mos and just learning. We are going with a friend tomorrow in Or. I’m just handling my dog.
-
No photos, a couple embarrassing misses but three green heads and a couple wigeon. Good eats.
-
Today was a great shoot. I took a buddy who had never gone duck hunting and we had birds coming in cupped until 8:30. I did not have a gun but was handling my dog. Today he had 5 retrieves! The longest was a 50-60 yard swim.
-
Quick shoot this morning. Kumpel pup is 5mo now. Little fella had a great time exploring on his first waterfowl adventure. Older Panz is a perfect example for the little fella. On track to be primary by end of season
-
Panz was stellar and little Kumpel made his first legit retrieve from the blind. Lots a birds out there with so many more on the way
-
Panz was stellar and little Kumpel made his first legit retrieve from the blind. Lots a birds out there with so many more on the way
Nice work!
-
Work didn't call as loudly today. Gotta test the new 20ga loads.
-
Looks like they work. :chuckle:
-
RIO 1oz loads, #4 steel. Pattern very nice to 35yds. Bit heavy for most of my shooting but will make good loads for late season when birds wanna hang just outside the blocks. Boss got too spendy and just really didn't need them.
-
Today was a good day. Nothing came into the decoys. So we explored and jump shot 3 from some random spots. I now have about 12 new places I want to try.
My son who is six said it was one of the best days ever.
-
Gads and others are infrequent visitors to areas. But, if you are jump shooting wigeon like that, stay on that spot. It'll consistently produce birds.
-
Fast n Furious teal day to keep the pup excited. Sailed one for the eagles and had a porpoise in the decoys. That was a first.
-
Teal and Pintail stir fry :chuckle:
-
There’s rice under there somewhere. Haha
here they are
-
Nice work gentlemen :tup:
-
Teal-tillas
-
Finally some food is getting posted. Both look tasty!
-
Mit Au Jus. Recipes are endless. I chuckle every time someone tells me they don't like the taste of duck.
-
They usually don't like the taste duck because it has been overcooked. Then it reminds me of liver. I like mine really rare.
-
Keep the food pictures coming. Thanks for the ideas on some new things to try.
-
Here you go. A quick hunt after work today turned these
-
Into Karaage over teriyaki rice with a sweet sauce
-
Simple
-
I shouldn’t have opened this thread before lunch. Yum!
-
That’s it… I need to hit a bird this weekend
-
The amount of waterfowl I turned into pep stick and jerky before learned how to cook is absolutely tragic. Need some skin on duck breast's for the cast iron and some legs to confit back in my life :EAT:
-
The amount of waterfowl I turned into pep stick and jerky before learned how to cook is absolutely tragic. Need some skin on duck breast's for the cast iron and some legs to confit back in my life :EAT:
I have an open seat Sunday if you want to come down. You can stay in my trailer. I’m taking Blake and Wyatt. Planning on going in OR up by Boardman.
-
Kebabs? Bacon wrapped poppers? Never ends around our place. Mixed blessins having the family enjoy waterfowl. Never goes to waste, but can also disappear before I get a bite.
-
The amount of waterfowl I turned into pep stick and jerky before learned how to cook is absolutely tragic. Need some skin on duck breast's for the cast iron and some legs to confit back in my life :EAT:
I have an open seat Sunday if you want to come down. You can stay in my trailer. I’m taking Blake and Wyatt. Planning on going in OR up by Boardman.
very much appreciate the offer my man but I'll be out on the firing center chasing elk (🤮) with my nephew. We'll hook up before the season ends though for sure.
-
Went out last saturday evening/Sunday morning and picked up a couple limits. My old lab bear is 14 now and much colder and he would be too stoved up, I imagine this will be his last winter. He was able to snag a couple of the easier ones!
-
Went out last saturday evening/Sunday morning and picked up a couple limits. My old lab bear is 14 now and much colder and he would be too stoved up, I imagine this will be his last winter. He was able to snag a couple of the easier ones!
Special memories with the old boy! Still looks good for his age.
-
Hunt em till they drop. My prior GWP hunted his 15th year. It hurt but he needed to please.
-
Went out last saturday evening/Sunday morning and picked up a couple limits. My old lab bear is 14 now and much colder and he would be too stoved up, I imagine this will be his last winter. He was able to snag a couple of the easier ones!
Special memories with the old boy! Still looks good for his age.
He is slowing down a lot this year, has never been a real duck dog but a hell of a friend. He will go out and get them but has never been too enthustiastic. Out of all my goldens (over 7500 birds on one of them conservatively) he has the best nose.
-
Went out last saturday evening/Sunday morning and picked up a couple limits. My old lab bear is 14 now and much colder and he would be too stoved up, I imagine this will be his last winter. He was able to snag a couple of the easier ones!
Why did crab creek dry up around Wilson creek area? Only place I have seen a mother coot back in the day. Farmer pumps high and dry with concrete dams that once pooled water for irrigation purposes.
-
Upper crab creek was dry before the CBP and remains intermittent at times, usually during summer with high irrigation demands. Also before the CBP there was never a continuous flow of water, only during spring runoff and high snow years. When my grandfather won the farm in the CBP land lottery he told my grandmother to pick a piece with water (a couple small ponds) as he was off on a Tin can during the Korean. Not exactly sure but there has been some changes around the Billy Clapp/stratford area that has diverted water from previous storage areas as well I believe.
-
This mess is goin on the grill for the Hawks game. Hope they do as well as the pups did
-
Upper crab creek was dry before the CBP and remains intermittent at times, usually during summer with high irrigation demands. Also before the CBP there was never a continuous flow of water, only during spring runoff and high snow years. When my grandfather won the farm in the CBP land lottery he told my grandmother to pick a piece with water (a couple small ponds) as he was off on a Tin can during the Korean. Not exactly sure but there has been some changes around the Billy Clapp/stratford area that has diverted water from previous storage areas as well I believe.
I’ve heard the diversion part but couldn’t find that area of cut off. Not from that area though but a DU project looks kaput now.
-
Back in Washington after living out of state for a few years, new town though. Feels good to be getting into a groove in a new area. A couple of hunts from the past week:
-
Back in Washington after living out of state for a few years, new town though. Feels good to be getting into a groove in a new area. A couple of hunts from the past week:
They were going to eat those shells! 🐚 😆
-
Damn way to correct the high wigeon production this year
-
Shootin piles of wigeon over a flooded clam complex is hardly fair and should be posted in elitist forums.
-
Mixed bag near a corn field this weekend. Wish we had the winds that were coming through today!
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20241105/b87ad10a7be1513d53d3ea44951386a8.jpg)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
-
combo
-
Met up with metlhead and Panz yesterday
-
Thanks for sharing. Panz turned 10 on Friday. He sure loves trieving for ya.
-
Not much in the air today. We were hoping for some geese but they never showed.
I did brush in a new A-frame, hoping to get out again tomorrow night.
-
We tried for geese again last night. We had a few circle around but they wouldn’t commit and wouldn’t drop low enough to pass shoot.
The hunt was more of a dog wrestling match than serious goose hunt.
-
Yes, I imagine the dog is causing the rukus and doing all the wrestlin
-
Potholes was a bit of a bust this last weekend. We saw tens of thousands of birds flying around Friday afternoon and jump shot a few while scouting. Saturday and Sunday they were just gone....... no clue where but they were not in the air. Forced some success against the odds but it was really weird to see such a stark difference in 12 hours.
-
Potholes was a bit of a bust this last weekend. We saw tens of thousands of birds flying around Friday afternoon and jump shot a few while scouting. Saturday and Sunday they were just gone....... no clue where but they were not in the air. Forced some success against the odds but it was really weird to see such a stark difference in 12 hours.
Moses is usually in prime time now before most of it freezes. My former hunting partner and I stopped going there over 5 years ago because things got to slow before freezing.
-
Been an amazing start to the year! Quick limits almost every time out! Took the opportunity yesterday afternoon to take my pup out for his first hunt. He had to swim several hundred feet to the blind and was in about 8” of water up in the blind(more than I’d like for him as a beginner). But he did great. By the second duck he pretty much had it figured out. Only had about an hour to hunt and had a gun issue that limited me from getting a limit but I think it was enough for him for a first time anyways.
-
-
HOOAH! Great to hear stories bouts dogs figrn it out so quick. One can almost see that light bulb illuminate and the dog's response to a good job is priceless. Both ends here. New pup is about ready to come alive. The seasoned 10yo veteran dog has perfected his art but is stoic and ready to complete his task. Upland stil brings out the excitement
-
I am going out in the morning with my 6 year old. I packed the blind in, seats etc. after work.
I jumped them off the pond but they came back around.
-
I am going out in the morning with my 6 year old. I packed the blind in, seats etc. after work.
I jumped them off the pond but they came back around.
Good luck tomorrow!
-
Been an amazing start to the year! Quick limits almost every time out! Took the opportunity yesterday afternoon to take my pup out for his first hunt. He had to swim several hundred feet to the blind and was in about 8” of water up in the blind(more than I’d like for him as a beginner). But he did great. By the second duck he pretty much had it figured out. Only had about an hour to hunt and had a gun issue that limited me from getting a limit but I think it was enough for him for a first time anyways.
Glad to see someone getting some good action! I emailed the refuge well over a 100 miles away from me and appreciate their honest response but tells the story of my area.
It’s been really slow. I’d wait a couple more weeks. The October numbers are online for McNary and Umatilla, and you’ll see they are low.
-
We’ve been having good luck on the Westside. Lotsa pintail around though
-
Brought a newcomer out to the X
-
Today was a lot of fun. I took my son out. We got to the place at 5:30. Still setting the decoys up we had two groups of mallards come in and out of our life. After a bit more time and now in the blind I stoned a drake as it was passing over the pond. It dropped right in the center. This was the first time my dog had ever seen ice, he whined a little at the edge of the pond not knowing what to do and then crashed his way through for a 40 yard retrieve.
My son wanted to be out of the blind a little bit after that. He was walking around with a stick smashing ice at the edge of the pond when another group of mallards came in. My shotgun was in the blind 10 yards from me. We were as busted as the ice my son was focusing on.
Back to the blind my partners took a nap. A flock of widgeon dropped in and my gun went click! I ejected the casing, seems the primer may have rusted from leaving it damp in a bucket. I figure it’s good to learn that on a no pressure hunt like todays.
After I inspected my remaining shells and reloaded another group dropped in an hour later. 3 shots, 3 misses but then one bird started losing altitude and landed in the stubble 300 yards away. I lined my dog up and sent him across the stubble. At 200 yards he looked back, I signaled to go and he kept going. The bird saw him coming and floundered around trying to get away and he nabbed him and sprinted back so proud.
I could have shot a limit today, but this was way more fun.
-
Bonus bird today. We were looking for a pair of mallards and my dog started working harder. Followed him a litttle and this guy flushed at 15 yards.
-
Looked at DU reports over the past few weeks and hunters are still reporting in Canada eh! :😕
-
Dang Canadians. They always take all our birds :bash:
-
Looked at DU reports over the past few weeks and hunters are still reporting in Canada eh! :😕
that means the season hasnt even properly heated up yet
-
that means the season hasnt even properly heated up yet
Looking forward to the first freeze!
-
Don't wait for that freeze! Wanna smoke em tommorow?
-
Lots of wigeon today but not a single mallard to be seen on the Columbia.
-
Booyah! Smoke them wigeon. Lots of mallards here on westside. Many have moved into the valleys as they take on water.
-
Good shoot today. Panz did great and Kumpel loved to try and steal his birds after the retrieve.
-
They love the good company and extra workout.
-
Been reading DU migration reports around the country under the duck factory from hunters and they seem very disappointed about ducks for the most part but geese sound like they are everywhere if you can get under them. Anyway one example of the frustration on ducks I’ve been reading about.
-
Must suck to be one dem fellas that don't know they're doin. We'll just keep hammerin em over here. Plenty of ducks in Quincy today while chasin quail. Even put a goose into the vest with em.
-
10 years old and rock solid on point. Hooah
-
Must suck to be one dem fellas that don't know they're doin. We'll just keep hammerin em over here. Plenty of ducks in Quincy today while chasin quail. Even put a goose into the vest with em.
I think I'm detecting a pattern: Guys that get after it get it done. Well done, sir.
-
We are blessed to live in Washington and westside is fortunate to have a solid early migration that is not wholey dependant upon weather.
-
Been reading DU migration reports around the country under the duck factory from hunters and they seem very disappointed about ducks for the most part but geese sound like they are everywhere if you can get under them. Anyway one example of the frustration on ducks I’ve been reading about.
I don't even pay attention to those reports anymore. If you scout, you can get out from under the cloud of doom and gloom. We have had an excellent season on birds since the start. Starting to see a bit of a lull which we normally do around this time. The cold weather is coming, so it should kick things back into gear.
With your report, I am sure they experience the same thing those in E. Washington see, the big clubs that are well managed and have lots of feed, suck a lot of bird to them. If your still willing to do the work and find the birds, you will shoot limits.
-
I don't know, Gentlemen. I've been at this since 1974, and can honestly say this is the slowest season I may have ever seen. I know how to "get after 'em," and know where they live. They just ain't living there right now. No, I don't hunt the main stem or the Lewis & Clark NWR islands. I don't stack up the juvenile buffleheads, common mergansers, and hen bluebills around Puget Island, BUT I'm not a mallard purist either. It's just one of those years, I reckon -
I will say this. Ten years ago, I saw the widgeon and sprig and GW teal in the places I hunt. Not so much anymore; in fact, I've seen fewer of all three this year than I have since 2015. Not a biologist; just an observation. Have seen more mallards the past couple of years, but even those numbers seem down this year. Fewer cacklers, and the Westerns aren't in the same spots in the same numbers as from 2015 to 2023 -
Weather, perhaps. Water. Tides. Not pressure, at least not where I go. Maybe I just need to hunt harder? Still a good time getting the grandson (13) out and looking at stuff. He observes and appreciates our Mother (Nature), and asks some really good questions that make me think about why I've done this for five decades now. Twenty years ago, I would have been disappointed with the weight of the duck strap. Not so much anymore. Just me, I reckon -
-
Lower Columbia shot awesome last year. I don't venture down til mid December. Puget Island has gotten a lot of pressure making a very early run necesary. With that, a bit of exploration has found two spots within 10miles that are loaded now and believe this, unhunted. Mallards, wigeon and gads.
-
I believe for the guy with time, fuel, and ambition, there are 1.57 million places between Cathlamet and Knappton that could hunt well. I'm just not finding the birds where (I think) there should be birds, nor am I seeing them in the numbers I have in the past 5/6 years. No conspiracy theories; just stating an observation. Even the snipe - which I LOVE to hunt and BBQ - aren't around now (in my haunts) as they've been in recent years. Maybe it's all weather. Maybe they're not there. I'm not sure -
Strange, but I sure haven't heard the shooting around PI like usual. Nor out of Gray's Bay. I hear the coast around Long Beach is getting hit pretty hard, but the two old guys with their old dogs who would come and shoot "my" spot every morning for an hour until their coffee cups were empty aren't out this year. Never met them. I miss those old guys -
-
That area sure is special. Wow did we ever kill a ton of bluebills in the channel when we had full limits of them
-
A combination of late plantings in the Skagit Valley along with really early rains kept a lot of fields from being harvested this season. Hundreds of acres of corn, barley and spuds didn’t get removed and the birds have been pounding those spots. Combined with way more leases all planting crops for the birds and having a good grow season. We are holding some tremendous numbers of birds to the point that it has really slowed down the hunting just south of us at many of the clubs in Snohomish, Monroe, Duvall and Carnation. Some birds may push south with this cold as many flooded spots are drying up which we needed. Definitely been an interesting season.
When they do start pushing south they hang up again at the mentioned club from Snohomish to Carnation as every club plants crops specifically for ducks. Probably hundreds of acres for duck and could be into the thousands. That doesn’t help those to the south of us. Whatcom county to the north of us is starting to do similar things as well. Between Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish you have north of 60k birds harvested. We definitely hold the birds.
-
Weather (mild) has a lot to do with what I'm not seeing here, I believe. An abundance of food to my north, both cultivated and natural, plays a role. I think there are more 'off-limits' places between me and the coast; that is, private properties with good habitat on which hunting isn't permitted. Mini-refuges, if you will. But that doesn't explain what I'm not seeing on the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge or as I drive by the Proclamation Zone on Willapa Bay. Some birds, but not what I'd normally see this time of year. BUT every year is different. Another week or two, and things might change radically; however, temperatures here are supposed to push 60 by the weekend (12-7/8), so I'm ... well, at least I can run my new Stihl 461 and work on 2026 firewood! It's certainly not over yet though -
-
Weather (mild) has a lot to do with what I'm not seeing here, I believe. An abundance of food to my north, both cultivated and natural, plays a role. I think there are more 'off-limits' places between me and the coast; that is, private properties with good habitat on which hunting isn't permitted. Mini-refuges, if you will. But that doesn't explain what I'm not seeing on the Julia Butler Hansen Refuge or as I drive by the Proclamation Zone on Willapa Bay. Some birds, but not what I'd normally see this time of year. BUT every year is different. Another week or two, and things might change radically; however, temperatures here are supposed to push 60 by the weekend (12-7/8), so I'm ... well, at least I can run my new Stihl 461 and work on 2026 firewood! It's certainly not over yet though -
Looking at my phone weather Edmonton shows in the low 40’s this weekend. Sounds like weak polar vortex that allows systems to the south hammering California, New Mexico, and Colorado with record precipitation leaving the duck factory high and dry because the winter jet stream is having the same wave characteristics of the summer jet stream. Hope they are wrong but the predictions for normal winter over the Canadian prairie, even long term doesn’t look bright. As we all know weather is almost everything 24/7/365 for the waterfowl chase.
Found this website and shows jet stream prediction and temperature.
https://www.netweather.tv/charts-and-data/global-jetstream#2024/12/04/1200Z/jetstream/surface/level/overlay=jetstream/orthographic=-113.28,42.72,172
-
Did my loop today. It was 31F in Mt. Vernon when I left and 46F in Ferndale, mid day. Got back home at 4:00 and it was 38F in Mt. Vernon. Lots of birds up north. Just need some cooler weather to push them down.
-
I90 is currently junkyard with many accidents with a death reported near Ritzville I got stopped in for a bit on a scout trip to Burbank. Be careful if heading out to the blind tomorrow morning in E Washington.
-
I put hunts in the last 2 days in a couple new spots. The birds showed up in force. If I knew how to shoot I may do better.
FYI, I cracked open a case of Blindside 3” in #2 steel. I have as many bruises on the birds as shots that penetrate.
-
Later season birds got lotsa fluff. Larger pellets really grab and need more energy than the min required. Keep the shots under 35yds and pellets will blow through.
-
Today was EPIC. We were done at 9:15. Couldn’t take the boat due to wind so we hunted the “training pond” with my A-frame blind. I also had my first triple cupped at 20 yards landing gear down.
Appa retrieved his first goose followed by seven more and a lone greenhead.
-
Later season birds got lotsa fluff. Larger pellets really grab and need more energy than the min required. Keep the shots under 35yds and pellets will blow through.
I am planning on shooting the rest of this case then switching to BOSS. My thoughts are they have more pellets, more knockdown, and would lead to more birds taken.
If hunting steel are you saying a #3 or #4 would penetrate better? I’m often having to follow up on cripples.
-
Been having luck with #2s, #3s, and #4 steel still. Even dropping the larger ducks stone cold. All shots within 40yds
The smaller the shot size the more pellets on target. So #4s have more pellets than #2s
-
Today was EPIC. We were done at 9:15. Couldn’t take the boat due to wind so we hunted the “training pond” with my A-frame blind. I also had my first triple cupped at 20 yards landing gear down.
Appa retrieved his first goose followed by seven more and a lone greenhead.
Looks like you had a great hunt! Good shooting! :IBCOOL:
-
I've been shooting my 20s exclusively for 5 years now. The BOSS 5s were very good loads but realized I had no need for them as all my shooting is well under 40 yds. Got spendy also. Shooting only 7/8 oz, I needed to maximize pellet count to keep a dense enough open pattern at typical ranges. #4 Steel has enough energy beyond my farthest shots. Seems to penetrate very well and seldom do I have feathers pulled into the meat. Also found shorty Upland Steel 6s by Federal, my quail/chukar loads, do extremely well and anchor mallards at 35yds. Smaller shot seems to pattern very well for me. Definately not a good choice for pass shooting.
-
I've been shooting my 20s exclusively for 5 years now. The BOSS 5s were very good loads but realized I had no need for them as all my shooting is well under 40 yds. Got spendy also. Shooting only 7/8 oz, I needed to maximize pellet count to keep a dense enough open pattern at typical ranges. #4 Steel has enough energy beyond my farthest shots. Seems to penetrate very well and seldom do I have feathers pulled into the meat. Also found shorty Upland Steel 6s by Federal, my quail/chukar loads, do extremely well and anchor mallards at 35yds. Smaller shot seems to pattern very well for me. Definately not a good choice for pass shooting.
Thanks I really appreciate this response. I may pick up a few boxes of #4 in steel and see if that works better. We have been shooting them as they decoy in. I’m newish to waterfowl and just figuring it all out as I go. With the boat, dog, and scouting I think I’m already 3x the ducks I took all last season.
-
I put hunts in the last 2 days in a couple new spots. The birds showed up in force. If I knew how to shoot I may do better.
FYI, I cracked open a case of Blindside 3” in #2 steel. I have as many bruises on the birds as shots that penetrate.
Sounds good, on my scouting trip Saturday to Burbank the winter flock of ducks was very small even in these ideal conditions and surprisingly didn’t even see a goose. About 10 years ago almost couldn’t see the water on the no hunt side with all the fowl. Very disappointing and was hoping my gut feeling was wrong but ended up actually worse.
-
I've been shooting my 20s exclusively for 5 years now. The BOSS 5s were very good loads but realized I had no need for them as all my shooting is well under 40 yds. Got spendy also. Shooting only 7/8 oz, I needed to maximize pellet count to keep a dense enough open pattern at typical ranges. #4 Steel has enough energy beyond my farthest shots. Seems to penetrate very well and seldom do I have feathers pulled into the meat. Also found shorty Upland Steel 6s by Federal, my quail/chukar loads, do extremely well and anchor mallards at 35yds. Smaller shot seems to pattern very well for me. Definately not a good choice for pass shooting.
Thanks I really appreciate this response. I may pick up a few boxes of #4 in steel and see if that works better. We have been shooting them as they decoy in. I’m newish to waterfowl and just figuring it all out as I go. With the boat, dog, and scouting I think I’m already 3x the ducks I took all last season.
Not sure if they've fixed it but if you shoot a Benelli and want to shoot BOSS you may need to replace the hammer spring. I personally do not like BOSS. I've had great results with the hevi-metal which has 30% bismuth and then also shooting TSS duplex loads: 3steel/8TSS with a 20gauge and absolutely crushing birds. The TSS is a hand load so it keeps costs down somewhat.
-
I've been shooting my 20s exclusively for 5 years now. The BOSS 5s were very good loads but realized I had no need for them as all my shooting is well under 40 yds. Got spendy also. Shooting only 7/8 oz, I needed to maximize pellet count to keep a dense enough open pattern at typical ranges. #4 Steel has enough energy beyond my farthest shots. Seems to penetrate very well and seldom do I have feathers pulled into the meat. Also found shorty Upland Steel 6s by Federal, my quail/chukar loads, do extremely well and anchor mallards at 35yds. Smaller shot seems to pattern very well for me. Definately not a good choice for pass shooting.
Thanks I really appreciate this response. I may pick up a few boxes of #4 in steel and see if that works better. We have been shooting them as they decoy in. I’m newish to waterfowl and just figuring it all out as I go. With the boat, dog, and scouting I think I’m already 3x the ducks I took all last season.
Not sure if they've fixed it but if you shoot a Benelli and want to shoot BOSS you may need to replace the hammer spring. I personally do not like BOSS. I've had great results with the hevi-metal which has 30% bismuth and then also shooting TSS duplex loads: 3steel/8TSS with a 20gauge and absolutely crushing birds. The TSS is a hand load so it keeps costs down somewhat.
Ive has a ton of issues with BOSS shells getting humid and not working, its a huge let down for a shell marketed for waterfowl hunting. If going bismuth the hevi metal is a much much better bet.
-
Wind was nice this morning
-
Nice Euro, bear 8)
-
Nice Euro, bear 8)
:yeah:
It's the only duck I have mounted.
-
Nice Euro, bear 8)
:yeah:
It's the only duck I have mounted.
If/when I get one I’ll do the same!
-
13 mallards, 2 widgeon and a goose. We were quite a bit short of a 3 man limit today but birds would not commit.
-
13 mallards, 2 widgeon and a goose. We were quite a bit short of a 3 man limit today but birds would not commit.
Bonus band :chuckle: awesome!
-
Good to see my pup work today.
-
Anybody have any recon on geese out on White Bluffs. Havent been out there in years - hope I can find the spot i used to go to in the dark :chuckle:. The birds around yakima are few and far between compared to a couple of years ago and looking for somewhere else to head next weekend and maybe get some shooting in. I need to get a few geese to make pastrami. Dont want to waist the diesel if the birds are not in there in good numbers.
-
Went on a scouting trip! Lots of snow geese only on the no hunt side at Burbank with ducks thin in numbers for this time of year with no ice. Also went to check out ground zero for an old register to hunt spot by Finley with circle fields and the parking areas with the stands to fill out paperwork were all ripped out of the ground with hunting there for the general public gone forever. Sad because it was an end of the road spot for geese and produce some good hunts on cold days with easy pack in only with no driving around fields.
-
Today was slow and nothing was cupping. I ended up with 5 birds for 8 shots all skirting the edge of the decoys. Mixed bag of 3 widgeon and 2 green wing teal. I only saw one group of mallards about a half mile high.
-
Nothing for us today. Imagined hoardes of wigeon all dropping over the timber, locked up 200yds out. Love to be headed home by 9. Good company with a young fella that is home for Christmas.
-
Nothing for us today. Imagined hoardes of wigeon all dropping over the timber, locked up 200yds out. Love to be headed home by 9. Good company with a young fella that is home for Christmas.
Looks like a fun shoot. Great job.
-
Sure was, thank you. For gits and shiggles I dug out a very old 12 of mine, the Win97, and shot some light steel target loads. Let my partner sport the 20 auto.
-
My boys did a superb job today. Had fun yesterday and figrd I'd trench gun them birds again
-
Pup is startin to take the lead. Quick shoot and let the wigeon and pinners pass.
-
Today I took a buddy that had never gone waterfowl hunting. He had a blast and cartwheeled a few. All around fun day. We ended up with a mixed bag of two limits of ducks and I took a goose.
-
Sounds like a fun shoot!
-
Still plenty of birds
-
Still plenty of birds
Well done! Tomorrow I’m off for a 3 day hunt with some friends. It may be the end of my season.
-
The boat was having issues so we decided not to chance it on the water. We walked in 3x days and the birds were very wary. All in all we had a good time and shot 4-6 each day. We shot mixed bags of wigeon, galdwells and a few mallards. The geese had no interest in coming low enough for us to comfortably shoot.
I was amazed at the amount of snow geese and watching some guys pass shoot them. They were coming over at 60-70 yards and about every 7th shot they knocked one out of the sky.
-
Some guys get enough flak up there sumpin gonna come down.
-
They're called cripples...
-
The banded fairy blessed me today on a solo hunt today
-
The banded fairy blessed me today on a solo hunt today
That’s awesome. What’s the band date/location?
-
Banded in burbank march of 23 as an adult, pretty sure before it was headed back north
-
Banded in burbank march of 23 as an adult, pretty sure before it was headed back north
Congrats. Really cool- thank you for sharing
-
The banded fairy blessed me today on a solo hunt today
Hey, that's awesome. Did you see the collar before you shot? Really cool.
-
Roasted mallard with traeger rub seasoning. I broil them for a few minutes to crisp the skin before pulling them out and drizzle honey on it before it starts cooling.
-
We had a mixed bag over the weekend, and I was able to knock down this beauty!
The band was so worn I can't make out several numbers.
-
We had a mixed bag over the weekend, and I was able to knock down this beauty!
The band was so worn I can't make out several numbers.
Hey congrats! What a trophy. Would be curious to know where that bird was banded if you can get it etched or something to make out those numbers. That's awesome.
-
Two man limit this morning. Picked out all drakes
-
Two man limit this morning. Picked out all drakes
nice job
-
So many conspiracies! You fellas mixing free time and iron poisoning are the real reason there aint any ducks.
-
Two man limit this morning. Picked out all drakes
Looks epic. :tup:
-
Two man limit this morning. Picked out all drakes
Dang nice job! You guys must have been hunting with a certain ex hunting partner on here in order to find that many ducks! All jokes aside good on ya and hopefully everyone can get after them this weekend!
-
Two man limit this morning. Picked out all drakes
Dang nice job! You guys must have been hunting with a certain ex hunting partner on here in order to find that many ducks! All jokes aside good on ya and hopefully everyone can get after them this weekend!
:chuckle: :tung:
Thanks- to be honest, I missed the first two hens that came in so this was not intentional until we only had a few left to fill our limits! Hahah
-
Obligation has me missing the Veteran's hunt next Saturday. Made and early trip to the river by the house. Gorgeous sunshine over icy waters made for great end to another stellar season. Lots of hunts this season and even more limits really tested both dogs. Good times and banter with the many that made it out with us. Stay safe and God bless