You rise early....

[Frank Cronin]

This morning teamed up with one of the NH Boys, Pete Lester to do some duck hunting on the Oyster River in southeast NH. Morning temperatures were 20 degrees. Scotty and Billy were on Bellamy River nearby.

Although I wish we could report the success Scotty and Billy had, Pete and I had a rough morning. Getting to the boat ramp and loading our gear, the "recently refreshed and all gone through seasonal checkup" outboard motor decides to not want to work. After multiple pulls on the rope to no avail and checking fuel lines, it just wouldn't start.

We decided to try to salvage the morning to go back to Pete's house to get the back up motor and head back to the loading dock. We lower the boat again and she didn't want to turn over either. Luckily, we found that seemed to be a stuck check valve to the fuel line, let her warm up for a while to ensure she wouldn't stall out on us, and headed out.

Ducks were few and far between this morning but we did get some shots. We watched geese fly over us for hours without one winging in. Unfortunately, we didn't get anything though. I shot my Grade 3, five frame hammer gun and Pete was equipped with his Remington 1894 10 gauge determined to eventually get a duck with it after already bagging a few geese and busting a good share of crows with it.

But that's hunting. You rise early, do your best and take your chances.

Here is a picture in front of Pete's boat I think deserves to be framed. It was the highlight of the day.

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc420/StubTwist/Oyster%20River/20141116_062928_zpsupgsweex.jpg (http://s1210.photobucket.com/user/StubTwist/media/Oyster%20River/20141116_062928_zpsupgsweex.jpg.html)

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc420/StubTwist/Oyster%20River/20141116_100214_zps8blfpslj.jpg (http://s1210.photobucket.com/user/StubTwist/media/Oyster%20River/20141116_100214_zps8blfpslj.jpg.html)

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc420/StubTwist/Oyster%20River/20141116_100501_zpseu81sdho.jpg (http://s1210.photobucket.com/user/StubTwist/media/Oyster%20River/20141116_100501_zpseu81sdho.jpg.html)

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc420/StubTwist/Oyster%20River/20141116_100520_zpsax8mhb6q.jpg (http://s1210.photobucket.com/user/StubTwist/media/Oyster%20River/20141116_100520_zpsax8mhb6q.jpg.html)

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc420/StubTwist/Oyster%20River/20141116_100343_zpsmjpwfrwa.jpg (http://s1210.photobucket.com/user/StubTwist/media/Oyster%20River/20141116_100343_zpsmjpwfrwa.jpg.html)

http://i1210.photobucket.com/albums/cc420/StubTwist/Oyster%20River/20141116_100603_zpsd2fuao7x.jpg (http://s1210.photobucket.com/user/StubTwist/media/Oyster%20River/20141116_100603_zpsd2fuao7x.jpg.html)

[Mills Morrison]

Great photos and story. Thanks for sharing. Yep, you have to be willing to accept some no bird days if you want to do it right.

[Mark Ouellette]

Great and familiar story! Thanks for sharing it and especially thanks for the photos!

Mark

[Pete Lester]

Some days you win and some days you don't. Very few birds on that river yesterday. However along with sunrise we saw a Bald Eagle cruising the river and oddly enough we watched a guy drive into a field in a pickup truck across the river. We didn't know what he was doing standing by it for 15 minutes or so until a deer came flying out of the woods and he shot it. The drivers showed up in another ten minutes and helped him load in the truck. You don't see that every day.

PS. Frank also forgot to mention the pair of mallards that came in from behind us cupping but going with the wind. 20 to 25 yards overhead and we were looking the wrong way and they were out of range by the time we saw them. Oh and there was the small group of low flying geese coming up the river as we were leaving in the boat. Frank will learn a fundamental law of waterfowling, birds will usually decoy when you are picking up decoys, LOL.

[Daryl Corona]

So very true Pete.

[scott kittredge]

Do you guy shoot those old guns ? :) Bill Janelle and I shot 4 geese and Bill, shot a wood duck in the salt water and in NH in mid Nov.! :shock:

[charlie cleveland]

my deer hunting this evening was like ya lls duck hunting day...thats a mighty fine picture of a sunset and thel old hammer guns are looking good too..sure will be glad when that 54 frame hooks up with a big duck or goose..what loads were you boys useing..charlie

[Steve Cambria]

Yes indeed, that one deserves a very large frame!! Gorgeous shot!!

[Pete Lester]

Do you guy shoot those old guns ? :) Bill Janelle and I shot 4 geese and Bill, shot a wood duck in the salt water and in NH in mid Nov.! :shock:

Pretty soon the question will be, do those old guys still go hunting? Bill has got nothing on me. I shot a drake Wood Duck with you in November or early December with my 3 frame 12ga on the Oyster River a few years ago.

PS. Oh wait, Bill does have one thing on me, I have never been laying in a cornfield, sat up missed both shots at decoying geese, reloaded, turned around and then kill one. :rotf:

[charlie cleveland]

boys she s cold in the south tonite should make for some good duck hunting if season ever opens here.hope you boys get a shot every once in a while with them big 10 ga s especially the 5 frame...charlie

[Destry L. Hoffard]

How many decoys do you all use? Looks like a small spread.

DLH

[Pete Lester]

Destry since we were running late having had to go home for another outboard motor I put a handful of decoys quickly so we could hunt. In my experience a few decoys on a spot the ducks want to be is far more effective than a whole bunch of decoys in a place they have not been using. With 2 people and a small boat I take what ever one decoy bag holds 14 or 15.

[WilliamJanelle]

Ya, that was the Dude gun. Ithaca 3 1/2" 10ga S x S, kicked like a mule! Nice gun though. Nice pics Frank.

[CraigThompson]

I used to think and still do for all intents and purposes that early AM was the best time to hunt !

But the last couple years I am finding I like the bed a lot more and tend to hunt more in the afternoons until dark .

Dunno if that's an old age thing or just being lazy :rotf: