California duck club

[Brian Stucker]

As you may have heard, we are in a severe drought in the west and those with good wells are very lucky indeed. The one picture shows water started on the 'Arkansas Timber' field which comes from one of 5 wells on the ranch. The water table is at 10' below the surface and water pumping costs are fairly cheap.

The other picture shows the first day of flood up and you can see the blind in the center of the shot. This is the first year we've put the blind in the trees and have seen hundreds of mallard and woodies use this pond. This blind was in a poor location last season; the ducks flew everywhere but near the blind. We hedged out bets and sank a steel pit blind where this stand blind was as we were afraid the move would jinx the new spot and christen the old spot as duck mecca.

We are currently working on an explanation if both spots are duds.

[Rick Losey]

We are currently working on an explanation if both spots are duds.


:rotf: :rotf: :rotf:



Good luck Brian- such effort deserves reward

[Phil Yearout]

Beautiful photos nonetheless; worthy of the wall!

[Mills Morrison]

California is on my bucket list. Duck hunting, that is.

Wish I could hunt San Francisco Bay with an 8 gauge like the old days.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

One of these days, I've gotta make the pilgrimage and try to kill a cinnamon teal. And a Pacific Brant too I suppose, and a Tule Goose, and and and......

[Brian Stucker]

We see rusty teal every Jan. in the pond pictured here. They are in the open part which is about 20 acres. Your invitation of several years ago is still valid.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I appreciate it, just so many places to go, and so little money to do it with. Hah!

I'm off for a few days in Oklahoma next week to try and shoot some small race Canada Geese. I'd shudder to know how many geese I've killed in my life, but I've never killed anything but a good old standard and some giants.

Them boys out there say the little ones of various types swarm their fields like bees around a hive and that they're saving a cattle tank with so many widgeons on it you could walk across them. We shall see......

P.S. What's the deal with the Tule Geese? Do you live in an area where any are ever shot?

[Richard Flanders]

The only Canadians we get in Alaska are Lessers. I shot at a large "mallared" one time and it fell nearly at my feet and I realized it was a goose.... that's how small they can be.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

I think the Aluetians are considered the smallest race with the Cacklers a close second.

[Brian Stucker]

We get both subspecies of the greater white fronted goose. The tule will use natural habitat and the smaller of the sub group use the rice and prefere open water. I've shot one tule goose but we always have thousands of 'specs' on the rice. I'll get a picture this weekend and post it. Lots of birds now.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

If you've only ever killed one and hunted out there all your life, I'd say my chances of every getting into one are dismal. LOL

DLH

[Brian Stucker]

Yeah, it's really weird that happened. We had never seen 'specs' in the natural ponds and haven't since. That was back in O five. My neighbors had thousands of Tule geese in their natural ponds last year. Never seen anything like it. There was no one hunting the entire 2,300 acres and the birds hardly ever came out. We had the worst year ever and blame the mild weather with no rain.

We are hoping for a change and expect many limits of ducks if it happens. The neighbors have 14 hunters and only flooded 500 acres this year. I flood 320 ac. and we never shoot more than 2 blinds with two guns in each. Usually, it's just myself and the guest du jour.

Destry, you'd get a limit of Tule Geese for sure; guests always do good here. One guest shot and killed 3 teal with one shot. A disabled veteran shot two banded mallard and a sprig in one hunt. Three years ago the game warden got a blue goose with a neck band. My hispanic farm worker got 5 drake mallard and two bull sprig on his first hunt. He used my old Beretta automatic that never killed a duck for me!

Anyway, have Flanders fly over and pick you up...he has an invite as well.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Ok now I'm confused. You've only ever killed one but getting a limit shouldn't be a problem? I'm missing something here! Hah!

[Brian Stucker]

Luck of the guest who travels far grasshopper.