NH Waterfowl season opener
 

A spectacular sunrise signaled the opening of the waterfowl season but apparently the birds were not given the notice. Our 10 gauge Parkers were quite deadly in spite of their sparse use. Scott nailed a drake mallard that come over like a station 8 high house. This was the only duck we saw. One group of geese went over at high altitude, like a mile up, headed south. Three geese snuck up on us and caught us out of position (standing up drinking coffee). We jumped in our beds and hit the calls and they swung back. They stayed far off to the right but two hits from my NH 10 anchored the closest bird.

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Was that today?
I was in Dover at the Bellamy WMA for the pheasant opener yesterday...

Nice work boys! Making it work even if it wasn't really working.

Michigan opens Saturday. The one place I've got to hunt that's not public doesn't have much water. I'm going to start scouting Thursday and see if I can't get something figured out.


DLH

I find it a bit odd that you would stick a scarecrow in the middle of your decoy spread :shock:

didn't hurt - he wasn't hunting crows :whistle:

i also went a a phez hunt after the goose hunt dog and i did get a rooster, took a ride around for crows none to be found than took a ride down the road from my house for a fast woodduck hunt with my 30 in VHE 20 ga. started the walk around the beaver pond and shot a pair, reloaded and shot a 3 rd one that must have been sleeping . dog brought back all 3. back home in time for supper. i love oct!!:) scott

if you could see the way i shoot crows , you could call me a scarecrow :rotf: scott

well did you catch any::corn:

OK we will let in on our hunting secrets. It's a lot easier to shoot from the standing position, and who likes to lay on the ground at this time of year. The geese are use to people so we fill empty Wonder Bread wrappers with styrofoam peanuts. When we hear a honk the guy standing in the decoys walks around the decoys throwing out the peanuts. Incoming geese think the decoys are being fed. Most of the time they can't come in fast enough. The gunner always seems to get good shots. :)

Nice going guys. One thing about being a fowler, you see more spectacular sunrises and sunsets in a year than most folks see in 10. I need to take a camera more often but I got in Dutch when I dropped my son's little Canon in the water. I had to replace it and now he is pretty touchy about letting me use his. Mine is too big to haul around and the wife won't let me near hers.
-plc-

i like the scare crow method and the guy feedind them decoys peanuts...well your secret is out now peanuts will jump in price tommorrow better get out and stock up...im leaving for the store now... charlie

Well, no...but I wasn't trying to catch them...:rotf:

We smacked 'em good on the upper Connecticut on the Vermont side. Set up on Sunday in very low water. Came back Tuesday opener and everything was under 3 feet of water in the swamp as they let the dam water out. Let some cheep decoys out when we set up and they were spread all over. I fell in up to my pits with my neoprenes on trying to negotiate a little stream but 50 degree weather was no problem. But the ducks still came. Nice big fat ducks that are now duck confit. A perfect duck hunting day with sunrise, fog lifting and peak foliage.
Worked out the first day stupid misses and hit them again Thursday with good results.
Our season, interior Vermont zone, starts next Saturday so the Connecticut river zone was an extra treat. I would anticipate things getting hot because throughout that area I would guess that less than 10% of the corn is cut.
Cut 'em

guns , shot size, loads we want more even pics!! sounds like you had fun!! scott

I had a good week
REPORT:
pheasant - parker trojan 16 RST #6
- Parker VH 20 ga CSM restoration RST #6
Ducks -xtrema2 beretta (cannot yet give up the Rock and Roll gun)
- Parker GH im/im classic doubles #4 hevi shot

monday it is more ringnecks with the 20ga VH and 28 repro ( going to try RST #5 shot)
between 2 guys we shot 14 ducks with also 1 lost down the river and one lost in the swamp that we could not get the dog on