BRU-TAL Duckin' 12-30-17

ilovesprig

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Aug 3, 2012
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Hit San J with high hopes with a #6 pick....Got the blind we wanted and had 3 birds at blast off (Good grief!....How can you shoot early here).....And that was that.....Still fun being in the marsh in the morning and working with the pup (Jaeger).

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Hunted the blind to the west of that blind back in Nov with a #14. We had the same thing happen. Not the usual flight in that area from what I saw when I was there. Down south just a hair seemed to be a bit more active.
 
You should have hunted #plastercity
 
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Our whole club bettered you by one goose Steve pretty slow and hot in the valley too.


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If only we had some of those east coast storms out here. I don’t see any storms coming to the west coast for a while. The best day we had all year was 4 birds. Hopefully things will turn around. I am gonna have the boys hunt the youth season that will probably be the best week of the year lol.
 
That is brutal Steve.

With this cold front I am crossing my fingers that the big water doesn't freeze. I can't get out for another 2 weekends and hope the geese are around. I expect the ducks to be totally gone.... maybe a few on the river.

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Nick,

I've never experienced a season like this. And no weather in sight.....I know I'm not the 'fowler I once was, but 5 trips to either Wister or San J and a total of 5 ducks?.....If it wasn't for Canada, Montana, and Jack's club I wouldn't even have 25 birds.....Patterns are changing, spots have disappeared, the Sea is shrinking, Wister is falling apart with the lack of manpower/money/water, and the weather is definitely changing in SoCal.

Adapt or die has always been a motto for us guys down here, but soon it will be adapt to what?
 
I was on the number 1 card killed 7 by 10 am but had to take advantage of every opportunity couldn't be picky shot teal and spoonies surprised at how few birds we seen.
 
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Guys there are insane amount of birds here in the Sac Valley and lots of good reports from Mexico, makes you wonder what the issues are in between.

We saw a group of ducks get up out of a flooded rice field on Friday mid day spooked by a plane that was probably 10,000 birds 10 miles from the nearest refuge
 
My local pond had lots more ducks show up this weekend, even my bucket list geese showed up all 10 of them :). Time to start hunting it I guess, looking for a kayak now for better chance at them.
 
Just got in from jogging. Saw my first set of Spoonies in a local pond this season. Definetly new birds. I hope things pick up. Definetly a tough season.

John
 
Went out this am and got #1 on the sweatline...was not expecting much per Steve’s comments and it seems to be that same case...two birds early and then maybe a single flier here and there...left at 10:30 with a Pintail hen and Cinn teal...you take what you can get this season... 8d20e647f867c2c295ae235c455e3599.jpg
 
So does anyone know why they don’t make the souther half of California a later season? Why does our season start in October when we really don’t see a big number of migrating birds til December. I would think our season should start a month later and end at the end of February

I’ve only been duck hunting for 3 or so years here in California and each year the hunting really hasn’t got to its prime til January(at least in my experience). And it seems that local lakes and ponds really fill with ducks in February.
 
Parkerman,

I've advocated for years that there should be a staggered open for the state of California....Northwest, balance of state, SoCal....The reason for the not after February season is because of ducks pairing up for their return to breeding grounds.....The feds set the parameter's for seasons dates and limits.

ps..... Mexico's waterfowl season stays open till the end of Feb.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct...ions-are-set&usg=AOvVaw3-o6t1blPNw12CLSKAqqc4
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Bummer on the slow duckin'... I haven't been out since Nov so I wouldn't know. Hoping to get out at least once more before season ends though. But with only a few weeks left, I'm hoping it picks up!
 
Just a tough season. I don’t even care if I get a draw now. I will head up North and likely hunt closing weekend up that way.

John
 

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