Duck opener 2006
Moderator: Excalibur Marketing Dude
Duck opener 2006
This morning's duck opener was foggy, wet and miserable. Who cares! We were hunting . The moring started with the usual shots around the marsh way too early to be able to ID the birds. Lots of sky blasting at geese. Some guys think they can take down geese 70-100 yards overhead .
I dusted the gun off quickly with three teal to Chris' none. . Well, he did finish one for me. That was all that we got from sitting still.
Once the ducks settled into the marsh we went jump shooting, stalking through the marsh up to our chest in the swampy water and heavy pickrel weed. This has seemed to produce for us in the past.
We ended up with almost a limit. 9 ducks. 4 blue wing teal, 4 woodies, and one mallard with a leg band. He was my fifth bird and I thought it neat to end on that note. There were woodies every where. When we fired on one lifting out of the weeds 8-10 more would flush all around us.
We exhausted ourselves and had a blast doing it!
Now to get ready for the serious stuff next weekend.
I dusted the gun off quickly with three teal to Chris' none. . Well, he did finish one for me. That was all that we got from sitting still.
Once the ducks settled into the marsh we went jump shooting, stalking through the marsh up to our chest in the swampy water and heavy pickrel weed. This has seemed to produce for us in the past.
We ended up with almost a limit. 9 ducks. 4 blue wing teal, 4 woodies, and one mallard with a leg band. He was my fifth bird and I thought it neat to end on that note. There were woodies every where. When we fired on one lifting out of the weeds 8-10 more would flush all around us.
We exhausted ourselves and had a blast doing it!
Now to get ready for the serious stuff next weekend.
I hunt for memories, the meat's a bonus!
-
- Posts: 31
- Joined: Wed Jan 04, 2006 8:49 pm
- Location: Lake simcoe
You mean you can eat those things?ecoaster wrote:There's a number to phone. Then the'll send you a certificate stating the history of the bird.
As for the duck itself, he has a date with a frying pan tomorow .
Sounds like a great day to start the season. I may break down and try some duck & goose hunting this year. Last one I killed was with the longbow a few years ago. Semi-tame mallards at the local lake, just walk slowly & whack 'em in the head with a blunt arrow. Not much sport, but still good eating.
wabi
- Doe Master
- Site Admin
- Posts: 4741
- Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2006 7:57 am
- Location: Baden , Ontario
It was a good morning for sure. A little slow with the fliers but with plan B it didn't matter too much. The great thing is not one cripple! Not one lost bird! We should of had ten birds but I was a little more than rusty .
Oh well, good times with a good friend in the great outdoors, what more could you ask for?
Just one week until we can do it again. We'll just swap the "d" in ducks with a "b".
Oh well, good times with a good friend in the great outdoors, what more could you ask for?
Just one week until we can do it again. We'll just swap the "d" in ducks with a "b".
You can take the man out of the woods but you can't take the woods out of the man.
"Celebrate your harvest with a Bloodtrail Ale(tm)!!"
"It CAN Be Done!"
"Celebrate your harvest with a Bloodtrail Ale(tm)!!"
"It CAN Be Done!"
We had a good morning in the rain and fog.We ended up with 25 ducks for 5 guys.A lot of bluebills which is strange for our little pond.
10 bluebills,7 woodies,4 mallards,3 ring neck,1 black.
Most years it is all mallards and blacks with the odd woodie.
We went out Sunday morning in the same spot and got 4 woodies 4 mallards and 2 bluebills.
A good weekend for us.
10 bluebills,7 woodies,4 mallards,3 ring neck,1 black.
Most years it is all mallards and blacks with the odd woodie.
We went out Sunday morning in the same spot and got 4 woodies 4 mallards and 2 bluebills.
A good weekend for us.
Don't pluck em. I plucked all mine last year and it was a hassle. This year I just plucked the breast feathers good enough to see the skin (takes about 10 seconds), then slide a knife in and split the skin exposing the breast meat. Cut out the breasts and the legs too(if it's a large duck). The small ones aren't really worth it. That's it. I breasted 5 ducks on Saturday and it too me about 15 minutes. I don't cook em with the skin on anyway. Makes them greasy and I don't like the taste.
I hunt for memories, the meat's a bonus!
Don't even pluck the breast - just skin it and cut the breast out.
don't know about OH, in ON (all of Canada) you can't shoot waterfowl with single
projectile (arrow/bolt), though I heard many ppl do that and argue it's legal.
Nice shooting. I couldn't get out that day, so didn't get a chance to meet you guys (again )
I had nice opening a week ago in Central zone.
I shot banded woodie in Tiny 3-4 years ago, turned out local bird banded same year.
don't know about OH, in ON (all of Canada) you can't shoot waterfowl with single
projectile (arrow/bolt), though I heard many ppl do that and argue it's legal.
Nice shooting. I couldn't get out that day, so didn't get a chance to meet you guys (again )
I had nice opening a week ago in Central zone.
I shot banded woodie in Tiny 3-4 years ago, turned out local bird banded same year.
In Ohio a longbow (vert bow) is legal, but crossbows are not. But crossbows are legal for all other game in season? I thought crossbows were banned by federal regs, but have heard they are legal in some other states.
BTW - the way to clean birds for eating the breast is to lay is the bird on it's back on the ground. Spread the wings and put your feet where the wing joins the body to hold it down. Grab the feet with your hands and pull up slowly. The bird will tear and the breast will pop out! It's supposed to work with all birds, but some are just too tough, or too tender, to make it practical. I have done grouse, young turkey, and some ducks this way and it worked. A dove was too fragile and it didn't work (the legs pulled off), and some older birds and large birds are just too tough to pull apart.
BTW - the way to clean birds for eating the breast is to lay is the bird on it's back on the ground. Spread the wings and put your feet where the wing joins the body to hold it down. Grab the feet with your hands and pull up slowly. The bird will tear and the breast will pop out! It's supposed to work with all birds, but some are just too tough, or too tender, to make it practical. I have done grouse, young turkey, and some ducks this way and it worked. A dove was too fragile and it didn't work (the legs pulled off), and some older birds and large birds are just too tough to pull apart.
wabi
I always clean grouse like that, just love it. Neven succeded in cleaning ducksBTW - the way to clean birds for eating the breast is to lay is the bird on it's back on the ground. Spread the wings and put your feet where the wing joins the body to hold it down. Grab the feet with your hands and pull up slowly. The bird will tear and the breast will pop out! It's supposed to work with all birds, but some are just too tough, or too tender, to make it practical. I have done grouse, young turkey, and some ducks this way and it worked. A dove was too fragile and it didn't work (the legs pulled off), and some older birds and large birds are just too tough to pull apart.
like that - the birds are tough.