So How Was Your Duck Season

1939 Views 22 Replies 22 Participants Last post by HammerDown15, Jan 16, 2013

Trout 2003

Discussion Starter · Jan 15, 2013

Man does time seem like it passes faster and faster every year. Feels like just yesterday that Outshootme1 called me to ask if he could use my spot for the opener of Youth Duck back in September. I hate seeing it go by so quickly as it's the shortest season of the bunch. Changes jobs at the beginning of it all didn't help either. While this year wasn't quite as successful as last season, primarily due to the fact that my best spot relys on rainy weather and high water nearby and we simply didn't have my of that. But since it was the last day I figured I'd give it a whirl and did ok. 4 mallards dropped in right after LSL, BANG BANG, the two drakes went down and the two hens went off into the horizon. A fitting way to end the year and hopefully they find new significant others to continue the cycle. So all in all I would catagorize this past season as an OK one from a killing standpoint but a great one from a hunting standpoint. Never a dull moment on the basin!!

Feel free to highjack away!! How was your season? Any photo's or stories to sum it up?????

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1 - 20 of 23 Posts

stevenstiegel

· #2 · Jan 15, 2013

Just talking to Pappy this am about how I should have taken more advantage of my time to duck hunt this year- so many places I wanted to hunt but never got to. We dropped a pair this am, and although it wasn't a slammer, it was still fun to be out on the last day. Looks like you went back to good ole' faithful for the last day

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Pigger

· #3 · Jan 15, 2013

Killed a few, missed a few. The migration never really happened. Just a trickle down of birds from the north here and there.

Trout 2003

Discussion Starter · #4 · Jan 15, 2013

Yep! I'll start most seasons there and end most seasons there until they day they bull doze it under which wont be too too long from now. Every year the season closes there I stop and look back quickly to just acknowledge it cause I know it might be the last time I hunt there. Just reality I guess.

hunter4095

· #5 · Jan 15, 2013

I have a stack of envelopes left that won't be mailed to the fed's.

had one great hunt with dad where we got a perfect pair of woods with a 3 yo banded drake from Indiana, they went to the taxi.

Other than that. Its been the worst season i can remember, and i thought it couldn't have been worse last year.

djknyork

· #6 · Jan 15, 2013

Haven't hunted ducks much in the past few years but by comparison to when I did it was a pretty good year. I can't think of a single duck hunt that we didn't kill something. We got a few real nice black ducks this year.

Honkers51

· #7 · Jan 15, 2013

Very slow..and and a few no shows..

Weimer

· #8 · Jan 15, 2013

Honkers51 said:
Very slow..and and a few no shows..

X's 2.

redheadsfish

· #9 · Jan 16, 2013

My groups duck season was outstanding up until thanksgiving with some of our best days numbers wise on ducks ever. i ended my season with 22 ducks w/ 2 bands-my highest duck kill in my 4 years and i didnt shoot a single duck after thanksgiving. the past couple days my brother has done pretty well not so much numbers wise but species wise, he killed a beautiful drake Common lawndart yesterday that is going to the taxi and today he killed a nice black and a beautiful hen blonde mallard that are also going to the taxi. aside from the numbers, this duck season was my best/favorite yet in that i met some new friends, hunted some very cool places and had some spectacular hunts with great friends

quackmaster4

· #10 · Jan 16, 2013

Pigger said:
Killed a few, missed a few.

Sounds like us. Had a great season. Killed some geese, killed some ducks, spent time with a good friend, and got in more time hunting with my son than the past 3 years total.

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NoMojo

· #11 · Jan 16, 2013

Started good on woodies and dried up fast only thing worse was last year

Double Shorthair

· #12 · Jan 16, 2013

I had a fun season. It may have not been good as far as bird numbers go but I hunted every saturday excluding a few and almost every day of my christmas break off of school. I loved every moment of it even though we got skunked a few times. I always got to see ducks and got to scout after school almost every day before work. I am looking forward to the next season already and as well as goose coming back in on Feb. 1st.

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Kwright032

· #13 · Jan 16, 2013

Well the few times that I got out for ducks it was a decent season. I did not hunt once in the early season and missed a few of the best days due to work. All in all for the times that I got out I saw a decent amount of ducks and was able to harvest some as well. Its not about the numbers, but the the memories made and it was a good time!!

SigGuy

· #14 · Jan 16, 2013

This was my first season and it probably would have been better but I got a late start, I missed the first part in Sept. but I met some new folks who helped me out and there is still another month for geese coming up, not to mention the snow goose trip I booked for the beginning of march. My total count was two drake mallards shot the same day. I have permission to hunt a local farm pond now also. I left work early today in the hopes that I would get one more, but they were already there before me, so they were gone before I was close enough. About 30 each of geese and ducks. Not many birds dropped but fun none the less. I can't wait until next year when I'll be better prepared.

BOOTOXEN

· #15 · Jan 16, 2013

9

Pretty normal yr. Here a duck, there a duck. Hit "the bay" a few times and had some good shoots. Good laughs with old friends, new friends, and sons.

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lwrsusq

· #16 · Jan 16, 2013

It was odd to say the least for me.. Early season wasn't nearly what it was last year for us.. Didn't get skunked but didn't see anywhere near what I normally would, although I spent most of it bowhunting.. I had one good mallard shoot in December, but other than that a couple here and there summed up the season.. I ended up hunting the river more this year than in the past, and hunted with pigger a good bit.. Got my first goldeneye this year which was very exciting, as well as some buffleheads.. I didn't hunt my smaller spots near as much as in the past, but overall a decent year, just not quite the numbers we usually get.. I'm sure with the forecast we'll be covered in ducks by the end of next week

Ryan Kerstetter

· #17 · Jan 16, 2013

Started well with wood ducks then slowed way down. Ended great! First mallards of the season on the last day, but we ended with 13 today!

Springspan

· #18 · Jan 16, 2013

I had a pretty good season. First day of the early season we had an awesome spot lined up, but it turned out we weren't the only ones who knew about it. We switched to plan b and still managed a few. It was pretty slow until thanksgiving. Between thanksgiving and New years I got pintails, gadwalls, mallards and a black. Not in big numbers, but a duck here and a duck there. I just never knew what was going to show up.

Pappy84

· #19 · Jan 16, 2013

stevenstiegel said:
Just talking to Pappy this am about how I should have taken more advantage of my time to duck hunt this year- so many places I wanted to hunt but never got to. We dropped a pair this am, and although it wasn't a slammer, it was still fun to be out on the last day.

As I look back over the season for ducks it could have not been better. Had some great times with some good friends and made some new friends. If you think about it you can scout a spot and think you have it in the bag and never see a duck or go to a new spot and be covered up and limit out. You never know but its all good, and I am just happy I can get my old azz out of bed in the A.M. and do this thing we call waterfowling

By the way who said its over? Leaving for our yearly MD trip and hope I have some good pics from our trip.

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MADNESS04

· #20 · Jan 16, 2013

I only got out a few times for my second season this year due to having a son born in October but I have a blast everytime I'm out. I have truly fell in love with waterfowl hunting for all species and I finally got to kill my first ducks this year. I don't mind all that much getting skunked because I'd rather be hanging with this gang than working. Everytime I get offered to join on the hunt I enjoy every minute with these guys.

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