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2021-2022 Duck Thread

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
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Oct 12, 2017
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10,062
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Where the skys are so blue!
Me and Ole Amos are so excited for tomorrow's teal opener here in Alabama that we could pee ourselves. Been scouting every morning this week and while there aren't as many teal as there were last year the rice is growing good and there aren't as many blinds up. Maybe the ammo shortage is keeping folks at home?

Anywho, weather is beautiful (60s this morning) boat is in top condition and all my gear has been backed and repacked for a month. Let's get it!
 
I wish we had a teal season in NY. Right now though we have a Canada Goose local bird season with a 15/day limit which can be real fun and productive. The regular season goose limit is 2 birds this year...
 
I wish we had a teal season in NY. Right now though we have a Canada Goose local bird season with a 15/day limit which can be real fun and productive. The regular season goose limit is 2 birds this year...
I have been trying for years to find a good spot for geese around here. We have plenty, but they're really good about staying within 100 ft of municipal parks, golf courses, rich-folks' backyards, and other spots where rednecks with loud motors and louder guns ain't allowed.
 
Yeah I dont have as many goose haunts as I do for duck. I have one farmer that I can get onto towards the end of the early season if he cuts his corn before the end and it usually works out well. Otherwise we go for ducks and get a bonus goose here and there.
 
Me and Ole Amos are so excited for tomorrow's teal opener here in Alabama that we could pee ourselves. Been scouting every morning this week and while there aren't as many teal as there were last year the rice is growing good and there aren't as many blinds up. Maybe the ammo shortage is keeping folks at home?

Anywho, weather is beautiful (60s this morning) boat is in top condition and all my gear has been backed and repacked for a month. Let's get it!

Checked a few holes this morning and we are in the same boat. Had a pile of them last year, but not near as many this year. Same goes for the amount of folks out scouting.
 
Nuisance goose season started here the first. We are headed out again tomorrow.

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Already started making the Goose chili! Goose breast makes the best slow cooked chili!
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We have a new pup Phin in training. We just introduced him to ducks last week. He will not hunt until next year.

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Good luck.
 
No specific teal season for us here in Pennsylvania. Our duck season starts mid October. Can usually find a straggler teal and depending on weather the woodies usually stick around. I was a waterfowl nutcase in my 20's but from about 2008 on it picked up in popularity. Farms were harder to lock down for permission, guys were spending big money on leasing farms and then some idiots were ruining it for all by shooting barns, etc. I don't even really scout anymore for geese till the colder weather comes with the migration. However, now in PA we can only kill 1 goose most of the season. Not waking up a 4am to beat other guys to the field to shoot 1 goose. I'll take to the river/creeks and shoot ducks instead. @Nutterbuster how did you make out on the opening day?
 
Yeah let us know how you did! Between 3 of us we saw 7 teal too far out for a shot and came home with one woody which will be on the smoker tonight. Tons of mallards flying though. Good sign for November hopefully.
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Yeah let us know how you did! Between 3 of us we saw 7 teal too far out for a shot and came home with one woody which will be on the smoker tonight. Tons of mallards flying though. Good sign for November hopefully.
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Y'all can shoot wood ducks during teal season?!?!?! Nice.

It's been tough. Shot 5 birds between 2 guys opening day, shot 3 yesterday, and shot 4 today. But they got shot over decoys. Birds were either playing the game or so far out they may as well have been in space.

Not a lot of birds. Not a lot of hunters. LOTS of rice. Makes for difficult hunting. I've bounced around the marsh everywhere and the birds are just spread thin. Everywhere I've hunted we've had a few singles or a couple flocks, but not enough birds to make limits. Talked to another guy at the launch yesterday and he had 2 hunters and 2 birds between them.

Hopefully it picks up.
 
Y'all can shoot wood ducks during teal season?!?!?! Nice.

It's been tough. Shot 5 birds between 2 guys opening day, shot 3 yesterday, and shot 4 today. But they got shot over decoys. Birds were either playing the game or so far out they may as well have been in space.

Not a lot of birds. Not a lot of hunters. LOTS of rice. Makes for difficult hunting. I've bounced around the marsh everywhere and the birds are just spread thin. Everywhere I've hunted we've had a few singles or a couple flocks, but not enough birds to make limits. Talked to another guy at the launch yesterday and he had 2 hunters and 2 birds between them.

Hopefully it picks up.
We have "Duck Season" and "Goose" season. They overlap a little. Can shoot any legal duck during the Season.
 
Y'all can shoot wood ducks during teal season?!?!?! Nice.

It's been tough. Shot 5 birds between 2 guys opening day, shot 3 yesterday, and shot 4 today. But they got shot over decoys. Birds were either playing the game or so far out they may as well have been in space.

Not a lot of birds. Not a lot of hunters. LOTS of rice. Makes for difficult hunting. I've bounced around the marsh everywhere and the birds are just spread thin. Everywhere I've hunted we've had a few singles or a couple flocks, but not enough birds to make limits. Talked to another guy at the launch yesterday and he had 2 hunters and 2 birds between them.

Hopefully it picks up.
Yeah wood ducks are open for only five days! Glad you at least did better than us though.
 
I just realized I'll be in the Outer Banks fishing for Red Drum the opener of duck season. Didn't plan that one well.
 
I loved duck hunting when I lived in MN but since I moved to PA it has been lack luster knowing what we had up there. I have a few spots that get a mixed bag but nothing like it was along the Mississippi and pressure is any good spots is tough around here. @Hall17 if you would like to hook up sometime for some ducks in PA let me know.
 
I loved duck hunting when I lived in MN but since I moved to PA it has been lack luster knowing what we had up there. I have a few spots that get a mixed bag but nothing like it was along the Mississippi and pressure is any good spots is tough around here. @Hall17 if you would like to hook up sometime for some ducks in PA let me know.
Yeah I don't have any great spots but a few little secret spots we use. The river isn't bad if you can find a spot away from people. Lots of Black Ducks on the river. But you won't see the species you did along the Mississippi that is for sure. Most of Pintails show up in February/March. However, the 2 Mallard limit makes me not want to wake up at 3am.
 
Front rolled in last night. Still moving in. So far the season has just not been great. Saw 0 birds yesterday and only had 2 flocks today. They're decoying good but they're just thin. We pulled it early today and rode around glassing and never saw a bird. Talked with Green Jeans at a boat ramp and he said he hadn't checked anybody with more than a couple of birds in the boat all season.

At least I've been shooting enough birds to get feathers in Amos' mouth.
 
I’ll be headed out to the marsh this weekend, buddy of mine went and scouted out there yesterday and said the teal were pretty thick, even seeing a few big ducks that have already come down. Couldn’t find any of my usual steel shot so we’ll see how nickel plated steel 7.5s work
 
we’ll see how nickel plated steel 7.5s work
EXTREMELY WELL!

I've been shooting 2 3/4" 1oz #7 super x steel at bluewings all season and will not be buying anything but that for teal going forward. Teal are "trusting" and I've never had too much problem getting them to commit to a spread. I usually toss 12-24 decoys with 1-4 spinners right in the middle. Furthest decoy is maybe 30 yards from where I hide. My hit rates went up when I started shooting a cylinder choke and smaller shot. A buddy of mine hand loads #8 bismuth and I can tell you I kill just as many or more birds as he does hunting side-by-side and don't really have cripples.

I've been impressed enough with their performance and cost (like $30-40 for 100) that I'm going to try them on wood ducks this year too. I duck hunted almost every morning last year and have made all but 3 mornings of teal since the 11th so I appreciate a cheaper (and easier-recoiling) load.
 
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