All right guys, the big push is still a ways away. Left for ND on Wednesday p.m. and got out there early in the Thursday a.m. Grabbed a couple of hours of sleep and headed out for the our first location. It was our first trip to ND and we went through duck hunting 101 on the first a.m. We managed to still get three ducks (gadwall, shoveler, bufflehead) before we left for some lunch.
That afternoon we went back to pond three and felt after we pushed them off based on what we had seen during the a.m. hunt, that we would have great shooting as they returned. We found out that we hadn’t quite passed 101 yet. While we able to get a few ducks, thay really never returned after pushed off each of the ponds.
Our feeling after the first day was to start at the best spot from the day before and push them off in the a.m. and they would return as they did the a.m. before. NOT!!! We again got some shooting, but just didn’t see the ducks return in the numbers that we pushed off that pond.
Friday afternoon it was time to put some miles on the truck and see what some other ponds were looking like. It was apparent that there was a reasonable push of Canadian ducks in the area, but they were really truck and people shy!!!
Picking our best spot for Sat. a.m. we were set and encouraged as the weather was looking like a big blow from the northwest and we felt good that would help the cause. We pushed off the ducks and had our best shoot of the weekend. Several widgeon and gadwalls later we were off. We jumped/posted some potholes and got some ducks that way also. We really kicked up the roosters this p.m., but were interested in ducks so let them go.
Sunday a.m. we went back to our first pothole hoping the blow from the day before would put some other ducks on the pond. Just didn’t happen. Went to watch the Packers, couldn’t find them on the tube and enjoyed the Giant game on the tube. Later we set up on a spot where we had seen some geese working and had our second lesser of the trip in the first fifteen minutes. Feeling really good about what might happen faded fast as what geese that were in the area felt the need to land in the field just to the north of us.
Monday a.m we tried to pop a couple of pheasants. Got a couple of roosters up, but never really had any good shots and left for home around 10:30a.m. Home last night at 11:00. Dog work was good, friends were good, food and beverages were good. Graded this first trip as an A even though we had trouble getting the birds to cooperate, but that’s why we play the game.
Here is a pic of the group with ducks before they were cleaned. Here’s hope for hunting to continue to get better. We really need to have a good cold snap for duck to get into ND and certainly onto the River!!!
Has anyone really felt like everything fishing or hunting is like three weeks behind this year, maybe a thought for another thread.
Mark
