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Thread: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

  1. #11
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
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    Lowermainland
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    6,453

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    I don’t duck hunt as I always thought it best to have a bird dog for retrieving so would limit loss of birds , again though I’m not a duck hunter . You fellas know more !

    The wader issue is a bit scary as I can’t imagine trying to move around in deep water with your chest waders full . Yikes !
    The belt is a good idea I would think .
    Glad you made it out safely !
    Arctic Lake
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  2. #12
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
    Location
    Cowichan Valley
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    6,927

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    Glad you made it out OK. The tides were definitely higher than it should have been yesterday. Where I hunt we had and Easterly wind pushing the tide up even higher. It was only supposed to be 7km/h winds with gust to 30km/h but there was whitecaps.
    Member of the Following Organizations:


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  3. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2004
    Location
    By the beach in the Van.
    Posts
    6,235

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    Back when I used to hunt waterfowl in MB we would always carry a knife on our belt for the usual purposes but also so you had easy access to it in the event you had to cut yourself out of your waders in a situation like yours.

  4. #14
    Join Date
    Mar 2006
    Posts
    4,368

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    OP, glad you are ok and thanks for sharing. You are not the first or last waterfowler that has went in. The tidal area I hunt is full of small channels that can be upwards of 10' deep at high tide and are often impossible to see if you are not familiar with the area.

    Last summer, I did test and submerged myself in my neoprene waders without my wading belt. I was actually quite boyant. When I added my pfd, I floated no problem. Next I tried to swim. Reality set in fast. There was no way I could swim far as I weighed a ton with my waders full of water. I became fatigued VERY quickly.

    I figured swimming would be a problem so I brought my layout boat kayak paddle with me. I was able to move myself much easier laying on my back with the paddle, but still very difficult. And in if I were in anything less than ideal conditions, wouldn't be doing this to long either. And trying to drag myself out of the water into a boat by myself would be slim. So I now make sure I am very closer to shore when paddling out to my spots.

    I speant 25 years in the Navy and we did a pile of sea survival/cold water emersion training. Hypothermia is the enemy!!!
    Last edited by Ron.C; 12-12-2022 at 04:23 PM.

  5. #15
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    3,898

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    Good share and great writing.


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  6. #16
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Brentwood Bay, B.C.
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    7,192

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    When I used to hunt ducks it was always big fat green heads east of Calgary... never in waders... I can't imagine the discomfort of waders in water and going under. I always thought I was suffering when it was snowing and the ducks were plentiful.
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  7. #17
    Join Date
    Jun 2010
    Posts
    3,898

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    Have had a few water adventures in my day. Steelheading up in the Charlottes I ended up going for a float down the Mamin River while trying to cross.... for 500 meters and managed to grab onto a snag before i was about to go down a canyon. Quite the experience. Water can be your best friend yet your worst enemy.


    I'm all in favor of keeping dangerous weapons out of the hands of fools. Let's start with keyboards and forums. - F L Wright


    Try and be kind to everyone but fear no one. - Ourea


  8. #18
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Posts
    990

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    Great story SA and a great learning exp.as well.I have been in a few of those sloughs as the tide comes in and you lose positioning of where they are.My eye opener was back in the early 80's where I used to hunt burns bog almost exclusively until they made it a park.The peat was mined out with large high pressure water hoses which turned it to a type of slurry where it was pumped in pipes back to the plant which dried it through old paper machines and shipped it for packaging.Once the peat was gone it left big ponds of water which the ducks would flock to.We had plank walkways built to most of these ponds to walk to as well as permanent blinds and decoys.The only problem is there were several places where the walkway crossed over some of the water sloughs left over from old pipelines and this was not really water but a soupy peaty mixture .Coming back after night flight with a dead flashlight I missed a turn and the plank that crossed over the slough and fell face first into this mess with my gun in hand and hip waders on.Tried to swim nope it was like moving in a slurry ,gun was gone down there to,the bank was only feet away but harder I struggled deeper I sank and there was nothing on the bank to grab onto, luckily I had 85 lbs. of black lab with me who naturally had stopped and not followed me in.I called him repeatedly until he inched his way off the bank,bit by bit ,then got my hand out and grabbed a chunk of neck fur.As soon as I grabbed him he backed up and he managed to pull me out slowly like a boot stuck in the mud. Crawled up the bank and rested but boy was that close ,so little water in the slurry didn't fill my boots but it was an ordeal, saved by old Sam.Next morning rake in hand went fishing in that slop for my old 870 wondering if I had emptied the shells and if not hoping the safety was on .Got it back ok was empty ,and marked the edge of that peat slough with some orange cones ,just in case LESSON LEARNED.Cheers D
    Last edited by Dutch; 12-13-2022 at 01:15 AM.

  9. #19
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Posts
    1,122

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    Dutch, that's a hair raising story as well

  10. #20
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    P.G. 7-15
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    1,960

    Re: Went under water in waders- a lot of work for two snow geese

    Well from this story and others over the years I think you lower mainland duck-goose hunters are the ((toughest)) in the province. I’ve never really hunted ducks, but there’s no way I’m going out in the conditions you dedicate shot-slingers go out in. I do brave a bit of rain and wind for moose but not too much, guess I’m a wimp. I’ll try to suck it up and do better in the future. Keep em stores coming.
    No one on their death bed ever said; I should have spent more time at work.

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