Hunting ducks in Cowichan bay 13 Oct 2010

[Marc]

Well I decided to give the bay ago this afternoon as I had limited out on geese this mornin and both the dog and I have been itching to get out since the season started.

Sec got a duck in the decoys

[Marc]

Well that one will live to see another day.

So on the way innj bump onto lots of labs husband. We talk a bit he goes on his way to the boat launch and I set up for an afternoon hunt.

The first two hours I see nothing then in the last half hour I have a half dozen spekes fly over with some really small goslings so I thought, I was out setting decoys and they split form the flock and circled. The dog and I make a dash for the boat and hunker down. I tag two of three pintails, both of them immature drakes. Then not 10 minutes later 2 widgeon commit to the decoys and I tag on e of them. So we're sitting at 3 ducks at 4:27pm stayin to sundown or when I get my limit.

[Islandbowhunter]

Sounds like you've had a great day, Marc!

[Tanya]

Hey! I like the live play by play!!

[Marc]

K finished my limit, will post pics and the rest of the story when I get home!

[Marc]

So this afternoon I pack up the MOmarsh FatboyDP, switch out my shells in my ammo bag, get the lucky duck, 8 mallard decoys, 12 widgeon decoys, and a half dozen pintail decoys in the bag.

I hadn't had the 2 hp motor going since 2008 I think, so I open up the gas cap and it's bone dry in there. Fill that up and we're off not knowing if it's going to start or not.

I get to the boat launch, pop the boat in the water, put the motor on and it starts! That's a plus, puttering along to where I'm going to set up and notice the motor is acting funny, I think nothing of it figure it's just old gas, then I notice the smoke coming from the motor. When I go to tilt the motor up there is melted plastic coming out around the shaft of the motor and grease is running down the shaft. Oh crap looks like the water pump stopped working and just about fried the motor. I took my time on the way back and it still got me back to the boat dock.

Things were slow for the first couple of hours, this was a good thing as the boat had old grass on it from last fall and it took me the better part of an hour to cover the boat and get the decoys laid out.

The first birds to commit to the decoys where 3 pintails. I made a nice double on two immature drakes. The 10 minutes later a pair of widgeon come in and I cut one out.

Then the tide started going out what a pain in the ass that was constantly moving decoys and moving the boat so it doesn't get land locked. Every time I step out of the boat to adjust the decoys birds come and check out the spread.

The next bird to stay in the decoys was a hen mallard, I could have sworn it was a drake but when the dog brought it back it was a Suzie.

Surfing the website while hunting is not a good thing. I wasn't paying attention and a widgeon landed in the decoys. I sat up hollered at it 4 times before it started to fly but it didn't make it very far.

The next bird cost me a lot of shells. I saw some tail feathers come out and it managed to fly about 20 yards outside the decoys before it decided to dive and try and swim away. I had to chase it for a good 50 yards and took me 3 more shots to finally dispatch the bird so the dog could retrieve it.

The next bird was with 4 more and for some reason I ended up tagging the hen again even thought there was a drake in the mix, between peeking through the blind doors and them zig zagging I pulled on the wrong bird, another Suzie.

Now it's getting on 6:30 PM, I only have another 28 minutes to take another bird to complete my limit of ducks, usually this wouldn't be such a big deal but my goal today was to shoot a limit of geese and a limit of ducks in the same day as I've never done it before. I'm thinking in my mind that this is it I'm not going to make it. Then at 6:45pm 5 widgeon check out the decoy spread and I cut a beautiful drake out of the bunch to finish it off!

I was kind of happy it was over as I wasn't sure if the motor was going to get me home or not and the last time I had to row it took me over an hour to get back to the boat launch.

I start picking up the decoys and there is still legal time and birds are dropping in to me as I'm trying to pick up the decoys. This continues on for another half hour or so as I get things organized for the trip back to the boat launch.

So here she be, not the most colourful bunch of birds but they'll be good eating and I was down to just one duck in my freezer from last fall so it's great to have a few fresh ones on reserve.

[Tanya]

Cool, thanks for the story, and a big congrats on your double limit!! Don't get sore thumbs

[nano]

Nice shooting!

[Piledriver]

Wow great day! I haven"t hunted "Cow Bay" since I left The Island in "81". Was past there this Sept. for a look-see with my 2 Boys. Told them we should try it one weekend. We are only 9 minutes from The Pitt Meadows Marsh (Fraser Valley) not very many Pintails around here! Was out with our 12 month lab pup Wednesday afternoon for 1 mallard and 1 widgeon I guess pass shooting without a shirt on spooks the ducks! I'll set my deeks and camo out this weekend. Happy Hunting!

[Marc]

It was amazingly hot on Wednesday, I wore my light PJ's pants under my waders and a camo T-shirt until the sun set, then things cooled down to the point that I put my light jacket on. The dog on the other hand was having way to much fun in the water all afternoon and was starting to shiver a bit around 6:00pm.