Mallards in a northwesterly

[branthunter]

After 3 weeks of pheasant hunting I was hungry for a good duck shoot in the marsh last Tuesday when a nice northwester blew and altho I was too lazy to get out for the early part of the day I managed to catch the tail end of it in the afternoon. The duck shack is only a 10 min. drive from home so it didn't take long to get going.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11164&cat=500&ppuser=9540
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11176&size=big&cat=500


After a 15 minute run downriver and up the ditch it felt good to pole the little punt across the ditch and out to the new grass patch. It's a trip I've been making for 40 some years and every time it feels new and unbelievable---like my own secret magic place. The moves and reflexes of poling the punt come back like I'd just done it yesterday .Setting the decoys didn't take long as I don't use nearly as many as I used to (altho this pic only shows about 1/2 of what was actually in the water).

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11165&cat=500&ppuser=9540

I was in the little aluminum marsh punt and had to pull the first grass supply of the season to grass in the decks and doors.. It probably wasn't necessary but I like to be fussy about my hide. (this is the punt altho the pic was taken a few years ago. The bit of marsh i was hunting in for this story is the top left of this pic).

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11166&cat=500&ppuser=9540

Birds were still flying altho the wind had dropped considerably --lots of widgeon trying to land in the set got a free pass but enough mallards to provide regular shooting . This was Jake's first water work this year and he proved he's still king of the marsh.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11167&cat=500&ppuser=9540

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11168&cat=500&ppuser=9540

I've always loved the view out to sea from this part of the marsh. Jake saw a bird fly away and die out at the outer grass in this picture and made the 125 yd. retrieve without any mark from me. When you're hunting here you have to be real careful of what the wind is doing, or more importantly, what it's about to do. My son and I once got blown off this spot one night when a 50mph. n'westerly came out of the Gulf with only about 10 minutes warning (altho in retrospect I later realized that if I'd been paying closer attention instead of shooting geese I'd have seen the signs much earlier that it was coming). We did well to get back safely . One of the regular and very experienced guys out there lost his towboat and much of his set to that storm---we actually feared we'd lost him as it took him 2 hrs. to pole back across the back of the marsh to where he could get his shack's attention.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11169&cat=500&ppuser=9540

As the wind dropped and the afternoon waned the birds came slower but we finally had 8 mallards in the boat and the sun was starting to set.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11170&cat=500&ppuser=9540
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11172&cat=500&ppuser=9540

It's a beautiful run upriver when the sun is setting and the big waves are died down so we made good time back to the shack with a nice line of birds on the middle seat to top it off.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11173&cat=500&ppuser=9540

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11175&cat=500
One more pose for Jake.

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11174&cat=500

[sneg]

man those are great pictures.congrats on your hunt.i can not wait to be back to marsh.

[Crazy_Farmer]

Great writeup, great pictures, nice mallards. Looks like an awesome hunt!

[Dano]

Great post, loved the pics!
Dan

[f350ps]

Good post Bob! I'll betcha I know that secret spot. Had an awesome afternoon shoot today once the driving rain stopped. Finally some decent mallards have shown up. Gonna giver shite on the weekend, marsh prolly or out front. Have fun. K

[Marc]

Nice! We'll definitely have to hook up sometime for a layout boat hunt. I decided not to stay over the whole weekend as I forgot what weekend it was and didn't want to try and beat my way back to the Island. Still lots of time to do some duck and goose hunting.

[branthunter]

Thanks guys---had another nice mallard shoot in a barley field last night in about 15 min.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11184&size=big&cat=500
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=11183&size=big&cat=500