Nov 11 Slayfest

[303Brit]

So the day began with a Remembrance Day Ceremony, the Parade was well turned out. The weather was less than desirable for an outdoor ceremony, but that’s the nature of Vancouver Island.

This afternoon I met up with Lorne and Steelhead, we were taking Steelhead on his first ever waterfowl hunt. Lorne and I were giddy like school girls, and anxious like a pup waiting for its first retrieve. Steelhead shows up while pile into my truck and trek down the access road. After negotiating a couple deep rivers running across the road, we arrive at the field we planned to shoot. Jumped up a few decent sized flocks of ducks, as we off loaded the kit. It was all we could do to get things setup amidst the ducks trying to still land all around us on the sheet. Steelhead and I were setup and lying down while Lorne continued to dick around with his blind. A Pair of ducks come in all locked up, I holler to Steelhead to shot and BANG…..thud He nails the first duck in the spread with the first shot.

What ensued over the course the next hour was every fowlers dream, to many ducks to keep track of. After about the 3rd aggressive flock of teal’s Lorne and I both call no more teal!! So after approx of hour of craziness, that dam skies opened up and the sun comes out. Things slowed for approx a ½ hr, but at the end of the day we still ended up with 21 birds. Steelhead was still pretty excited overall, even though he was soaked to the bone.

I'm pretty jacked up about todays shoot it was awesome

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/103_1588_Large_.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=21053&ppuser=13953)


http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/103_1592_Large_.JPG (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=21051&ppuser=13953)

This Suzie is one of them infamous Comox Valley Fish ducks ;)

303

[naes]

Well done guys!

[DMAN009]

How do you know its a fish duck?

[303Brit]

How do you know its a fish duck?

Inside joke you have to be from the Comox Valley and a waterfowler to get it.

Most of the people up hear claim all of the ducks are fishy and not worth shooting.

303

[Crazy_Farmer]

By the looks of all the mallards getting shot on the island it looks like some numbers are finally down. Good to see.

My uncle once shot a mallard that when it hit the ground its neck tore like that one and salmon eggs came out. He said he could smell it from 10 feet away..... He stopped hunting that area hahaha. Nothing like corn feed mallards!

[lorneparker1]

twas a bad ass hunt. To watch Ian drop his first bird on his very first shot at a flying duck was the highlight for me.
One sweet pic that didnt make the orginal
http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u279/LorneP/149047_10150326653245611_687880610_16092861_288032 9_n.jpg

[303Brit]

Hard to beat that view right there. The best part of that pic is we were b*tchin bout the sun come out :D

303

[Marc]

By the looks of all the mallards getting shot on the island it looks like some numbers are finally down. Good to see.

My uncle once shot a mallard that when it hit the ground its neck tore like that one and salmon eggs came out. He said he could smell it from 10 feet away..... He stopped hunting that area hahaha. Nothing like corn feed mallards!

The problem with living on an Island is you're never to far from the Ocean or river. We shot mallards out of a corn field and when I was cleaning them one had roe come out of it's mouth. I also shot a mallard on the bay one day and when I got him home his crop was full of small crabs.

[steelhead]

Thanks LP and 303 for taking me out and showing me how it's done! The sheer number of ducks flying around was insanity! When we first arrived We were pretty well all standing out of our blinds and we had ducks on final approach. What a rush!

.... O ya, I mentioned to a friend that I was duck hunting and he said he doesn't like that cause they are fish ducks and taste terrible. Hmmm... O well more for us.

[303Brit]

Thanks LP and 303 for taking me out and showing me how it's done! The sheer number of ducks flying around was insanity! When we first arrived We were pretty well all standing out of our blinds and we had ducks on final approach. What a rush!

.... O ya, I mentioned to a friend that I was duck hunting and he said he doesn't like that cause they are fish ducks and taste terrible. Hmmm... O well more for us.

No Worries buddy, glad we finally got your *ss out with us. Even if it did get soaked:mrgreen:

Ya Like Marc said it's not entirely unlikely for you to shoot a fish duck, but I have yet to experience it.

303

[Chessieguy]

Great looking shoot guys...There are ducks in this area!!!

Coming from the world of Salt water Black ducks,its hard to believe its possible for a mallard to smell worse than some of the salt marsh Blacks we have shot have smelled.

[Marc]

Great looking shoot guys...There are ducks in this area!!!

Coming from the world of Salt water Black ducks,its hard to believe its possible for a mallard to smell worse than some of the salt marsh Blacks we have shot have smelled.

I was born and raised on salt water puddle ducks and still is my favourite style of waterfowl hunting over water. The taste of salt water estuary birds and the smells at low tide, brings back found memories of hunting with my dad when I was a wee lad.:mrgreen: Big difference to the roe eaters though I must admit.

[field marshal]

Unfortunately the mallards don't just consume roe:icon_frow
They also chow down on the putrified flesh of Chum salmon.
Now thats a smell that will flare your nostrils:mrgreen:???
Cheers Field Marshal.

[Dutch]

Hey FM I cleaned a couple of mallards that were full of little beach crabs but my real fav. was widgeon that were eating oysters long past there prime WOW that was really fun even my good friends next door hated me after 2 days hanging :mrgreen::mrgreen: