Crazy_Farmer
11-19-2011, 11:34 AM
Over the years, we've talked about the perfect field limit. Getting 8 birds here makes for some options as to what they could be. Some say 8 greenheads, I can agree. But my brother and I have always agreed that if it came down to it. 4 greenheads, and 4 pintails(only allowed 4 sprigs) would be the hands down perfect field limit.
And when I got home yesterday and saw the amount of ducks in our field. I knew I would have to try for it.
And with Matt having to look after his daughter this morning it looked like a solo venture.
So I got out early and was ready 30 minutes before legal. And the birds started to come in. I had to walk out a couple huge flocks in the decoys becuase I knew they'd come back later. I had planned on shooting the 4 greenheads right off the bat. Figured get them done early and focus on the 2-3 pintails in each flock as they come in later.
That didnt work out to well. As soon as legal hit, I had 50 mallards in the decoys flying right over the blind. I saw white and pulled up, it took three shells (Did i mentioned it was howling and freezing out there this morning) but the first drake pinnie of the day was down.
Next flock, I doubled on two drake greenheads that tried to land between me and the rig so about 15-20 yards out.
Pretty soon after an hour of picking and choosing I was sitting with 3 drake pinnies and 3 drake mallards. With the wind, the birds were cutting so hard and just wanted to land, They'd be 10 feet off the deck as they came from my left into the wind. I saw white again and boom, my 4th pintail.
Now all I needed was a last greenhead, I thought the hard part was over so what I wanted was the cupped commited totally fooled drake mallard to finish my limit. I waited, didnt shoot into any of the big flocks.
And then I saw him, cutting from the heavens, he wanted in first, he was trying to beat another flock from getting there first, At about 10 feet off the ground I pulled up and took him. He crunched and fell to the ground. I was done.
If anyone told me at the end of Oct we'd be seeing this amount of birds, And the pinnies that were in with them in each flock. I wouldnt of believed it. All the magazines were right, its an other duck year.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/7-2.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/6-4.jpg
But before I left, my cousin and his dad had been out aswell, but without laydowns they had to hunt another part of the property and they didnt do so well, as everything wanted to come into my set. I left a few flocks hoping they'd go into them but they didnt. So I called them and told them to come over, my 11 year old cousin sat in my laydown while I hid and called. His dad hid beside the laydown so they could both shoot and not scare the birds too much.
I took the camera out and got some cool shots, not the best quality but neat actions shoots non the less.
Just Behind!!!
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/1-17.jpg
They didnt see this pintail, but I did with the camera,
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/3-11.jpg
They got this drake though
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/2-15.jpg
And when I got home yesterday and saw the amount of ducks in our field. I knew I would have to try for it.
And with Matt having to look after his daughter this morning it looked like a solo venture.
So I got out early and was ready 30 minutes before legal. And the birds started to come in. I had to walk out a couple huge flocks in the decoys becuase I knew they'd come back later. I had planned on shooting the 4 greenheads right off the bat. Figured get them done early and focus on the 2-3 pintails in each flock as they come in later.
That didnt work out to well. As soon as legal hit, I had 50 mallards in the decoys flying right over the blind. I saw white and pulled up, it took three shells (Did i mentioned it was howling and freezing out there this morning) but the first drake pinnie of the day was down.
Next flock, I doubled on two drake greenheads that tried to land between me and the rig so about 15-20 yards out.
Pretty soon after an hour of picking and choosing I was sitting with 3 drake pinnies and 3 drake mallards. With the wind, the birds were cutting so hard and just wanted to land, They'd be 10 feet off the deck as they came from my left into the wind. I saw white again and boom, my 4th pintail.
Now all I needed was a last greenhead, I thought the hard part was over so what I wanted was the cupped commited totally fooled drake mallard to finish my limit. I waited, didnt shoot into any of the big flocks.
And then I saw him, cutting from the heavens, he wanted in first, he was trying to beat another flock from getting there first, At about 10 feet off the ground I pulled up and took him. He crunched and fell to the ground. I was done.
If anyone told me at the end of Oct we'd be seeing this amount of birds, And the pinnies that were in with them in each flock. I wouldnt of believed it. All the magazines were right, its an other duck year.
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/7-2.jpg
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/6-4.jpg
But before I left, my cousin and his dad had been out aswell, but without laydowns they had to hunt another part of the property and they didnt do so well, as everything wanted to come into my set. I left a few flocks hoping they'd go into them but they didnt. So I called them and told them to come over, my 11 year old cousin sat in my laydown while I hid and called. His dad hid beside the laydown so they could both shoot and not scare the birds too much.
I took the camera out and got some cool shots, not the best quality but neat actions shoots non the less.
Just Behind!!!
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/1-17.jpg
They didnt see this pintail, but I did with the camera,
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/3-11.jpg
They got this drake though
http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f52/Crazy_Farmer/2-15.jpg