Ballard or boatwright

[smashdn]

Guess I’m showing my ignorance…I can’t imagine 108k ducks there early in the season.

If everything is froze, high numbers of birds and you have open water, you will kill birds. That’s waterswatting 101 everywhere I’ve hunted.

Not sure what you mean by the last part, when you couldn’t move around the unit?

I think the highest survey count I’ve seen down there was 90k. Everything had been locked up and they were coming back north. It was top 10 favorite hunts and I didn’t even have a gun.

I've been there when they were froze solid and pumping to keep open water to hold birds. 23 and 24 had open water but they weren't hunting it to hold birds. We were in another blind in Terel field. Snowing like hell. Killed them good when it was snowing. Full bodies on the ice. Not much of a hole busted out. They were dry feeding the dry ridges for beans. When the snow stopped and the birds could see the live birds dry feeding the ridges it was all pass shooting. So yeah, having open water would have been nice but they didn't let anyone hunt it that day.

What I mean by in the past you couldn't move around the unit is before they had blocked it off into units you had to draw for an actual blind and you hunted from that blind, period. The exception was you may have a spot that had a dry field pit and a stand up blind over water and could hunt either if you wished.

A thaw is a good time to hit it.

And like I said, I've left out of there and not seen many flying at all only for them to all be huddled up on the north section of front slough sitting on the ice and they have kept a 1 acre or so hole open. They just tuck a head under their wing and rest till stuff starts to thaw and open back up.

I like that you can move around. It just takes some time to learn some of those bigger units to get an idea where you want to be at shooting light. Not only where to go but how to get there and can you get there. Low water obviosly complicates it as well. I need to spend more time over there in the off-season and walk or boat it.

 

[Mt Pokt]

Got a walk in draw this morning. Pretty slim picking so we set up in 23.

Fog was thick and low. Seen about 30 coming in and out of the fog. Nothing close enough to kill.

24 was the same. No birds.

No reports on the other units.

We were happy to have gotten to hunt. I'll definitely pull the boat on the next trip.

Hopefully we'll get a good draw tomorrow and Sunday.

Anyone else down here today?

 

[Mt Pokt]

Today was another absolutely gorgeous day for duck hunting!

Probably everywhere but Ballard!!

Was okay weather until it started raining around 730 or so. Then it was pretty miserable where we were.

We drew Big Woods this morning. Seen a few woodies coming through above the canopy at first light. Once the sun was up we realized we were set up in a less than optimal area. We ended up moving, and found a much better spot. Still nothing below the tree tops that offered any shot opportunities.

Nothing was working until we blew the goose call just screwing around. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but twice we were hailing geese and had a pair of woodies cruise through. Again at altitude above the canopy, but we hurled some steel and bismuth at em none the less.

We were checked by the game wardens (couple of pretty nice young fellas, by the way). While we're digging out our stamps, a woodie drake came in and landed about 40 yards from us. WTF?!?!? He went in stealth mode and disappeared. Game warden told us to "go get 'em", they would wait for us.

Rain persisted and I finally threw in the towel. What a mess... now the hotel room heater has been blowing as hot as possible to dry our stuff out before morning. What hotel doesn't have a coin laundry?!?!?

I didn't get reports from other units, but I'm not expecting too much success.

Tomorrow is last day for us. Hopefully we'll get a decent draw for our last day.

Not sure I'll come back for an early season hunt again. Especially with the water trouble they've had.

We'll see what tomorrow brings! I hate to drive 5 hours and come back empty handed...

 

[shedhunterCC]

View attachment 107714 same blind choices as the first day, hunted #5 shot 4 more flying today but it was nasty atleast a gallon of water in my shotgun tonight! Yesterday the 1st day Castor shot 20, Timber hole 16 blind #105 and #5 shot 12 birds, GP2 shot 11, #102 got 6, the rest were 1or2 birds, walk in big woods walk in olny had 2 I talked to those guys today they hunted #7 said they walked around in the dark blindly but could have shot a limit if they sat in the middle of their decoy spread at legal shooting light!. You guys hunting Friday and Saturday good luck! All I can say is shootem in the face a legal light! Its almost over after that. They did start pumping the front slew probly seen 500 mallards when we turned the card in... tbat was nice. Also dont think all the drawn hunters showed this morning and didn't see any standbys? They must have read my post and got discouraged, nobody hunted #23 #24 #56 they had some standbys available.

I was one of the ones in Timber hole then hunted 7 right across from you..we drew number one pill and the boy that done our drawing chose big woods even though we didn't have a clue where to go as apposed to the other 5 spots we had been before. And the limit that we supposedly could of killed in there was like 10 wood ducks. Did not have the first big duck work or fly over that spot.

 

[shedhunterCC]

Today was another absolutely gorgeous day for duck hunting!

Probably everywhere but Ballard!!

Was okay weather until it started raining around 730 or so. Then it was pretty miserable where we were.

We drew Big Woods this morning. Seen a few woodies coming through above the canopy at first light. Once the sun was up we realized we were set up in a less than optimal area. We ended up moving, and found a much better spot. Still nothing below the tree tops that offered any shot opportunities.

Nothing was working until we blew the goose call just screwing around. Perhaps it was a coincidence, but twice we were hailing geese and had a pair of woodies cruise through. Again at altitude above the canopy, but we hurled some steel and bismuth at em none the less.

We were checked by the game wardens (couple of pretty nice young fellas, by the way). While we're digging out our stamps, a woodie drake came in and landed about 40 yards from us. WTF?!?!? He went in stealth mode and disappeared. Game warden told us to "go get 'em", they would wait for us.

Rain persisted and I finally threw in the towel. What a mess... now the hotel room heater has been blowing as hot as possible to dry our stuff out before morning. What hotel doesn't have a coin laundry?!?!?

I didn't get reports from other units, but I'm not expecting too much success.

Tomorrow is last day for us. Hopefully we'll get a decent draw for our last day.

Not sure I'll come back for an early season hunt again. Especially with the water trouble they've had.

We'll see what tomorrow brings! I hate to drive 5 hours and come back empty handed...

Big woods is a big gar hole.