Mark W
Well-known member
First "first. This was my first season as a retired person and I must say, retirement and hunting go real good together. I was able to hunt when I wanted to not when my work schedule permitted it. I was able to get up in the morning and if it was crummy weather, go back to bed to hunt another day. My hunting buddies appreciated this very much as if they were on a weekend hunt with me, and I was working, and the weather was crap, I'd still be out there hunting. Not this year. With nothing on the schedule, I think I hunted as many days as I have in the past. I didn't keep track of them like I used to as I promised myself no more spreadsheets for at least a year. I hunted opener, and the first couple of weeks and then took some time off. Hunted much of the last two weeks and it was good.
Second "first". First time I did not meet up with Tom Scholberg at some point during the season. If we didn't hunt at the same time, we would meet up to hand off the traveling decoy or meet up for dinner or something. We would typically have Tom drop by our camp on opening weekend. Not this year. RIP Tom - you are missed.
Third "first. Hunted the whole year with 6 or less decoys in the spread. Hunted very small water but water where the ducks wanted to be.
Fourth "first". Shot zero ducks on opening weekend. I can't recall a time ever when this happened. Earlier I posted our opener weekend fiasco and still hear mosquitoes buzzing all around my head.
Fifth "first". Didn't buy anything new for this season. Not even shells. Usually there is something I just "have to have".
Sixth "first". Posted no pictures of dead ducks online. This "first" will be broken in a little bit as you will see.
Bucket list story
The end of the year was a bit weird. We had a serious freeze about a week before the end of the WI northern zone season. I hunted the day before and it was impossible to get out but still had a good hunt. I put away the boat and the other gear and washed and stored the duck hunting camo.
With four days to go, I thought there may be a chance that a landing at one of the nearby stream would be open. On the way back from our cabin, I stopped by to take a look and while it was frozen in, I was pretty certain I could make it out. I wasn't comfortable going out early the next morning so I hung around home and went out for an afternoon scout/hunt. I brought along the spud bar thinking it would get some use and it sure did. Broke away ice at the landing and then had to break some ice along the way. While the ice was thick, it was gray/blue in color which means it isn't very strong. Got out the the spot to hunt and had to clear a little more ice. On the way in I chased up easily 1000 ducks and geese. Easily the most I have ever seen in this spot, Another first I guess. Set up and just enjoyed the afternoon. I think I shot a duck or two but was really only there to get the place ready for the next morning hunt.
Got up early Sunday as I couldn't sleep and was excited for the hunt to start. Went to the landing and as it was all season at this place, no one was there. Never saw another hunter all season long at this particular spot. Good deal. Got the boat launched and gear loaded and headed out for the morning hunt. On the way to where I was planning to set up, I thought I caught a glimpse of light off to the left. Knowing it was all private land and knowing the landowner allows no one to hunt it, walk it, or even to look at it, I thought I must have caught a reflection off the ice of my stern light. Finally got to the spot I was going to hunt and threw out my 6 decoys. As I was sitting in the boat waiting for hunting time, sure enough, I saw lights again coming down a hill in front of me a few hundred yards away. I shined my spotlight letting whoever was coming this way that I was in this spot and to not bother coming any farther this way. They kept coming and they were loud. Could tell it was bunch of younger hunters and they were yucking it up quite a bit.
They finally stopped walking and I could hear them setting up maybe a couple of hundred yards away with a couple of islands between us. Not ideal as I was looking forward to a hunt with no others around but this will work. How wrong I was. Well before hunting time the calls came out. There were 5 hunters from what I could gather and each must have had 3 calls in each of their mouths. Non stop, horrible calling. One goose call in particular sounded more like a machine gun than anything else in this world. No problem, I'll just put up with it. Right at opener, I had a couple of ducks come into the decks and I dispatched them. Off to a good start. Then the fun began. Out came the calls of the other group. I looked and looked for what they were screaming at and there was nothing in the sky anywhere. The calling continued non stop for 30 minutes or more. I was wishing I had earplugs but no luck. As they were slowing down on the calls, a nice group of ducks looked me over. I called a couple of short bursts to get their attention. They were swinging around to come back when the massive wall of sound started up again. The other group had seen the ducks coming my way and were trying to lure them over their way. All it did was scare the crap out of the flock and they took off - FAST. This continued all morning and to add the the horrible calling, they were shooting at anything out to 150 yards I swear. I got out of the boat to sort of walk over to where they were (in stealth mode mind you - left the gun in the boat even). As I was peeking through the woods, I saw they had built a permanent blind on private land. A big no no with this land owner. I considered briefly approaching the group and letting them know that if they were caught, they would be charged with trespassing but thought the better of it.
I now had a decision to make, do I stay or do I go? Since I had nowhere to be and being as how there were only three days left in the season, I decided I would just stay out there longer than they did. It was warm enough and it was a nice day so what the heck. The massive calling continued along with the long range shooting. Throw in a misbehaving dog and the morning was perfect. I eventually heard them packing it in. After about 30 minutes or so I got out of the boat and walked to where they were. Sure enough, they were gone.
Got back to the boat and eventually the birds were starting to come around. I was looking down at something in the boat and heard a quack from behind me. I looked up in time to see a lone green head flying over me. I quickly picked up the gun and fired one shot at the duck that was by this time flying away from me. I dropped the duck but didn't think I hit him with a death shot. The duck fell where the current was strong the the muck thick. I ran over to where the duck had fallen and was able to grab it by the head before it got to a place where I would have a hard time getting it without bringing out the boat. As I picked it up, I could not believe what I was seeing - a nice piece of jewelry wrapped around one of his legs. I stood there in disbelief for awhile and then it finally hit me. After more than 40 years of hunting ducks, I have never shot a banded bird, been with anyone who shot a banded bird while I was there, and didn't know any hunting buddies or relatives who have shot a banded bird. I always dreamed of shooting a banded bird and it now came true. I was thrilled beyond belief. Still am - weird huh?
I quickly took some pictures and texted some hunting buddies. All accused me of stealing an internet picture and calling it my own (I've been known to do crap like this once in awhile like grabbing a picture of a mermaid while out ice fishing and texting my buddies with "my catch" sort of thing). After taking a picture of me holding the duck next to my face did they believe me. Dave McCann was out hunting that morning and while I told him I had a big "first", I didn't tell him what I did.
I hunted the next couple of days and was able to extend my streak of hunting the last day of the season. Hunted in some snow on the second to last day which is my favorite way to hunt. Forgot my ducky call at home from putting the duck band on the lanyard (Pure Duck call recommended by Steve Sutton to me a long time ago) but had a spare in the bag that hadn't been used in awhile. After performing some minor surgery, I was able to get that call working and had a nice hunt.
Anyway, a very nice season of many firsts and the continuation of some treasured traditions. And I shot my first banded bird which is a thrill beyond belief.
View attachment Band 1.jpg
Mark
Second "first". First time I did not meet up with Tom Scholberg at some point during the season. If we didn't hunt at the same time, we would meet up to hand off the traveling decoy or meet up for dinner or something. We would typically have Tom drop by our camp on opening weekend. Not this year. RIP Tom - you are missed.
Third "first. Hunted the whole year with 6 or less decoys in the spread. Hunted very small water but water where the ducks wanted to be.
Fourth "first". Shot zero ducks on opening weekend. I can't recall a time ever when this happened. Earlier I posted our opener weekend fiasco and still hear mosquitoes buzzing all around my head.
Fifth "first". Didn't buy anything new for this season. Not even shells. Usually there is something I just "have to have".
Sixth "first". Posted no pictures of dead ducks online. This "first" will be broken in a little bit as you will see.
Bucket list story
The end of the year was a bit weird. We had a serious freeze about a week before the end of the WI northern zone season. I hunted the day before and it was impossible to get out but still had a good hunt. I put away the boat and the other gear and washed and stored the duck hunting camo.
With four days to go, I thought there may be a chance that a landing at one of the nearby stream would be open. On the way back from our cabin, I stopped by to take a look and while it was frozen in, I was pretty certain I could make it out. I wasn't comfortable going out early the next morning so I hung around home and went out for an afternoon scout/hunt. I brought along the spud bar thinking it would get some use and it sure did. Broke away ice at the landing and then had to break some ice along the way. While the ice was thick, it was gray/blue in color which means it isn't very strong. Got out the the spot to hunt and had to clear a little more ice. On the way in I chased up easily 1000 ducks and geese. Easily the most I have ever seen in this spot, Another first I guess. Set up and just enjoyed the afternoon. I think I shot a duck or two but was really only there to get the place ready for the next morning hunt.
Got up early Sunday as I couldn't sleep and was excited for the hunt to start. Went to the landing and as it was all season at this place, no one was there. Never saw another hunter all season long at this particular spot. Good deal. Got the boat launched and gear loaded and headed out for the morning hunt. On the way to where I was planning to set up, I thought I caught a glimpse of light off to the left. Knowing it was all private land and knowing the landowner allows no one to hunt it, walk it, or even to look at it, I thought I must have caught a reflection off the ice of my stern light. Finally got to the spot I was going to hunt and threw out my 6 decoys. As I was sitting in the boat waiting for hunting time, sure enough, I saw lights again coming down a hill in front of me a few hundred yards away. I shined my spotlight letting whoever was coming this way that I was in this spot and to not bother coming any farther this way. They kept coming and they were loud. Could tell it was bunch of younger hunters and they were yucking it up quite a bit.
They finally stopped walking and I could hear them setting up maybe a couple of hundred yards away with a couple of islands between us. Not ideal as I was looking forward to a hunt with no others around but this will work. How wrong I was. Well before hunting time the calls came out. There were 5 hunters from what I could gather and each must have had 3 calls in each of their mouths. Non stop, horrible calling. One goose call in particular sounded more like a machine gun than anything else in this world. No problem, I'll just put up with it. Right at opener, I had a couple of ducks come into the decks and I dispatched them. Off to a good start. Then the fun began. Out came the calls of the other group. I looked and looked for what they were screaming at and there was nothing in the sky anywhere. The calling continued non stop for 30 minutes or more. I was wishing I had earplugs but no luck. As they were slowing down on the calls, a nice group of ducks looked me over. I called a couple of short bursts to get their attention. They were swinging around to come back when the massive wall of sound started up again. The other group had seen the ducks coming my way and were trying to lure them over their way. All it did was scare the crap out of the flock and they took off - FAST. This continued all morning and to add the the horrible calling, they were shooting at anything out to 150 yards I swear. I got out of the boat to sort of walk over to where they were (in stealth mode mind you - left the gun in the boat even). As I was peeking through the woods, I saw they had built a permanent blind on private land. A big no no with this land owner. I considered briefly approaching the group and letting them know that if they were caught, they would be charged with trespassing but thought the better of it.
I now had a decision to make, do I stay or do I go? Since I had nowhere to be and being as how there were only three days left in the season, I decided I would just stay out there longer than they did. It was warm enough and it was a nice day so what the heck. The massive calling continued along with the long range shooting. Throw in a misbehaving dog and the morning was perfect. I eventually heard them packing it in. After about 30 minutes or so I got out of the boat and walked to where they were. Sure enough, they were gone.
Got back to the boat and eventually the birds were starting to come around. I was looking down at something in the boat and heard a quack from behind me. I looked up in time to see a lone green head flying over me. I quickly picked up the gun and fired one shot at the duck that was by this time flying away from me. I dropped the duck but didn't think I hit him with a death shot. The duck fell where the current was strong the the muck thick. I ran over to where the duck had fallen and was able to grab it by the head before it got to a place where I would have a hard time getting it without bringing out the boat. As I picked it up, I could not believe what I was seeing - a nice piece of jewelry wrapped around one of his legs. I stood there in disbelief for awhile and then it finally hit me. After more than 40 years of hunting ducks, I have never shot a banded bird, been with anyone who shot a banded bird while I was there, and didn't know any hunting buddies or relatives who have shot a banded bird. I always dreamed of shooting a banded bird and it now came true. I was thrilled beyond belief. Still am - weird huh?
I quickly took some pictures and texted some hunting buddies. All accused me of stealing an internet picture and calling it my own (I've been known to do crap like this once in awhile like grabbing a picture of a mermaid while out ice fishing and texting my buddies with "my catch" sort of thing). After taking a picture of me holding the duck next to my face did they believe me. Dave McCann was out hunting that morning and while I told him I had a big "first", I didn't tell him what I did.
I hunted the next couple of days and was able to extend my streak of hunting the last day of the season. Hunted in some snow on the second to last day which is my favorite way to hunt. Forgot my ducky call at home from putting the duck band on the lanyard (Pure Duck call recommended by Steve Sutton to me a long time ago) but had a spare in the bag that hadn't been used in awhile. After performing some minor surgery, I was able to get that call working and had a nice hunt.
Anyway, a very nice season of many firsts and the continuation of some treasured traditions. And I shot my first banded bird which is a thrill beyond belief.
View attachment Band 1.jpg
Mark
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