Great Great Day

[anthony m coons sr]

Hello All

Well I promised to share my opening day with you all, After talking about know rain and swamps and creeks dry. I told you ! if there was any ducks around the river would be the place to be. So my son and I got up really early and headed out on the river. The tide was already going down for a few hours. I wanted to get back to a spot that I hunted for years. We had know problems getting there in my outlaw pro 18. Placed the decoys where I wanted them. Things were going so great, until I started to run my boat into the high grass. First we got stuck on a tree that almost flipped us. My son got out and couldn't even move the boat. I have problems that I am not suppose to left anything over a 30 lbs or it could be the end of me. But we had know choice. So I get out and we got the boat moved. Then I tried to get up in the marsh in another spot and we got stuck again. I'm talking to God and asking him please help us out. Sure as my name is Anthony we some how moved the boat. From off of that spot. So we moved deeper into the bay. Funny thing is we didn't case or hear any birds flying out when we were going in. All I wanted was to have my son have a fun day. He works so dang hard. I could careless about me. I have done more then my share on the duck population in my days on this earth. So I finally find a spot that still had enough water to pull into. It was still dark and we got all settled. My son wasn't happy ! that I told him we will be sitting on mud for a long time today. But then he might of stayed home in Long Island lol. All I wanted was for him to share a great day of hunting. As I have for so many years. I knew that with know water anywhere else the ducks had to come to the river. (Sorry it took so long to get to the hunt). As the first light before shooting hours. Ducks started quacking all around us. I could not understand it, with all the noise we made getting stuck twice. There were still birds around us. It started getting light fast. Three Teal landed in the decoys a few feet from us. It was a few minutes from shooting time. I told my son to get ready . I really thought they would of flew away before shooting time. But God was watching down on us. My son got all three, I was so fired up. Then four more came in we wack them. Holy ! you know what I'm saying! now there was know water where we were . So Jr. had to get out and walk in the mighty Hudson River mud. He is a young bull just turned twenty eight this week. He walked threw that mud like he was King Kong. He was so pumped up he picked up all those ducks. After getting back to the boat. He was tired and he said dad that is hard. Then a wood duck came in ,and I shot him. I said go get him son ! and he did. I could see his face he was tired from know sleep. I'm laughing like crazy, given him the old when I was your age. I did this and that. Anyway. he was back in the boat and a flock of teal came in and we shot them. Back out the kid went. This went on all day. We stopped shooting after we limited out. Cooked some good food ,and could of killed many ducks. But this was a day that both my son and I will enjoy for ever. This day was like the good old days my friends. There were so many green wings, not as many wood ducks as last year, Only got one mallard, because that was the only one we saw, until we got out back out on the open river then we saw a bunch more. Friends of mine did really well up North of us. Heard lots of shooting, I hearing it know as I'm writing this. So for me it was already a great season. I hope you all get to have a day like I did with a friend or family member. PS. My son just got a yellow lab it was going to be just a pet. Not any more . God Bless

 

[benp]

Great job Anthony,
Sounds like a great time had by both of y'all even while getting stuck. Glad nothing bad happened to you from doing the intense labor of getting the boat unstuck.

Hope y'all save some teal for us further south but if not glad y'all had fun making memories shooting them.

 

[Paul Taylor]

Sounds like an awesome hunt!!! Nothing better than a workout trying to walk to retrieve ducks on what I call the "Cajun Stairmaster"! Our mud is beastly probably similar to yours! I hope you took plenty of pictures!!!

 

[greg setter]

What a great stroy Anthony. Know the deal on tidal water when it isn't quite high enough, getting stuck before dark, having to change plans, and sometimes it works out great. Glad you had a great hunt with your son.

 

[J. Overland]

Anthony, Thanks for posting your report. That truly sounds like a fantastic day of duck hunting on the river! I launch the same places you do, so I can definitely picture what your hunt was like.

I elected to hunt a small swamp/pond locally instead of hunting the river. As much as I enjoy hunting the Hudson, I wanted no part of the opening day "competitive duck hunting" as I call it. I was alone in my chosen swamp. As the sun came up only a few birds were flying. Early on two hen woodies settled into my decoys. I decided to give them a pass. A little later on a pair of woodies, a drake and a hen, gave the decoys a look. I dropped the drake with my first shot and swung on the hen. I paused, considering whether I wanted to shoot her. I decided to pull the trigger, as one lone wood duck does not make much of a meal. I dropped her as well. When I paddled over and picked them up, when I lifted the hen into the canoe I was pleasantly surprised to see a band shining on her leg.

What a way to start my season, going 100% on shots, and a band on the second duck of the season. I couldn't be more tickled. The band revealed she was banded in Minnesota in 2017 and traveled all the way to the Hudson Valley. According to the band reporting agency this is uncommon and they asked for more information and a few pictures, which I provided.

Just thought I'd share my opening day as well, since it was in the same general area as yours. I'll say hi when I see you at the ramp this season.