Mark(mo)
Active member
A couple weeks ago I had business take me to Boston and after much pleading from Hank Garvey I decided to take him up on his generous offer to put me on some sea ducks while in the area. Hank and Mary made wonderful hosts and opened up their beautiful home to a duck hunter who’s closest use of tide’s was to do a load of laundry. The next morning brought a bright clear day with only the slightest breath of wind. In my world this would mean sitting watching empty skies but, thanks to the tides the eider would be moving off their roosting areas out in the Atlantic to the mussel and clam beds at the mouth of the super secret spot that only the best guides on the Merrimack River know. Hank, lil’ Hank and myself set the layout and the long lines. Hank put me in the layout and I began my vigil.
While waiting for the flight to pick up I could hear lil’ Hank banging away at the old squaw who would pass by the tender sitting several hundred yards away. My first visitor was a hen she would dive and preen with the decoys and would swim from one line to another but always making sure to stay in line with rest of her friends.
When the rest showed up the action happened fairly quickly and was a little caught off guard how quickly a large bird like an eider can move. With the first bunch I managed to drop a couple drakes the second requiring an extra shot on the water and a quick call to the tender to come play clean up. I wanted to bring some 7’s along but 3’s proved to be plenty. The next bunch came just minutes after the tender left and I rolled another. After the retrieve lil Hank came on the radio asking if I felt lucky? In the hustle of all the retrieves no one had noticed but the very first eider I had shot that morning was banded.
Another drake finished my limit shortly after and lil’ Hank and I traded spots. The action came to an abrupt halt so we picked up and headed in.
Sunday is closed to hunting in MA so we spent the afternoon driving around the salt marsh.
Here is a picture of Hank’s duck camp from the island with our time being short we didn’t make the journey out to the camp but I’ll save that for another trip.
Hank headed into the office on Mon. so left to my own devices I set out on some public ground to try and bag a black duck. I’ve only connected on one here in Missouri and that was many years ago. I grabbed a bag of Hank’s hand carved decoys and headed out. I never got to set them out as I slipped up to the corner of a salt creek where I was going to hunt 50 black ducks flushed. I pulled up on the closest bird and the black duck was added to the list.
I spent the rest of the day visiting some of the sights before I had to head to Boston.
Rear Light in the Newburyport Harbor
Red Barn in the Rockport Harbor
Gloucester Light
While waiting for the flight to pick up I could hear lil’ Hank banging away at the old squaw who would pass by the tender sitting several hundred yards away. My first visitor was a hen she would dive and preen with the decoys and would swim from one line to another but always making sure to stay in line with rest of her friends.
When the rest showed up the action happened fairly quickly and was a little caught off guard how quickly a large bird like an eider can move. With the first bunch I managed to drop a couple drakes the second requiring an extra shot on the water and a quick call to the tender to come play clean up. I wanted to bring some 7’s along but 3’s proved to be plenty. The next bunch came just minutes after the tender left and I rolled another. After the retrieve lil Hank came on the radio asking if I felt lucky? In the hustle of all the retrieves no one had noticed but the very first eider I had shot that morning was banded.
Another drake finished my limit shortly after and lil’ Hank and I traded spots. The action came to an abrupt halt so we picked up and headed in.
Sunday is closed to hunting in MA so we spent the afternoon driving around the salt marsh.
Here is a picture of Hank’s duck camp from the island with our time being short we didn’t make the journey out to the camp but I’ll save that for another trip.
Hank headed into the office on Mon. so left to my own devices I set out on some public ground to try and bag a black duck. I’ve only connected on one here in Missouri and that was many years ago. I grabbed a bag of Hank’s hand carved decoys and headed out. I never got to set them out as I slipped up to the corner of a salt creek where I was going to hunt 50 black ducks flushed. I pulled up on the closest bird and the black duck was added to the list.
I spent the rest of the day visiting some of the sights before I had to head to Boston.
Rear Light in the Newburyport Harbor
Red Barn in the Rockport Harbor
Gloucester Light
.
