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Post by Beaus_Dad on Jan 3, 2013 12:42:43 GMT -5
I thought the season was piss poor  |
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Post by chessie on Jan 3, 2013 13:24:55 GMT -5
Myself and my hunting partner had the best year we have had to date. Last year we managed 88 ducks, no geese, this year we finished with 128 ducks and 7 geese. I would say we hunted about the same amount of days the last 2 years as well. Maybe we have just been doing better with the scouting , being where the birds are and want to be is definitely the key. If there are any birds that is. That's how I saw our season go.
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Post by donovanchinook on Jan 3, 2013 20:34:22 GMT -5
I wasn't impressed. Had a few good days, 1 excellent day, mostly so-so and a bunch "I should stayed in bed days". Most of my spots weren't producing the number of birds this year. Did some scouting on the slower days which I found rays of hope for next year but all in all, a lot of effort for small returns. But its sure in hell better than staying home and doing work or even worse taking the wife shopping. All I know is that I'll be out until the 15th no matter what the weather.
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Post by huntingike on Jan 3, 2013 20:42:20 GMT -5
Had a little better than average year on the geese but the ducks were the absolue shits . but i did spend more time after the geese to be fair . Me and my groups collectively ended with 127 geese and 9 ducks . highlight for me was a snow and a specklebelly in the same year ,, Be different next year also , big changes coming to our waterfowl season whooo Hooo !
Just looking online and realized i had shot another trophy this fall and didn't realize it . I had shot a quill lake canada goose one day and thought it was just a kinda neat goose with a white bar across it's chest , sorry no pics of it .
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Post by shermie on Jan 4, 2013 6:20:51 GMT -5
for the love god and waterfowling dont give up your limits fellas ,i heard they want to drop 2 birds from your limit and then extend your season to the end of dec,,,,,
I say time for time take away 2 weeks early season and add it on the end ,,,,
Shermie...
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Post by shermie on Jan 4, 2013 6:34:16 GMT -5
as for the season ,tho i have not been out due to not being able to have any vacation ,but i still paid attention to what i seen for birds and what my buddys were taking ,and id say it was low to average season for the truro,,the birds just didnt come thru like they have be for....but on the bays and waters there were ducks to have if you wanted to work for them....
again the season ended way to early the bay birds and seaducks realy showed up the last few days of dec ,and of course the season is closed dec 31...the big freeze came this week and now we have to travel to the southern coasts and eastern shores for the last 2 weeks...
global warming etc... the birds have not been migrating as early as they did 10 years ago. When there is no snow and ice to cover up the food sources in the northern areas of the atlantic flyway then the birds hang around...
So yes there a fair amount of birds around just the seasons have to to be adjusted to reflect the weather patterns to give waterfowlers a fair chance at harvesting waterfowl .Bag limits are fine its just the start and end of seasons have to be adjusted...
yes most will opt not to hunt these last 2 weeks to trade ice for moskettos ,but for the hardy fellas that love freeze up this is sure to be some fine shootin if your in the right place at the right time...
2 cents given
shermie
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Post by skyrat on Jan 4, 2013 8:26:30 GMT -5
Even though I had only a fraction of my normal season chances to get out and hunting in the same general area as Ed, I would
have to agree..piss poor. I didn't observe the "normal" volume of either ducks or geese. Most of my spots depend on our fall tropical/hurricane storms to fill and hold ducks..that never really happened this year. So I admit it is most likely a local issue but it is the poorest season in the last 8 years I have been hunting around here..
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Post by chezz on Jan 4, 2013 12:48:32 GMT -5
If I base my opinion on the number of birds... The absolute worst season ever... never fired 2 boxes total...
But on the bright side.. got the young fella into hunting this year and he managed to bag a few birds and we got his fisrt one mounted by spikemaster...
seeing him bag some birds was priceless... but overall it was a bust....
Ps... if I could change the season dates back for zone 2... I would in a heart beat...
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take'em
Master Waterfowler
Field Evaluator for the QUALITY products offered by Dux-N-Dogs
Posts: 747
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Post by take'em on Jan 4, 2013 18:57:18 GMT -5
Well, I don't think I hunted waterfowl enough to make a judgement on bird numbers (my new upland addiction took up most of my Saturdays thanks to Croc  ) but I'll give my 2 cents: October… I didn't see a single wood duck at my usual haunt. That being said, it was an almost nonexistent acorn crop this year and the two are definitely connected. It wouldn't have mattered anyway because of the later start to the season in that zone. Most of those colourful little buggers are gone by the 22nd. NOT happy!!! Not happy at all! Other than that total disappointment, heavy rains had my two main spots in flood condition and too much water = too many places to land. I DID see a flooded field one day with about 300 mallards/blacks/GWT feeding in it. Of course, no way to get near it despite having permission. November… Hunted Valley pheasants exclusively. December… The few times that I did get out, numbers were average for the most part and I bagged a few puddlers. Very few divers around on the Eastern Shore due to the lack of cold weather. They're getting later and later every year it seems. January… TBD Overall, I'd say it was an average to below average season from my observations. |
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HUNT247
Hunter
I see dead geese!
Posts: 470
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Post by HUNT247 on Jan 4, 2013 19:21:53 GMT -5
Had a hell of a season.
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Post by huntingike on Jan 4, 2013 20:19:49 GMT -5
for the love god and waterfowling dont give up your limits fellas ,i heard they want to drop 2 birds from your limit and then extend your season to the end of dec,,,,, I say time for time take away 2 weeks early season and add it on the end ,,,, Shermie... nothing has been confirmed yet but rumors are to the effect sept goose season fixed date opener , approx same time frame extended to dec 31 with drop of two geese after nov 20 maybe even ducks into january daily bag of blacks dropped from four to three [ but can have upwards of 2-3 weeks of hunting over the holidays . as i said none of this has been confirmed yet We have been having meetings about this for the last two years and seems this year we are finally getting something done . Sherm , I have to tell ya , I would never support taking two weeks of the front of the season . reason why is the younger folk and yes the older folk may not go out due to the wetter colder weather and we may never be able to shoot a blue wing or a wood duck if we did . |
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take'em
Master Waterfowler
Field Evaluator for the QUALITY products offered by Dux-N-Dogs
Posts: 747
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Post by take'em on Jan 4, 2013 22:12:30 GMT -5
and we may never be able to shoot a blue wing or a wood duck if we did. See my post. I hear ya! My wood duck spot used to open October 8th and now I have to wait until the 22nd. By then, most of them, if not all of them, are GONE. Not happy. |
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Quackaddict
Hunter
Wings are locked, feet are down- ITS HAMMERTIME !
Posts: 355
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Post by Quackaddict on Jan 5, 2013 21:55:25 GMT -5
I must admit this season has been one of the best I have had. For two reasons in particular. First and foremost, Jess was a full fledged hunting partner this year and consistantly knocking her own birds. She was doing so well that I took some well deserved ribbing on several occasions about where my birds were, while hers were laying in the decoys. She had an incredible season with knocking several firsts including honkers, a shoveler as well as her first black duck. I am not certain of exact numbers, but I know we had several worldclass shoots and a barrell of laughs. I think she is hooked, she loves the sunrises and sunsets on the marshes and this is awesome. As far as the numbers go, they were up considerably in my haunts and this made for some super shoots. I contribute this solely to the increase in corn production in areas that have never seen a kernal grown. The farmers had corn planted in spots that they have never planted before, this made for some great field shoots. With the late freeze this year it kept the field bare and the birds never left. They are still hangin tight if they can find a little open water. Overall a great year and can't wait for September to roll around again. As far aa a little input towards the season dates. I would like to see the seasons the same across the board, from the first of October to the middle of Jan. For the few birds that are taken after the normal season, this really has little impact on the big picture population and for the south shore to be shut down for nearly three weeks at the front end to accomodate the extension; this is simply mindless. It is nice for the kids to be able to get out during the early season and for the few of us that venture out when it gets cold has no impact on the birds whatsoever. If they want to take a few birds from us, so be it, but the extended season would certainly be nice. Gonna be a long summer!
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crockett
Hard Core
...whistling wings in the dawn sky, the buck and roar of a fine gun swung true...
Posts: 2,056
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Post by crockett on Jan 6, 2013 9:23:27 GMT -5
First of all, congrats on your success getting Jess HOOKED! I guess if anyone is going to outshoot you, you're probably happy that it's her! I would like to see the seasons the same across the board, from the first of October to the middle of Jan. Just a comment on this, from a legislative point of view. I went to the NSFAH AGM last winter on behalf of Nova Delta and talked with the Canadian Wildlife Service about the details and implications of our recent season chances (primiarily, the early "nuisance" goose season and the Altantic Coast season shift to later). They told me that the Migratory Bird Act sets out a maximum number of days that waterfowl can be hunted in any one locations, and that in Nova Scotia we are maxed out in all areas. So that means that any season shift earlier/later HAS to move the season by teh same amount on the other end. Of course, if we did away with the early goose, there would be more flexibility on that. Another interesting result of this is that IF we ever got Sunday hunting in this province, they would have to shorten the overall season by about 12 days to accomodate the Migratory Bird Act. Cheers, -Croc |
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Post by shermie on Jan 6, 2013 9:26:11 GMT -5
yes eric i was only thinking of me as in regars to season not thinking about the young and old,,,well i fall into the old i geuss lol...and i admit the bluewings are awesome and yes tastey...i still dont likelosing duck limits they already took 2 blks away ,and then the hybreds ruin everything and could even get you in trouble as i say its a mallard but you say its a black....
try to keep you limits as most folks dont shoot a limit when they go out anyway...
sherm...
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) but I'll give my 2 cents:
