Early Season Split of Duck Hunting Adventures

In Virginia we get a 4 day season in the middle of October. It is a good time to harvest a resident ducks and a few migrators that have trickled in. Usually it is in perfect unison with the Wood duck migration.

We hunted a couple days of it and had a great time.

 

FRIDAY/SATURDAY

Friday night myself, Jake The Dog, and 2 of my good friends, packed up gear and hiked an hour through some of the thickest woods I have traversed to take a shot at a beaverpond on some public property. After many twists and turns and unneccesary zig-zags in the pitch black with just a compass we finally reached out destination. We strung a rope from 2 trees draped a tarp over it and tied each corner off to make an impromptu A-frame tent to call home for the night. By this time we were soaked from our walk from sweat and occasional rain along  and with everything in the woods being drenched from our days of rain.

 

 

 

It paid off with a few flights of Woodies and an early morning double for me. The experience itself is what I will remember for a lifetime. Good friends on a common mission that is not easily attainable for the struggle is what make it fun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afterwards we picked up camp loaded everything on our backs and hiked it out to head home for much needed sleep.

 

MONDAY

 

 

Monday morning with heavy winds and flood tides from the Noreast blow over the previous 5 days we decided to hunt a local marsh that was up in a creek in protected waters. We all got to the ramp on time, got to the spot and got the decoys set in good time. As soon as legal time hit we started seeing flights of birds and it continued until about 9am.

 

Ended up with 3 mallards purely due to letting a few pass us by to err on the side of caution as to shooting towards land with some houses in the distance.  Both of the gunners with me got their first mallard so it was a good day in my book. After sitting until 10am we called it, grabbed some lunch at Pops Drive-In and headed home.

 

 

 

All and all a great first split for the season! Now time to get ready for the 9 day North Dakota trip in 10 days!

 

HOW - TO: Crab Pot Buoy Decoys

I saw the idea of making decoys out of crab pot buoys a while back so while out scouting the marsh I decided to start collecting the the ones I found out in the marsh. I have been wanting to do some sea duck hunting but DID NOT want to spend 80.00 per six pack for 3 dozen Scoter and Old Squaw decoys.

Well I have about a dozen saved up now and with seas duck season right around the corner I thought it would be time to begin the project. I chose to make scoters because that was I needed but i plan on making some of every species and selling them as decoration or functional use as an actual decoy.

Over the next couple months I plan on making a pile of these things so if you or anyone you know would like to purchase any let me know. I will be selling singles for $15, mating pairs for $25, and 6 for $60.00. If you have a species you prefer I can custom a set too so just shoot me an email or message online.

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Step One: Cut the buoy in two evenly down the middle.

 

 

Step two: Cut out decoy heads from whichever kind of wood you would like. Cedar works well as it does not rot. Do not use laminated type wood or it will separate when wet.

 

Step Three: Trace a spot on buoy using the head as a template. Cut out that area to make a spot for head to fit into buoy.

 

 

Step Four: Glue heads to buoys and let cure overnight

 

 

 

 

Step Five: Paint them to your likings and you are done. For show leave without a keel and for actual hunting add a keel.