Incredible Waterfowl Season....Again!!

Though I spent about half my season in camp working a turnaround the days between rotations we had nothing short of spectacular waterfowl hunting. Many were complaining in other areas of a poor migration and extremely low to zero duck numbers and though we did not have our usual duck numbers we still had good flights. As our area has an abundance of water even though we are experiencing severe drought conditions there was still enough water for migrating birds to stay and use. Add to that an early finish to the crops harvest, extremely low hunter numbers and it was a low pressure smorgasbord for the birds that came here. I have never seen birds here this late. We still have good numbers of lesser and greater Canada's and a few good flights of Mallard's hanging in there though almost every piece of remaining water has been ice covered for two weeks. I put all the gear away two weeks ago when deer season opened. I think I pulled the plug too soon, lol, but I finally filled one of my 3 tags last evening(antlerless Mule deer) with a 1.5 year old doe. Now to see if I can punch my Whitetail tag with a nice buck and fill my remaining antlerless Mule Deer tag....

 

Can you get your wives to clean all of these birds??

 

Yes she dives right in and without being asked which is much more than I can say about quite a few of the guys I have hunted with over the years. Same with cleaning and butchering our deer though she doesn't do the gutting but she is there to pitch in steadying it or helping keep the chest cavity open while I reach in to cut the diaphragm. She isn't afraid of a little blood!

 

Great job, Thanks for sharing !

 

On another note, I finally seen a flock of Mallards and a couple of sets yesterday, finally. First ducks I have seen around the house in four months. Migration is finally starting now that the small waters are finally freezing up. Way late this year! Also seeing larger flocks of geese gathering and flying at dusk. Ponds with normally three feet of water are down to nothing, or inches left, and that just froze over. Corn was just pulled off this past week. Hopefully there will be a next year.

 

Looks like a fun time.
Congrats!

 

I filled my WT a week ago today and am now wishing I'd kept at the geese & ducks the first two weeks of November instead based on how mild it was and the number of birds we had around. They are all gone now and my deer season has ended a week early as I have a surgery tomorrow(hernia repair). I'll be sitting home recovering and getting the ice fishing gear ready to go...now we just need some good steady below zero temps to build some safe ice.

The deer walked out in front of my blind and gave me a 12 yard shot...I wasn't about to pass that up...

 

Hasbeen, are you using A-frame field blinds. Your wife is using the identical gun I use for pheasants and waterfowl.

 

Yes I was using an Avian X A-Frame until this season. Cabela's put their Northern Flight A-Frame style blind on sale for $350(Cdn). I prefer the Cabela's blind. Much nicer build. Better cover material, double door closures are buckles and velcro really seal the ends off well and the panels have pockets at the bottom corners that slide under the frame to keep the panels in place and wind out from underneath, it has much nicer gun holders(adjustable) and the blind is half the price of an Avian X. I still have the Avian X but only put it out if we are 4 plus hunters. Then I run both blinds end to end as in the picture below.

 

A few pics from this past season...

 

And a short vid made into a GIF