Yeah bud have had my 4 boys with me since they were in diapers and now my two girls. Some still hunt regular some dont but the time spent together was worth it all. By the way that golden eye would make a good mount. so great Job!!!!!!!!!!

my cousin shot one just like this a few wks ago
said it was a female

Your right it's a female not no drake.

We are having the same issues on our side of Delacroix. Some of last year's hot spots are void of ducks. One area of our property is holding a good number of ducks but you need to work for them and hunt a little longer at times. Keep on killing and keep the kids in the blind!

It is a female goldeneye. Thanks.

Windy, Wet and Cloudy today. I tried hunting in the middle of open water today by a clump of grass with roseau around the boat blind with a large spread on a crossing wind. 3 of us shot 13 ducks consisting of a mixed bag. We hunted till noon. I did not like this set up as the grey ducks were very skittish and tough to get within 30-35 yards. Most of the greys would land 50-75 yards in front of us and very few would decoy like I had hoped they would. A few did, but most did not. They had to be picking out the blind. I am not complaining, but back to other late season tactics. The greys ducks are a challenge and I will out smart them, maybe not today, but next time I will....

3 man blind = 13 ducks (4 greys, 5 gw teal, 1 spoonie, 1 red head, and 2 buffleheads) and 2 bonus mergansers.

That'll work! Thanks for the report. Ima try my luck out tomorrow, will post results.

AC

mixed bag 1/2/2013

Coot, nice hunt. We fared about the same today, had 11 birds consisting of greenwings, wigeon, grays, 1 spoon, dogs. We're seeing plenty of grays but getting them close has become pretty tough in the last week or so. As many as we're seeing, we're only killing a couple. Strangely enough in the last three hunts i've killed as many mallards as grays...huh?? in SE La? yea that's just how 'smart' the grays in our area have gotten. Definitely going to smaller spread and set up a bit differently, today they wouldn't finish to save our lives. I'll be hard at it 'till the 27th! good luck my friend

Question, going to hunt an area of biloxi tomorrow in a pond about 3 acres, but its not wide. Thinking about placing 6-8 dekes out and hunting 50-80 yards upwind/crosswind from them to counter the greys. What do you think?

Question, going to hunt an area of biloxi tomorrow in a pond about 3 acres, but its not wide. Thinking about placing 6-8 dekes out and hunting 50-80 yards upwind/crosswind from them to counter the greys. What do you think?

I think that might work if it is a long and skinny pond.... Just put your dekes up wind 50+ yards from ya, sit on the bank with some cover and a face mask and try to get them as they land shy of the dekes. Good Luck...

If it was a blue bird, clear and sunny day I think my set up would have been deadly. The greys work easier to large spreads on clear days as they have much more confidence. I find greys to be more skittish on cloudy days. Also, If I hunted only a dozen or less dekes it may have produced better. I watched greys all day go land with one to three ducks sitting 75-100 yards away from our blind than come to our spread of 4 dozen dekes. You live and learn. It still was a good hunt considering the time of the year. Taking today off... Gotta work sometimes.... The large spread pays off for the large flocks of teal in the area, but it's not working for the greys. You can't win em' all....