Duck Season 2015-2016: 2nd Split (my pictures from the season)...

[Fooshman]

12-24-15

Huge moon upon arrival that would set while setting up. Clear, hot and calm with some sporadic light winds later. Heard some ducks overheard that were never seen and some widgeons whistle in the distance a couple minutes before legal. Shooting time comes and there is absolutely nothing in the air. About thirty minutes later a single would circle and go down on an adjacent property. Fifteen minutes later heard some quacks off in the distance. Few minutes after that had a collared dove come in hot right towards me at head level that I nearly swatted with my barrel. Seven minutes later three spoonies would come in from the right and set down only to immediately jump. All were shot. Another fifteen minutes pass and a flock flies high to the right. Roughly twenty minutes later a grebe drunkenly sails in from the right. A bufflehead hen follows and gets taken out. Another fifteen minutes go by and a decent sized flock flies high overhead. That would be the last movement of the morning. Heard some geese while picking up and had a small flock of cranes fly over high when leaving.

The decoys...



Whipple picking up a spoonie...









Paxton picking up a spoonie...

[Fooshman]

Paxton with another...





Whipple with a bufflehead...



The birds...



The girls with the birds...

[Echo4Hotel]

Love the pictures, thanks for sharing

[Fooshman]

12-29-15

Rained the previous few days. Muck and water everywhere. Cool and calm with some sporadic light wind throughout the morning. Heard ducks the whole time while setting up and even got buzzed by a few. Six minutes before shooting time two gadwalls land to the left. They come check out the decoys and eventually swim away to the left. Few flocks moving in the area but nothing close. Thirteen minutes into it and the two that were on the water jump and go down in the little pond. With nothing moving I decide to go sneak on them. Two in the bag. About half an hour later a single gadwall sails in from the front left. Three shots and he flies away hurt but we can't get to him. See another high flying flock a minute later. Twenty minutes later a lone redhead comes in from the front left and gets taken out. About fifteen minutes later a pair of teal come in from the same direction. Take both of them to finish up at 8:16. Had a decent sized flock of pintails and some geese fly over while picking up. Also had a pair of hooded mergansers visit.

Still a little mucky out...



The sunrise...



It was bright out early...



Whipple picking up a redhead...





Whipple retrieving a teal...

[Fooshman]

Whipple with another teal...





Some geese flying over...



Some hooded mergansers that came to visit...



The birds...



The ducks with a dove that was shot afterwards...

[Fooshman]

12-31-15

Cool and clear with some clouds moving in a bit later. Decent breeze all morning. Birds were moving around while setting up. Had a pair and then a single land in the decoys ten minutes before legal but they didn't stay long. A couple minutes later a flock of seven or eight lands in the middle and immediately jump. Heard some more birds moving around only to be followed by some early shots. About a minute after legal a gadwall tries to sit in the middle but couldn't get comfortable and bugs out. A minutes later two buffleheads buzz in from the left and crash to the right of the decoys. The drake gets swatted as the hen dives. She pops up and gets swatted. The bird manages to scurry off hurt to the right and turn back to the left until visual is lost. Eight minutes later five gadwalls that have been circling for a few minutes swoop in from the left. Four of them land out of range but the other one was in range and gets taken out. Four minutes later a couple of divers zoom by to the left but never slow down. Have a few more groups moving around but no takers. About half an hour after the diver flyby three gadwalls swoop down and immediately pull up, circle and fly away. Ten minutes later four geese fly by slowly checking things out but never stop. Another ten minutes go by and a single redhead drops in from the left and gets taken out. Thirty minutes later three fly over high from right to left. Then about a dozen come over high from behind. Then a pair of pintails circle and cup into the deeks. One gets dropped at the edge of the water as the other slowly flies away hurt. See several other groups of birds but nothing showed any interest. Watched two gadwalls drop in and seven geese land in the field while loading the truck.

It was bright out again...



Small flock of geese flying by...



Paxton picking up a redhead...





Paxton retrieving a bufflehead...

[Fooshman]

Whipple getting after a gadwall...











The spread...



Whipple chasing down a crippled pintail...







The birds...

[Fooshman]

1-2-16

Overcast and cool this morning. Light wind that would get stronger than expected. Heard some quacks a minute before legal. Shooting time comes around and a single lands in the middle followed by two more that land near the opposite shoreline. A couple of minutes later two birds pass over high from the left to the right. Two minutes later a pair comes from the left and goes down in the little pond out front. A flock of four pass over high three minutes later. Five minutes pass and with nothing showing any interest I decide to sneak on the birds on the little pond. The three birds on the opposite shoreline jump and fly away as I make the journey. Eight minutes later I arrive at the pond and jump the two gadwalls that were on the water. Fire off three shots and drop one as the other bird flies away hurt. Decided to hang out for a awhile by a tree near the shore where the birds were landing earlier. Six minutes go by and two divers buzz to my right and go over the left side of the decoys. Make it back to the blind roughly fifteen minutes later. Six minutes later a pair of hooded mergansers buzz by from behind the blind to the left and land near the opposite shoreline as another small flock flies through high. The mergansers bug out four minutes later. Nearly an hour goes by with no movement. As I'm watching some blackbirds across the water I notice some birds with bigger wingspans. Three widgeons were flying low near the little pond. Two looked to land in the little pond as one comes right towards the decoys and sits down. As it gets swatted the other two make their way over the decoys and get taken out. About thirty minutes go by and two ducks come over high from the right and continue to head to the left. Three minutes later noticed a gadwall sitting on the water out of range to the right. He would hang around for about fifteen minutes before heading out. Eighteen minutes later another gadwall comes in from behind the blind and lands in the middle. Gradually coaxed it closer and got off three shots as it jumped and looked to fly off hurt to the right. Roughly ten minutes go by and two come over high from the front left and go over the blind to the right. One peels off to the back right as the other one turns back. It came over the right side of the water and goes into a 4 g inverted dive and comes over and sits down right outside of the decoys. It gets swatted. Five minutes later a flock of three and a flock of seven fly over high from behind and continue on their way. About a half hour later four widgeons swoop down from behind to the left and continue out front before turning back and going to the right as two others circle to the right before flying off.

Whipple with one of the widgeons...



Whipple picking up another widgeon...





Whipple chasing down the last widgeon...



Whipple picking up a gadwall...





The birds...

[drewwland]

Awesome

[solocam_aggie]

Amazing pics brother. I have ponds at my disposal here, but going on 2 years now since I've duck hunted. Making a vow to catch up for lost time next year!

[Pin Oak DXT]

I love the pic of Whipple with the crippled pintail. It's fantastic as are all the others. You have some trophy buffle heads and wigeon you have taken. Congrats.

[S.E.Texan]

Beautiful birds Fooshman! I love all the different species you're taking. What part of the state are you hunting in?

[James]

Amazing pics. You have a hell of a dog

[Fooshman]

1-7-16

Rained the day/night before. Water and muck everywhere. Calm with some wind later. Warm and muggy. Fog throughout the morning. Hear some ducks four minutes before legal. Three minutes later two birds land in pocket and swim towards the west point. A minute after legal four birds come in with three landing far out and one in the decoys. That bird gets swatted. Two minutes later a teal peeps and notice him close to the blind on the water. Swatted. Three minutes later a small flock flies through. Sixty seconds later four comes in and lands in the middle and swim the opposite direction. Two minutes later a single comes in and lands in the middle as it scares up the other birds which fly off to the left. A minute later two spoonies come and crash into the decoys. Both get taken out. Seven minutes later when out of the blind working the dogs a single comes over the decoys and gets dropped. A minute later four birds buzz by as a teal sits down to the left and gets shot. Several divers buzz by. Four minutes later two come in and land near the opposite shore. Twelve minutes later a single gadwall lands to the left out of range. Three minutes go by and two gads come in from the right and land near the east point. One gets shot at and crashes into the water to the right only to fly off when about to be picked up. The next fifteen minutes would see several singles fly through the area and the wind pick up a little. Two minutes later three birds try to come in from the front right but have to pull up due to a bunch of blackbirds. They would come back around with one landing near the west point and two in the middle. Get out to scare off the water. One flies away and two go back down near the point. Go to sneak on them and one jumps but one swims to the middle. Put the squeeze on the bird and it comes right towards me. No clue how that bird managed to fly off. On the way back to the blind a single gad comes in and gets dropped. Three minutes later another single flies over. Eighteen minutes later a single ringer circles and lands in the decoys. Couple of shots later it manages to fly away. Fifteen minutes later two gadwalls come in from the right and get taken out. Several other birds would move through the area but nothing wanted to play. Had two swoop in while picking up.

Whipple heading out to pick up a gadwall...



Her with the bird...



Whipple with a teal...



Paxton with a teal...



Paxton picking up a spoonie...



Whipple heading out to pick up a gadwall pair...



With the drake...



And the hen...



The birds...



The girls with the birds...

[Fooshman]

1-8-16

Warmish and calm this morning with some wind later. Foggy and overcast. Fifteen minutes before legal a duck that wasn't seen come in jumps out of the decoys. Four minutes later more ducks are heard. Next few minutes would have several flocks fly over. A minutes before legal a single lands in the deeks as some others fly over. Shooting time comes and that bird gets swatted and another birds jump off the water near the dam to the right. A minute later three divers come in to the right and two get taken out. Another minute goes by and three birds circle with two coming over the blind. Took a shot at one and missed. Three minutes later a single lands in the middle to the left as four others fly over. Two minutes later a single comes in to the decoys and gets dropped. Two minutes later a a single gadwall circles and lands to the left as another lands to the right. The bird on the right gets spooked and flies off to the left with the other bird following. Three minutes later a single flies over from the right when the dog was in the water. Then two fly over high. About fifteen minutes later a gadwall comes in to the decoys from the front right and gets dropped. Seven minutes later another gadwall comes in from behind and circles to land to the left. It gets shot at and manages to fly off behind the blind to the right. Roughly fifteen minutes later while out of the blind chasing a cripple to the right two gadwalls circle high and drop in to the left of the decoys while out of the blind only to jump and fly off. Six minutes later while standing outside of the blind to the left two blue wings come in from the front and crash into the decoys. The drake gets taken out and the hen jumps. Try to shoot her and realize there was only one shell in the gun. She decides to sit back down about five feet away from her original location. Gun gets loaded and the hen gets shot. About a half hour later quacks are heard but no bird in sight. Three minutes later a gadwall comes in on a string low from the right and pulls up over the decoys and gets dropped. Three minutes later another gadwall circles and comes right towards the blind only to pull left at the last second. It gets taken out. All is quiet for the next hour and fifteen minutes before a single gadwall circles from the right and lands in the middle only to swim towards the opposite bank. That bird would disappear when looking down. About 45 minutes later decided to go see if that bird happened to jump over to the little pond. While to the left on the way to the pond two redheads buzz in from the right and one gets taken out as the other circle back behind the blind. When back in the blind the surviving redhead would buzz back by heading to the left. Thirty eight minutes later two gadwalls would come in high from the front and circle only to head back the same direction. Seven minutes later a single gadwall would come in from the front on a string right at the blind. Could see his "oh crap" look as he turned to the left at the last second before getting shot. As the dog is picking up that bird another gadwall tried to come in from the right only to land far out. A couple of minutes later it would jump and go back to the right. Fifteen minutes later a lone shoveler comes in on a string from the front left and gets taken out.

A couple of divers on the water...



Whipple with clean up duty...



Whipple on the way to pick up a gadwall...



Her with the bird...



The decoy spread...



Whipple with another gadwall...



The sun trying to break out to no avail...



Couple of blue wings that came in...



Whipple with the hen...



Whipple with the drake...