How has the hunting been ?

ship wrecked

ship wrecked

Well-Known Member
Just wondering how has the hunting been at the unit and all spots at the lake/or grand river.It's been a slow season for me.Turkey point is dead pottahawk is dead big rice was dead.little rice well can't get a spot? Hows the hunting at the clubs been?
 
Was out in the marsh yesterday afternoon at #25 until dark, and got a pair of ruddies and a hooded merg. There was a bit of wind but that didn't seemed to stir up any bigger birds like bills, reds and mallards. Most of the mallards were harvested in Big Creek, and some in inner marsh. Lots of ruddies and buffies darted up and down outside of the marsh, educated birds. Still waiting for the new arrivals from north.
 
It has been a funny and challenging year for me as well. A change at work has meant I have not been able to get out nearly as much as usual. I have been pretty well reduced to a Saturday hunter. I have not had a very successful season. Last Saturday was pretty typical of what I have been experiencing. I saw lots of birds, both divers and puddle ducks but most way off in the distance and those that were closer had little to no interest in my spread. I scratched down a few birds but nothing like what I usually expect this time of year.

All the reports were that this was supposed to be a banner year but it has not worked out that way for me. Is it just my bad luck and timing or are others finding the same?
 
I was talking to someone in the know who was saying they are up to their ears in birds at Turkey Point and Long Point Company . Apparently reports out of Lake St.Clair indicate plenty of ducks there as well . For whatever reason our marsh is not holding birds.Either we are feeding incorrectly or not enough or the birds are using the massive feeders at the private clubs.I heard there were new birds down on friday and yet they didn't see to make an appearence at our marsh although I did see 3 Goldeneyes come in.The divers did not come into the Bay on friday night and Saturday night --maybe they are coming in at dark as I had an outside blind with my brother saturday and we never fired a gun.I have seen on other websites Rondeau producing Cans ,Reds and bluebills yet nothing in the Bay. Quite the strange year for what was supposed to be one of the best ever !!
 
Well maybe this north:east/west will bring some birds down.The birds we shot Fri/Sat were lean with a few fattened up.I kinda like the warm weather but we need a little cold to give them a push.Any word on the the DU corn field?Has anyone heard how the bluff club did this year?
 
quote:
Originally posted by ship wrecked

Well maybe this north:east/west will bring some birds down.The birds we shot Fri/Sat were lean with a few fattened up.I kinda like the warm weather but we need a little cold to give them a push.Any word on the the DU corn field?Has anyone heard how the bluff club did this year?



Although I have hunted far less this year I have had some great hunts. They were not at Long Point.

Paul
 
I would describe my season as disapointing so far (especially with all the hype about record duck populations ) . The first month was unseasonally mild . When I had a day to hunt it seemed to make more sense to stay home and do yard work etc. than go to the lake and stare at a beautifull blue sky ,and swat mosquitos .The only good shoots I had, were when the unit was full of Gadwalls ,and Widgeon (late October ,to early November ) I was looking forward to what I consider my prime time at the Point (first 2 to 3 weeks of November )and it is not happening. Not many ducks using the unit ,and the ones that are are all educated ! The real highlight has been watching the divers ,and there seems to be lots of them ,flying back and forth from the lake to the bay ,and back again.
 
Well, a mass exodus of geese just showed up. I'll be pounding them in the morning. I think the guys hunting the unit tomorrow should do well on ducks. A lot of birds just came down with this weather system.

My season has been good. Early in the season, the duck hunting kind of stunk, but picked up in the past few weeks. I hammered geese pretty good though in the early season, and in Oct.
 
Hunting has been good for us the last couple weeks, from the boat and the shore. We got 13 between 3 of us Saturday morning, a mix of mallards, bluebills, goldeneyes, buffys and 1 scoter. I noticed a HUGE grouping of geese and mallards in fields on Sunday, West of Dover as well.
 
Hello Guys,

I have taken Blind 41 twice as the other "walk out" blinds were taken ... a few birds were in the air but no shots were taken.

I thought that I may have seen a pair of Trumpeter Swans between Blind 41 and Blind 35 on October 26. I wonder if Arnold and Dave also saw them as they were at Blind 35 that day.

I was back at Blind 41 on October 31 and I saw the pair of swans again along with two pairs of Mute Swans. This time I studied them with a pair of binoculars.

Although the Trumpeter Swans look similar to the Tundra Swans they are much larger (25 to 27 lbs vs 16 to 18 lbs). The two swans that I saw on October 31 were the same size as the four Mute Swans that are normally about 27 lbs each.

I agree that the ducks are not using the Crown Marsh the way they use to and the LPW study of the Crown Marsh will be an interesting read.

I rowed my small "lay out" skiff over to the north side of Big Creek on November 16 and I was able to get my first Redhead at Long Point and my second Ruddy Duck. The Ruddy Duck was tough to pluck as others have stated before but both birds were "plump". I also had some Tundra Swans fly overhead within range a few times and I did not even have my Tundra Swans decoys in my diver spread of 12 decoys.

Speaking of Tundra Swans ... did anyone see those two large flights of Tundra Swans on Monday? The sky was full of flight after flight ranging from a few birds to about 50 birds per group for a total count of over 350 swans. Then about two minutes later the sky was filled again with flight after flight ranging from a few birds to about 80 birds per group for a total count of about 600 swans ... nearly double the first flight.

Jerome Katchin, D.V.M.

PS There were a few guys hunting between B Zone and Blind 34 last Saturday ... right in the middle of the boating channel. Is this permitted? It seemed to have really "screwed" the guys at Blind 34 as they apparently watched in disbelief.
 
Drive in the afternoon up the front road to #23...then back down the 1st concession and you will soon get an idea just how many swans are here right now. Interesting I saw a group of 20 or so Snow and Blue geese mixed in with the Canadas in that area as well on Sunday. Not many Mallards as of the weekend.
 
I seen some sandhill cranes on sat when we were driving around between Port Rowan and Long Point.Would love to get one heard they are called the ribeye of the sky??
 
Hello Ship Wrecked,

I have not seen that many Sandhill Cranes this year but do hear them nearly every day (evening) ... making a lot of noise.

Last year they were all over.

I am also waiting for an Ontario season for them.

It may take a while.

Jerome Katchin, D.V.M.
 
Hello Ship Wrecked,

I was working in my back yard on Saturday (Nov. 26) from 0830 to 1830 hours installing a drainage tile around the perimeter of the newly constructed boardwalk along my seawall.

There was a fair bit of shooting early Saturday morning then it all went silent for the rest of the day.

I saw two large flocks of Sandhill Cranes flying over the CWS Big Creek WMA around sunset ... about 45 birds in one flock and about 30 birds in the other flock.

Contrary to what "Mike the Hunter" has stated it is not over until the "Fat Lady Sings" as OCLP often states in this forum.

I am not sure but it certainly looked as if two guys took a few shots at two Tundra Swans that flew over their decoy spread. I did not see any other birds in the air anywhere near their decoy spread at the time so I do not know what to make of what I saw.

There was apparently no harm done in any event as I heard the Tundra Swans "laughing" as they flew past my place.

I think that the WMU will have a late "closing" this year due to the mild fall that we have had so far.

Jerome Katchin, D.V.M.

PS If anyone knows of anyone taking shots at Tundra Swans please advise them that we (non-aboriginals) do not have an "open season" on Tundra Swans in Ontario yet. I have enough obstacles to overcome before my proposal will be accepted without some illegal shooting taking place.
 
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