Huge winds, snow and ice pellet flurries....periods of sun but basically...and ugly afternoon sums it up.
Hullett Marsh. Good to see that after a 2 year rotation, there is finally enough water in the 1-20 access channel. Enough to float the Yak loaded with decoys. Cruised out to #15 heading on water about 200pm. Tough to get out as wind was dead-straight down the channel into my face....made worse by the ice pellets ricocheting off my face. At 15...was tough to find a sheltered place to set up deeks. Settled in. Small groups of mallards moving around including one that found me interesting...but not enough to want to join.
Breaks of sun were a relief. Finally had a pair of mallards swing through low and dropped my first drake of the season. ITs ON!. Small groups of geese teased me...but found 'real' friends on the other side of the clump of bush I was in. Winds and snow welled up again with a vengeance...and with sun at the horizon (I know, prime time), I had enough for my first day of the season.
There was one other hunter in 'my' section of the marsh and they fired more shots than me (me, 2) and from my stand, I saw a few dropped. As I paddled out, a few ducks were soaring around...and the other shooter was still going. Good for them.
Like Arnie says...."I'll be bach" (misspelled intentionally for effect) ...probably this weekend.
King Joe
Hullett Marsh. Good to see that after a 2 year rotation, there is finally enough water in the 1-20 access channel. Enough to float the Yak loaded with decoys. Cruised out to #15 heading on water about 200pm. Tough to get out as wind was dead-straight down the channel into my face....made worse by the ice pellets ricocheting off my face. At 15...was tough to find a sheltered place to set up deeks. Settled in. Small groups of mallards moving around including one that found me interesting...but not enough to want to join.
Breaks of sun were a relief. Finally had a pair of mallards swing through low and dropped my first drake of the season. ITs ON!. Small groups of geese teased me...but found 'real' friends on the other side of the clump of bush I was in. Winds and snow welled up again with a vengeance...and with sun at the horizon (I know, prime time), I had enough for my first day of the season.
There was one other hunter in 'my' section of the marsh and they fired more shots than me (me, 2) and from my stand, I saw a few dropped. As I paddled out, a few ducks were soaring around...and the other shooter was still going. Good for them.
Like Arnie says...."I'll be bach" (misspelled intentionally for effect) ...probably this weekend.
King Joe