Post by FWS on Nov 28, 2012 13:24:39 GMT -6
There's a big storm swirling in the North Pacific, bringing heavy rains and high winds here to the coastal areas. The normal people are battening down and planning their indoor activities.
Not so for us waterfowlers, for whom a storm bringing heavy rain and high winds is Natures gift, flooding the inland fields and causing the ducks and geese to seek refuge from the rough, open waters of the bay. They can't raft up by the thousands on the bay, as they have been, they'll need to take flight and look for areas to lay up.
With a few of those 'lay up' areas being the flooded ponds in the fields where my blinds are set and those flocks of ducks on the pond, that beckon them to circle, set their wings and land are my decoys.
There are huge numbers of Northern pintail, green-winged teal, American wigeon, and mallards here. With good numbers of other species of ducks. And lots of Aleutian cackling geese, along with some Westerns and a smattering of specklebellies mixed in.
Had a taste of this last week, with one morning of high winds and heavy rain. Ducks flying everywhere, the rain coming in sideways at 40+ mph making it so you can only swing the shotgun facing away from it because facing it pelts your eyeballs so badly you can't see.
Those are the days you just love. High drama waterfowling, with the always ready for adventure bird dog waiting for the shot and the duck or goose to make the splat in the water so he can make the retrieve and do his victory lap.
Bear hunting will have to wait a bit.
Not so for us waterfowlers, for whom a storm bringing heavy rain and high winds is Natures gift, flooding the inland fields and causing the ducks and geese to seek refuge from the rough, open waters of the bay. They can't raft up by the thousands on the bay, as they have been, they'll need to take flight and look for areas to lay up.
With a few of those 'lay up' areas being the flooded ponds in the fields where my blinds are set and those flocks of ducks on the pond, that beckon them to circle, set their wings and land are my decoys.
There are huge numbers of Northern pintail, green-winged teal, American wigeon, and mallards here. With good numbers of other species of ducks. And lots of Aleutian cackling geese, along with some Westerns and a smattering of specklebellies mixed in.
Had a taste of this last week, with one morning of high winds and heavy rain. Ducks flying everywhere, the rain coming in sideways at 40+ mph making it so you can only swing the shotgun facing away from it because facing it pelts your eyeballs so badly you can't see.
Those are the days you just love. High drama waterfowling, with the always ready for adventure bird dog waiting for the shot and the duck or goose to make the splat in the water so he can make the retrieve and do his victory lap.
Bear hunting will have to wait a bit.