september 1st - how'd ye do?

stevoman

well lads im just into work after a good morning. got 1 mallard and two teal so not a bad result. i have never seen so many ducks on a splash in my life but we found it hard to get near them, but going back tonite early and we will get a head start and hopefully get a few on the evening flights. A great start to the season so far!!!

whitser

did you have your bitch out with you stevo? how'd she do?

stevoman

whitser wrote: »

did you have your bitch out with you stevo? how'd she do?

didnt take her with me today whister. dont really want to confuse her as im still working with her on the pheasents so we took the uncles springer, he's a 10 month old liver and white and very keen. his first day out shooting and stayed in range and didnt mind the gunshots whatsoever so that was great news.

took the bitch out yesterday for a good run and came across 2 clutches (god bless the cut corn), but on the first clutch she past straight by as the lay in the ditch and the second i walked her up on and two got up wild and the other three got up as she moved to within a few feet of them. very dissapointing as she never set anyting to be honest. i can do all i can with her manners now at this stage, so now its up to her to start hunting. i put it down to her being 14 months and the fresh cut stubbles maybe playing havoc with her nose but hopefully she'l come along. its going to be a slow season for pheasents id say as im not going to drop a bird over her unless she sets it. i just have to keep reminding myself thats she's just 14 months and give her her chances and be understanding. on a good note though she looked the part in the gundog parade in birr on saturday! she's very steady on snipe though so now that the season is open i can crack a few of them over her.

whitser

dont know much about setters but at 14 months she's still very young. sure this will be her first season, she's still has it all to learn. i wouldnt stress over it.

stevoman

whitser wrote: »

dont know much about setters but at 14 months she's still very young. sure this will be her first season, she's still has it all to learn. i wouldnt stress over it.

no im not going to. have faith and your prayers will be answered!

marlin vs

Shot two mallard there was a lot of bird's in the air but very high wherever they were heading, the day was too still, at least I got a couple of retrieves for my young bitch.

KRICO.22

Just the one this morning:D:D

stevoman

marlin vs wrote: »

Shot two mallard there was a lot of bird's in the air but very high wherever they were heading, the day was too still, at least I got a couple of retrieves for my young bitch.

i noticed that too, altough the teal came swooshing over my head like bullets a few times at one stage they took me by complete suprise. im looking forward to round 2 this evening! its all luck though!

shinobi

Very bad morning for me. Nothing about at all this morning, there's only a few small splashes around at the area. I'll have to wait till the fields start to flood....As if there wasn't enough rain already. It's just that it fell 3 weeks too early.

Mellor

I hate you all

meathstevie

I only got a rabbit...

Da Frog

absolutly nothing for me ! very few shots heard too. Had a chat with a couple of guys and it seems to be a bad year in the mouth of the Shannon ... so far :rolleyes:

J.R.

Couldn't get out due to work & can't get out next weekend as have to travel down the country.....hopefully get out the week after.

I live in the centre of Dublin city & wild mallard often just land in the garden and have a mooch around....no fear whatsoever.....if only they knew who lived there!








Here's a fine mallard drake I got last year....hopefully more again this season!

kerryman12

I am holiday at the moment. We were driving around the prairies in Canada - as you do:rolleyes: Anyway all the ponds we came across were loaded with duck. what I would have given for a shotgun,:D:D

marlin vs

Nice stuffed mallard J.R.

stevoman

well i went out last night and bacgged another mallard and my uncle bagged one aswell. we got great shooting so we did, but its all hit and miss. yesterdays tally came to 3 mallard and 2 teal. i'l post a pic up tomorow!

Trojan911

Got caught to work............ Grrrrrrr

sniper83

finished up with 2 mallard and a teal, got a cracking blind retrive from the lab, one mallard (eventually) fell across a river beside the pond we were shooting and into rushes about 90 yards away:eek:
showed her the line and she had him picked in seconds.. so i as u can imagine i was very happy..:D

Vegeta

3 geese, 4 diver and a mallard yesterday ( which the lab caught)

3 mallard this morning

This was between 4 of us.

Very few duck around yesterday, was very poor.

stevoman

Vegeta wrote: »

Very few duck around yesterday, was very poor.

its all luck of the draw veg.

Tackleberry.

Vegeta wrote: »

3 geese, 4 diver and a mallard yesterday ( which the lab caught)

3 mallard this morning

This was between 4 of us.

Very few duck around yesterday, was very poor.

think thats with all the ponds that they now have to pick from RAIN RAIN GO TO SPAIN COME BACK...........

But i got lucky last night and shot my first pricket of the season....... could say it opened with a bang as l forgot how loud the rifle was......

tiny-nioclas

some practice here,


http://www.youdagames.com/Duck+Shooter-game-2469/

marlin vs

Vegeta wrote: »

3 geese, 4 diver and a mallard yesterday ( which the lab caught)

3 mallard this morning

This was between 4 of us.

Very few duck around yesterday, was very poor.

Out again tonight and only got the one mallard, didn't think the geese were in yet allways thought late sep.

marlin vs

Are black divers on the shooting list?

tiny-nioclas

Are they cormorant or shags? they should be kept at suitable numbers, the place is full of them!

Tackleberry.

tiny-nioclas wrote: »

some practice here,


http://www.youdagames.com/Duck+Shooter-game-2469/

Can't even nail a bird here. Cheers Tiny

marlin vs

tiny-nioclas wrote: »

Are they cormorant or shags? they should be kept at suitable numbers, the place is full of them!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cormorant

Grizzly 45

Typical! Got out this morning ,where there was all off season Mallard on the property in a swamp,they eat here, raise their brood here,and then on the 1st week of the season they sod off across the river to the wildlife sanctuary!!!!You would swear they know it's open season.:(

kowloon

Grizzly 45 wrote: »

Typical! Got out this morning ,where there was all off season Mallard on the property in a swamp,they eat here, raise their brood here,and then on the 1st week of the season they sod off across the river to the wildlife sanctuary!!!!You would swear they know it's open season.:(

I may have let it slip in conversation, sorry lads! :pac:

sniper83

was out again last night with a mate ended up with five, was using decoys would have being better but we could'nt get out to an island under their flight path. Damm water is still rising even with chest waders we couldnt get out.:(

Anyone know what the best layout is for decoying duck?? We just lobbed them out in a U formation it seemed to pull dem in alright..

any other suggestions??

stevoman

sniper83 wrote: »

was out again last night with a mate ended up with five, was using decoys would have being better but we could'nt get out to an island under their flight path. Damm water is still rising even with chest waders we couldnt get out.:(

Anyone know what the best layout is for decoying duck?? We just lobbed them out in a U formation it seemed to pull dem in alright..

any other suggestions??

good hunting sniper. sorry i have never used decoys on ducks before.

pullandbang

Got two mallard on Monday and one yesterday.

Should have had at least another six on Monday but I could not hit them for love nor money:mad:

I couldn't figure out what was going wrong until I realised I had my head a mile up off the stock. I was wearing my ordinary glasses and looking through them at the ducks. The glasses are small and narrow and I kept my head up to look through the lens. When I copped it I stuck my face to the stock, looked over the lens and shot the next two:):)

sniper83

stevoman wrote: »

good hunting sniper. sorry i have never used decoys on ducks before.

thanks stevo, last night was the first time i shot over decoys il be using them again tho!! if you get a chance give them a try;)

J.R.

sniper83 wrote: »

was out again last night with a mate ended up with five, was using decoys would have being better but we could'nt get out to an island under their flight path. Damm water is still rising even with chest waders we couldnt get out.:(

Anyone know what the best layout is for decoying duck?? We just lobbed them out in a U formation it seemed to pull dem in alright..

any other suggestions??

Yes, decoys definitely work!

U formation works - I keep the decoys near the edges.....this is where real ducks will be feeding....just leave plenty of room for incoming ducks to land (same as pigeons)

Double Barrel

I rarely use a pattern except for sea ducks.
Variety in your decoy spread is more important in my opinion, a few teal mixed in with a dozen mallards adds variety and realism. Keep the teal together. Space the mallards about a meter apart and leave a landing spot in the centre. Face the deeks into the wind. Location is perhaps the most important aspect of waterfowling. Basically, hunt where you’ve seen ducks. Shallow backwaters off big rivers, smaller ponds, big ponds, etc. - try and situate on their preferred flight lines. Confidence decoys, a ( heron, seagull, pigeon, crow etc.) add that settled look and realism.

Pick up any shiny objects- plastic bottles, cans etc. -flotsam and jetsam - in the vicinity of your hide.

I keep the decoys near the edges.....this is where real ducks will be feeding....just leave plenty of room for incoming ducks to land (same as pigeons)

Plus 1 +

marlin vs

Out night flighting tonight, got three, should have got more.
http://img295.imageshack.us/my.php?image=nightflightsw9.jpg

pullandbang

The results of my escapades earlier in the week!

This is the "before"


and this is the "after"

gameshotpro

Any snipe about, ive never hunted them this early and was surprised the other day when i went out with the springer and didnt see one.
Do they usually be out this early?

pullandbang

gameshotpro wrote: »

Any snipe about, ive never hunted them this early and was surprised the other day when i went out with the springer and didnt see one.
Do they usually be out this early?

Any amount of them around - while shooting the ducks pictured earlier I was surrounded by them. They were doing that whirring thing they do - climb up high and and make a sound like a helicopter.

irish setter

whats the season for snipe? always thought it was nov 1

Double Barrel

Eight mallards since the opener have not shot at teal so far. Shooting mostly open water though.



IS

Snipe : September 01

pullandbang

Well done DB....only two shots fired and two ducks in the bag!:D

marlin vs

irish setter wrote: »

whats the season for snipe? always thought it was nov 1

sep 1st untill the end of january.

Double Barrel

pullandbang wrote: »

Well done DB....only two shots fired and two ducks in the bag!:D

P&B,
That would be great if it were true. A bit of literary .. er .. photographic license to be sure. :pac:

stevoman

got anothe rmallard last night and lost him. spent an hour mooching around looking for him but couldnt find him. it was a real sickner so it was. it bring this years tally to 2 teal, 4 mallard and 1 snipe, so good so far!

pullandbang

stevoman wrote: »

got anothe rmallard last night and lost him. spent an hour mooching around looking for him but couldnt find him. it was a real sickner so it was.

I take it you had a dog?
Nothing worse than knocking a bird and not picking him up. It's amazing how quick they recover and disappear especially in a river or lake.

whitser

stevoman wrote: »

got anothe rmallard last night and lost him. spent an hour mooching around looking for him but couldnt find him. it was a real sickner so it was. it bring this years tally to 2 teal, 4 mallard and 1 snipe, so good so far!

it happens to everyone at some point, dont beat yourself up over it. he wont go to waste foxy will clean up after you.

stevoman

pullandbang wrote: »

I take it you had a dog?
Nothing worse than knocking a bird and not picking him up. It's amazing how quick they recover and disappear especially in a river or lake.

i have a setter but she's only 15 months so im not giving her any duck work this year. we were shooting a splash and marking and picking up using a lamp. worked perfect until last night when we lost that lad. hit him using a eley 5 maximum on the second barrell and pulled him down from way above. he definitly fell and we marked him but spent ages looking everywhere but just couldnt find him. nothing as bad!!!

stevoman

whitser wrote: »

it happens to everyone at some point, dont beat yourself up over it. he wont go to waste foxy will clean up after you.

its that thought exactly that kept me in the bed this morning instead of going out on first light to look for him!