NYBackwater
01-13-2009, 10:17 AM
After two weeks of scouting, blind building and anticipation we were ready for the late season opener. There were plenty of Redheads, Bluebills, Blacks and Mallards to be had and my friend Bob and I had a weeks vacation to get after them.
For opening day we had scouted a raft of Redheads and Bluebills to hunt using the layout boat and a boat blind near shore allowing us to hunt 7 guys and switch everyone out into the layout boat and keep steady shooting from the boat blind on shore. Arliss's cousin Mathew and his dad Tim joined us in hopes of killing thier first Redheads. We witnessed the largest flocks of Redheads we had ever seen and managed to kill a nice mixed bag of Redheads, Bluebills, Whistlers and Buffleheads.
Mathew and Tim with some nice bay duck drakes
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09003.jpg
The Hero Shot L to R Arliss, Tim, Mathew, Bob, Chris, My Dad and Myself
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09002.jpg
After a great opener and the number of birds we had witnessed we figured if it ain't broke don't fix it for day two. We headed to the same area for a repeat of day one. Mathew was unable to kill a Redhead on the first day so we put him in the layout early and he had a flock of about 750 Redheads rain down on him and killed 2 nice drakes fullfilling his goal for the season. Before retrieving Mathews Redheads Chris and I were tucked into shore with the tender boat and a drake mallard coasted in and Chris killed him. We went out to pick up the mallard drake and two Redhead drakes and Chris's mallard was banded. All in all it was a great second day.
Mathew with his Redheads
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09008-5-1.jpg
Chris with his Jewelry
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09007-1.jpg
The Hero
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09005.jpg
With a cold front coming in Bob, Nate and I managed to scratch out a nice brace of Black duck, Redhead and mallard drakes.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09009.jpg
On New Years eve we hunted one of our shore blinds. The winds were blowing up out of the north and we were blanketed with about 8 inches of snow after the snow quit the birds started moving we killed a nice bunch of mallards and blacks.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09011-1.jpg
We had some other great days during the week, but the final day Bard, Bob, My dad and I hunted an area where i had seen about 200 mallards and blacks. We used our finishers with snow covers and came up one short of a limit.
Here's the Crabbin glove Hero
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09013-1.jpg
For opening day we had scouted a raft of Redheads and Bluebills to hunt using the layout boat and a boat blind near shore allowing us to hunt 7 guys and switch everyone out into the layout boat and keep steady shooting from the boat blind on shore. Arliss's cousin Mathew and his dad Tim joined us in hopes of killing thier first Redheads. We witnessed the largest flocks of Redheads we had ever seen and managed to kill a nice mixed bag of Redheads, Bluebills, Whistlers and Buffleheads.
Mathew and Tim with some nice bay duck drakes
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09003.jpg
The Hero Shot L to R Arliss, Tim, Mathew, Bob, Chris, My Dad and Myself
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09002.jpg
After a great opener and the number of birds we had witnessed we figured if it ain't broke don't fix it for day two. We headed to the same area for a repeat of day one. Mathew was unable to kill a Redhead on the first day so we put him in the layout early and he had a flock of about 750 Redheads rain down on him and killed 2 nice drakes fullfilling his goal for the season. Before retrieving Mathews Redheads Chris and I were tucked into shore with the tender boat and a drake mallard coasted in and Chris killed him. We went out to pick up the mallard drake and two Redhead drakes and Chris's mallard was banded. All in all it was a great second day.
Mathew with his Redheads
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09008-5-1.jpg
Chris with his Jewelry
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09007-1.jpg
The Hero
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09005.jpg
With a cold front coming in Bob, Nate and I managed to scratch out a nice brace of Black duck, Redhead and mallard drakes.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09009.jpg
On New Years eve we hunted one of our shore blinds. The winds were blowing up out of the north and we were blanketed with about 8 inches of snow after the snow quit the birds started moving we killed a nice bunch of mallards and blacks.
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09011-1.jpg
We had some other great days during the week, but the final day Bard, Bob, My dad and I hunted an area where i had seen about 200 mallards and blacks. We used our finishers with snow covers and came up one short of a limit.
Here's the Crabbin glove Hero
http://i242.photobucket.com/albums/ff148/NYBackwater/seneca08-09013-1.jpg