Tim Bouchard
01-15-2006, 11:41 PM
It continues, again…….
2005/2006 Hunting Journal Entries
DATE: November 30 – December 4, 2005
LOCATION: Valdez, Alaska
SUNRISE: 9:10 AM
WEATHER: Clear
TEMPERATURE: 5-10 degrees
WIND: 5-20 mph
EQUIPMENT USED: Avery® Floating Pit Bag, Avery® Floating Gun Case, Avery® Gauntlet Gloves, Avery® "Square-Bottom™" decoy bag, and Avery® Skull Caps.
HUNTERS: Brian Rhodes, Ryan Rhodes (The Swampers), Corey Stalker and Avery® Pro-Staffer Tim Bouchard
Day 5:
The Last Day. We hoped to finish of the Swampers trip with some more harlequin footage. We had relied on the forecast from the day before and hoped for calm wind for the morning. Heading out first light we encountered more wind then we had hoped for outside of the harbor. We decided to head out to the beach to give a try no matter what. In getting there the combination of the low tide and the wind made it hard to setup in a good spot. Sometimes things just don’t work out. The Swampers decided that they each had a couple of harlequins and we did not need to push the elements. Later in the day we praised this decision.
We decided we would head after scoters for the day. We setup along a mussel bed where we had seen hundreds of birds the day before. The temperature had gone down to zero degrees, the coldest of the four days. The wind also did not make it feel any warmer. We where setup a little late after our 10 mile detour into harlequin country. But we were setup and ready to go. Barely setup a pair of old squaw came up the bow and I was able to get shells in the gun fast enough to get one of the two. Starting off the day with an old squaw was a good start. Now more birds were up and moving. And when I say more birds and mean more birds. A good thousand mallards must have picked up off the tide flats behind us. They flew from the side of the bay we were on to the other side tidal flats. The birds continued for a couple of minutes almost consistently. None came down close enough to the black and white decoys to shoot, but it was an amazing display.
With the temperature being low there was a thin layer of sea spray hanging in the area downwind of the boat. Making hard to see any birds moving off in the distance, thus making it hard for the birds to see our decoys. This was making it a slow morning. But we finally saw two dark objects emerge from the fog. Brain was able to get his gun up fast enough and me get the camera on the birds. Brain dropped a nice double. It would be the first king eiders take out of my boat. You read right, a pair of kings, an immature drake and mature hen. Not the mature drake one would hope for, but still king eiders. Brain was happy man to add another bird to his life list.
The birds started to appear a little more regularly out of the fog after that. Or at least we were happy so the time between birds did not matter much. The next birds to show up where a few old squaw, which we made quick work of. Then our goal for the day finally decided to come into the decoys, scoters. A flock of surf scoter came by and Corey was able to get a nice drake out of them. This was one of his goal birds for the trip, so he was a happy man. We also were able to get a white-wing scoter before the day was over. Mid day while Brain was tapping a group of three birds flew out of the fog right for the decoys. They headed right in without even thinking about it. Ryan, Corey and each called a bird. Three more king eiders had shown up. Three rounds later everyone in the boat had a king eider to add to their list. Sadly none we mature drakes. The second group yield two mature hens and another immature drake. Corey was still excited to get some kings to mount up for his studio. Even though we are up here in Alaska it is not very common for us to see eiders down this far south on the coast. I wish the season stays open a little longer because more may be moving in if we already bagged five. We will have to see what next season brings. We did not end the day with a great number of birds, but we add three more species to the trip list- king eider, surf scoter, and white-wing scoter.
Overall the trip was lot of fun and The Swampers went home with some great Alaska style footage. We were able to get them 11 species of birds in four days.
http://www.nwtaxidermy.com/pictures/hunting_gallery/swampers/group_boat.jpg
http://www.nwtaxidermy.com/pictures/hunting_gallery/swampers/ryan_king.jpg
http://www.nwtaxidermy.com/pictures/hunting_gallery/swampers/tim_kings.jpg
2005/2006 Hunting Journal Entries
DATE: November 30 – December 4, 2005
LOCATION: Valdez, Alaska
SUNRISE: 9:10 AM
WEATHER: Clear
TEMPERATURE: 5-10 degrees
WIND: 5-20 mph
EQUIPMENT USED: Avery® Floating Pit Bag, Avery® Floating Gun Case, Avery® Gauntlet Gloves, Avery® "Square-Bottom™" decoy bag, and Avery® Skull Caps.
HUNTERS: Brian Rhodes, Ryan Rhodes (The Swampers), Corey Stalker and Avery® Pro-Staffer Tim Bouchard
Day 5:
The Last Day. We hoped to finish of the Swampers trip with some more harlequin footage. We had relied on the forecast from the day before and hoped for calm wind for the morning. Heading out first light we encountered more wind then we had hoped for outside of the harbor. We decided to head out to the beach to give a try no matter what. In getting there the combination of the low tide and the wind made it hard to setup in a good spot. Sometimes things just don’t work out. The Swampers decided that they each had a couple of harlequins and we did not need to push the elements. Later in the day we praised this decision.
We decided we would head after scoters for the day. We setup along a mussel bed where we had seen hundreds of birds the day before. The temperature had gone down to zero degrees, the coldest of the four days. The wind also did not make it feel any warmer. We where setup a little late after our 10 mile detour into harlequin country. But we were setup and ready to go. Barely setup a pair of old squaw came up the bow and I was able to get shells in the gun fast enough to get one of the two. Starting off the day with an old squaw was a good start. Now more birds were up and moving. And when I say more birds and mean more birds. A good thousand mallards must have picked up off the tide flats behind us. They flew from the side of the bay we were on to the other side tidal flats. The birds continued for a couple of minutes almost consistently. None came down close enough to the black and white decoys to shoot, but it was an amazing display.
With the temperature being low there was a thin layer of sea spray hanging in the area downwind of the boat. Making hard to see any birds moving off in the distance, thus making it hard for the birds to see our decoys. This was making it a slow morning. But we finally saw two dark objects emerge from the fog. Brain was able to get his gun up fast enough and me get the camera on the birds. Brain dropped a nice double. It would be the first king eiders take out of my boat. You read right, a pair of kings, an immature drake and mature hen. Not the mature drake one would hope for, but still king eiders. Brain was happy man to add another bird to his life list.
The birds started to appear a little more regularly out of the fog after that. Or at least we were happy so the time between birds did not matter much. The next birds to show up where a few old squaw, which we made quick work of. Then our goal for the day finally decided to come into the decoys, scoters. A flock of surf scoter came by and Corey was able to get a nice drake out of them. This was one of his goal birds for the trip, so he was a happy man. We also were able to get a white-wing scoter before the day was over. Mid day while Brain was tapping a group of three birds flew out of the fog right for the decoys. They headed right in without even thinking about it. Ryan, Corey and each called a bird. Three more king eiders had shown up. Three rounds later everyone in the boat had a king eider to add to their list. Sadly none we mature drakes. The second group yield two mature hens and another immature drake. Corey was still excited to get some kings to mount up for his studio. Even though we are up here in Alaska it is not very common for us to see eiders down this far south on the coast. I wish the season stays open a little longer because more may be moving in if we already bagged five. We will have to see what next season brings. We did not end the day with a great number of birds, but we add three more species to the trip list- king eider, surf scoter, and white-wing scoter.
Overall the trip was lot of fun and The Swampers went home with some great Alaska style footage. We were able to get them 11 species of birds in four days.
http://www.nwtaxidermy.com/pictures/hunting_gallery/swampers/group_boat.jpg
http://www.nwtaxidermy.com/pictures/hunting_gallery/swampers/ryan_king.jpg
http://www.nwtaxidermy.com/pictures/hunting_gallery/swampers/tim_kings.jpg