Diver Hunting...Layout Style!

[David Rearick]

2006 Hunting Journal Entries



DATE: 11-03-2006

LOCATION: On the Big Water

SUNRISE/SUNSET: 6:53

WEATHER: Overcast and Chilly

TEMPERATURE: 30-40’s

WIND: Moderate

EQUIPMENT USED: Avery® NatGear Skull Cap, Avery® 12 Pocket Decoy Bags, Avery® NatGear Fleece Hand Muff, Avery® Calling Gloves, Avery® Finisher Blind Bag, Avery® Expandable Guide’s Blind Bag, Greenhead Gear® Oversize Redhead Decoys, Greenhead Gear® Oversize Canvasback Decoys, Greenhead Gear® Oversize Coot Decoys, Greenhead Gear® Oversize Bluebill Decoys, Greenhead Gear® Oversize Bufflehead Decoys, Greenhead Gear® Oversize Goldeneye Decoys

HUNTERS: Erik Nilsson, Don Gawne, Todd Bean, Avery® Pro-Staffer David Rearick, and others.

JOURNAL NOTES:

With the forecast calling for the perfect diver day and a vacation day on the schedule, the outlook for the day appeared promising as the alarm went off at 3AM. After hunting for the last 4 mornings and with a general lack of sleep, I still felt pretty fresh, knowing that this would be the first good day from the layout for the year. Everything was packed and ready and when I let the dog out to do his thing, the cold air snapped my attitude into place and I quickly hoped into the truck and started towards the hunting grounds.

On the way I talked to the boys as they headed towards our meeting spot and everyone had the same feeling about the day. After getting to the launch and setting up the boats, we launched the tender and made our way to the spot we had hunted so many times before. We set out the Busick layout and 7 dozen GHG® divers including coots, redheads, bills, and a few cans. The spread looked awesome and the dark silhouettes made for a great mental picture as we pulled the tender back from the spread to get a good overview of what we had set out. With a general lack of bodies for the morning I decided, for the first time in a long time, to take the first shift. It typically is the best opportunity to take a quick mixed bad limit in the morning and today I decided to give it a go. As dawn approached and shooting hours were upon us, wave after wave of birds flew towards the main lake. Many decided to hit the spread and I let them pass to wait for a little better light to try and pick out some good birds and drakes. After watching countless birds filter in and out, the first flock of 65 or so bufflehead hit the decoys on my left side. I picked out a nice drake and pulled the trigger, birds went everywhere and one larger duck pulled from the mix. I called it a redhead and downed it just outside the row of decoys. Much to my surprise, when I looked out into the spread, 4 bufflehead lay in the mix, all victims of circumstance. I called the tender and after picking up my 5 (4 bufflehead and 1 redhead), I decided to save one for later in the day and let someone else get in.

The day continued with much of the same. We got draw after draw of divers in to the spread. We quickly filled most of our limit and called up everyone we could to get in on the shoot. Since I still needed one for my limit I decided to get in to the box. After having a few buffleheads skirt us to the outside, I called the tender to get the last bag of decoys out of the truck, which included 6 of the new GHG® bufflehead dekes.

After setting out the new decoys, the next group came from my left and as they began to skirt the decoys like every flock before, they quickly changed and balled right into the decoys. The addition of the new decoys had stopped their fly bys. After one shot my last drake hit the water. The bufflehead just ate up the decoys and proved to do so for the rest of the day. Every flock that came close enough for a look decoyed, while earlier they had only skirted the spread.

The day was a great success. Not only did we get to shoot our ducks, we also got to help out the PGC with their quest for 100 bluebills to check for bird flu. Lee, the biologist aid, checked all the birds we brought in, and even got to try the layout for the first time himself. He made short order of getting his limit and then watching the show of draw after draw pitching into the decoys. After he saw enough, I even took the time to hop in and take some photos of the birds getting into the decoys. It was awesome to just sit back and watch the birds through the camera instead of down the barrel.

At the end of the day 11 buffleheads, 16 bluebills, 2 black scoters, and 2 redheads filled the bag. With a decent forecast, we decided to head up the following day for a late morning/afternoon shoot. We ended up with 24 on Saturday, running the double including ringers, goldeneye, buffleheads, and bluebills. We also finished out the PGC study and got to meet some new guys along the way. On day 2 we got a new 14 year old shooter in the box for his first time, he got to see the show. That is what it is all about. A great 2 day hunt, with the best still yet to come.

Some birds in the boat


The View from the Box


An Incoming Pair


A Bill in the Decoys.


Part of Day 1's Bag


Part of Day 2's Bag

[Jason Mears]

Nice JE Dave and great pics, sounds like an awesome couple days.

[Jocelyn "Josh" Léger]

Nice JE. It brought back a lot of memories ... I used to do a lot of divers ...
Possibly next year I'll dedicate two weeks to divers through the season.

Congratulations Dave,on the layout style hunt and introdcucing that 14 years old to diver hunting, cool stuff.

[T.J. Owens]

Dave,

Congratulations on your hunts. I enjoyed reading your JE's. I hope we can get together next year and head north or west.

Best of luck,
T.J.

[Tim Bouchard]

Cool JE. Nice that the buffies started to suck in better after adding the new decoys. Looks like a great hunt.

[David Rearick]

TJ, you can always come over early for a little diver action if you like. Later this month it gets real good!

[Rusty Hallock]

Very nice JE. Layout hunting gives you a great view as the divers are piling into the decoys. Congrats

[Greg Duley]

David,
Interesting stuff, something very different to what we're used to.
Have you got a photo of the layout boat or whatever you call it from the decoys looking in? I'd love to see what it looks like.

[David Rearick]

Let me see what I can come up with. I may have one floating around here somewhere.

[Bob "Chappy" Chaplin]

David,

Looks like you boys got into them, I'm on my way.

And Greg, below are 2 pictures of a Layout Boat. There are a lot of different types and manufacture's, but at least you can get the idea.
The one here is a Might Layout Boys (MLB) and you can go to
http://www.mightylayoutboys.com for more info. The pictures are right from their site.


This is an MLB on the beach.




This is one in the water.