Thanksgiving Mallards

**Mike Bard** · #1 12-09-2008, 04:17 PM

DATE: November 27, 2008

LOCATION: New York

SUNRISE: 7:10 am

WEATHER: Cloudy

TEMPERATURE: 31-37 degrees

WIND: Minimal breeze out of the west

EQUIPMENT USED: Greenhead Gear® OS Mallard Decoys, Greenhead Gear® LS Mallard Decoys, Greenhead Gear® LS Widgeon Decoys, Greenhead Gear® LS Gadwall Decoys, Greenhead Gear® Stretchee Cords, Avery® Floating Pit Bag, Avery® Game Hog Straps, Avery® Floating Gun Cases, Avery® DIY Call Lanyards, Avery® Fleece Neck Gaiters, Avery® Fleece Turtleheads, Avery® Fleece Beanies, Avery® Fleece Caller’s Gloves and Avery® Field Staff Caps.

HUNTERS: Preston Dennison, Jody Dennison, Frank Clifton, and Avery® Pro-Staffer Mike Bard

DOGS: Ice (Frank’s BLF)

JOURNAL NOTES:
About five years ago, Frank, Jody and I decided to duck hunt together on Thanksgiving morning and since then, it has become a tradition we all look forward too each year. Typically Thanksgiving falls during one of our peak migration periods for mallards, however this year, the migration has been running a little behind and I feared we may not have a good hunt. Just a couple days prior to Thanksgiving, Frank found mallards on some local public water where he had hunted earlier that week, so we decided to give it a shot.

We only had the morning, as we all had to be at family dinners at some point in the afternoon. Things started off slow and we didn’t see much fly during the first half hour, when you are typically seeing a lot of movement. We then heard shots from other hunters in a nearby field and within seconds the skies began to fill with groups of mallards and geese looking for breakfast. We seemed to be in-between where they had roosted and the private fields they were headed to.

As the stream of mallards continued, we aggressively called and started to get singles, pairs and some times large groups to peel off their flight path and work our spread. Throughout the morning we worked hundreds of birds, but the larger groups just wouldn’t give us a good enough look and after a quick distant pass, they continued on to their breakfast plans. The smaller groups or birds that would break off from large flocks did it right however and made the morning a lot of fun. At no time was the shooting fast and furious, but it remained steady and we just ran short on time before we were able to finsh our limits.

I enjoy our traditional Thanksgiving morning hunt, as it’s always a great way to spend the morning with good friends, before heading off to stuff ourselves full of turkey with our families.

Mallards working the decoys

Decoying mallard

The hero (Not flexing, just trying to squeeze in between the guys for the pic before the timer went off)