Ice Shelf Mallards

**Mike Bard** · #1 12-19-2008, 10:49 AM

DATE: December 6, 2008

LOCATION: New York

SUNRISE: 7:25 am

WEATHER: Partly Cloudy

TEMPERATURE: 17 – 24 degrees

WIND: ESE 8-16 mph

EQUIPMENT USED: Greenhead Gear® Rester/Sleeper Full Body Canada Goose Decoys, Greenhead Gear® OS Canada Goose Shell Decoys, Greenhead Gear® LS Canada Goose Floaters, Greenhead Gear® OS Full Body Mallard & Black Duck Decoys, 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, Avery® Dog Boater’s Vest, Avery® Finisher Dog Blind, and Avery® Field Staff Caps.

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

DOGS: Moxie

JOURNAL NOTES:
Late November and December have been cold, even by our Northeastern standards. This has made the waterfowling really good, yet challenging all at the same time. Where you found open water, you typically would find mallards, however getting at them usually meant getting around or through ice.

Well we had found some open water, but no open boat launches to access this small piece of water. Not one to be denied, I decided to use my boat and boat trailer to break the ice at the launch and then I figured between my boat and stainless steel prop, we’d make it out through the several hundred yards of ice that laid between us and the ducks. The plan worked well and only cost me 2 trailer lights, a new plug for my boat and some re-bending of a couple pieces of angled aluminum on my boat trailer. A small price to pay for what looked to be a good hunt and possible our last for the area this season.

We made it out and set a large loafing spread, consisting of mainly goose shells, rester/sleeper full body Canadas, and full body mallards and blacks along a large ice shelf. This is how we had been seeing birds throughout the area and even though most of the geese were leaving water and spending the day in the field eating and sleeping, I thought the large number of goose decoys would be easy for the mallards to pick out from a distance.

Things started out quickly with a nice flock of mallards dumping right in just after legal shooting time. From there on, we had mainly mallards working at least every 15-20 minutes, so it was a nice pace. The black ducks were scarce and we had only one toll to the spread all morning. Mid morning we caught the attention of a couple single Canadas and two pair a little later on, but most of the geese did just as expected and ended up spending their day in the fields.

The highlight of the hunt for me was having my chessie, Moxie, along, as so many of guys I hunt with have retrievers, we split time between them and she hasn't got out at much as I would have liked her too. She was able to get a lot of work in and we even had couple mallards drop into the woods behind us and after two very long searches, she came out with them both.

This hunt was indeed our last in the Northeastern zone of NY for the season, as the snow and ice shut things down the following day and then the season concluded on December 13th for the season.

A larger group working their way in…

Mallards cupped up and heading in…

A nice drake doing it right…

Moxie on watch…

The results…