mazzgolf Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 This has been a banner year of hunting for me - I don't know how, but it just keeps getting better and better! The year of firsts continues - November was my first deer, December was my first duck, and now January my very first banded bird (not to mention first time I got multiple ducks on a trip)! Last time me and my buddy went to the duck blind, water was all iced over on all sides and in front and we didn't have any luck. He's away but since it's the last week of duck season here in the south zone, I wanted to try to get out one more time. So I headed out myself on a solo duck hunt. Conditions were good - complete cloud cover, low 20s temps, even had a small frozen rain/snow shower come through. The ice was still there on both sides of the blind, but right in front was about 50 yards of open water! All I did was put out 8 mallard dekes and did some really bad calling (well, OK, not that bad - Haydel's Deceiver mallard call is pretty good) and had a bunch fly in starting just after shooting time. Got two mallard drakes come in about 15 minutes apart landing into my set that I got - one was banded! I had a bunch of other birds fly by but, damn, these birds are fast!! I really need to practice more - I missed a lot. Could have got more if I was able to shoot better. Here's a story that happened. I shoot the one bird and he is still moving around. I don't like leaving animals mortally wounded like that, so I leave the blind to go out and retrieve the bird so I can put it down. I'm almost back to the blind and I'm busy putting the bird down when all of a sudden I hear a splash in the water behind me and then wings flapping!!! I quickly turn around and I don't see anything but the rear-end of a bird about 2 feet off the water flying away at warp speed! A duck must have landed in my dekes, spotted me on the bank of the water and spooked and immediately flew away as soon as it landed!!! If I had just waited a few minutes before retrieving the bird, I would have been able to get another one (well, assuming I can shoot straight )! Oh well... I thought that was funny anyway. rackemup, Stan Putz, LPJR and 12 others 15 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wallew Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Sweet!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPJR Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Getting better and better for you, well done Mazz! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck154 Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 cool Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rackemup Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Very Cool!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bucksnbows Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 You are on fire! Congrats https://www.troutscapes.com/ https://nativefishcoalition.org/national-board Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zipper Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Congrats on the jewelry! "All men die, not all men really live". WW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A-5 Pemberton Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Awesome!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Buschman Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 Congrats! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TDietz Posted January 16, 2018 Share Posted January 16, 2018 way to go that's awesome!!! without me, my rifle is nothing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Russ 11 Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Congrats on the band and your stellar season . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rusty Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 This was a great year indeed mazzgolf, congratulations. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ratherbhunting Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 congrats. let us know where they were banded and when. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazzgolf Posted January 17, 2018 Author Share Posted January 17, 2018 congrats. let us know where they were banded and when. Banded in the summer of 2013, hatched sometime in 2012. Bird was about 5 years old! Banded locally on the Delaware river. I don't want to give specific location away because this bird apparently didn't travel very far Buck154 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buck154 Posted January 17, 2018 Share Posted January 17, 2018 Banded in the summer of 2013, hatched sometime in 2012. Bird was about 5 years old! Banded locally on the Delaware river. I don't want to give specific location away because this bird apparently didn't travel very far Always interesting how old and where they come from. I only got 2 bands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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