2022-2023 Waterfowl Pics Thread

Last day of the season.
My client had to leave early so we only hunted 2 hours and he was on his way to the airport.
Since it was the last day and I really hadn't hunted at all this season, I decided to make a day of it, just Scoter and myself.
My plan was to kill 7 different species, drakes only.
Started quickly with a Gadwall, then a Shoveler on my 3rd shot and then watched a Redhead fly past while my gun was empty.
Next I spotted a long ways off a lone Cinnamon drake swimming in and out of the cattails.
I played Red Light / Green Light with him and stopped paddling while he was out of the cattails and then paddled when he went back inside.
Eventually I caught up to where I had last seen him but didn't see him. Then suddenly I hear a splash and I see him right next to me about four feet away inside the cattails.
Rather than fly he swam in deeper so I sent Scoter inside the cattails to flush him and I positioned my kayak for a shot.
Suddenly he flushes out and like always I miss the close shots. After the first shot he makes a hard turn and is now behind me. Without thinking I rolled over backwards on the kayak and was straddling it in a prone position where I stoned him about 50 yards out.
Shortly afterwards I continued to flush drake cinnamons in close range, 8 in a row, but I was holding out for a different species.
Saw a couple of Scaup but didn't pursue them because I had plans to hunt my diver spot after finishing my puddler spot.
While sitting on a spot where Greenwings like to land I noticed Scoter limping and her front paw was swollen. So now my diver spot was not an option because it involves lots of walking and Scoter wasn't able to.
So now I'm heading back to the truck and hunting along the way and finished with a 7 bird limt by 2:30.
Awesome ending and a much deserved rest for both Scoter and I.20230131_080930.jpg20230131_142148.jpg20230131_134120.jpg20230131_150825.jpg
 
Bake goldeneye for 30 minutes wrapped in a bike tube. Then throw out the duck and eat the tube. One of my least favorite fowl for eating. Open to suggestions for making them more palatable. They are fun to shoot.
I hear soak 'em in milk for like a week. yuk. I don't shoot the things cause I do not want to eat them.
 
Last day of the season.
My client had to leave early so we only hunted 2 hours and he was on his way to the airport.
Since it was the last day and I really hadn't hunted at all this season, I decided to make a day of it, just Scoter and myself.
My plan was to kill 7 different species, drakes only.
Started quickly with a Gadwall, then a Shoveler on my 3rd shot and then watched a Redhead fly past while my gun was empty.
Next I spotted a long ways off a lone Cinnamon drake swimming in and out of the cattails.
I played Red Light / Green Light with him and stopped paddling while he was out of the cattails and then paddled when he went back inside.
Eventually I caught up to where I had last seen him but didn't see him. Then suddenly I hear a splash and I see him right next to me about four feet away inside the cattails.
Rather than fly he swam in deeper so I sent Scoter inside the cattails to flush him and I positioned my kayak for a shot.
Suddenly he flushes out and like always I miss the close shots. After the first shot he makes a hard turn and is now behind me. Without thinking I rolled over backwards on the kayak and was straddling it in a prone position where I stoned him about 50 yards out.
Shortly afterwards I continued to flush drake cinnamons in close range, 8 in a row, but I was holding out for a different species.
Saw a couple of Scaup but didn't pursue them because I had plans to hunt my diver spot after finishing my puddler spot.
While sitting on a spot where Greenwings like to land I noticed Scoter limping and her front paw was swollen. So now my diver spot was not an option because it involves lots of walking and Scoter wasn't able to.
So now I'm heading back to the truck and hunting along the way and finished with a 7 bird limt by 2:30.
Awesome ending and a much deserved rest for both Scoter and I.View attachment 263080View attachment 263081View attachment 263082View attachment 263083
Nice Ruddy duck, do not see them in Western Washington. How to they taste?
 
I did ok the last two days of the season, just couldn't get into any mallards.

January 30 at the big lake, nothing was flying so it turned into a mostly teal jumpshoot out of my duckboat.

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January 31 at the river, shot the first and last goose of the year, a gadwall, 3 GWT. Overall a below average year for me, not terrible, but certainly not great. Mallards were unusually sparse this year.

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Season just closed here, ended up having a few epic days in the blind. I shot this pintail on my bday, was hoping for a band too but the stars didn’t align!

Also not having a dog in flooded rice will get your thighs THICC
 

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Season just closed here, ended up having a few epic days in the blind. I shot this pintail on my bday, was hoping for a band too but the stars didn’t align!

Also not having a dog in flooded rice will get your thighs THICC
You must support balenciaga
 
I took a trip to ID to do some scouting and found the birds and planned to reture for an extended effort over the last weekend. However the rear end in my truck decided to implode ...and so it ended on a disappointing note ...its always a toss-up who is more disappointed, me or the dog

....2 1/2 months and it'll be turkey season, and all will be right in the word again
 

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