No woodies to be found

[tarheel]

I made a brash statement earlier in the week about giving the woodies hell Thursday and Friday, but after drifting down the river and poking out several large sloughs for five hours, all we saw was one knot of about eight birds which flushed wild and out of range. The river was low and there was absolutely no acorn crop for the ducks to feed on. We didn't even see a squirrel, and normally on a float that long we'd have seen at least 50. No food, no ducks.

At least I can show a few shots of the river. The large cypress in two of the pics is normally standing in water, so there was no flooded timber either. Hard to scale the tree, but it's about 14' at the bottom and appr. 1200 years old.

 

[tarheel]

Messed up on the pics...here they are.

 

[huntbux]

Very cool, better luck will come, wood ducks are few and far between here. Uncle got 1, 4 years ago.

 

[genesis273]

I`m assuming your hunting woodies in NC. Those are about the only ducks we`re seeing around the Charlotte area (and a little north). Not as many as back in October, but their still around. Some friends did do quit well yesterday on a variety of ducks down toward Mattamuskeet. Then again, it`s hard to kill a duck when the water is down like in your pics.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Ducks are so scarce where I have been hunting I would shoot and eat a common merganser! Already been using coot gizzards in my gumbo.....

 

[tarheel]

Ducks are so scarce where I have been hunting I would shoot and eat a common merganser!

Man, you're desperate; I'd sooner eat a river cooter.

 

[tarheel]

I`m assuming your hunting woodies in NC.

This was in the Cape Fear drainage, but not the Cape Fear itself. Rivers in the southeastern counties have been low all year, and if they don't get back up to winter levels we're going to be in bad shape when the sap goes to rising.

 

[Flatrock]

Ducks are so scarce where I have been hunting I would shoot and eat a common merganser!

Dang, now thats what i call DESPERATE!

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Diced coot gizzards sprinkled with Tony's and lightly browned and carefully placed on a bed of rice are starting to taste good....