Season finally opened !!

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

SEMO opener was better than last 3 or 4 years----not great, but better! Last year took us 14 days to kill 30 ducks! Got 34 in first three days this year. Dang few migratory ducks yet, primarily locals. Kill had one Sprig, 2 Mallards, 4 Smileys, 7 GW and the rest Gray's. Same field as last three years leased but this time flooded after harvest corn.
Ol Abe did well for being born in early Aug 11 years ago, retrieved 18 of them including a couple of wounded he chased down full speed like a 5-year old! Blind are tuff for him when he strays off line as he can't hear anymore but when he looks up, he takes hand signals as well if not better than ever.
We are breaking in a new BLM that my SEMO bud has had a couple of months----16 months old, first hunting experience. He is doing fair but work still needed.

 

[fowladdict]

Pictures Tom!!

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Didn't make any!

Just got word that one guy hunted yesterday and limited out in 45 minutes. State reports quite a few new ducks came in Tuesday. Guess I will be going back to SEMO Monday for a while!
Will try to remember to take camera this time if for no reason other than to try to get some pics of Ol Abe working.

 

[ZR1]

Migration

SEMO opener was better than last 3 or 4 years----not great, but better! Last year took us 14 days to kill 30 ducks! Got 34 in first three days this year. Dang few migratory ducks yet, primarily locals. Kill had one Sprig, 2 Mallards, 4 Smileys, 7 GW and the rest Gray's. Same field as last three years leased but this time flooded after harvest corn.
Ol Abe did well for being born in early Aug 11 years ago, retrieved 18 of them including a couple of wounded he chased down full speed like a 5-year old! Blind are tuff for him when he strays off line as he can't hear anymore but when he looks up, he takes hand signals as well if not better than ever.
We are breaking in a new BLM that my SEMO bud has had a couple of months----16 months old, first hunting experience. He is doing fair but work still needed.

Tom, how have the ducks been the past two weekends in Tennessee? We have been shooting limits in Louisiana but have had to scrap them together. Have not seen any large movements of birds yet. I have read that the migration may be a bit behind this year.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

I live in SE part of TN and don't duck hunt here anymore----decided I was going to shoot someone or get shot over spots.
Lotsa ducks being seen in SE MO. 80 acre field has around 215 kills to date. Going back next week sometime.
Hunted ARK opener as always, quite a few ducks around but weather was awful---rained hard all morning Sat and then wind kicked up to 30mph that afternoon and our set was crosswind....could not get them close. Sunday was 24F with steady N wind of 22mph and gusts to 37mph, again crosswind set. Only took 6 or 7 ducks and one Speck. Left for home around 9 Sun morning since freezing rain, sleet and snow were forecast that night....meant to hunt Mon morning.
Heading to toe of SE LA tomorrow for annual Thanksgiving hunt. Quite a few birds being seen and killed out of Venice.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Relatively speaking, to prior 20 years of annual Thanksgiving hunt in LA, it was a bust! Probably second worst! Three of us only took 28 ducks with two hunts Thur, Fri &Sat and one hunt Sun.
Buddy whacked heck outta them opening weekend---five person limits in hour and 45 minutes Sat and again on Sun in two hours----outta same permanent blind! We killed a total of four birds outta same blind! Had to hunt out of pirogues in Rouseau all hunts but two because of water levels and lack of water.
Oh well, we had a great time
We will get them on our annual Christmas hunt!
Gotta go change out turkey choke on BPS to MOD and go kill me some Sand Hill Cranes about 30 minutes from house tomorrow (beats the 11 hour trip to Venice, LA). Three bird first year hunt in TN. Bud and son hunted 28th and got 5 of their six allowed. Fired up!!!