Nathan Bender
10-31-2010, 10:27 PM
With teachers convention always happening during the last week of October my Dad and I have done an annual trip to the Mississippi for the past three years. This year we decided to keep the tradition going by heading up to the cabin right off of the Mississippi River on Wednesday to hunt for a couple of days.
Day 1
With the weeks leading up to the trip I got more and more anxious because I like going and hunting the big river and its a nice time to bond with my dad. A week before it seemed like I was checking the weather everyday for the weather report up their. The weather was suppose to be nice with only one day calling for bad weather. Leaving our house at about 5 and finally arriving at the cabin at about 11 o'clock on wednesday night we didnt get much sleep for the next days hunt. Launching at about 5:30 am in some of the roughest conditions that Ive ever been on the water made us a little worried getting to one of the spots we had decided to go to. We had to go about 2 miles through wide open water with North winds over 30 mph and the winds gusting about 40-50 mph which made for a lot of water in our faces coming over the bowe as we headed North. Getting to our spot and getting set up we started out by having a group of greenwing teal buzz us and dropped two. Next a single drake mallard locked up and I dropped him right in the decoys. After having a couple more flocks work we had 5 ducks in the bag consiting of 1 drake mallard, 2 greenwing teal, and 2 ringnecks and we decided to go in and rest as we were only going on a couple hours of sleep.
Cold Morning to start the trip
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0265.jpg
Bluffs off the river
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0263.jpg
Day 2
We decided to head out to the same spot for the morning hunt because we saw so many birds in the area. We got the boat launched and on its way at 5:30 am again and set up the spread of 3 dozen GHG bluebills and Ringnecks, 1 dozen Pro-Grade Widgeon, and 3 dozen Pro-Grade Mallards. As shooting time approached we had a flock of Canvasbacks come over the top of the trees like rockets and called them right back around for my dad to have him drop his first Canvasback on the Mississippi River. Next was my turn as I have never shotten a Canvasback in my life and had a group lock up and come cupped up into the decoys and dropped it finally on my third shot. With the high waters and the heavy current the bird was crippled and diving on us so we chased it with the boat for about a mile and finally got it on dry land and let the dog loose and he got wind of it right away and in my hand was my first ever Canvasback. After that we had group after group anywhere from 25 to 75 Cans working the spread and landing right in the decoys. Later throughout the day we had groups of mallards and gadwalls work our spreads and we finished out or 2 man limit with a group of bluebills that came right into our spread at the last minute of shooting time. The limits consisted of 2 Cans, 4 Gadwals, 4 Mallards, and 2 Bluebills.
First Cans on the Big River
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0275.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0282.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0274.jpg
Cans Working
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0323-1.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0314.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0316.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0332.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0354.jpg
Day 3
With hunting all day and not getting in to take a nap or anything we got out of the river and didnt get to eat dinner till about 10 o'clock. After getting back to the cabin and spending some time talking to the guys that had just arrived we finally got to bed at about 12. Not getting very good sleep and getting up at 4 we started the day out again by launching the boat and doing the whole thing over as the day before. Shooting time approached and the migrating ducks were heading down river already as the sun peaked over the bluffs. First duck to come over was a drake Mallard and with a little comeback comeback on the call he flipped right back around and locked up and with six shots all missed the target as he flew away down river. Next was a large flock of Cans that locked up and came into the spread and 2 drakes hitting the water. The dog went out and retrieved one and as he came back a bald eagle came down and grabed the other one as it floated down the river. With not a lot of birds wanting to decoy like the day before we were just able to pick off a couple singles here in their. A hen red head comes in right on the deck and I dropped it with one shot right on the water. A little while later I jumped up again as a group of bluebills came in on the deck and I stood up again and dropped two with three shots as my dad was not able to get up in time. Next was a flock of Ringnecks that came over the blocks and we dropped two out of that group. Then came a single widgeon and with six shots we finally hit it with the last couple of shots. We wanted to head in by 11 so that we could get going and head home before it got to late. With that being said I didnt want to go until I got my last Can of the trip. As soon as I thought those last words in my head I head that sound of little rockets and comming over the trees is a group of about 50 Cans. I call them back around and they made two or three passes and on that last pass they started to glide into the decoys with some hitting the water landing and thats when I stood up and downed a very nice bull Canvasback. After finally getting my second ever Can we decided to head in and we got back to the cabin and loaded the truck and hit the road to get home. With me getting my very fist Cans on this trip I will remeber how they worked the decoys and it will be an experience that I will remeber for ever!
Thanks for Reading,
Nathan Bender
Day 1
With the weeks leading up to the trip I got more and more anxious because I like going and hunting the big river and its a nice time to bond with my dad. A week before it seemed like I was checking the weather everyday for the weather report up their. The weather was suppose to be nice with only one day calling for bad weather. Leaving our house at about 5 and finally arriving at the cabin at about 11 o'clock on wednesday night we didnt get much sleep for the next days hunt. Launching at about 5:30 am in some of the roughest conditions that Ive ever been on the water made us a little worried getting to one of the spots we had decided to go to. We had to go about 2 miles through wide open water with North winds over 30 mph and the winds gusting about 40-50 mph which made for a lot of water in our faces coming over the bowe as we headed North. Getting to our spot and getting set up we started out by having a group of greenwing teal buzz us and dropped two. Next a single drake mallard locked up and I dropped him right in the decoys. After having a couple more flocks work we had 5 ducks in the bag consiting of 1 drake mallard, 2 greenwing teal, and 2 ringnecks and we decided to go in and rest as we were only going on a couple hours of sleep.
Cold Morning to start the trip
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0265.jpg
Bluffs off the river
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0263.jpg
Day 2
We decided to head out to the same spot for the morning hunt because we saw so many birds in the area. We got the boat launched and on its way at 5:30 am again and set up the spread of 3 dozen GHG bluebills and Ringnecks, 1 dozen Pro-Grade Widgeon, and 3 dozen Pro-Grade Mallards. As shooting time approached we had a flock of Canvasbacks come over the top of the trees like rockets and called them right back around for my dad to have him drop his first Canvasback on the Mississippi River. Next was my turn as I have never shotten a Canvasback in my life and had a group lock up and come cupped up into the decoys and dropped it finally on my third shot. With the high waters and the heavy current the bird was crippled and diving on us so we chased it with the boat for about a mile and finally got it on dry land and let the dog loose and he got wind of it right away and in my hand was my first ever Canvasback. After that we had group after group anywhere from 25 to 75 Cans working the spread and landing right in the decoys. Later throughout the day we had groups of mallards and gadwalls work our spreads and we finished out or 2 man limit with a group of bluebills that came right into our spread at the last minute of shooting time. The limits consisted of 2 Cans, 4 Gadwals, 4 Mallards, and 2 Bluebills.
First Cans on the Big River
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0275.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0282.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0274.jpg
Cans Working
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0323-1.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0314.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0316.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0332.jpg
http://i997.photobucket.com/albums/af93/bnate14/DSC_0354.jpg
Day 3
With hunting all day and not getting in to take a nap or anything we got out of the river and didnt get to eat dinner till about 10 o'clock. After getting back to the cabin and spending some time talking to the guys that had just arrived we finally got to bed at about 12. Not getting very good sleep and getting up at 4 we started the day out again by launching the boat and doing the whole thing over as the day before. Shooting time approached and the migrating ducks were heading down river already as the sun peaked over the bluffs. First duck to come over was a drake Mallard and with a little comeback comeback on the call he flipped right back around and locked up and with six shots all missed the target as he flew away down river. Next was a large flock of Cans that locked up and came into the spread and 2 drakes hitting the water. The dog went out and retrieved one and as he came back a bald eagle came down and grabed the other one as it floated down the river. With not a lot of birds wanting to decoy like the day before we were just able to pick off a couple singles here in their. A hen red head comes in right on the deck and I dropped it with one shot right on the water. A little while later I jumped up again as a group of bluebills came in on the deck and I stood up again and dropped two with three shots as my dad was not able to get up in time. Next was a flock of Ringnecks that came over the blocks and we dropped two out of that group. Then came a single widgeon and with six shots we finally hit it with the last couple of shots. We wanted to head in by 11 so that we could get going and head home before it got to late. With that being said I didnt want to go until I got my last Can of the trip. As soon as I thought those last words in my head I head that sound of little rockets and comming over the trees is a group of about 50 Cans. I call them back around and they made two or three passes and on that last pass they started to glide into the decoys with some hitting the water landing and thats when I stood up and downed a very nice bull Canvasback. After finally getting my second ever Can we decided to head in and we got back to the cabin and loaded the truck and hit the road to get home. With me getting my very fist Cans on this trip I will remeber how they worked the decoys and it will be an experience that I will remeber for ever!
Thanks for Reading,
Nathan Bender