Where are the teal?
 

I spent about 2 1/2 hours yesterday scouting Primehook NWR. For those of you who are notr familiar with Primehook, this time of year this place is loaded down with teal. We had some good wind yesterday so all the ducks should have been blown out of the delaware bay and into Primehooks marshes. I saw maybe a total of 50 -75 ducks:confused: and no teal. saw maybe a couple hundred geese scattered about. and one group of 300 or so snows. I know the birds could have been tucked up in areas i could not see, but I don't think i have ever been by some of the areas and not seen large numbers of teal, at this time of the year.
I hope this is not a sign of the times , and a indicator of how the season will go.:(

Teal
 

I hope you are right about the harbinger of a bads season...but most of the teal are long gone. 50 degree nights chase most of em out...and all the woods pomnds are dried up so there aren't any woodies around to speak of..dang it

it seems they have already headed south of us northeast folk. every year that the weather is dry, our early duck season sux. just a handful of woodies around. last year, hurricane ivan had everything soaked and the teal were every where. now we got the water just need the cold to send some greenheads.
kt

Two friends were hunting in South Dakota last week, different places, and both saw and shot mostly teal. (Greenwings) We were at the blind doing some finish work and saw big bunch of Bluewings. Our season starts in 10 days and in my 20 plus years this is the latest I've seen big bunch of BW this late. Maybe something to that global warming thing afterall. The boys did see a lot of mallards and gadwall so I'm not giving up yet. Just gotta get those gas prices down so I can afford to go. I've got a 40 mile drive to the river.

I wish my drives were 40 miles. If I want to head over to the Chesapeake Bay, we are talking about 2 hours in the car. Before I moved into this place, my drives to hunt were about 50 miles each way to my post often hunting spot and about 25 miles to the next often hunting spot, both of which happen to be the closest to me. Now, they are a little closer because I moved a little further west, but the bay area is a little further.

If there is one thing about hunting, it usually involves a bunch of driving or other travel.

Fabs- its about 100 yards to the boat launch. You'll have to come over.

My son is looking into renting a cabin for a month, my wife thinks that's a good idea. I think she just wants some peace and quiet. I have to drive 100 miles to my deer hunting place but it is in the #2 county in the state and we have 1500 acres of private farm to hunt. (my Uncles) My partner pays for the motel for the privilage to hunt and I use a friends 4 wheeler to get my crippled butt to my spot. Now if those trees just quit jumping in front of my shots I'm set.

Rubicon,

I rarely ever turn down an invitation and the car knows the way to Kent Island rather well.

Rubicon,

How is the hunting around Kent Island? Everytime i go to dark side of the bridge I have always thought it would be an absolutly wounderfull place to go guning.

This will be my first year hunting on Kentland but have found several friendly people who have offered to let me use their blinds when they are not in them and have also offered to show me some of what they consider the best spots on public. So well see but it sounds promising. I cross the bridge daily to go to what I consider the DARK SIDE to work and it sure is cool getting to check out the birds and fishing boats daily. On the other hand I was in the Cambridge area yesterday sika hunting and have never seen so many teal and wood ducks in one area at one time.

guess thats where the teal are:D

Teal??
 

Surprisingly I saw approx 35 teal fly past the pond here yesterday. They would have come in if I hadn't been out there working around it(cutting down some willow trees). They were, however, green wings. Didn't see any Blues. You know..it really is funny...but when you are in a marsh without the ability to see very far they really do come smoking...when they are in the open...they really don't seem to fly that fast. They do twist and dodge a bit though:D

At least the two of you are seeing ducks and geese. I spent most of the morning driving from Germantown to Upper Marlboro today and didn't see a single goose or duck. One would think that they would be moving in this kind of weather. Oh well, a couple more weeks until the season comes back in, so hopefully things will get cooking before then.

Fabs, the geese are flying over the house here on the island like crazy. Just saw about 300 coming down Dominion road

Kent Island
 

Hey Rubicon...

There are so many people down on the Island anymore that I can't figure out where the geese go to eat:eek: :D . Seriously I used to hunt on the old Turkey Point farm on the Island. It was owned by a doctor in our skeet club up here. He bought it expressly for hunting. After he died his daughter sold the place(after buying out the hunt club that had lifetime hunting rights). Now it is nothing but houses for those people from the dark side. We used to wade the grass beds for soft crabs there too. Ah..it was a great place to live at one time. Still better than the dark side I guess!:confused:

Hey BTW we ought to get Fabs, Delduck, you and me and go shoot sporting or whatever sometime real soon I live up in the Church Hill area.

Sounds good- and yea its definitely better than the dark side. Out here where I am its mostly older people who have been here for years-they seldom use the boat ramp and just bust at the chance to tell a pilgram like me about the old days and are constantly telling me what they consider the best spots to fish and crab. Also we dont have any street lights!

I'll shoot with you guys any weekend and try to change any weekday plans to make it. Doesn't have to be sporting clays. I'd do almost any type of shooting (trap, skeet, 5 stand, sporting clays, rifles). Pretty much anything that burns powder is fine with me. Plus, it would be cool to finally meet Rubicon and DelDuck. I met Skeet a couple of years ago and that was a great time.

If all of us cannot make it on the same day, I'll still shoot with one or two of you. Let me know what is good for you guys before it gets too dang cold and the birds really start flying.

Sounds good to me, just let me know when it suits you folks. I'll make arrangements for the kids, if the wife is workin.

Somebody throw out some dates here. Then we can arrange some schedules. How does this Saturday, October 29th, sound?

How about the following weekend?

Not this Sat. But Sun. I'll be free or the following weekend will be ok with me. Our duck season starts today, and i should be in the blind by now , but a little thing called work is getting in the way.:mad: ;) I am going to try to take off Wed. and go to PrimeHook the winds are suppose to be up, so should the ducks.

This Sunday isn't good for me because I have to meet a client. However, next weekend is still completely open.

Skeet and Rubicon, can you guys make it out to Pintail Point next weekend?

Shootin'
 

As I'm sure you know Fabs...I'm pretty much good to go anytime..especially after my regular shootin' season. The deers is runnin around acting all crazy. They are everywhere. Got a nice little 140 class buck hanging behind the pond and I see him most every day. Think I'll muzzleload a nice fat doe this weekend. Gotta break in the Savage smokeless gun. That sucker surely does shoot. Bout as good as I can hold a rifle is an inch or so and it'll do that easily. Gonna get a friend with nerves of steel to shoot it on Wednesday to see how good it'll do. I have nerves of jello so I can't do too well. Uhhh. Just remembered i have to do an auction the 5th of November. Some shooting stuff in it. About 10,000 rounds of unfired brass etc...maybe some shotgun wads and a few (250) boxes of ammo. Haveta make a little money somehow ya know!!:D But it'll probably be done by 12 or so.

Why don't we shoot, no pun intended, for November 6 then. If everybody can make it, it should be a great time.

Now, just to let everybody know, I shoot waterfowl in the rain but I do not shoot clays in the rain.

Let me know what you guys think about the 6th.

Rain??
 

Wimp Wimp Wimp Wimp!!! afraid of the rain!! Personally I'd rather drink a 5th than a 6th...more whiskey in it.....Ohhhh you mean shoot on the 6th!! OK by me...Now lessee...what gun am I gonna shoot?? I know...my ol black lemon-87!! yeah!!:eek: :D

You bring your black lemon 1187 and I'll bring my shiny 391 Teknys. So, will the 6th work for everybody? I'll send Rubicon and DelDuck a PM.

the 6th sounds fine by me, I'll bring the xtrema and my 1100 20 if we decide to shoot a round of subs. Just let me know where and when. It will be great to meet you guys!!

Okay, are we settled on the 6th Skeet and Rubicon? I sent Rubicon a PM but haven't received a response yet.

How about Pintail point?

Okay, I heard back from Rubicon via PM and he probably is not going to be able to make it because he has to be on call for work.

Are you guys still in for next Sunday, the 6th? I'm still in.

Next Sunday..
 

I'm good to go...as looonnggg as it's not raiiinnninnng....oh...scuse me. That's not my line is it?? Seriously..I'm on for it:D :D

Aren't you hilarious tonight. Unless there is money involved in shooting clays, I just don't find it enjoyable to shoot them in the rain, especially in November.

Money?? Did you mention MONEY??
 

Hmmm. We may have to place a little wager on this if it'll make ya be there rain or shine. Say a buck a bird difference... But since Del and I don't really ever shoot sporting clays.... You'll have to spot us a few measly little birds...say about 8 or so? If I break 30 I'll be happy.:confused: :D

I'm still in, and I do hope it is going to be pretty nextweekend.

Skeet,

Now you are utterly hilarious. Not only are you a good shot, but you are a shark too. I saw you shoot what Petey and Ol'Spark were throwing and those didn't always look like skeet targets. I might have been born at night, but it wasn't last night. Sure I'll spot you 8 targets, as soon as we have 8 feet of snow in Maryland in July.

Okay, we are settled on November 6th. Now, how about a time? Does 11:00 a.m. sound okay. I have a two hour drive and I need my beauty sleep. Plus, it might be a little warmer at 11:00 versus 9:00. I did not see the range's hours on its website, but sent them an e-mail asking. Let me know what you guys think about the time.

11 works better for me.

11 works better for me too. So, 11 it is this Sunday. I am really looking forward to this.

I'll be the guy with the big grin in the clubhouse. All kidding aside, I'll probably be driving my tan 1998 Taurus with a Xport bike/travel rack on top. Kind of like a Yakima or Thule rack. Needed extra space for the decoys when I got the dog, for those occassions when I didn't want to drive the truck.

I don't know about who will have the grin there Fabs, I've been going to owens station everyday this week:D .

I'll be in a 04 F150 super crew with a cap on it all grey with a delaware beach tag and a roxana vol. fire co. tag on the front. I'll be the one walkin around the parkin lot like a lost puppy;)

Yeah, I've been working every day this week, so this will be a great break for me, and any bad day of shooting, fishing, or hunting is better than a good day in the office.

It has been rough this week , we have had no work.
so I just got 1 day in this week.

Well we did it
 

Fabs Delduck and I got together this Sunday. Fabs also brought his father. The man is a saint. I really don't know how he survived raising Fabs...hehehe!. seriously though we had a good time. It was a beautiful day and we shot a hundred birds on the sporting clays course at Pintail Point on the Eastern shore. Fabs shot good as did his dad. del and I did ok too. The Beretta Extrema Jay(Delduck) has really shoots good....but you ought to see the piece of JUNK Fabs brought. I almost thought he brought a Browning at first..but it was the other B gun...at least it wasn't Broken with a B. The highlight of MY day was the Pheasant(a real one) that Fabs missed. Really close too.25 yds. But I think he was thinking of the water that the pheasant was flying over. He really didn't want to get THAT wet! If he had his retriever with him I'm sure that bird woulda been toast. Fabs really is a good shot...especially for an attorney..and newly married. And don't listen to him when he says his father can't shoot. He really did quite well. I was thinking of getting fabs to go on a duck hunt with me down at Deal Island this year...but after seeing the way he shied away from going in the water for a bird....well I guess it'll just have to be Delduck and me. I really need a WELL TRAINED retriever:D Oh I'll bet I'm in for it now.:rolleyes:

I'll retrieve birds for you anyday buddy. Yesterday was a real hoot, I had alot fun and it was great meeting Fabs and Skeeet. Don't let Skeet fool you guys I shoot poorly compared to these 2 sharks. They are both awsome shots on the sporting clays range. I think maybe with several years of practice I will become colse to them;) And I agree Fabs father is a saint to have raised that fellow.

I'll sneek away very quietly now.......