Any Duck Hunters out there?

[Charlie Gonzales]

Just curious how many fellow BB members are also Duck hunters.

[Matt Steffens]

you bet ya!

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Actually we can thank God for hunting in the Fall because many serious fly fishers can't resist hunting so it keep the rivers from being too crowded.

[mako]

Heck yes!!
Love to use my 20g

[mark]

Tough time of year for me, choosing between fishing and hunting, but I have been duck hunting for 18 years now.

Had an awesome opening weekend too!

[MrBig]

Just people, no ducks. Just kidding. Or am I........... :wink:

[Charlie Gonzales]

Had a great opener at Howard Slough with my dad. Cant get him into fishing so every year I look forward to our time together in the blind. But it is tough trying to decide to after stripes or ducks(except in weather like this). Maybe we can get Billy to expand the shop and get into hunting too.Do you guys follow the other hunting bulletin boards? Feel free to pm me with your opener stories and what refuges/clubs you hunt if your afraid of taking up board space.

Charlie

[Dave Neal]

I used to tag along with my pop when I was just head over waders...ducks and pheasants mostly...I just got back into hunting this season. I had a great time with a friend on duck opener this year.

I'm afraid I have been stricken with the bug...BAD! It's all I've been thinking about lately...I can't imagine why it has taken me this long to pick it up again? Anyway, there are great opportunities for the blast & cast around these parts :D

[Mike O]

if it flies it dies!!

just don't know if I am going to get out this season much...wife with broke foot, and a 11 month old, and a 5 year old. not much fishing and hunting going on around here.

[Rob]

Not only Ducks , pheasants , geese , grouse , deer , Elk , doves . :D

Some photos from last Last night !!!

It's more than getting a shot !!!!!!!!!

I see some of the most beautiful sunsets , while in our blind waiting for the sun to come up or set !!! :D :D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/bearriverswans.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/bearriversunset4.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/bearriversunset2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/bearriversunset.jpg

Other duck hunting trips !!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/DSCN0002-1.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/adjusted2.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Logan%20Utah/DSC_0012.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Logan%20Utah/DSC_0024.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Logan%20Utah/DSCN0042.jpg

and my favorite FAR SIDE !!!!

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/farside-duckblind.jpg

[Rob]

year.

I'm afraid I have been stricken with the bug...BAD! :D

Boy that for sure !!

I started hunting again ( everything ) after we move to Utah from Sacramento .

Three shot guns , 4 dz decoys , 4 duck call , and enough camo for a army. And another hunting buddy , Jake our lab pup . My kayak is now camo !! :shock: Then for deer and elk , three .50 cal muzzleloaders . April through August is the only time i fly fish anymore . :roll: I am ether hunting or its TOOO cold . The fly line freezes to the eyelets .

[Dave Neal]

Rob those pics are awesome! Looks a lot like here, the eastside of the Sierra.

You are so right on about the sunset/rises. For me, at times, guiding fly fishing has sort of "changed" fishing for me. I find it hard to really relax when I go fishing the same waters I guide. I'm always trying to find (more) fish, what/when hatches come off, water temps etc etc...When I go out to hunt ducks I can just sit and relax, watch and wait. I really enjoy the scouting too. There have been MANY shotless days lately around here and I still have a great time outside.

Sorry to hear about all the investment that has sucked you in. But hey, you gotta spend $$ on something exciting! :roll:

[Rob]

Dave

You live in a very beautiful area . I have not been in the Mammoth lake area for many years . I use to order bowhunting stuff from a shop there, from a guy named Doug Kittridge , Kittridge Bow Hut .

[Charlie Gonzales]

Great shots Rob, they totally show that hunting is not just about killing. If it wasnt for the time I get to spend with my father I dont know if I would go. Wish you were here, Im looking for somebody to go do a cast and blast on the Delta with.

[Rob]

Great shots Rob, they totally show that hunting is not just about killing. If it wasnt for the time I get to spend with my father I dont know if I would go. Wish you were here, Im looking for somebody to go do a cast and blast on the Delta with.

Cast and blast , that would be fun !!!!!!!!!!!!

[Rob]

Charlie

Got any good goose or duck recipes !!

we have 3 geese and 15 ducks in our freezer , so far.

We are finally getting some Bad ( good ) weather to day. Its snowing like crazy and cold , so we hope some ducks and geese will be moving south into our area .

[Charlie Gonzales]

Hey Rob
My duck recipes are pretty simple, I breast them out and butterfly each breast(when your done each breast will form a heart shape and will be about a 1/4" thick). Kosher salt, crushed black pepper. seared on the grill or in a pan about three minutes per side, serve rare, sliced thinly. If you pan sear them deglaze the pan with some stock,a little butter, and you have a nice pan sauce. Some smashed potatoes and wilted greens. Yummy.

For the geese you should try them in mole' some time.

Got a banded mallard on Sunday(no info yet) but its been slow lately. I will try to post some photos soon.

[Mike O]

take a full bodied duck, stuff the cavity with apple and onion quarters. cover breast with Bok Choy (chinese cabbage) or bacon if you care not about cholesterol.

Bake at 350 until done.

[Rob]

Those recipes sound great

I took some goose breast and wrapped them with bacon , covered with onion and and baked at 350 for 30 minutes ,until rare . very good .


I will try the recipes you guys gave me . :D

Anyone having any luck ??

It been very slow here .
We need some bad weather up north to push more birds south .

Thanks -
Rob

[Rob]

Hey Rob
My duck recipes are pretty simple, I breast them out and butterfly each breast(when your done each breast will form a heart shape and will be about a 1/4" thick). Kosher salt, crushed black pepper. seared on the grill or in a pan about three minutes per side, serve rare, sliced thinly. If you pan sear them deglaze the pan with some stock,a little butter, and you have a nice pan sauce. Some smashed potatoes and wilted greens. Yummy.

For the geese you should try them in mole' some time.

Got a banded mallard on Sunday(no info yet) but its been slow lately. I will try to post some photos soon.

I shot my first Greenhead and green wing teal .
But it's VERRRY SLOWWWW HERE !!!!!!

Montana is on fire :D , my neighbor just returned and said that they had flocks of 1-2 hundred geese land in the decoys all day every day for the two week he was there . This guy is a waterfowl hunting fool !! His hands are cracked and bleeding from hunting for weeks in below zero weather and he loved it . :D

[roostersgt]

These pictures are from this mornings hunt. Steelies have been way to slow for my liking lately. The opportunity to duck this morning was a no-brainer. This was my second trip to a good friend's floating blind near a wild life preserve in south Sacramento. Neat place. A short boat ride then park the boat inside the blind, pour coffee and await the legal shoot time.

The decoys were already out. By 11 AM, we took 7 ducks and lost one crippled mallard hen to the water channels "cabbage". Missed half a dozen others. Not a lot of birds flying, but enough to keep us on our toes.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff208/roostersgt/DSCN0742.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff208/roostersgt/DSCN0737.jpg

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff208/roostersgt/DSCN0745.jpg






Steve

[Rob]

Looks like you had a good day !!

Cody and i sat next to a partly frozen river in 20 deg weather today , and shot one Green head and one Widgeon . Beautiful clear day but COLDDDDDD .

Nice looking Lab !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Charlie Gonzales]

Rooster
Way to go. That place is pretty cool looking, someday I hope to make a pop up blind for my boat. Havent got out much this season cuz I have been working 6-7 days a week(even through the holidays), but my dad and I got out to Little Dry Creek yesterday and got limits of ducks and a speck each. If the winds hold strong through saturday we should have some really good shooting,now hittin 'em in that stuff can be hard. By the way if he ever has a blind for rent please contact me.

[FishFiend]

Hey Charlie, my brother and I were in the blind with you and your father on Sunday. Great hunting with you guys. We sat out there till dark and never fired a shot. You guys made the right choice.

Dan

[Charlie Gonzales]

Dan
It was great meeting you both. Hope Dad and I werent too much for you guys but as you could see were great friends and have a lot of fun together. Too bad hunting wasnt better so we could have had some pictures to post. But I did end the day with a Bull Sprig anda couple widgeonies.

Please look me up after duck season so we can fish together.

Charlie

[davkrat]

You made the right decission. We sat out there all day and never fred a shot. Wish we had gone with you two. It was nice meeting you guys.

[roostersgt]

Went to the club today with a friend. This is the aftermath. I shot 2 ringnecks and 2 greenheads. Gave one duck to a friend for his dinner. These will be BBQ'd with bacon wrappers and terriyaki suace. :D

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff208/roostersgt/huntjan17.jpg

Steve

[Rob]

Well the waterfowl season ended today , and yesterday was our last hunt for the year . Cody took 4 Geese and 30+ ducks and i took two geese and around 20 ducks for the season . The duck hunting was very slow in our area for the most part , except yesterday when we were invited to hunt a warm water pond . :D When the weather drops below freezing and all the rivers , lakes and streams are frozen over , the ducks turn to the warm water ponds . We hunted there with 4 other guys . At sunset ( and after legal hrs ) :shock: the show really began , as ducks by the hundred drop into the ponds as we were retrieving the decoys .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/lastday.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/DSCN0004.jpg

[roostersgt]

Awesome pictures. Cool set-up, but bbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! that looks cold! 30 ducks? Pretty liberal limits in Utah.

[Dave Neal]

Rooster...I think Rob listed their numbers for the season...not the day! Every waterfowl meat hog would move to Utah if they really had that liberal of a limit :shock:

Rob, glad to hear you and your son had a great last of season hunt...nice pics.

I have been wanting to download some of my pics from lately...but my computer crashed and with it all my Picassa Photo files ](*,)

Anyway, I have been feeling guilty for not skiing the local hill more this winter...been too busy ducking on my days off and before work! So my solution has been re-discovering a thousand year old sport...NORDIC HUNTING!!!

Basically, to get my workout and hunt ducks, I have been XC skiing two certain local creeks that do not freeze over :wink: I pull a sled with my deeks and gear...set up where appropriate...or just come sliding in and jump shoot. It has been working AWESOME.

Anyway, wish I could show some pics but you will just have to settle for the old imagination.

Take care everybody and good luck if you still have a season left.

[Dave Neal]

Oh, and I have to pass one of my favorite recipes to add to a much earlier inquiry...It is a great rec. if you want to introduce someone new to eating (and enjoying) waterfowl. No worries of gamey taste. It is a marinade so not for the pure game eater at heart :lol:

A local chef for the Arcularius Ranch generously passed this to me...

Anyway here goes:

Raspberry Sauce Duck

Best for breasted birds...pat totally dry and try to re-move all blood (blood will cause the livery taste)

Marinade:
Peanut oil...enough to fully coat...(1.5 cups +)
Lotsa & lotsa Paprika
Salt & pepper
Lotsa fresh garlic
Rosemary
Jamaican Jerk Rub (use plenty)

Marinade breasts for at least 3 hours...I use a large zip-lock baggy keep in fridge.

Raspberry Sauce:
Seedless Raspberry Jam 1\2 cup or more depending on # of breasts
Splash or two of Port Wine
Smaller splash of Balsamic Vinegar
Good shaking of Chalula Spice (Mexican spice rub...commonly found)
Sauce should be kinda thick...if too thin add some cornstarch or more jam.

The sauce is hard to mess up, but you can experiment with quantities of inged. to suit your tastes.

Wipe your HOT grill with oil and DO NOT OVERCOOK THE MEAT...all game should be served rare to medium. You will not get sick. This is not some commercial poultry! Typical breasts should see 3-4 minutes each side of a hot grill. Should be pink\juicy\rare in middle.

Slice thin like sashimi and dip into rasp. sauce and enjoy! :nod: =P~

[Rob]

Awesome pictures. Cool set-up, but bbbbrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! that looks cold! 30 ducks? Pretty liberal limits in Utah.

It was around 20 deg :D The limit is 7 ducks and three geese a day . The most ducks i have in one day is only 4 . This is only our second year for hunting waterfowl , so we are rookies .

This is a very addicting sport . It all started with my son Cody going with our bishop in our church . Well , Cody loved it so i had to give it a try. And after getting , three shot guns , one black lab , 4 1/2 dozen decoys , 4 duck calls , 2 goose calls and sitting for hrs/days in below freezing weather . I LOVE IT !!!!!!!!!!!! Already counting the days until next year !!

[Rob]

Here is a forum that Cody and i belong to .
Most of the people are from Utah, Idaho , Colorado but you might enjoy it . One of the guys we went with goes by R-JMAX4 , he is a waterfowl hunting fool . He is going to Wyoming this week for Canadian geese , then in a few months going to Missouri for a spring snow goose hunt . There is NO limit there , TONS of geese .

Also :shock: :D
A lot a people viewed this thread on Kiene's , over 2100 times !! :shock: :shock:

http://www.bullockoutdoorsforum.com/viewforum.php?f=84&sid=b8738f0f6252913d43f924fe852b08e6

[roostersgt]

Thanks for all the info. Like you, I too am just starting out on this duck hunting thing. It's truly a blast! The only two other times I went were 20+ years ago. Sweat line at local refuges, crummy weather and no close birds. Froze, got muddy and sleep deprived. Sure was a different story these last two times.

Glad to hear others have had similar experineces. I used to laugh at the duck and horsie folks. Both seem to be rather fanatical to me. Now I understand, at least the duck guys enthusiasm. I too can hardly wait for next season. Fly fishing is a different story altogether. Not a fanatasism, rather a life-style of sorts.

[roostersgt]

Last duck hunt of the season for me. Blind owners will be going over the weekend to try and pick up more ducks before the closer. We got out early this morning, but saw very few ducks flying. Wind was perfect, sky was overcast and drizzling.

Just no ducks flying for some reason. We did manage to scratch these three though. A tasty merganzer, a mallard and a canvas back. Got only one canvas out of a group of 4, which flew right in front of us out of nowhere. I'm blaming it on the cheap, lousy steel shot I bought (I will be using "Heavy-shot" next year). We couldn't have been that poor in our shooting abilities. Hahahaha.

These quackers will be soaked in terriyaki, garlic, season salt and then bacon wrapped before hitting the BBQ. Although I'll probably have to chase down the tasty merganzer breasts with whisky, instead of merlot. Hope everyone else had as enjoyable a season as I did on my 3 trips out to the pond.

Cheers!
Steve
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff208/roostersgt/ducks1-24.jpg

[roostersgt]

Enuff said.

http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff208/roostersgt/roastingduck.jpg

[Rob]

Picked up a 870 .
I ordered a patternmaster choke Tube and wetlands camo stock for it . I already have a Browning BPS , but love how easy it is to clean the Remington 870 . You can take them apart in around 30 secounds . I have had 4 other 870s over the years and will keep this one

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Hunting%20ducks/DSCN0012-1.jpg

[Rob]

I just got a call from a friend in charge of a auction going on right now , for the Northern Utah chapter of ducks unlimited . I gave them a signed print of a photo i look of Cutler Marsh here in Cache Valley and it just went for $ 350 .00 . :shock: :shock: I am stoked !!

Here is the photo .

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v636/rgkempton/Logan%20Utah/1jpeg.jpg