Still ducks in central NY

[fox-admin]

A warm spell opened up our marsh which is very unusual this late. Still many geese and a few ducks in the Montezuma area. Shot Dana's Super Fox C-HE
How about that ice in the background. Off to go after them tomorrow looks like the weather will hold to our season end January 5.

[Mills]

Excellent! We are going to try going tomorrow. My son has a friend who has never been hunting and wants to go

[Rbishop]

We don’t have ice like that in Tennessee!! Thanks for sharing!

[Jim Cloninger]

That's a perfect limit, Craig! Nice going.
Jim

[vaturkey]

Good stuff there indeed.

[jolly bill]

Craig,

You did well with Dana's Super Fox C-HE. He would have been pleased.

Hope you guys get more action while the mild weather holds.

Jolly

[Researcher]

Good going!! I'll think about you while I'm out with my snow blower after breakfast.

[Jeff S]

Wow! Congratulations and good job getting out in the cold weather. Was Nellie with you?

[fox-admin]

Jeff I never take a dog with thick ice. I once had a lab fall through the ice. Fortunately she came through the hole but couldn't get out. I had to break ice to to the hole to rescue her. Never again. I would rather lose a duck then my dog.

[Jeff S]

Good idea. I just haven’t seen Nellie for a few weeks so I thought I would ask. Remember, some of us live vicariously through you.

[Sporrns]

Just returned from Deal Island MD on our lower Eastern Shore. No ice anywhere around here; 60 degrees New Year's Eve day! Did not hunt but went on a nostalgia tour around Dames Quarter, Wenona, Chance and Oriole, looked out over the lower Manokin River sound to "them little places" - Fairmount, Rumbley and Little Monie. Saw more ducks in the public hunting area impoundment and outside where we first hunted there in 1979 - early 1980s - literally thousands of them - resting in big rafts on the high marsh. Gadwalls, Widgeon, Blackducks, Mallards, Spoonbills, a few Pintails, and others we couldn't see well enough with the binocs.

After way too many years of free-access hunting and abuse by slob hunters (littering, damage to launching ramps and water control structures, the State had had enough and 3-4 years ago restricted access to the impoundment by permit-only / restricted days hunting and the elimination of all motors except electric (bass-boat type) for boats going inside (hotdog power boaters tore up the access canals and marsh floor with over powered duck boats, etc. , "Mudbuddies" were the worst & most damaging to the tump canals and grasses). No more gasoline motors or airboats

For the past 3 years hunting inside the impoundment has been restricted to Fridays and Saturdays only with the above motor restrictions. What we saw there shows its working. Not like the "Old Days" - it may be as good or better! Happy New Year, Kevin

[vaturkey]

Jeff I never take a dog with thick ice. I once had a lab fall through the ice. Fortunately she came through the hole but couldn't get out. I had to break ice to to the hole to rescue her. Never again. I would rather lose a duck then my dog.

I had my old Golden break through ice on a retrieve. She was only out about 20 yards and we were able to grab an unchained jon boat and get out to her and lift her aboard. She had a Neoprene vest on and that probably saved her. That was the last time that happened as we never made that mistake again. Falling into the FWIW, category, that lake is now surrounded by homes and duck hunting ended there over 10 years ago.

[Woody]

Nice birds. This winter has been weird weather for sure. So were the season dates!!! I never even hunting the second season. No birds where I hunt