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< 16ga. General Discussion ~ Nebraska part three: teal! |
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Posted:
Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:44 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2125
Location: Hudson,Wy
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The day I arrived in south central Nebraska there were a LOT of ducks. The snow storm and cold front that settled in that night just about eliminated all of that. South they went. Many duck boats were using the launch near my camp and between the hunters I chatted with and the frequency of gun fire I was hearing around the shores while hunting upland birds, circumstances didn't paint a rosy picture. Honkers we're nonexistent and snow geese were just flying far too high as well. Then I got lucky, real lucky.
Two days after the snow stopped falling I parked near the edge of a bluff above the lake shore. While stuffing my pockets with quail loads to right and pheasant ammo to the left, I spied a few teal flying into a cove hidden from view. I sauntered over and peered that way from far above. A few dozen mallards were down in that cove...surrounded by easily a hundred green-wing teal!
Now I know that the old drake mallard is supposed to be the trophy, but not in my world. I shoot almost nothing but mallards during winter duck haunts in Wyoming and have always considered teal more fun anyway. Green-wings being my favorite of the teals, I promised myself to go get my waders after the quail hunt if these ducks were still there when I returned to the truck. They were. With camp only 4 miles away, I was back in a flash. A larger hiker's pack full of mostly teal decoys was soon plucked from the bed of the truck and I stood there with the Ithaca N.I.D 16 wondering just how I was going to get down to the cove. The bank was very, very high. High enough to easily kill a man if he fell from it.
I figured that the little valley leading into the cove would be easy enough to traverse and the local deer population showed me the way by leaving an obvious trail leading down not far from my parking spot. Ducks were in trouble. Lot's of trouble.
The svelte little birds came back to the decoy spread in short order. Like bees they swarmed in every few minutes! I was really wishing for the telephoto lens as they continued assaulting the shallow shoreline where ice had not yet covered their banquet table. Such photography really requires good light for the high shutter speeds though, at least if I didn't want grainy, high ISO images. The next afternoon was a repeat of this one.
On my final day in Nebraska I carried the telephoto outfits with me since the sun was bold and strong. By this point I had fashioned a new blind from dead branches that placed me 10-12 yards closer to the decoy spread and I no longer needed the tighter choked Ithaca. The skeet choked right barrel in the Lefever, along with #6 steel claimed not one, but two "one shot doubles" that morning! Unfortunately, I missed a bunch of "gimmes" in between. Agonizingly easy birds floating above the water! Oh well, I will take some foibles in between the good ones, as long as it doesn't become too habit forming.
After finishing up with one of those "two headed drake" shots, the cameras finally went to work. The only thing better would have been a few snow geese not getting the memo to fly up there where oxygen is scarce. I didn't mind though. These drake teal were so amazing. We don't see birds with this kind of color back home, they're gone before the plumage ripens up. This was a real treat, the cherry on top of the sundae. The weather in Nebraska may have treated me like a baby treats a diaper most of the time, but things like this more than made up for it.
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_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Sun Dec 09, 2018 9:48 pm
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Joined: 16 Jul 2015
Posts: 2125
Location: Hudson,Wy
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That aforementioned mixed bag from the fortuitous day when I discovered the teal hot spot:
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_________________ Only catch snowflakes on your tongue AFTER the birds fly south for the winter... |
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Posted:
Mon Dec 10, 2018 7:13 am
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Joined: 24 Jun 2013
Posts: 2067
Location: canandaigua - western n.y. (formerly deerhunter)
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WYO , you are homering on every swing with these pics ! Teal and Woodies are the IT ! we just slug along here in NY . We used to have early teal around 10/05 , now the season opens 10/28 and the birds are gone . One more thing we get right here !(that bank is steep , isn't it !!??) |
_________________ Molly sez AArrrooooooah ! |
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Posted:
Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:30 am
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Member
Joined: 08 Aug 2011
Posts: 1946
Location: Central CT
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Thanks for sharing the great pictures. |
_________________ Mark |
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Posted:
Mon Dec 10, 2018 8:50 am
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Joined: 13 Jun 2009
Posts: 696
Location: WA/AK
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Ahh!! Grain fed Teal from the Heartland!! Don't get no better! |
_________________ Share the knowledge |
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Posted:
Mon Dec 10, 2018 9:09 am
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Joined: 17 Mar 2017
Posts: 2798
Location: Endless Mountains of Pa
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Wyochukar,
Great pictures buddy, thanks for posting them!
Pine Creek/Dave
L.C. Smith Man |
_________________ "L.C. Smith America's Best" - John Houchins
Pine Creek Grouse Dog Trainers |
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Posted:
Mon Dec 10, 2018 10:37 am
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Joined: 08 Mar 2016
Posts: 120
Location: South Dakota
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Looks like an awesome trip for sure. Seeing those picture makes me wonder even more why I came back home after being out west for the first time it sure was beautiful out there. |
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Posted:
Tue Dec 11, 2018 3:07 am
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Member
Joined: 06 Oct 2007
Posts: 2346
Location: West MI
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Awesome! Bucket list hunt for sure, well done! |
_________________ Sorry, I'm a Duck Hunter so shouldn't be held strictly responsible for my actions between Oct 1st and ice up. |
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