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 New York 2014 
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Longbeard

Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:29 pm
Posts: 195
Post New York 2014
Well kids, the trip I was so excited for did not disappoint. It never does. I never leave western New York after the late season opener without having experienced something completely new and seeing things that leave me in awe. This year was no exception. On the morning of the opener we met with Jon Lewis of Midwest Whitetails, who is filming for Cabelas Northern Flight TV. He would stick with us for three days to film and be part of the crew.

The opener was warm. The previous week had seen the melting of the ice locked small ponds, lakes and swamps allowing the birds to scatter from their large concentrations on the bigger lakes. We decided to bring in the late season on one of the finger lakes. A couple of my cousins buddies had built a nice blind on the shore and we tossed a big wad of decoys out in front of it with four long lines of divers stretching out deeper. The rising sun put the birds in the air. Lots. Thousands. Mostly redheads and buffleheads with a smattering of mallards, blacks and the occasional whistler. Not many wanted to decoy. They just flew from the north end to the south end of the lake. As the morning progressed a little breeze and the parting of clouds helped us convince a few redheads and buffleheads to give us a look. With eight men we were able to scratch out just under a dozen ducks on that opening day, but the camaraderie and a big breakfast cooked in the blind kept spirits high.

We wanted to hunt a field the next day, but the warm temperatures made things difficult. Birds were feeding twice: First thing in the morning and in the waning minutes of sunlight. Scouting was tough because they weren't flying until almost sundown, leaving maybe 30 minutes if light to find a field they were using. However, we knew of a pasture pond that the birds had been loafing on during the day for the past week or more. A midday check of the pond on opening day revealed almost 500 geese relaxing, and we had permission. Day two was on.

After debating on where to set the decoys, blinds and camera man, we thatched four layouts and and the New York fellas let the two Virginia boys shoot first with a couple of their veterans. The first couple flocks wouldn't work, and we decided our camera man stuck out a little too far. A quick adjustment and it was on. Birds wanted to be there, and it only got better as the morning progressed. We had small flocks working: two, four, twenty. They would come in, set their wings into the wind and glide into the pond fifteen yards in front of the blinds. The shooters had easy left to right crossing shots and the cameraman was shooting just as well. We ended up with 32 geese and one band, and a lonely drake mallard fell as well. It was incredible. Watching these beautiful birds work is one of the most rewarding experiences in the world. It is just as much fun to sit back by the camera and watch other guys shoot the committed geese as it is to be the one behind the gun.
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We were excited for day three. It was getting colder and a North wind was beginning to blow. Birds were finally starting to fly in more "normal" late season patterns: feeding once later in the morning before returning to roost to conserve their energy. We found a field about a mile or two away from the pasture pond we had just hunted that had about 1500 birds feeding in it and got permission to hunt it. The crew set up before dawn with eight blinds that stuck out like sore thumbs in the low cut stubble. Thatch wasn't hard to come by, but the height of the blinds was tough to miss and the darker corn stalks contrasted with the frosted corn stubble adorning the field. To top off the cake, the wind wouldn't blow. Birds would hover over top of us and pick our spread to pieces before flaring out or just continuing their flight to another pond that was holding a couple thousand birds. We got two birds to land off the back of the blinds and were able to kill one. Just before noon we flipped a coin and decided that our hunger overcame our desire to change the spread and continue trying to get the birds to work for the camera. A pizza hut buffet filled the interlude between leaving the field and returning to pick up the spread. When we got back to the field we watched a pair of birds land in the decoys (of course). My buddy and the lady of the group put a "stalk" on. If you have ever witnessed this you know what I am talking about. A couple birds land in the decoys and you can just walk right up to them. They take the lack of reaction from the decoys to mean safety, and never fly. Both of these birds met their demise. The day was a little disappointing but its hard to be down in a blind with guys like that as company.

Jon and his cousin had to leave that day, but asked us to film the next day's hunt for his next episode if it was any good. Most of the crew we had been hunting with had to go back to work the next day leaving me, my VA buddy, my cousin and the lady to hunt the morning. While dropping off the trailer at one of the guy's houses, we watched flock after flock of Canadas pitch into the corn field across the road. A quick drive by revealed a couple thousand honkers feeding, and permission was gladly granted after finding the owner of the field. We decided to sleep in the next morning instead of sitting in the blinds for a couple hours before the birds flew. Overnight, a half inch of snow fell and gave the world a white blanket. Tuesday would be cold, too, with a high in the mid twenties. It was a recipe for success and hopes were high that the birds would help us achieve.

With my cousin running the camera, I was the only one left who knew how to call. I had never run a goose spread like this before, and was anxious and excited to give it a shot. 9:15 saw the finishing touches to the spread, snow spray on the blinds and the first few flocks of honkers flying. We tucked into the blinds and began working birds. For whatever reason we had trouble all morning getting the birds to finish. I am not the greatest caller, at all, and the blinds were a little tall. But the birds did work. Hundreds at a time. Groups of 10-30 birds would group up over the spread and start circling. Then a flock of snow geese joined the fray sky high followed by a dozen or so mallards circling low. My buddy hit the duck call and the mallards committed splendidly. At 15 yards I called the shot and dropped two drakes. My buddy and the huntress each dropped a hen. It was my buddy's first field mallard. Another small flock of honkers began to work. Then, two hundred snows showed up and began their tornado down to us. I couldn't believe it was happening. It was beautifully picturesque. They hit forty yards and banked hard right over us. Stupid me interpreted this as a flare, and I called the shot. Nine rang out and nothing fell immediately, but one went down a few hundred yards outside of the spread. I felt bad about my mistake, but with snows you never know. At least we knocked one down. A couple more groups of canadas worked beautifully and we put some on the ground. The last flock we worked had almost two hundred honkers, and I believe we could have landed them all after the first two committed. The next group of eight that tried to put their feet in the kill hole were met with steel, and I doubled, my buddy tripled and the huntress took one to finish our limit of honkers. It was an incredible morning. Absolutely surreal to have been able to do all that and be successful. I feel like I am downplaying our excitement, but we were on cloud nine and I am still feeling that today. A couple of Virginia boys had conquered the birds of New York for the first time on their own. Just a cool feeling. Our final count was a dozen honkers, a snow goose and four mallards.
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Thanks for listening! I will let ya'll know when the episodes air so you can see it all in action!
Royce

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"We are measured more as hunters by the things we choose not to shoot, than by those that we do." -Unknown


Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:35 am
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Longbeard

Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:29 pm
Posts: 195
Post Re: New York 2014
The episode just got posted today:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4vn_EnlsBM

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"We are measured more as hunters by the things we choose not to shoot, than by those that we do." -Unknown


Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:07 pm
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Co-Owner/Dog Feeder

Joined: Mon Dec 06, 2004 10:20 am
Posts: 3774
Post Re: New York 2014
Looks like NY trip was all you could ask for. Great report. Hope you brought some of those live birds south with you…….

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"even after almost a half-century of hunting of the noblest game bird I am going to confess that I am still in the kindergarten; and I doubt if any human being ever acquires a complete education in this high art."
- Archibald Rutledge


Fri Jan 02, 2015 8:48 pm
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King of Spring
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Joined: Tue Nov 10, 2009 5:12 am
Posts: 2451
Location: Midland, VA
Post Re: New York 2014
Congratulations on a great hunt. I am no goose or duck hunter but find it very interesting how hardcore you hunters are.

The photography and editing are outstanding. Very professionally done. Really enjoyed watching.


Earl

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Fri Jan 02, 2015 9:18 pm
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King of Spring
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Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 9:27 am
Posts: 1907
Location: Roanoke, VA
Post Re: New York 2014
That was an amazing story and an amazing amount of waterfowl. Learning to hunt birds in fields has a steep learning curve as I am learning first hand. It's frustrating and fun all at the same time. Congrats on a fun trip and for sharing the video with us.


Sat Jan 03, 2015 7:32 am
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Longbeard

Joined: Wed Mar 27, 2013 7:29 pm
Posts: 195
Post Re: New York 2014
Thanks, guys! What sucks is that I had to come back. Today they are hunting the same field we hunted on Tuesday. Yesterday it was covered with 7000 snows, 8000 canadas and ducks mixed in. Wowza.

Its going to take a bit more weather to get those birds to come down here. They don't like to leave there. They have everything they need. Plenty of never-freezing water and more grain than they could want. Maybe next year I will trap a few and do a forced migration :smt003

I am very pleased with how the webisode turned out! Jon is a very talented videographer/editer. He has that creative knack that makes these videos worth watching! Tuesday's hunt may or may not be in the next webisode. With the luck they have been having this week, that hunt might not air. But I will get the footage from my cousin and play around with it myself!

Field hunting is my favorite. It is definitely a challenge but there is nothing like popping out of a layout blind with birds landing at your footbag. Through hunting with these guys for 7 or 8 years I have learned a ton. I try to be a sponge every time I go up there. Field hunting is all about location and concealment (as can be said about any waterfowling, really). Neither of those two things can be put over the other. You can't kill birds if they aren't flying over you and you can't kill birds if they can pick you out. I would love to find a way to hunt fields here in VA, but I just don't have the access.

Best,
Royce

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"We are measured more as hunters by the things we choose not to shoot, than by those that we do." -Unknown


Sat Jan 03, 2015 10:56 am
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