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Wood Ducks
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[2004]
[2005]
[2006]
[2007]
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2004


Do to a scheduling conflict, we started our duck hunting season by going to our now usual second week location.  The weather was warm and cloudy and woodies were out in force.  Just like the year prior, we were able to limit out with drakes.  The following week we were back in the northern WV mountains at our prime spot and found that the duck numbers were down, but that our tactics were strong, and we put more woodies in the bag.  After the early season, the trend of the past couple of years continued, the wood ducks quickly vanished.  While the overall number of wood ducks that we saw was less than previous years, we still knocked down 8, with 7 being drakes in 2004.  

10.01.04

This season started with a bang - make that 4 bangs - with a limit of drakes. 

10.01.04

A good shot of the "Wood Duck Stalker" newly hand camouflaged by the K&R.  Notice the gun mounts for a quick transition from paddlin' to shootin'.

10.07.04

The early morning fog blurs the shot of the K&R ready for the first stalk and shoot of the day.

10.07.04

A good shot of the King holding a woodie in full fall color (the duck, that is).

10.07.04

The Rooster with the day's take; a couple of mallards and a drake wood duck.

10.07.04

A great close-up of the beautiful wood duck.  Each year brings new respect and awe for this majestic bird. 

 

2005


The water was low; lower than we had ever seen it in the marsh.  The local woodies, looking for a nighttime sanctuary, had nowhere to go but right where we positioned ourselves and at dusk they came in droves.  After nine years of hunting wood ducks, we thought we had seen everything, but at dusk on 10/05 we were caught in the middle mess of wood ducks that dwarfed any amount we had previously seen.  After shaking off our initial stupor at the chaos descending upon us, we took 3 down and then sat back and listened for another 20 minutes as we were dive-bombed in the dark.  The next night was a near repeat, if slightly less intense, and we each took our limit of two.  It was an amazing two days that won't soon be forgotten.  However, after that early season inundation, the woodies disappeared for reasons unknown.  Nonetheless, we finished the season with 7 woodies (unfortunately only 2 drakes - but shooting right at sunset makes sexing the birds very difficult) and a legendary 15 minutes.

10.05.05

Geared up and ready for the first stalk of the 2005 season.  The breathable waders are an early-season must-have. 

10.05.05

Three woodies down and soon-to-be tablefare.  As always, the early season drakes are vibrantly colored.

10.06.05

The King with the four birds taken on the second night.  There would be no third night as the rain moved in and the tent started to leak.

10.06.05

The Rooster with the wood duck limit only moments after the duck downpour had ceased.  Notice the head lamp, an accessory that a duck hunter cannot live without.

10.06.05

Why wait, when you can sample the meat right away?  The King came up with a marinade that produced the best duck meal we have ever had.

2006


The King and Rooster pride themselves on acting with a basic ethical sensibility when afield.  This includes a prohibition on littering, a consideration of the hunting rights of others, a respect for private property, and always working as hard as we can to retrieve every wounded bird.  With respect to the last entry on that list, we have been very successful.  Only a very low percentage of birds that we have wounded throughout our hunting life have escaped the table.  However, during the first week of duck season 2006, we inconceivably lost four birds (as opposed to maybe 5 ducks lost in the last 10 years).  Each bird had been wounded and marked on the ground or water.  And, in each case, for reasons we will never be able to explain, the birds disappeared.  While crushed in each case, we persevered and kept hunting.  And then, as dusk on the second day was approaching, we were rewarded with a signature moment.  A solitary duck, streaking down on our hole, presented a perfect left-to-right passing shot.  A blast, an explosion of feathers, and a downed bird followed.  Both the shooter and the witness were rewarded with a signature moment.  It was a redemptive end to a tough day.  In the end, 2006 was a down year for duck numbers all across the board.  As is becoming normal, the winter was mild and ducks dispersed.  But, for all that, and leaving 4 in the field, we still brought home 5 woodrows in 2006 (3 drakes).

10.05.06

Nothing like the feeling of heading out on the first push-and-block of the season.   Notice how well the green breathable waders work in early October.

10.06.06

A classic shot of the King with an October drake.

10.06.06

The King with 2 drakes (1 juvenile) taken on the first evening.  The action was not as nearly as heavy as previous Octobers but was enough to provide a signature shot. 

10.06.06

The Rooster ponders leaving four ducks in the swamp.

10.06.06

Two woodies skipped the freezer and went right to the campfire. 

11.22.06

A hen taken on the pre-Thanksgiving trip.  It was the only bird we saw in a day of hunting.  The weather was warm and the sky high, and that may have contributed to the paucity of birds.

More Wood Duck Hunting
[2007]  [2008]  [2009]

 

 

   

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