Double drop
10-14-2004, 02:15 PM
Im really pumped up about Saturday morning. We have a really good amount of birds using our swamps right now. Im sure it doesn't do alot of good to the resident deer on our land.....them going to bed down only to have boxes of shotgun shells ringing out over the swamps......But we just can't help ourselves. Unfortunately, a sanctuary we have set up for the deer to feel safe in borders 2 of our main waterfowl hunting swamps. Gonna be a good opener I have a feeling. Good luck to any of you going out!
DD
Links r Us
10-15-2004, 08:14 PM
Article published Thursday, October 14, 2004
Waterfowl hunters will revel in 'bad' weather forecast
The weather is supposed to be bad Saturday, and that's good - for northern Ohio waterfowl hunters that is.
That's because the 2004 duck and Canada goose-hunting seasons open in the North Zone Saturday, and nasty weather - seasonally cold and very windy - means the birds will be flying rather than rafting in the sun all day. In fact, a gale is predicted on western Lake Erie for Saturday, which should push ducks and geese into the marshes and other inland waters.
"There should be plenty of birds around," said Mark Shieldcastle, head waterfowl biologist for the Ohio Division of Wildlife. "The weather should help out a little bit."
Good numbers of wigeon and gadwall were around through last week, but last weekend's cold front and the coming one could push the wigeon south, Shieldcastle said.
Mallard numbers locally have been below normal, but the cold front and strong winds could push some birds down to these latitudes. Wood duck numbers are good, and the homegrown woodies should remain here in number for at least another couple of weeks, the biologist added.
If last weekend's statewide youth waterfowl hunting season is any indication, Saturday's general opener should be decent. Shieldcastle said that young hunters, ages 15 and under, averaged about 1.5 birds each at the special Magee Marsh State Wildlife Area hunt, and that is a good average for youth in the area.
The duck season in the North Zone is split, the first half running Saturday through Nov. 28 and resuming Dec. 18 through Jan. 2. The zone's pintail season is open only through Nov. 14. The canvasback season is open Nov. 15 through Nov. 28, and Dec. 18 through Jan. 2.
In the South Zone, the season runs Oct. 23 through Nov. 7, and Dec. 18 through Jan. 30. The seasons for pintails and cans in the south will be Dec. 18 through Jan. 16.
The daily bag statewide will be six ducks, to include no more than four mallards, only one of which may be a hen; one black duck, two wood ducks, two redheads, one canvasback, one pintail, three mottled ducks, or three scaup (bluebills).
In the Lake Erie Canada Goose Zone, the goose season is split, opening Saturday and continuing through Oct. 24, resuming Dec. 8 through Jan. 2.
The goose season in the rest of the North Zone runs Saturday through Nov. 28, and Dec. 8 through Jan. 2.
In the South Zone the goose season will run Oct. 23 through Nov. 17 and Dec. 18 through Jan. 30.
The bag is one Canada goose in the Lake Erie Zone, and two for the rest of the state. Light geese - snow, blue, and Ross' - have a daily bag of 10, and white-fronted geese and brant have a daily bag of two. Geese other than Canadas, however, are uncommon in these parts.
A special late Canada goose season is set for Jan. 16 through Feb. 4 in Fulton, Henry, Seneca, and Huron counties, the portion of Lucas County west of I-280 and I-75 north to the Michigan line, the portion of Allen County north of U.S. 30, Summit County north of I-80, and the portion of Geauga County north of U.S. 6. No special late-season permit is needed this year, though hunters must have the usual waterfowl licenses and permits - a general license with HIP and state duck stamp endorsements, plus a federal duck stamp.
For other details, visit the state Web site, www.ohiodnr.com, or call
1-800-WILDLIFE.
●
Rick LaCourse, well-known walleye pro from Port Clinton, finished fourth in the $1.4 million RCL Walleye Championship last weekend on the Mississippi River near Moline, Ill.
LaCourse, among six pros in the final day of the elimination event, weighed in three walleye weighing 4 pounds, 1 ounce, to win $21,000. The RCL champion was pro Nick Johnson of Elmwood, Wis., who weighed in four walleyes weighing 6 pounds, 9 ounces, to win $300,000. That reportedly is the largest first-place pot in walleye tournament fishing.
The field of anglers experienced a week of tough fishing conditions marked by fluctuating weather and river levels. Too, legal fish had to be a minimum of 15 inches, but could not fall within a 20 to 27-inch slot. Johnson's winning technique was a three-way rig with a floater and a six-foot leader, with fire tiger being the most effective color pattern.
DATEBOOK
Saturday: Fields trip for fall colors, 2 p.m., home of Hank Iris, Toledo Naturalists' Association, call Jeff Cullen, 419-354-4373; also, program on Oak Openings, a globally rare and threatened landscape, by Bob Jacksy, Metroparks naturalist, The Andersons activity center, 1833 South Holland-Sylvania Rd.
Saturday: Annual canoe fall color tour of Turkeyfoot Creek, 2-5 p.m., sponsored by Mary Jane Thurston State Park, call the park for registration and directions, 419-832-7662.
Saturday: Northwest Ohio Canoe and Kayak Club, canoeing Chain O' Lakes, Indiana, call Herb Delventhal, 419-784-3953.
Saturday: Program on insects, 10 a.m., Hidden Lake Gardens, M-50 west of Tecumseh, Mich., call the Gardens, 517-431-2060.
Saturday: Volunteers to plant habitat for the Karner blue butterfly, 10 a.m., Kitty Todd Preserve, 10420 Old State Line Rd., call The Nature Conservancy, 1-877-TNC-OHIO extension 42.
Saturday: Waterfowl program, 1 p.m., Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge headquarters, 14000 West State Rt. 2, Oak Harbor, call the refuge 419-898-0014; also, Sunday, observation of National Wildlife Refuge Week, 8 a.m.-5 p.m., includes auto tours.
Saturday and Sunday: Gun show, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Sandusky County Fairgrounds, Fremont, sponsored by the Sandusky County Hawkeyes, call Ed Smith 419-334-2079.
Saturday and Sunday: Stateline gun show, Williams County Fairgrounds, Montpelier, Saturday 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., Sunday 9 a.m.-3 p.m., call 419-737-2801.
Sunday: Open house, Ottawa
National Wildlife Refuge, 14000 West State Rt. 2, Oak Harbor, celebrating National Wildlife Refuge Week; diketop auto tours 8 a.m.-5 p.m., sunrise photo shoot 7 a.m., displays and exhibits 9 a.m.-4 p.m., hayrides 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; call Ottawa, 419-898-0014.
Sunday: Toledo Muzzle Loaders, ghost match, 11 a.m., Clinton Boothby Memorial Range, 875 Schwamberger Rd., call Rich Hulsebus, 419-474-6666.
Monday: Boat smart class, 7-9:30 p.m., four Mondays, Penta Career Center, adult education building, 30095 Oregon Rd., Perrysburg, presented by Toledo Power Squadron, call Penta to register 419-661-6555.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steve Pollick is The Blade's outdoor writer
» E-mail him at spollick@theblade.com
» Read more Steve Pollick columns at www.toledoblade.com/pollick
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041014/COLUMNIST22/410140412
Darron
10-16-2004, 10:42 PM
No matter what the weather is I will be out a week from today here in SW Ohio. I have scouted several of my spots on private land and all I have to do is decide if I want to shoot ducks or geese on the opener....... My buddy got permission to hunt some flooded woods and he has been watching about 50 mallards come into it every morning along with some woodies. Doesn't sound like much but it is when they come in flocks of 5 and less. I scouted one of my goose spots this morning and saw probably 300-400 geese and I would say 50% of them flew over one of the fields I can hunt and the other half were just across the road within easy flagging distance. I got to scout a couple more spots mainly to check to see if the crops are down. I got permission two years ago to hunt a flooded corn field and with this rain we are suppose to get this week it could get interesting in there if they get the corn down before Sat. Time will tell. Will definelty be a busy week scouting and getting ready.
sat.morning was a pretty good opener for us. my nephew and i got four woodies one mallard and a c anada goose ,should have had another goose and mallard but wasn,t quite on that day on some shots.it was pretty windy sat plus a little bit of sleet came down a few times.the ducks wern,t decoying good cause of the gusting winds.went back on sunday and only got one nice male woodie,not much else flying after daylight,will try after work in the mornings for some this week,now that the winds have let up.any one else have any luck...
lance, darn if i,d known you needed more feathers i would have kept some,not thinking this time i had three nice males last week,watch sat. i,ll get a hen but if someone in our group gets a male i,ll get some feathers.went out to grand river this morning,saw about a doz. flying but couldn,t flush any out of the small potholes i walked to.need any other types of feathers?? snag
Double drop
10-23-2004, 03:47 PM
Our opener was a fun time had by all.
We wound up with 2 geese, 2 mallards, 3 wood ducks, and 2 mergansers. I loved sitting there with all the colors on the trees. The 2 geese decoyed from like 600 yards away. It was awesome. Don't think I'll miss that opening morning anytime soon.
Double Drop
d drop,sounds like a good day on the water,we were out this morning and it was better than the opener.we ended up with two geese three mallards and two woodies. lots of ducks after daylight but a beaver pond ,way across from us sucked quite a few flocks into it. they decoyed better today than last week in the heavy winds.
Lance
10-26-2004, 03:53 PM
That would be cool any you can get are great! The only feathers I really need help on right now are Teal and those male wood duck feathers. I'm hoping this nice weather keeps them around for a bit. It looks to be monday or tuesday before I can give them a try. :rolleyes:
DigDoug
10-27-2004, 03:39 PM
Here in SW Ohio, the ducks aren't really in yet. Went to Ceasar's Creek Monday - Didn't even see a shootable duck, this from the same blind that produced numerous limits last year at this time. We need a couple cold fronts to come through...
Around my house, I've seen a few local mallards and woodies around, but I haven't seen any migrants.
Anybody have any better luck in SW OH?:confused:
last sat /sun was another good day out two geese three mallards two woodies in about four hrs. sun a mixed bag mallards and woodies and two geese to finish up the first part of goose season,lake erie zone,lots of woodies this year compared to the last couple of years.this warm spell is keeping them around. sat the 30th should be like the north opener it,s suppose to be a windy one in the morn,hope the ducks come by before the wind get to bad.watch sandusky bay empty out like the opener,with the strong west winds....
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