Figured it is about time for the season pictures. I always enjoy seeing what everyone else around the country does. I primarily hunt the grasslands of central California. My typical bag is made up of greenwing teal, sprig, widgeon, and a fair number of canvasbacks. Mallards are not a common bird, and somewhat of a prized bird for me... There are also a lot of spoonies, and at times gadwall, ringnecks, and buffleheads around. Ringers are actually alright on the table, but I would rather shoot teal, and spoons, buffs, and gagwall are not as good eating in my area, so they frequently get a pass.
Got the wife and daughter out on opening weekend (daughter's first duck hunting trip):
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/2014-opener-2-e_zps40bd223b.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/2014-opener-2-e_zps40bd223b.jpg.html)
Got the daughter out for a couple more shoots:
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/Bennet3_zps74da5116.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/Bennet3_zps74da5116.jpg.html)
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/Kierra-2-Jan-2015_zpsba7538ea.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/Kierra-2-Jan-2015_zpsba7538ea.jpg.html)
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/Kierra-duck-1-Jan--2015_zpsc42b85fc.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/Kierra-duck-1-Jan--2015_zpsc42b85fc.jpg.html)
I killed 4 banded birds this season.
Banded mallard during an untypically good day on mallards:
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/12-10-2014-duckhunt-r_zpsa1d0fb2f.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/12-10-2014-duckhunt-r_zpsa1d0fb2f.jpg.html)
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/12-10-2014-band_zps37f6cc37.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/12-10-2014-band_zps37f6cc37.jpg.html)
Two different shoots with banded sprig from the same blind:
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/10-25-24-monty_zpsbf784b27.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/10-25-24-monty_zpsbf784b27.jpg.html)
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/banded-sprig-2-12-2014_zpsc85532ea.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/banded-sprig-2-12-2014_zpsc85532ea.jpg.html)
And a banded canvasback (which was a first for me):
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/12-12-14-canvasback_zps3b4cb0f0.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/12-12-14-canvasback_zps3b4cb0f0.jpg.html)
Finished the season with two nice shoots with good friends...
(3sprig, 2 cans, 2 widgeon, 7 gw teal):
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/Jbennet-1-14-15_zpsa937b6ce.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/Jbennet-1-14-15_zpsa937b6ce.jpg.html)
(3 sprig, 2 cans, 3 widgeon, 1 ringneck, 5 teal):
(http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p51/msorsky/1-24-15-Suda-r_zpsb57cfb1c.jpg) (http://s125.photobucket.com/user/msorsky/media/1-24-15-Suda-r_zpsb57cfb1c.jpg.html)
This was an unusually good season for us in the central valley... Pretty much killed limits for half of December and all of January... This will go down as one of the best and most consistent seasons, whereas the previous season was one of the worst (if not the worst) season I have experienced.
Congrats on a fine season and a new hunting buddy!
Nice. Congrats on a great season. I love how you involve your little girl and that huge smile on her face says she loves it to...... Just awesome...
I hunt a lot with my sons during the waterfowl season. Had a great year on Canadas. Would have done better on ducks if that deep freeze weather front hadn't locked up our marshes and small water.
early goose hunt
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o227/2eagles_photos/g20_zpsfea7871d.jpg) (http://s121.photobucket.com/user/2eagles_photos/media/g20_zpsfea7871d.jpg.html)
open creek hunt late season
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o227/2eagles_photos/1130141120a_204212_zps1b4c51fa.jpg) (http://s121.photobucket.com/user/2eagles_photos/media/1130141120a_204212_zps1b4c51fa.jpg.html)
a trip to Texas
(http://i121.photobucket.com/albums/o227/2eagles_photos/020_zpsce32a2fc.jpg) (http://s121.photobucket.com/user/2eagles_photos/media/020_zpsce32a2fc.jpg.html)
Looks like some cool hunts 2eagles! Gotta admit, I am jealous of the mallards and long-necks; 2 banded honkers on the same day is pretty cool. I go by Squaller on the refuge forums, so I have seen a few of your posts before...
We had a good season all the way around. We had to chase them around a little bit but managed to kill ducks from the first day to the last day for the most part. Shared a lot of mornings with good friends and got to see a lot of ducks fall into a hole for the last time.
Opening day trash duck limit(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/IMG_5793_zpsm7izod2n.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/IMG_5793_zpsm7izod2n.jpg.html)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/IMG_5805_zps298rrrwx.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/IMG_5805_zps298rrrwx.jpg.html)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/F3753B4D-AF5B-4E8B-B897-77A11E36C6CA_zpskdfvm3ex.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/F3753B4D-AF5B-4E8B-B897-77A11E36C6CA_zpskdfvm3ex.jpg.html)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/IMG_5963_zpsk0kuytz3.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/IMG_5963_zpsk0kuytz3.jpg.html)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/IMG_5959_zpshwsbulpx.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/IMG_5959_zpshwsbulpx.jpg.html)
This was a bonus day for us, we don't get many wigeon in the timber but had 3 fall in with a big group of mallards
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/IMG_5974_zpsmzkiif3h.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/IMG_5974_zpsmzkiif3h.jpg.html)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/IMG_3985_zps8qajm2d2.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/IMG_3985_zps8qajm2d2.jpg.html)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/20141207_094328_zps97zloml9.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/20141207_094328_zps97zloml9.jpg.html)
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/IMG_6021_zpsjpp1pay7.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/IMG_6021_zpsjpp1pay7.jpg.html)
Brewer's duck, mallard/gadwall hybrid that came through on the last morning. Probably the most common hybrid but I was still pretty pumped to see it.
(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee128/cbhorns/IMG_6023_zpsphanv1xg.jpg) (http://s234.photobucket.com/user/cbhorns/media/IMG_6023_zpsphanv1xg.jpg.html)
Once again... Jealous of the long-necks and greenheads... great pics.
Work sent me to the armpit of the US (Detroit) for the new year, so I missed the second half of duck season. Luckily I've already locked in comp time for the first week of turkey season, so I'm really looking forward to that.
Here's some of the shots from the fall of '14
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/GarrettTrentham/10687154_347581245409506_7075765104287413682_n_zpsfab5974c.jpg) (http://s68.photobucket.com/user/GarrettTrentham/media/10687154_347581245409506_7075765104287413682_n_zpsfab5974c.jpg.html)
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/GarrettTrentham/10659186_10204558380658688_4757259135412009270_n_zps4b8d8829.jpg) (http://s68.photobucket.com/user/GarrettTrentham/media/10659186_10204558380658688_4757259135412009270_n_zps4b8d8829.jpg.html)
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/GarrettTrentham/1920520_10205199689411006_6729042394711991593_n_zps6e0de2ea.jpg) (http://s68.photobucket.com/user/GarrettTrentham/media/1920520_10205199689411006_6729042394711991593_n_zps6e0de2ea.jpg.html)
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/GarrettTrentham/10599528_10205186662365338_9202948589374705804_n_zps76cc2b2e.jpg) (http://s68.photobucket.com/user/GarrettTrentham/media/10599528_10205186662365338_9202948589374705804_n_zps76cc2b2e.jpg.html)
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/GarrettTrentham/10494795_10205332232524501_4972432285212881737_n_zps57cd66fa.jpg) (http://s68.photobucket.com/user/GarrettTrentham/media/10494795_10205332232524501_4972432285212881737_n_zps57cd66fa.jpg.html)
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/GarrettTrentham/10676339_10205353200528688_5464091197253293099_n_zps4b76895a.jpg) (http://s68.photobucket.com/user/GarrettTrentham/media/10676339_10205353200528688_5464091197253293099_n_zps4b76895a.jpg.html)
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/GarrettTrentham/unnamed_zpsc5a562ea.jpg) (http://s68.photobucket.com/user/GarrettTrentham/media/unnamed_zpsc5a562ea.jpg.html)
(http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i38/GarrettTrentham/unnamed1_zps4d395db0.jpg) (http://s68.photobucket.com/user/GarrettTrentham/media/unnamed1_zps4d395db0.jpg.html)
Love those timber hunt pics. I'm going to hunt the timber someday. Let's see..... Nodak in 2015. Colorado elk hunt in 2016. Someday??