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Post by hornzilla on Dec 28, 2017 12:51:42 GMT -5
Well guys our Lady luck ran out today. We all have had that hunt from hell. Well today we had one of them. We had a little drive today. So up at 415a.m. and on road by 445. Get to the ramp and the boat motor will not hit at all. After no luck changing plugs and starting fluid. Great, now what. Plan B, down the road we go to some public electric only lake. We get there, very little ice. Now we are in business. Boat unloaded, and across the lake we go. We'll across the lake not very long. Trolling motor is slowing down in a hurry. By now ducks are dumping in where we are headed. Great, to cold to risk it. Back to ramp. Just did get there. Now we are loading boat. This is a great time for my son to find out the patch job on the waders didn't last. So from the back of this jeans down is soaked. Head home for warm up and coffee. Boat is in the shop about 10 minutes and we hit the key. Guess what?  ?? It fires up. Lol, OK what about trolling motor. Check batteries. All 4 of them show full charge. So long story short. A can of heat, for a frozen gas line and cold fingers getting a trolling motor not plugged in all the way make a perfect hunt from hell. But we are all safe and now warm. Tomorrow will have to be a better day. |
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Post by hornzilla on Dec 29, 2017 14:28:53 GMT -5
Well the sky carp have been found. There setting on a sand bar with some ducks. Now the big question is who can be talked into a 4 mile boat ride down the river in signal degit temps in the morning? Who in our group is tough enough for it? Or stupid enough. Lol |
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Post by ukwil on Dec 29, 2017 15:42:13 GMT -5
Well the sky carp have been found. There setting on a sand bar with some ducks. Now the big question is who can be talked into a 4 mile boat ride down the river in signal degit temps in the morning? Who in our group is tough enough for it? Or stupid enough. Lol I'd go in a heart beat. The pump pond was still open earlier on our place and mix of several hundred ducks and geese were using it. I sure wish we could shoot the swans. We've got multiple pairs using the property. |
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Post by featherduster on Dec 29, 2017 16:34:11 GMT -5
Well the sky carp have been found. There setting on a sand bar with some ducks. Now the big question is who can be talked into a 4 mile boat ride down the river in signal degit temps in the morning? Who in our group is tough enough for it? Or stupid enough. Lol I would look for someone who drives a sprint car because based on what I have seen at the race tracks that seems to be the only qualifications needed.  |
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Post by featherduster on Dec 29, 2017 17:01:36 GMT -5
ukwil, you can shoot swans as long as it's the right ones.
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Post by ukwil on Dec 29, 2017 19:02:00 GMT -5
ukwil, you can shoot swans as long as it's the right ones. Just the mute swans, right? I'm pretty sure these are trumpeter swans. Therefore a big no no. |
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Post by duff on Dec 29, 2017 19:18:06 GMT -5
Well the sky carp have been found. There setting on a sand bar with some ducks. Now the big question is who can be talked into a 4 mile boat ride down the river in signal degit temps in the morning? Who in our group is tough enough for it? Or stupid enough. Lol Sign me up! Goose hunters = Fricken Idiots! |
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Post by hornzilla on Dec 29, 2017 20:20:17 GMT -5
Well the sky carp have been found. There setting on a sand bar with some ducks. Now the big question is who can be talked into a 4 mile boat ride down the river in signal degit temps in the morning? Who in our group is tough enough for it? Or stupid enough. Lol I would look for someone who drives a sprint car because based on what I have seen at the race tracks that seems to be the only qualifications needed. My wife said that's the only reason that I do and enjoy both of them. She said sprint car drivers and waterfowl hunters both have a screw loose. Then she smiled and said if you go out in this crap your 3 chicken McNuggets shy of a 4 pack. I think she loves me. Lol |
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Post by featherduster on Dec 30, 2017 6:49:14 GMT -5
ukwil, you can shoot swans as long as it's the right ones. Just the mute swans, right? I'm pretty sure these are trumpeter swans. Therefore a big no no. Correct on the Mutes only. |
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Post by duff on Dec 30, 2017 7:17:24 GMT -5
Just the mute swans, right? I'm pretty sure these are trumpeter swans. Therefore a big no no. Correct on the Mutes only. Are you sure? I thought mute swans were taken off the huntable list again. There were special permits given and after maybe 2 seasons it was cancelled. Probably 10+ yrs ago. |
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Post by throbak on Dec 30, 2017 7:55:48 GMT -5
Saw the darndest thing yesterday coming from Columbus Saw s Red Van setting in a corn field pull in and Mayby 25 yds in the field was one of those Giant 3/4 ft tall goose decoys about 10 other decoys with a obvious Lay down Blind in the middle of it all looking like a pile of corn stalks
Can’t. Imagine this would be successful but I’m not a goose hunter
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Post by duff on Dec 30, 2017 8:22:37 GMT -5
Saw the darndest thing yesterday coming from Columbus Saw s Red Van setting in a corn field pull in and Mayby 25 yds in the field was one of those Giant 3/4 ft tall goose decoys about 10 other decoys with a obvious Lay down Blind in the middle of it all looking like a pile of corn stalks Can’t. Imagine this would be successful but I’m not a goose hunter Sounds like a tough hunt but in the right field it is increadible what you can get away with. I know guys that have shot decoying birds while loading the truck that was sitting in the decoys. |
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Post by featherduster on Dec 30, 2017 9:59:28 GMT -5
Correct on the Mutes only. Are you sure? I thought mute swans were taken off the huntable list again. There were special permits given and after maybe 2 seasons it was cancelled. Probably 10+ yrs ago. About 3 years ago I had a problem with a very aggressive Mute and when I contacted the DNR conservation officer to obtain a permit I was advised that since the Mute swan is not a native species no permit was needed. www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/mute_swan_3.pdfIn addition to the above In Ohio where we fish on Lake Erie there were many Mute swans living in the marina year round until they had a extended winter with lots of ice, the swans were gone in the spring. It was believed they couldn't find food or open water and as a result died. Asking for a permit to control a non native invasive species would be like asking for a permit to control Phragmites grass I believe the thought behind the permits was to protect native swans from being killed by mistake. |
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Post by duff on Dec 30, 2017 10:52:42 GMT -5
Hmm I don't disagree at all but I know there was a brief stint where dnr allowed permits to kill them, then stopped because some guys took it to extreem and blasting them during boating season. Legal at the time but made the wrong impression on people with enough influence to stop it.
I have since penciled in every waterfowl survey request to open mute swans during any legal waterfowl season. If we are asked to tell difference between a grebe, teal, wood ducks and young mallards as well as really any waterfowl in flight swans are easy.
I will see if I cand find the old info on mute swan hunts.
Be realistic though we stock nonnative pheasants and trout salmon so if there was a way to make $ they would be fins with it.
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Post by duff on Dec 30, 2017 11:06:34 GMT -5
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Post by featherduster on Dec 30, 2017 11:33:34 GMT -5
The problem with that incident was a permit was issued after a DNR officer witnessed and was even the victim of one of these attacking swans.
The person to whom the permit was issued to was asked by his neighbors to take a few along that shoreline and someone who loves Mute swans complained.
Second guessing the DNR I would say that by saying they are non-native and invasive they can wash their hands of any actions taken by folks having a problem with them as long as they don't kill native swans and as far as I know there are only rare incidents where Tundras or Trumpeters have nested in Indiana and that was up in the NE corner of the state.
Several years ago a man shot a swan near Potato Creek state park, he was arrested and then later unarrested when the DNR realized that the swan he shot was a Mute.
I am sure the guy had no idea what he had shot and was just lucky enough to have killed a Mute.
But your right If you wanted to shoot Mutes you should probably contact the DNR and get an updated opinion.
The Swan I dispatched was on my property and I did it on a very foggy day so that there would be no one calling the DNR on me for shooting swans.
I wasn't proud of what I had to do but it needed to be done.
BTW it was as tough as boot leather.
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Post by hornzilla on Dec 30, 2017 17:26:27 GMT -5
Wow did ya know it's cold out. What a ordeal again today. And ended up with only 4 birds.
I'm starting to think the waterfowl Gods are trying to tell us something.
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Post by featherduster on Dec 30, 2017 18:16:41 GMT -5
More details, our duck season ends tomorrow but for all practical purposes it ended last Sunday.
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Post by ukwil on Dec 30, 2017 18:51:10 GMT -5
Hunted from noon until 4. Killed a 3 man limit of geese before 230 and had hundreds more work. Had 28 on the water in our decoys at one time. Also got a pair of ringnecks (hen and drake), a hen mallard, and a coot. Also had a pair of specks work in. Left early to allow the birds to come in, we are planning on hunting Monday. 15 degrees when we showed and 9 when we left.
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Post by hornzilla on Jan 1, 2018 10:00:46 GMT -5
Well it's been a rough couple days. Saturday we were all ready to launch boat and the kid that came with us that's a friend of my son just blacked out on us. We get him to come around and he blacks out again. Make a 911 call and a ambulance on way. He comes around and they check him out. All signs are good and he refuses a hospital ride. So we take him home and go with plan B. It's getting late morning by the time we are set up. Scratched out 4 ducks.
Sunday my son over slept so we took the day off.
So today with the phone saying feels like -20 we head out after them. Fortunately or unfortunately I don't know. Our ramp was frozen closed. 100 yards to open water. With birds in the area we make a more intelligent idea to just play it safe and quite when we are ahead.
So with that being said we pulled the plug on this mornings hunt. With most stuff frozen we will wait till we can get back in river or scout fields. It's the waterfowl life. Stay warm today guys and gals. It's a rough on today.
And we found out that the kid had the flu and was dressed way to warm before he was out and all they could find was he needed some fluids and had over heated.
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