# The End



## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I have mixed feelings about the way the season played out this year. It was a tough October, a fantastic November, a slower than usual December and a rough January. We had our share of good days this season, including todays closing. Bo shot the first bird of the morning and started things off right with a band. The Pintail was hatched and banded in Wayside Texas 2003......


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## outdoorser (Jan 14, 2013)

Nice! I knew that was a Texan pintail the second i saw it


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Good on ya. My closing day consisted of ~5.5 miles of walking, a missed shot at a hen Goldeneye, and a failed stalk on a Drake Canvasback.  

I had a good October and November, but this late season was lousy.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

Clarq said:


> Good on ya. My closing day consisted of ~5.5 miles of walking, a missed shot at a hen Goldeneye, and a failed stalk on a Drake Canvasback.
> 
> I had a good October and November, but this late season was lousy.


5.5 miles? sounds like maybe you walked the Turpin dike at Farmington Bay and went out by the Miller unit. That dike has been a speed skating rink for a month. I saw a few people walking/riding bikes on that dike yesterday.


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## utahbigbull (May 9, 2012)

Nice band there fowl!! :mrgreen:

I hope everyone had a safe and enjoyable season. I spent the day in a lay down blind waiting for geese but I did hammer a lone mallard drake as he came to make some new friends. I learned a lot this year and got my butt handed to me a lot this year. All I can hope for is next season gets here soon and that we will get the water we need cuz drought sucks!!


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## paddler (Jul 17, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> 5.5 miles? sounds like maybe you walked the Turpin dike at Farmington Bay and went out by the Miller unit. That dike has been a speed skating rink for a month. I saw a few people walking/riding bikes on that dike yesterday.


A trip of 5.5 miles won't get you to the Miller unit and back. I tried riding that dike the other day. It was in the afternoon, so the tire tracks were narrow and slushy, then if you got off the tracks you hit 5" of snow and stopped. I turned around. Maybe my cycling skills leave something to be desired. No loss, though, because I talked to one group who hunted out there, 0 birds for 3-4 guys.

This has been a historically bad year, and we're behind on water again. Next year could be even worse. Maybe I'll just spend November in Canada.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

paddler213 said:


> A trip of 5.5 miles won't get you to the Miller unit and back. I tried riding that dike the other day. It was in the afternoon, so the tire tracks were narrow and slushy, then if you got off the tracks you hit 5" of snow and stopped. I turned around. Maybe my cycling skills leave something to be desired. No loss, though, because I talked to one group who hunted out there, 0 birds for 3-4 guys.
> 
> This has been a historically bad year, and we're behind on water again. Next year could be even worse. Maybe I'll just spend November in Canada.


That's true. I was thinking 5.5 miles one way and didn't account for the walk back. The water situation definitely needs to improve, but not looking great so far this winter. The Turpin dike was difficult enough to walk on, I can't imagine trying to ride a bike out there.


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## goosefreak (Aug 20, 2009)

Fowlmouth said:


> I have mixed feelings about the way the season played out this year. It was a tough October, a fantastic November, a slower than usual December and a rough January. We had our share of good days this season, including todays closing. Bo shot the first bird of the morning and started things off right with a band. The Pintail was hatched and banded in Wayside Texas 2003......


I feel the same way about, October through january exactly how you described it!! good shoot!8)


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

It was good to see so much open water Saturday.


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## High Desert (Sep 25, 2007)

The last day of the season turned out well. I went out mid morning. There was no one else hunting the area where I hunt and there were a lot of birds.


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## Longgun (Sep 7, 2007)

@ High Desert: Now THAT is a very fine way to round out a season. 8)


is it me/my location, or did the Sprigs on the Pintails not feather out at all this season? :|


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## Clarq (Jul 21, 2011)

Fowlmouth said:


> 5.5 miles? sounds like maybe you walked the Turpin dike at Farmington Bay and went out by the Miller unit. That dike has been a speed skating rink for a month. I saw a few people walking/riding bikes on that dike yesterday.


I seriously considered heading out that way. But, I figured I wouldn't be able to make it there on a bike, and I had a cold, so I wasn't up to walking that far. I never have been there after the freeze.

I explored two new areas instead. One was too crowded to bother with and the other I had to myself. It produced the only two birds I saw all day.


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