# And So It Ends.



## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

At least til February.

Well, as I may have mentioned before, this has been the single worst year of waterfowl hunting I have ever experienced.  

My grand total for the year is less than half of what I have ever gotten on any previous hunting season. And that year I only hunted til the end of October. sigh.

ONE Pintail
ONE Bluewing Teal
ONE Ringneck (first one of these EVER)
ONE Cinnamon Teal
ONE Common Merganser
TWO Widgeon
THREE Gadwall
THREE Redheads
THREE Snipe
FIVE Greenwing Teal
FIVE Bufflehead
SEVEN Spoonbill

33 birds total.

This is much more like the numbers I usually have by the end of the second weekend of the season.
For the first time since I started hunting waterfowl, I am kind of glad to see it end. Never thought I would say that.
Well, here is looking forward to February. Just hope I at least SEE some snow geese. :|

Guess I will have to go try to blast some bunnies and song dogs and hope my luck doesn't hold. :roll:


----------



## Swaner (Sep 10, 2007)

I agree that this year was slower than any I've had. Maybe the birds were just in different areas than where I hunted. Some guys seemed to get into them just fine but others, like myself, just had some bad luck. But I had a lot of fun this year and I wouldn't trade my time out hunting for anything. I had my heart going a few times with geese working the decoys... I never got one to fully commit but that adrenaline rush is the fun part anyways. I've also found some new areas to hunt since I had to work harder to find birds this year, and I've learned to make my shots count since I may not get a lot more chances at birds that day. So all in all it has been a successful, yet frustrating :x , season. 

BTW tonight as I was getting out of my car in a parking lot.... 4 mallards decided to buzz right over me... Kinda just to rub it in that they survived another year...oh well...there is always next year.


----------



## dunn_gary (Sep 11, 2007)

Not a good year for me either. Since my elk hunt day was a bust, my son and I decided to walk my favorite ditch and see if we could find a last day's bird or two. Since about all I ever see on that ditch are mallards, we came home with four. That brings our total, between the two of us, to 10 birds total. All of them mallards. Not even a shot at a goose. :evil: :x


----------



## Surf n turf (Oct 27, 2008)

Not to be a dick but since when is waterfowl hunting all about how many ducks you kill?? Now dont get me wrong I dont wake up at the butt crack of dawn just to watch the sunrise, but at the same time a succesful season is not predicated on simply what I harvest. 33 ducks isnt too shaby, I mean hell that is one duck to eat a day for over a month and if you kill as many as you said you did in a typical year then you sure as hell must eat a lot of ducks. If numbers are so important, maybe you should look into shooting starlings or maybe pigeons?


----------



## Size Matters (Dec 22, 2007)

That was awesome thanks for sharing that you should write some cards for halmark. :mrgreen:


----------



## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

Surf n turf said:


> Not to be a dick but since when is waterfowl hunting all about how many ducks you kill?? Now dont get me wrong I dont wake up at the butt crack of dawn just to watch the sunrise, but at the same time a succesful season is not predicated on simply what I harvest. 33 ducks isnt too shaby, I mean hell that is one duck to eat a day for over a month and if you kill as many as you said you did in a typical year then you sure as hell must eat a lot of ducks. If numbers are so important, maybe you should look into shooting starlings or maybe pigeons?


I have said it before and I will say it again. I TRY to convince myself that it isn't about the kill, and I TRY to remember that a successfull day is not dictated solely by how many or even IF I kill something, BUT I am not particulary successful at those attempts.

I am of the "kill to have hunted" mentality, and no matter how many times I point out to myself that this is not a "proper" outlook on the subject, it does not change the way I feel. It is just the way that I am wired.

Kind of like the fact that I hate the majority of vegetables. Doesn't matter how many times I hear that Broccoli is delicious, or Cauliflower is good for me, or SOY is the answer. I hate it because that is the way that I am wired. Nothing I can do about it.

I DO however _know_ this about myself and am perfectly willing to admit it and take flak about it from guys like you. You can be a dick if you want to, that is YOUR deal. I have issues with that my own self on too many occasions to count. :wink:

There are major exceptions to this issue I have though. For example we went bunny bustin today. I never saw a rabbit, I never shot a rabbit. I had a great time though.

If I go out and have a good time, it does not mean that I failed if I come home empty handed. BUT if I come home empty handed, it increases the likelyhood that I will NOT be satisfied or happy about the way the day turned out. I have had BAD days where I killed nearly everything I shot at, and GREAT days where I never fired my gun at all. Or worse missed everything I did shoot at. :mrgreen:

If I go out ten times and have what I consider to be a good day 5-10 times, I don't feel bad about it and don't whine about it. (much) :wink: 
If I go out ten times and have ONE good day. I am NOT happy about it and DO whine about it.

When I spend an entire season having bad day after bad day and only have a few that I consider good, on a personal level, then I consider that season to be a FAILURE.

When this failure coincides with the rest of my life being unpleasant in whatever manner, it only ADDS to my displeasure instead of alleviating it. 
I go hunting because I can NOT, not hunt. That is also the way I am wired. I do not hunt because I need the meat to survive, I hunt because I can not live a life where I do not hunt.

Failing to succeed at this makes all the other negative details of my life ten times worse than they are anyway. TO ME.

So YES, 33 birds is two or three times the national average if you look at the varying reports. It is one HELL of a season for some of the guys even on this forum. But for ME, it is an unmitigated failure. BY MY STANDARDS. 
I admit those standards are set too high, but again, I have formed MY personal standards over a lifetime of hunting gamebirds and animals of every type I have been able to go after. 
Seven years without bringing home a buck deer. FAILURE
33 ducks in 50+ trips to the marsh. FAILURE
That is the way I am wired. *I know it*. 
And if it makes you feel any better, I DO shoot starlings and pigeons when the opportunity arises, if only to take the edge off. :mrgreen: :twisted:


----------



## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I considered it a fair year, not as good as the last 3 but not the worst I've ever went thru. :shock:

I *NEVER* post kill numbers, it demoralizes some people and pisses others off.; lets just say I had a successful season. :mrgreen:

I took advantage of the nice weather today to clean out the boat and to get the duck decoys, cleaned, rigged and put away for the upcoming season. 8)

I'm not done yet, still got a trip down south to AR to take, but then I'm done until Sept.

I do have a new pup to spin up so I have something to do for the summer until season; besides it will be here before you know it. 8)


----------



## 1BandMan (Nov 2, 2007)

Artoxx said:


> Surf n turf said:
> 
> 
> > Not to be a dick but since when is waterfowl hunting all about how many ducks you kill?? Now dont get me wrong I dont wake up at the butt crack of dawn just to watch the sunrise, but at the same time a succesful season is not predicated on simply what I harvest. 33 ducks isnt too shaby, I mean hell that is one duck to eat a day for over a month and if you kill as many as you said you did in a typical year then you sure as hell must eat a lot of ducks. If numbers are so important, maybe you should look into shooting starlings or maybe pigeons?
> ...


Both of your points are well taken and both of you are correct. It's where you are at in the learning curve and where the individual's success and hapiness is measured.


----------



## deadicated1 (Mar 17, 2008)

surf- for the sake of trying not to argue, let me tell you why i keep track of numbers...
i like to see the results of a hunt. i am highly motivated my numbers. so when i look back at the season instead of saying wow, i had some good times and had some success... i can say wow, i beat my own personal best, wow, my shooting is improving cuz i went through as many shells and killed X more ducks. wow, i killed X amount at this place on blubird days, and X ducks at this certain place on windy days... 
i used to do it to be an azzzz, but now i do it to see just how well I compare to ME in the past years, as well as how the duck numbers affect me. i like to know exactly how many my dog has retreived. i like to know exactly how many i have killed so i can complain with the others when they btch about never getting bands. i like to compare to other guys in the GOOD duck states, cuz it makes me feel like i am half decent duck hunter. 
there are numerous reasons why guys keep track of their numbers, and these aren't even all of mine. hopefully you can understand a little why we do it. especially this year, i can see it from the other side of just enjoying being out. i had my second best year ever, but as mentioned a lot already, it was the worst duck year in a long time from what i have seen.
any others have thoughts on why or why not you keep track of the number of birds you kill? i like this topic :wink:


----------



## Surf n turf (Oct 27, 2008)

Deadicated1, I am not talking about simply keeping track of the numbers of ducks that someone harvests. Like you I keep track of numbers, species, weather, times and so on. That only serves to help an individual to become a better waterfowl hunter IMO. I have absolutely nothing wrong with that. However, when I am looking back through my waterfowl journal, its not the numbers that make the difference between a great hunt/season. For example I did shoot a lot of ducks(for me) this year, 123 to be exact.....but while looking back I can honestly say some of my best days were those where I only took home 2-3 ducks. Like the one day where I sat out all day only to come home with a redhead and a pintail. That to me was great!! And even if my total number was halved or less, I still got to go hunting a lot this year. And as cliche as it may sound, I can think of nothing better to do on my time off then hunt, whether that hunt ends in a fistful of ducks or a pretty pair...it doesnt matter because I was hunting, I was outside...I was doing what I loved. I cant help but feel that if I put artificial stipulations(i.e...numbers) on my ability to enjoy the sport I love so much that it in some way cheapens it. Just my .02


----------



## xxxxxxBirdDogger (Mar 7, 2008)

The first 2/3 of the season was a total bust. My Lab wound up having eye surgery and was out after opening day. I didn't have it in me to go without him. This past month or so has been better. It was butt cold, but there were a fair number of birds out and about. I have no idea how many ducks I kill each year. I can tell you precisely how many pheasants I kill, though :wink: .


----------



## 357bob (Sep 30, 2007)

Artoxx said:


> Well, as I may have mentioned before, this has been the single worst year of waterfowl hunting I have ever experienced.


Perhaps if that read KILLING instead of hunting you wouldn't have to take as much grief for sharing.



> Not to be a dick but...


 FAIL

I personally had a good killing season (just trying to avoid a conflict)
Got more birds that most seasons, definitely in the top 10. And after 31 years of hunting, most all were retrieved by my first dog. That make the hunting part nice but the killing part necessary :wink:

Sorry, trying to be a dick, but if you have a bitch that goes this deep, perhaps you should start your own thread :!:


----------



## Surf n turf (Oct 27, 2008)

357bob said:


> Artoxx said:
> 
> 
> > Well, as I may have mentioned before, this has been the single worst year of waterfowl hunting I have ever experienced.
> ...


I guess I cant succeed at everything I do! :wink:


----------



## 400bullelk (Nov 28, 2007)

yep


----------



## shotgunwill (May 16, 2008)

Hey Artoxx, Can I see a pic of that BWT?? I bet that was awesome to drop!


----------



## deadicated1 (Mar 17, 2008)

good point surf, and congrats on that many birds. as you and others well know, that is an accomplishment. i also got sick of guys just throwing out numbers trying to sound cool. they would say, "oh i killed a sh load of ducks last year, oh i killed like a few hundred birds." if they only had a clue how many that is and how much effort it takes to get that many.
for me, most of my hunting only consists of a couple three birds a day, so it takes a lot of trips to add up to my goals for the season. it really makes the days of limits and lots of ducks stand out to me, and i appreciate them more. dont get me wrong, i still love every minute out in the field, watching the dog work, BSing with friends, and looking at beautiful landscapes, etc, but i also like to see lots of ducks, and get them in my hand.


----------



## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

deadicated1 I do the same. I keep track to see how my season was to the years past. Yea the number realy dont matter to me. What matter to me is getting out and spending time with some love ones and some good friends That dont btch about how you hunt and so on.


----------



## 357bob (Sep 30, 2007)

So try this... make a two hour video of nothing but sittin' in the blind bs'n and watchin' the sunset. How many people would buy it??? I love being outdoors, I'm just saying that most people (admit it or not) like to share their success by the # of birds, points on the antlers, inches of fish, etc...


----------



## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

shotgunwill said:


> Hey Artoxx, Can I see a pic of that BWT?? I bet that was awesome to drop!


I don't have a picture of the Blue Wing. I was between cameras and it was really early in the year anyway, so the color wasn't too good. We discussed it back and forth for a few minutes making sure it wasn't just an eclipse cinnamon, but finally decided it was definitely a blue wing.
We generally shoot a few of them every year but as with everything else this year, the numbers just weren't happening. Got the camera situation straightened out later, but didn't shoot too many more birds, _hence this thread_. lol

And as far as you _numbers aren't important _guys go. You are right. BUT _only_ to a point.
I go hiking in the summer for THE SCENERY. I stop my truck and look at or take pictures of THE SCENERY when I see something I like. On those rare occasions when I travel, I enjoy THE SCENERY.

When I pick up a gun and go out into the field, no matter what I am hunting, I AM THERE TO *KILL* SOMETHING. PERIOD.
The scenery is a bonus, a bonus which I enjoy very much, but not the reason for being there.
Bringing home the game is the reason for being there. 
TRYING to bring home the game is why I go even when I am not getting much of anything. NOT looking at the scenery.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE THE SCENERY! But I hunt to kill things, or at least try.
I can get all the scenery I want when I am not hunting. I get scenery when I work. I get scenery on my way to and from wherever I am going. I can get scenery on my computer if I REALLY want it. I have a .pps file that I saved from an email YEARS ago, that is nothing _*but*_ scenery and is some of the most amazing stuff you could ever hope to see. BUT...

When I hunt, I want the opportunity to KILL SOMETHING. I if don't kill something when I have had the opportunity, then I may be annoyed with MY shooting, but not with the hunting. But when I go out time after time and don't even get a shot, I tend to get irritated about it.
I did not hunt big game this year, and don't plan on hunting it next year, unless I can draw a doe tag in an area that I know, because the only big game I ever see are when it is not legal to shoot them. 7 years of not harvesting a buck have taken my joy in the SCENERY past the point where I can justify wasting either my money or my time even trying. I can drive up the same canyons I hunt and enjoy the SCENERY one hell of a lot cheaper and without the frustration of not seeing game, that comes with buying a tag.

If you don't agree, that is fine. You go with what works for you. 
I have had a belly full of scenery and want to kill something. In a month or two I will recover some of my sense of balance and once again, the scenery will be enough, for a trip or two.
Then I will be tired of it again.

At that point I will break out the fishing pole and go catch some fish. HEY look at that, almost every place I have ever fished has been surrounded by...

you guessed it...

_* SCENERY! YAY!*_

But I rarely get skunked doing the kind of fishing I do most, so that doesn't wear quite as tight.
:mrgreen:


----------



## Ryfly (Sep 13, 2007)

I had an interesting season. I only went a couple of times early on. I did lots of upland hunting while I kept hearing reports of how bad the duck hunting was. Then I took some time off around Christmas and had a great time. I'm not going to mention numbers but in the last month I killed almost as many ducks as all of last season. Turned out pretty good for me.


----------



## gunrunner (Feb 1, 2008)

Ryfly said:


> I had an interesting season. I only went a couple of times early on. I did lots of upland hunting while I kept hearing reports of how bad the duck hunting was. Then I took some time off around Christmas and had a great time. I'm not going to mention numbers but in the last month I killed almost as many ducks as all of last season. Turned out pretty good for me.


Ryan I did about the same, good on you for getting your boys out as much as you did, just don't forget about the marsh next year with that pointer around...... :lol:


----------



## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

Artoxx said:


> shotgunwill said:
> 
> 
> > Hey Artoxx, Can I see a pic of that BWT?? I bet that was awesome to drop!
> ...


well said there.


----------



## Ryfly (Sep 13, 2007)

gunrunner said:


> just don't forget about the marsh next year with that pointer around...... :lol:


Naw, I've got too much mud in the blood for that!


----------

