Interesting that you shot a wood duck Saturday. I saw some on a stretch of river in northern ohio. Weird year.
Duck Hunt 12-26-15
Duck Hunt 12-26-15
River was going to 49 on Tuesday, and was suppose to be 40 Saturday. Wind out of the south east 5-8 which is fantastic, almost a downstream breeze. No cold weather so far, in fact it was suppose to reach 60 today. The only problem is rain-rain-rain. The alarm went off at 6:45 and I looked outside and rain. I decided to sleep in. I took Debi to Frisch’s and was going east on 52 by 10:00. The same field hunters were west of Bull Skin Creek. At Ripley I saw a gas barge going DS with smoke venting from one of the barges. It was a Marathon Barge. I pulled into town to get a picture, but the smoke stopped. I have no idea what that was about. I was going to put in at Manchester. Got to the ramp downtown and pulled into the fort to get under the cover to change into my rain suite and waders.
I pulled the truck down the ramp and saw a mess. The city had not pulled the dock and it had a ton of brush against it and completely covered the ramp. I tried to clear out a hole to put the skiff in, but it was too difficult. I gave up and headed for Brush Creek. I hoped that maybe the ramp US at the island would be open; but it was locked as normal.
At Brush creek the Ramp was also locked, this was not the case last year. On to Rome. I pulled into the abandoned store at the top of the ramp to rearrange my rain outfit. At Manchester I had put my waders over my rain pants and this would not work. I rearranged them. I was in the water at 12:30. The new 15 stared right up, god I love electric start. It was lightly raining. I decided to run up the Ohio bank and get above the old Lock and Dam 32. At the upper end of Rome in a weed patch I jumped up 7 mallards. I crossed over below the dam. I started drifting. It was fantastic, the river was flat and no wind and plenty of logs just like me. I paddled about .5 mile a spotted mallards ahead. I did not get the binoculars out because of the rain; binoculars don’t work in the rain. The mallards got up at 100 yards, which was surprising. Continued on down and the rain picked up to a good soaking. About 15 minutes later a spotted 2 backs who got up at 200 yards, not good. 5 minutes later I jumped up 2 more blacks, who got up at 100 yards. There was plenty of cover, and blacks are hard to spot, and ever harder in a pouring rain. About 5 minutes later I hear wing beats behind me. I passed up 4 mallards. I can’t believe I did not see them. 300 yards down stream the same thing happened, they got up behind me, perhaps 4 mallards.
At this point I am above Brush creek and I pulled into the bank for some coffee. I was not cold but I needed some hot coffee. I pushed off and 5 minutes later I spot a drake mallard ahead. As I got closer I saw there were about 5. I got right besides them; they were behind some fallen trees. I dropped the paddle, reach for my model 12, sat up and they looked at me. I yelled hay, and they did not get up. When they did jump up they were too far behind me to get a shoot off. I kept on DS. I spotted another mallard ahead, As I got closer, again I spotted more, perhaps 5 total. I got right beside them dropped the paddle and sat up. I dropped a drake on the first shoot and proceeded to miss my next two, I cranked up the 15 and head back to pick up my drake. I then noticed 2 dead ducks at the waters edge. Somehow I had dropped a hen wood duck, but I did not see it get hit. I picked up my ducks and pulled into the bank for coffee and my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
At this point it is really raining. I headed DS. I passed the Island and came to Concord. It is 4:00 pm. I had enough. I headed back US on the Ohio bank. It was a tough run because of the heavy drift. I only jumped up a group of 5 and 2 black ducks on the 6 mile run US. I pulled out at around 5:00. At this point my paints were wet, my rain outfit did not do a very good job. I got boat gas at the Aberdeen Marathon , and was shocked to see that I only needed 1.3 gallons. I ran up 7 miles which is good, a little less than 6 miles per gallon. I had chilly at the DAIRY Yum Yum in Ripley and was home by 7:00.
River was going to 49 on Tuesday, and was suppose to be 40 Saturday. Wind out of the south east 5-8 which is fantastic, almost a downstream breeze. No cold weather so far, in fact it was suppose to reach 60 today. The only problem is rain-rain-rain. The alarm went off at 6:45 and I looked outside and rain. I decided to sleep in. I took Debi to Frisch’s and was going east on 52 by 10:00. The same field hunters were west of Bull Skin Creek. At Ripley I saw a gas barge going DS with smoke venting from one of the barges. It was a Marathon Barge. I pulled into town to get a picture, but the smoke stopped. I have no idea what that was about. I was going to put in at Manchester. Got to the ramp downtown and pulled into the fort to get under the cover to change into my rain suite and waders.
I pulled the truck down the ramp and saw a mess. The city had not pulled the dock and it had a ton of brush against it and completely covered the ramp. I tried to clear out a hole to put the skiff in, but it was too difficult. I gave up and headed for Brush Creek. I hoped that maybe the ramp US at the island would be open; but it was locked as normal.
At Brush creek the Ramp was also locked, this was not the case last year. On to Rome. I pulled into the abandoned store at the top of the ramp to rearrange my rain outfit. At Manchester I had put my waders over my rain pants and this would not work. I rearranged them. I was in the water at 12:30. The new 15 stared right up, god I love electric start. It was lightly raining. I decided to run up the Ohio bank and get above the old Lock and Dam 32. At the upper end of Rome in a weed patch I jumped up 7 mallards. I crossed over below the dam. I started drifting. It was fantastic, the river was flat and no wind and plenty of logs just like me. I paddled about .5 mile a spotted mallards ahead. I did not get the binoculars out because of the rain; binoculars don’t work in the rain. The mallards got up at 100 yards, which was surprising. Continued on down and the rain picked up to a good soaking. About 15 minutes later a spotted 2 backs who got up at 200 yards, not good. 5 minutes later I jumped up 2 more blacks, who got up at 100 yards. There was plenty of cover, and blacks are hard to spot, and ever harder in a pouring rain. About 5 minutes later I hear wing beats behind me. I passed up 4 mallards. I can’t believe I did not see them. 300 yards down stream the same thing happened, they got up behind me, perhaps 4 mallards.
At this point I am above Brush creek and I pulled into the bank for some coffee. I was not cold but I needed some hot coffee. I pushed off and 5 minutes later I spot a drake mallard ahead. As I got closer I saw there were about 5. I got right besides them; they were behind some fallen trees. I dropped the paddle, reach for my model 12, sat up and they looked at me. I yelled hay, and they did not get up. When they did jump up they were too far behind me to get a shoot off. I kept on DS. I spotted another mallard ahead, As I got closer, again I spotted more, perhaps 5 total. I got right beside them dropped the paddle and sat up. I dropped a drake on the first shoot and proceeded to miss my next two, I cranked up the 15 and head back to pick up my drake. I then noticed 2 dead ducks at the waters edge. Somehow I had dropped a hen wood duck, but I did not see it get hit. I picked up my ducks and pulled into the bank for coffee and my peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
At this point it is really raining. I headed DS. I passed the Island and came to Concord. It is 4:00 pm. I had enough. I headed back US on the Ohio bank. It was a tough run because of the heavy drift. I only jumped up a group of 5 and 2 black ducks on the 6 mile run US. I pulled out at around 5:00. At this point my paints were wet, my rain outfit did not do a very good job. I got boat gas at the Aberdeen Marathon , and was shocked to see that I only needed 1.3 gallons. I ran up 7 miles which is good, a little less than 6 miles per gallon. I had chilly at the DAIRY Yum Yum in Ripley and was home by 7:00.
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