More Great Stories.

Our Greatest Day by Chris Price

As Justin and Jonathan picked up the decoy spread, Dad and I stood in the blind smiling and laughing. Dad said, “ Mark this one down. It’s a day we’ll always remember.” Looking at our mixed bag of puddle ducks, I smiled and agreed. Today, had been an amazing day. It was our greatest day.

We met Justin and Jonathan at the Oregon Inlet Coast Guard Station boat landing at five o’clock that morning. We loaded the boat and were soon on our way. It was a cold, yet relaxing ride. We were hunting Vic’s Snow Blind that morning, and when we arrived I had a hunch we were in for something special. We could hear Pintail, Teal, Widgeon, Gadwall, and Black Ducks all behind us, quacking and whistling to one another. We all listened for a few minutes, taking in all the sounds before putting out the decoys. Once the decoys were placed, and the boat hidden, we settled in to prepare for the days forthcoming adventure. As the sun began to rise, we watched flock after flock of ducks and Tundra Swans fly over the marsh behind us. Dad and I were in a daze, staring in awe at the sheer number of the flocks flying overhead. Then suddenly, Justin snapped us back to reality. “Shovelers! Three of them! All drakes too! Right through the decoys!”, Justin exclaimed! Our first ducks of the morning and I didn’t even see them. Dad and I stayed on alert for a few more minutes, but went back to watching the ducks fly behind us. Again we missed more ducks, this time it was two big bull Pintails. Dad managed to get off a couple of quick shots, but was to no avail. After that, we decided it was time to get serious and start shooting some ducks, and shoot ducks we certainly did.

A few minutes later, a single hen Pintail entered the “No Fly Zone”, and quickly fell to simultaneous shots from Dad and me. Even though we both shot it, I let Dad claim it. Last year, Dad shot a nice bull Pintail while we were hunting with Joey down in Hatteras, and he was hoping to get a hen to go with the big bull he already had mounted, so he was pleased with his first duck of the day. I was watching for ducks, when I saw a pair of ducks go down in the creek behind us. I decided I should attempt to sneak up on them for a shot, so I left the blind and started my trek through the grass. I got down wind, and out of sight, and quickly closed the gap. When I got up to them I realized they were Gadwalls. I watched them for a second before they jumped, and when they jumped I was ready. I effortlessly shot the hen, but the drake was a little more difficult. I’ve never seen a duck take off like a rocket until this guy. He went straight up in the air and was quickly widening the gap between us. Unfortunately for him, my sweet shooting Winchester 20 gauge was ready, and so was I. He fell from the sky just as quickly as he rose from the water. Since I didn’t feel like chasing him all through the grass, I had to finish him off with a second shot. I then waded out into the creek and claimed my first ever Gadwalls. When I turned to return to the blind, I saw Justin, Jonathan, and Dad standing on the seat of the blind waving their guns and pumping their fists in the air in celebration over my shots. I raised my ducks in the air acknowledging their approval, and continued my march back to the blind. The weather that day was in the low 30’s with a good Northwest wind. Between the weather, the mud, and the grass, I was cold, wore out, and shaking. My legs were so tired, I even fell down several times while walking back. My speech was even beginning to slur.

Dad, being the wonderful, caring, man that he is, tried to warm me up with his gun blast. “All rrriiggghhtt! Another Pintail!”, exclaimed Justin as he hit the water to fetch it. This time it was a nice Bull with a real good sprig. Right after that, three Gadwalls came by, and none made it past the blind. The first two fell dead as a hammer and the second hen crashed into the grass. Dad was standing there with his gun in his hands looking at us asking who all shot. We all replied that it was all him. I think Dad was impressed, right along with the rest of us. Dad has always told me of amazing shots on dove and duck, and today he was showing me what he’s all about. Dad then asked why I didn’t shoot, and I told him I saw he had everything under control, but in reality I was still freezing cold.

After the Gadwalls, we had a bit of a lull in the action, along with some missed shots on more Pintail. We noticed they would be coming in close, but would flare off at around fifty yards out or so. There were about 20-30 decoys laying on the bank from the day before that the sun was casting a nasty glare off of, and warning the ducks of our evil intent. The ducks in return would happily flare away, and probably laugh to themselves at our mistake of not setting them out with the others. We were about to disperse the decoys into the water, when Dad noticed a group of five Pintail headed our way. They were 100+ yards away, so we knew we didn’t have a shot. However, one single drake broke away from the bunch, and got a little too close for Dad’s liking. Dad was sporting his x-tra full turkey choke in his Mossberg 835 Ulti Mag so he figured he’d sling some lead er steel in the ducks direction. He lead the bull about six feet, and nailed him at 80+ yards. The duck was so high up, that Justin didn’t even see him until he hit the water. After that we put out the other decoys, and prepared for the next flight. Jonathan, then left to get his and Justin’s lunches. Justin, Dad, and I then sat there reliving the day thus far, and thinking about what was yet to come. A short while later, Dad and I were standing in the blind still talking when I looked to my right, and saw a very realistic looking Black Duck decoy. I studied it for a few seconds and then quickly grabbed my gun and shot the lone duck before she had a chance to escape. The water quickly turned a dark red thus assuring me of a good shot. I hit the water at retriever-like speed to fetch my duck, but when I went to grab her, she took to the air as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Severely befuddled, I quickly got off two awkward shots that were to no avail, and helplessly watched as she landed down in the grass. Justin and Dad marked where she went down at, and Justin and I began our search for my duck. We had been looking for about five minutes, when I heard splashing in a small water hole. I looked and saw my duck trying to bury herself in the mud in an attempt to evade her capture. I quickly grabbed her, and as soon as I did she died in my hand. I was ecstatic at this point. We had a mixed bag of puddle ducks that any hunter would be proud of.

Shortly thereafter, Jonathan returned, and was just in time to see Dad make another magnificent shot on what Justin called the biggest damn drake Gadwall he thought he’d ever seen. It was indeed a big one and beautifully plumaged too. A little while later, a single bull Pintail entered the “No Fly Zone”, and again Dad dropped him. Dad looked at me laughing and said, “Darn another Pintail.” Dad had shot everyone’s limit of Pintail, and it wasn’t even one o’clock yet. We also noted we were one duck away from our daily bag limits. We waited an hour longer and had a merganser hen swim into the decoy spread. Dad and I weren’t going to shoot a merganser when we had all those beautiful puddle ducks, so instead Jonathan shot it, claiming he doesn’t allow free rent in his decoy spreads. The ducks had pretty much flying at this point, so we decided we’d call it a day. Our greatest day to be exact. On the way back to the landing, we stopped to let Vic see what all the commotion was all about. He seemed quite pleased, and Gabby looked as if she wished she could have been there to fetch all of the ducks. I don’t remember how well Vic’s group fared, but I do know that their smiles weren’t near as big as Dad’s and mine were.

Along the way back, Dad remarked on how much he had enjoyed the trip and how we’ll never forget today. ( This trip was a surprise Christmas present for Dad from my girlfriend, Amy, and me.) We agreed this is a new father/son trip we’ll make for many years to come. Today was a day that made my dad’s and mine relationship even stronger. Today was a day we shared, and a memory we made of our greatest hunt together. A day not every hunter gets to enjoy, either by themselves or with loved ones, but when it comes its a great day. For Dad and I, today was a great day, and it was our day.

THREE DAYS WITH OUTER BANKS WATERFOWL GUIDE SERVICE

My father and I made the decision to book a hunt with OBX Waterfowl for a 3-day hunt in mid January 2004, we enjoy going on at least one guided hunt together each year together. Upon booking with Vic Berg he recommended that we stay at the John Yancey Quality Inn in Nags Head on the beach. We contacted Vic’s wife Ellen when we arrived and she gave us instructions for the following morning and a few pointers on the local eateries. We met Vic at a gas station in Nags Head, grabbed some coffee and snacks for the day and struck out for the boat landing at Oregon Inlet. It was some what of a wet boat ride to Vic’s blind on the north end of Herring Shoal Island due to 20 mph winds out of the southwest. After unloading my father and I on the marsh Vic began to set the decoys, we asked if he needed/wanted any help,” I’d have to touch everyone of them” was the reply. The sunrise was breath-taking and legal shooting time came and went with no shots being fired. I guess it was 15 minutes after shooting time that we noticed a knot of 5 ducks headed our way low and fast, seconds later there were 3 dead Bluebills (greaters) in the decoys and Vic’s dog Gabby was hard at work. Vic never fired a shot. We watched hundreds of ducks work back up into the Bodie Island Light House area and killed off that first round of mid morning snacks when I stood up to stretch and noticed a lone duck headed our way, in the time it took me to get down and get my gun Vic gave me a nudge and there was a very nice Black Duck floating among the Mallard decoys. We could have ran out of shells on the mergansers that were flying that day, we killed 3 kind-of in a 2 minute time span but claimed they were for the dog. Right at lunch time a lone Black Duck flew 5 feet by the door to the blind, he went on to Pea Island. Right after lunch the prettiest drake Widgeon I’ve seen flew the same route as the Black Duck, we all vowed to tighten down. After lunch we managed to bump off a nice pair of Widgeon, 2 drake Gadwalls, 1 bufflehead and a hen Mallard – each of us could have taken a Swan.

We had 2 flocks of well educated Pintails come through but they were out about 80 yards. We saw and killed a fine variety of ducks our first day. Vic shot at cripples only, but I think if the Pintails would have given us a second chance he would have burnt powder. 1st day: 1 Black Duck, 3 Greater Scaup, 2 Widgeon, 2 Gadwalls, a mallard, a Bufflehead and 3 Lawn Darts (Mergansers). We already knew that on day 2 we would be hunting with Jonathon, a new guide for OBX Waterfowl. Jonathon had what I would call a big water hotel type blind that you can pull your boat into and shoot from a platform about 8 feet above the water level. In the first 10 minutes of legal shooting time there were 8 dead Scoters and a drake Bufflehead floating off with current. At 9:30am Jonathon announced that it was lunch time and that BBQ pork chop sandwiches were the only thing on the menu, talk about hitting the spot. Various types of Scoters bit the dust throughout the morning but as 3 Bluebills(Lessers) appeared over the decoys out of no where and I killed them all with 1 shot – no cripples and 2 sober witnesses. We finished up the day with my old man pulling off what I say was every bit of a 70 yard shot on a Scoter, gotta love that 3 1/2″ Hevi-shot by Remington. At 3 pm we were at the motel bickering over shower rights. 2nd day: 12 Scoters, 3 Lesser Scaup, 1 Drake Bufflehead and 2 Mergansers. We chose to hunt at Hatteras with Joey on our 3rd and final day out on the Egg Island Shoal. The wind started out at about 25 mph out of the north and about 33 degrees it was another pretty wet boat ride. We got skunked. The wind had robbed Joey of all but about 1 inch of water and the decoys were laying on their side. Being big boys and have hunted forever we understand that some days you’re the bug and some days you’re the windshield. We left Hatteras at 11am and put it in the wind. I would like to thank Ellen and Vic for taking good care of us while we were down for our hunt, whether it was calling the motel to find out how our hunts went to guiding us in the right direction for good food and cold beverages.
Thanks again for a great experience!

Goose Calling with
Mr. Curling by Vic Berg

Jimmy Curling was by far the best goose caller I ever met. He never used a call of any type. He was a voice caller.

Don’t get me wrong. I’ve been privileged to hear some of the best goose music ever performed by human kind. I got limits hunting with 3-time world champ Glenn Covey and have sat awe-struck listening to Erleen Snow, but no one ever talked goose like Jimmy.

A proper call has two segments. The low guttural first sound is immediately followed by the higher resounding second note. Similar to a whip-crack.

Jimmy often told me it was kind of a mix between country music and Tyrol yodel to achieve the transition between the two notes. That transition is the key to a proper goose call. (A Tarzan yell also contains those transitions but not as sharply or as forcefully as a goose call.)

It was Mr. Curling’s opinion that if a kid didn’t learn to call geese before his voice changed, he’d never be able to execute a proper call.

To prove a point he asked my Dad to do a bit of calling for us. Now as a bit of background, my Dad, Vern, and Jimmy were tight as gunning partners. Vern had witnessed Jimmy’s prowess calling geese on many occasions, and was so struck with the effectiveness had practiced endlessly (it seemed, to my chagrin) to perfect his own voice call.

Just the week before, as a matter of fact, my Dad had managed to call a trio of fat Canada’s into his decoys. Vern was pretty full of himself. When Jimmy asked him to demonstrate, he nearly dove at the chance to perform for his mentor. “NAR-ONK, RONK, NAAARO-NK, AHH-RONK.”

Bless his heart, but he sounded awful. He finished off with his strongest effort yet.

“AHHHRO-NK, RONK”

Jimmy let this performance settle in for a full minute. It seemed that it took that long for our ears to unclench. Kind of like the effect of biting down with your fillings onto a ball of aluminum foil.

“Now see son. Your voice has finally all but changed. If you don’t practice, and I mean this week, that’s the most you’ll ever be able to hope for.” We all laughed. Vern didn’t take it personally. He had called in that bunch of geese the week before after all. Besides, Vern knew that if I learned now, I could do his calling for the rest of our days together.

I learned that week, and I did.

Even though I was only 12 and school inconveniently coincided with duck season, my Dad would take me out of school for a week every year to go gunning with him and his cronies. Could life be any better for a kid?!

We were nearing the end of the week and I had been ‘ner-onking’ my head off at every chance. In my mind, I had perfected a right passable goose call.

Hunting in a dense fog in the public blinds in Bodie Island, I’d managed to turn a last gander back toward us. The goose and I conversed for a full minute as he zeroed in on my call. You can’t imagine a child’s disappointment any more than mine when a gun erupted from the next blind over.

Even though I never even saw that bird through the fog, I knew for a fact he was coming to me. That other SOB shot my bird!! I had been inconsolable as I’d never shot a goose of my own before.

We were in a blind in Kitty Hawk Bay the next day. It was late morning when a gaggle of about thirty Canada’s came into view.

“Now’s your chance,” Jimmy urged. “Make up for yesterday.”

I honked once or twice, timidly. A couple more honks and I was warming to the endeavor. I tried a few more honks and then a yodeling barrage that sounded like a half a flock all by myself. In twenty seconds I ‘bout near ner-onked myself sick. The birds never veered. Not a bit. I felt a blow dig into my ribcage.

“If you’re going to change the minds of geese, you got to talk to the boss,” Jimmy whispered.

“Nnng-onk”

“That’s her,” Jimmy noted. He matched her tone and inflection to a T.

“Nnng-onk,” she replied. Jimmy answered back. She called twice. Jimmy aped her note for note.

The flock that had long ago passed us suddenly wheeled. At once, the rest of the flock went silent.

“It’s you and me now, sweetheart,’ Jimmy gushed in a whisper. “Tell me what you want to hear.” She replied. Jimmy answered, note for note, syllable for syllable.

I thought we were going to lose them once when Jimmy’s voice half cracked through the exertion, but he managed to add a few mewlings that reassured the boss goose and they again wheeled into the wind.

I got my first-ever goose that day. In fact, I’m not sure I didn’t get the one my Dad claimed as well. Jimmy, he got the boss goose. He had to, he said. It knew his voice now.

PEA ISLAND DECOY SPREAD

Here’s an innovative decoy spread I developed that works particularly well on a day when you’re hunting and there are variable winds. I’ve dubbed it the “Pea Island Spread.”

I’ve noticed many times while observing birds at rest on the area’s waterfowl preserves a certain pattern that occurs when waterfowl are most at ease.

First, the swan spread out at least 20-30 yards between each bird and virtually all are head down feeding. Around each swan is a tight cluster of 4-6 widgeon (who are thieving food from the longer necked swans). Very occasionally is a tight cluster of different fowl (teal, pintail, gadwall, etc.)

The result is a ‘loosey goosey’ spread with a lot of empty spaces around tight clusters. This way, no matter which way the wind swings, there are open landing areas for the birds to settle into.

It also helps if you shorten your decoy lines in these conditions so as to reduce tangling as your decoys swing in different directions.

Happy Hunting,

Cap’ Vic

DECOY PLACEMENT AND OTHER GOOD STUFF TO KNOW

I’m lucky to waterfowl in an area where, on any given day, I can bag any of 23 species. Of course, you can’t rig representative decoys of all species. To improve your odds, first and foremost learn to recognize fowl in flight. Second. Learn the sounds the various species make then find the most effective reproducers of those sounds. (Note that I didn’t say ‘most expensive’). Learn to work your calls, learn when to call, and most importantly, learn when not to call. Why in the world people pick up a call when they spot a bird with wings already set toward them is beyond me.

But by far your greatest asset in water fowling are your decoys. Couple your decoy placement with waterfowl’s behavioral tendencies and you’ll guarantee yourself consistent success.

Where I hunt we shoot mostly puddle ducks. We also are blessed to be surprised at any time by virtually any species of waterfowl. This includes geese, sea ducks, mergansers, coots, and divers, as well as nearly all puddlers. Here’s how I rig to assure my best shot at success.

I usually put out a flock of 75 to 85 decoys. (Not counting the 50 to 120 snow goose silhouettes that are placed in the spartina grass behind the blind. We aren’t allowed any Canada’s, so I don’t rig any. The flock consists of 2 to 15 swans, (or 5 brant), 6 canvasbacks (mostly drakes), 30 widgeon, 6 to 12 gadwall, 2-8 teal (green and blue winged), and 24 to 36 pintail, 4 mallards, 2 to 4 blacks, and 1to 6 buffleheads.

My best wind is a side wind, right to left. This is the best rig for this situation. Your decoy flock is always constructed from the farthest point upwind to the farthest point downwind.

I usually employ modification of a double diamond rig. Imagine two triangles with their flat bases facing each other and a large, nearly empty space in between.

WIND

The sharp point of the upwind diamond points directly into the wind and the point of the downwind diamond points directly away from the wind.

The upwind flock is always the larger of the two. Generally, the larger the decoy, the farther it is placed upwind, the smaller birds won’t cross over larger birds when landing. (It’s a matter of disrespect to the larger birds and the smaller will usually receive an ass-whipping and get run off for this transgression.

In the dark of pre-dawn everything seems farther away than it really is. Very often, as the sun comes up, you realize that all your decoys are way too close to the blind. To combat this (if the water is shallow enough to wade) actually pace off the distance from the blind to your farthest decoy upwind. Rig from there. If you can’t wade, ‘guestimate’, but your first decoy is the key.

We hunt wide open areas so we have to create a flock that can be seen from a long way off. A densely packed flock can be seen from much father away than a loosely spread flock. I always put some big birds at the very head of the rig, (either swan, geese or brant) to improve the ‘sightability’ of the rig and they also act to force the ducks to land prior to crossing over them. Start your flock at the extreme edge of shotgun range (70-75 yards) with your larger birds in an umbrella shape.

Swans and your various geese are more adept at feeding than the ducks as their bodies and necks are longer. Widgeon are natural born thieves. They steal grass from the larger birds as they come up for air.

Widgeon also thieve from divers. Therefore the cans are the tip of your upwind diamond, intermingled with the widgeon, and then the gadwalls.

Gadwalls have an annoying habit of coasting the extreme outer edge of your spread then sitting 70-75 yards away. They never come closer after landing. That’s why your gaddy decoys make up the close point of the upwind flock.

A final finesse point is to make the upwind flock a little asymmetrical. You’ll want the close half of the flock to have more birds and be a little larger. Just a smidge of a hook should grace both the inner and outer edges so the ass end of the flock forms a slight cup. This makes for a nice oval landing zone. The downwind edge should end 15-20 yards to the right as you look straight out (west) from the blind. The outer decoys should be 50-55 yards from shore.

The downwind flock begins 45-50 yards from the upwind. It must be tightly packed, symmetrical, and closer to shore. It is a lead in to the landing zone. The outside decoy should be 30 yards from shore and the far downwind decoy should be at the edge of shooting range. The inside point should be 5-10 yards from shore.

There ca be no pockets or straggling decoys in the downwind edges of the downwind flock. If there are, virtually all decoying birds will sit short of your rig just shy of the pockets or stragglers.

Pintails really dislike crossing over other birds as they land. Blacks refuse to cross over anything. Therefore they constitute the downwind flock.

Your black ducks are the most vexing to rig as they sit at the tail, won’t cross over anything, and nothing likes to cross over them. Therefore I put them on the outside point, but blended in with the pintails.

You now have a large empty hole in between the two diamonds. For the finishing touch put the teal (1-6) in the big empty space. I prefer a group of 4 teal 15 yards from shore and another pair a hair farther out and fifteen yards farther upwind.

Your last decoy(s) are the bufflehead. They don’t like to hang with any other birds, so set them off by themselves. Anywhere, but not within your main rig.

Okay. You’re done. Now go stash you boat and shoot some ducks.

Most of your birds will line up on the downwind flock but since there are no pockets will coast just to the outside then do a dip and fall in behind the widgeon, just ahead of the teal. Boom. Right where you want them.