Check One Off the Bucket List

With 50-60 degree temperatures all over the state this past week, hunters found themselves in a strange predicament. Many expected low numbers and low activity, but were pleasantly surprised. Reports from across the state actually appeared to show relatively good numbers still in the area. Although nothing moved quite as much during daylight hours, due to the high temps, there still was a strong population in the region. Most of us expected the birds to have practically vanished overnight, but it seems birds south of us in the flyway were making their way back north, thusly passing right through the southern and central part of the state.

This weekend looks like a great opportunity for some late season action. Bitter cold temperatures that we haven’t quite experienced will hopefully push birds back down. Stay near big water because the birds you see will most likely be on the move. Most small marshes have been shot out by this time of the season, but new birds means new opportunities, so feel free to experiment.  Personally, all my luck has been on the river and near major wetlands. This past weekend, in fact, a personal goal and lifelong dream of mine became a reality.  I harvested my first speck.

If you aren’t familiar with the term “speck”, I’ll explain

White fronted geese, also known as Specklebelly geese, are a distant cousin to our all-too-familiar Canada goose. They are a western and arctic dwelling bird. The majority of specks summer in the arctic, somewhere between Alaska and northern Canada. They either migrate down the west coast to California or Mexico, or they come down the Central Flyway to the gulf. In order to see one in the Ohio valley, a specklebelly has to make some major mistakes.

This particular goose flew into the spread amongst twenty Canada geese. They landed just out of our decoys, and just out of range. After watching the group for what seemed like an hour, I realized one of those geese didn’t have a black bill. About a millisecond after I made this connection, another group flew in but this time they were landing right on top of us. As my brother and good friend (retired Ohio conservation officer, Jim Splete) started to shoot at this new flock I knew it was my one chance at a bird of a lifetime. Then the purest of all luck rained down and I watched my prize fall to the water.

Maybe that was a bit dramatic, but it is exciting to imagine the diversity in the region. There’s only a couple of weeks left and I recommend taking a friend and hitting the water. And to think I almost didn’t hunt this weekend.

 

Foggy, misty morning on the Ohio R.

 

 

My first Speck and a Canada

 

 

 

 On the way back to Ohio the night before. God painted a beautiful sky for us.

Late Season Pressure

Season ended on January 6th for the northern portion of the state, but the south still has until the 27th. This part of the season is probably the most exciting for most of us. Often, this is the waterfowl hunter's opportunity to see rare species, larger than usual flocks, and a higher probability of collecting bands. Any time of the year southern Ohio is fairly consistent in delivering birds. The main catalyst for success is indisputably the weather, and this time of year provides the optimal conditions for a full bag.

Northern Ohio holds the key, to not only the rest of the state's bird population, but also to the potential success of the southern states in the Mississippi Flyway. This key is Lake Erie. There exists a constant population of waterfowl on the lake. It is not uncommon to see various species that many of us would consider "rare" this early in the season. But the rest of the state may never see these birds until Lake Erie freezes over. In warm winters, like the this one, it may not happen during hunting season.

If you look around the web very much at all, you’ll quickly see complaints from hunters who live north of Columbus. They're complaining about the late season’s early end date. What most people don’t realize is that no state has the power to extend a waterfowl hunting season. The federal government mandates, per flyway, how many hunting days will be allowed, and the state simply plugs these numbers into dates they find appropriate and with the most potential to be successful. Many hunters feel like the season puts the north to a disadvantage by starting a week early, and after seeing the unseasonably warm winters we’ve been having in recent years, I think I agree. Nonetheless, the south absolutely needs this final week.  In my opinion, the last week is usually your best chance for success.
 
With the end of a season comes pressure, and lots of it. I started my hunt today in the field I limited in last weekend. There were plenty of birds on the river, but nothing came into the field. Educated birds. For the afternoon I went to “Sandfork Wetland”, a wetland built by Ducks Unlimited and maintained by the state. I’ve had great success here in the past, but not today. After hours, I walked around the marsh looking for spent shotgun shells… found about four boxes worth. Pressure.
 
Without going into hunting ethics (first article after the season will address ethics), the massive amount of shells shows me that I wasn’t the only person taking advantage of the local “honey hole”. This is why it’s important to have a plethora of hunting locations. I try to find a new spot every year, I don’t always find one, but it’s a good thought. Now I know I need to move on to the next location to try my luck. That being said, it was great to get out and enjoy God’s creation today, and I wouldn’t have traded it for sleeping in. I've never regretted going hunting, but I've often regretted sleeping in.

@OhioWaterfowl

Cornfield by the Ohio R. in Gallia County



 

Sandfork Wetland- "Honey Hole"

 

 

 

FINALLY

I don't know exactly how many posts have been made on DU's Migration Report Map, but it was on the money this weekend. I've been hunting almost every other day for the past two weeks, and the numbers have been disappointing. It seems everywhere I go people have been saying the same, at least here in the southern part of the state. I traveled to Cleveland about a week before the new year, and there were birds, just not as spectacular as previous weeks. I was also in Columbus this past week, and saw a relatively good number of birds, but yesterday was unlike anything I've ever  experienced.

I've been hunting the southern portion of Ohio, primarily Gallia, Lawrence, Jackson, and Meigs counties, since 2005. Three years ago numbers were extremely high, but this year has proven to be setting the bar.

Current weather conditions: sunny, mid 30's, low wind, thousands of birds. My hunt started with setup around 3pm in a cornfield right off the bank of the Ohio. The snow that had been sitting on that field for the past week and a half and had finally melted, and the harvested corn was visible. It seems the birds had finally found a place to feed.

If you're in Ohio and not hunting this week, get out there! The temperature is going to reach 60's by the end of the week for much of the state, and these migrants are hungry. The place to be right now is near a food source. The entire upper half of the state is covered in snow. Find a field or some water that isn't frozen... because the birds are here and reports are showing more to the north and on the way.

This has been a good week for me. My first limit of ducks for this season, including a hybrid and a black duck. Also, harvested a banded mallard earlier in the week. Email or tweet me with what you're seeing!

@OhioWaterfowl