Posted on 12/09/2015 12:50:19 PM PST by w1n1
California is typically No. 2 or 3 in terms of numbers of ducks killed each season. The only state that beats us consistently is Louisiana, home of the infamous Duck Commander crew. So to someone who doesn't speak duck, one might think that we California sportsmen kill limits every morning we slide into our waders.
As avid waterfowlers know, that simply ain't the case. Our sunny California weather plays a huge role in why we don't kill limits every day at Colusa, Sutter Butte and Gray Lodge refuges. Blue bird days are more common than not these days.
The typical duck hunt often starts with a flock of teal dive bombing into the decoys and leaving just before legal shooting time. It's almost as if they have little wrist watches.
And once shooting time arrives, we get to watch as flocks of high fliers return from their night feeding to the refuge. Oh, sure, one lone shoveler might commit spoon-a-cide and come join our flock of plastic unblinking decoys. Yet by and large, most flocks will head straight for the safe areas of the refuge when the weather's nice. So besides telling off-color jokes with our hunting partners to pass the time, we at California Sportsman have a few suggestions for killing time in the marsh:
1. Kill something besides ducks
Regulations permitting, there are several birds that can be hunted not far from your dead spread. Here are a couple:
Snipe are a favorite prey of mine, but no one seems to hunt them here. Back East they are a revered game bird; out here, not so much. I often get a funny look when I tell someone I limited on them.
The truth is snipe are often found in many of the same spots we hunt ducks. That mushy, muddy, flat on the back of the slough you're hunting is a perfect spot. Snipe feed on invertebrates in the mud by probing with their long beaks.
You will encounter snipe as singles or pairs – three are a veritable flock. When flushed, they often fly out in a zigzag path while scolding you with a screech or two. But they have a peculiar trait. If for some reason you don't shoot on the initial flush, they will often fly back over the top of you for a high crossing shot.
2. Enjoy armed bird watching
California's marshes are the some of the most bird-rich wetland in the world. Shore birds, raptors, upland birds, those LBBs - little brown birds - that flit through the blind as you're scanning the empty skies. The variety is staggering and figuring out what kind of bird you're looking at is a great way to pass some time. With smart phone technology, the answer is right at your fingertips. Read the rest of waterfowl hunt tips here.
Last time I went snipe hunting I was left holding the bag.
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