This season has been usually dry and clear, making hunting difficult. When we finally had some snow move through I was excited to have some friends who were ready and willing to join me. We headed out and were please to see all the birds moving. The wind never really picked up liked I'd hoped it would but when I walked down the the slough to let the dog run off some energy, a flock of geese got up near by and headed right towards our spread. It's been several years since we've shot a goose, so this was a great thing. Shots rang and one Vancouver Canada Goose fell. This was their first goose, so we were all pretty pleased with the hunt. I say "their" first goose because no one was quite sure who shot it.
The happy hunters with their first goose
We didn't have any duck action so we called it a day and headed home. We decided to pluck the goose and try smoking it so we heated up some water on a crab cooker and scalded it, then plucked it. It worked quite well. No word on how the smoking went though.
The plucked goose, waiting to be rinsed then into the smoker
In early November we had a nice high tide coupled with a storm blowing through so a friend and I headed out to the flats and had a great hunt. When we reached our spot and started setting up, my buddy realized he was missing his wind duck so he headed back to locate it along the trail. The tide was flooding in and the wind and rain blowing so the birds were really moving around.
Set up and watching the tide roll in.
The action was so fast that I had 4 birds before he returned from his decoy hunt. Once he got back to the blind he started getting some shooting, but he was having some major jamming issues with his Mossberg 935 auto-loader. At first we thought it was the older shells he was shooting but even a brand new box of 3-1/2" Winchesters would jamb him up every time. At one point after jamming on the first shot and with more birds pouring in, I just handed him my loaded Remington 870. I had 6 birds by that point, so shooting a single shot was fine by me. My 870 doesn't shoot 3-1/2's so it was fun to have some extra fire power. My last bird was a nice Widgeon outside of my usual range.
My first birds of the hunt; a Widgeon and a Pintail.
We kept hunting until the tide receded to the point that our decoys were high and dry and called it a day. My buddy didn't round out a limit but he still scratched out 5 birds. I was fortunate to shoot my first limit of the season; 5 Widgeon, a Pintail and a Teal.
My limit for the day; 5 Widgeon, a Pintail and a Teal.
I've wanted to pick up a waterproof VHF radio for several years now. I've had my eye on several radios, such as the icon IC-M88 and others due to their rugged-ness, waterproof-ness and compact size since space is at a premium in my Marsh Rat.
Mean while I stumbled upon a Humminbird VHF55s Plus on Craigslist for $25. It was too good of a deal to pass up, but I figured something was wrong.
Hummingbird VHF55s Plus
At first glance, everything looked fine with the radio. It functioned and came with most of the accessories.
Loose power port connection
It became clear what the problem was when I brought it home. The power port was loose in the charging cradle and would go on and off with any slight movement.
Re-soldering loose power port on Hummingbird VHF55s Plus
Thankfully that's not more than a 5 minute fix. I popped open the case and re-soldered the loose connection and now it works like a charm.
I still need to come up with a mount to keep it close by and handy when hunting, but I have a few ideas about that.
My family and I are exited that I have reliable emergency communications in the boat this year .
The end of the 2011 Waterfowl Season closes the book on my 7th year hunting the Mendenhall State Game Refuge, located in the heart of Juneau, Alaska.
Overall it was one of my most successful seasons for ducks, but lacking in opportunities for geese. I was blessed to hunt with many friends this year and to be able to hunt both the opening and final days of the season.
One of my most memorable hunts took place on Black Friday. I was fortunate enough to hunt the storm tide with strong winds and shoot my first limit of the season! Alaska has very generous bag limits due to an abundance of waterfowl, low hunting pressure and just plain awesomeness!
I hunt out of my Marsh Rat duck boat any chance I get so this trip was originally meant to take place on one of the many islands in the refuge. When I got to my launch spot, I could tell the wind was too high and the trip out to the island would be dangerous. I opted to stay close to shore and tied up behind a log that had a nice blanket of snow that would conceal my presence.
The log concealing my boat
With the high winds (gusting over 25 knots) and the associated waves, the ducks were constantly moving and looking for secluded places to set. I had several fair sized flocks work and even dropped two of the hen pintails out of a flock of a dozen birds that nearly landed on me.
I shot my last bird just as the tide receded, leaving my boat and decoys high and dry. At that point, I was doubly thankful I hadn't ventured farther for this hunt. Dragging my boat back to my launch spot was hard enough as it was.
My limit of 4 Mallards and 3 Pintails on the bow of my boat
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