Scrounging Firewood (and other stuff)

[djg james]

Had a good morning out ducking. My buddy recently drove a good ways down into the US to pick up a boat with a mud motor. They are very uncommon here and not sold in Canada as far as I'm aware. With his new boat we were able to get way up a small creek/marsh system that is very far from any other points of access. There was about 10 spots where I would have said NOPE in preservation of my lower unit lol. The result was a two man limit of wood ducks that had not seen hunting pressure yet. Can't wait to enjoy some tonight. View attachment 1212719

6 woodies per man? Our limit is only 3. Those look pretty fat birds for woodies.

 

[farmer steve]

A few days ago I posted that I got the trigger installed in my Ruger. Here it is all put together. I forgot how nice the 90s/early 2000s Rugers were. She just needs a better scope and it'll be ready to smoke some yotes. View attachment 1213016View attachment 1213017

Sweet except for the bolt position.

 

[Squareground3691]

6 woodies per man? Our limit is only 3. Those look pretty fat birds for woodies.

Acorns are plentiful,

 

[Lee192233]

Acorns are plentiful,

Find an oak dropping acorns on the edge of a pond in the woods and you've found a wood duck honey hole! Crazy they can can eat them. I've also shot grouse with 2 or 3 big white oak acorns in their crop. Must be quite a sight watching them choke 'em down!

 

[Squareground3691]

Find an oak dropping acorns on the edge of a pond in the woods and you've found a wood duck honey hole! Crazy they can can eat them. I've also shot grouse with 2 or 3 big white oak acorns in their crop. Must be quite a sight watching them choke 'em down!

Oh yeah,

 

[svk]

Had a good morning out ducking. My buddy recently drove a good ways down into the US to pick up a boat with a mud motor. They are very uncommon here and not sold in Canada as far as I'm aware. With his new boat we were able to get way up a small creek/marsh system that is very far from any other points of access. There was about 10 spots where I would have said NOPE in preservation of my lower unit lol. The result was a two man limit of wood ducks that had not seen hunting pressure yet. Can't wait to enjoy some tonight. View attachment 1212719

Very nice!

 

[svk]

Good morning guys,

Things continue to be crazy busy here, but we got a few ducks this weekend and continue to get fall project done.

Last night I smoked up some bacon wrapped duck, and it was fabulous.

I tried to keep October unscheduled for me and my time, but that didn’t happen again this year. So far since opener Duck season we’ve had a volleyball tournament, wedding, a funeral, a volunteering event, and next weekend I have Lions training on Saturday. I’ve been able to Hunt every morning, but I’ve only had one Saturday free to work at the cabin. I guess I’ll have to catch up in November. Hopefully it doesn’t snow!

The little pieces are a mixture of teal and redhead. The large piece is a jalapeño cream cheese stuffed redhead breast

 

[Sampson]

6 woodies per man? Our limit is only 3. Those look pretty fat birds for woodies.

Acorns are plentiful,

Find an oak dropping acorns on the edge of a pond in the woods and you've found a wood duck honey hole! Crazy they can can eat them. I've also shot grouse with 2 or 3 big white oak acorns in their crop. Must be quite a sight watching them choke 'em down!

Bang on! The ground was littered with acorns. We were set up on a finger of land in a big oxbow in the creek covered by a stand of oak trees. There were also several recent scrapes and rubs on smaller trees. If it weren't such a pain to get to with a conventional outboard, I would be thinking about going back and seeing who's been frequenting that area.

 

[EchovsStihl63]

Off 81?

My kid goes to college in Johnson City TN, we drive 81 too often….

Yes sir, I ride 81 every morning from Daleville exit to Salem for work..... You come with in 10 minutes of my place when you go by lol. Also just a heads up, idk how much longer your youngin will be in school, but they are in the planning phases for turning mm143-150 into 3 lane so that will probably be a fuster for the next several years.

 

[EchovsStihl63]

This dude made an appearance again. Can't resist the acorns and the 15-20 does hanging out in my field

 

[Lee192233]

If it weren't such a pain to get to with a conventional outboard, I would be thinking about going back and seeing who's been frequenting that area.

Canoe and a trolling motor?

 

[djg james]

Bang on! The ground was littered with acorns. We were set up on a finger of land in a big oxbow in the creek covered by a stand of oak trees. There were also several recent scrapes and rubs on smaller trees. If it weren't such a pain to get to with a conventional outboard, I would be thinking about going back and seeing who's been frequenting that area.

I cut my teeth on wood ducks in a slough of a local creek. Full of buck brush and only 2-3 feet deep. The owner would back hoe a ditch so the slough could drain in the creek, keeping the level constant. Full of woodies and very few big ducks because of the congestion of buck brush. Woodies love the little pockets.

2 gererations of owners later, the backwater isn't drained and the water now is 6 feet or so and the buck brush has been flooded out. One big lake now with only one blind in the middle. Some ducks come in, but once they become wise to the blind, go off to the other secluded spots in the area. The grandson's don't do very well anymore.

Naturally, I got ran out of there years ago by the idiots.

 

[Haywire]

What are these acorn things?

 

[djg james]

Good morning guys,

Things continue to be crazy busy here, but we got a few ducks this weekend and continue to get fall project done.

Last night I smoked up some bacon wrapped duck, and it was fabulous.

I tried to keep October unscheduled for me and my time, but that didn’t happen again this year. So far since opener Duck season we’ve had a volleyball tournament, wedding, a funeral, a volunteering event, and next weekend I have Lions training on Saturday. I’ve been able to Hunt every morning, but I’ve only had one Saturday free to work at the cabin. I guess I’ll have to catch up in November. Hopefully it doesn’t snow!

The little pieces are a mixture of teal and redhead. The large piece is a jalapeño cream cheese stuffed redhead breast
View attachment 1213093

Man you can cook!! You'd make a good ..... Oops better not say that. Seriously, did you grill those? How rare are they? I usually fillet my large mallard breasts, bread and fried in a little oil until they stop bleeding. Not rare as you cook them. Going to try letting up on the heat a little.

 

[Squareground3691]

What are these acorn things?

From oak trees , Highlander lol

 

[Sampson]

Canoe and a trolling motor?

Now that's an idea! Unfortunately I do not have a trolling motor. Well, I do, but it would take some doing to rig up the bow mount foot pedal model from my jon boat into a canoe lol.

 

[Lee192233]

Now that's an idea! Unfortunately I do not have a trolling motor. Well, I do, but it would take some doing to rig up the bow mount foot pedal model from my jon boat into a canoe lol.

Probably could find a used transom mount for $100.

 

[Sampson]

Man you can cook!! You'd make a good ..... Oops better not say that. Seriously, did you grill those? How rare are they? I usually fillet my large mallard breasts, bread and fried in a little oil until they stop bleeding. Not rare as you cook them. Going to try letting up on the heat a little.

If you're looking to get them a bit more on the tender side you can either let up on the heat or go in the opposite direction. High heat for a short amount of time, much like a steak. I like to sauté some onions in the pan with oil and then crank up the heat and throw the breasts in. Say, a minute to a minute and a half on each side for small birds. I'm looking for a sear on the outside and pink throughout, but not bloody. I also like to soak the breasts in salt water for at least six hours, this helps let some of the blood out.

 

[Sampson]

Probably could find a used transom mount for $100.

I'm going to have to look into this

 

[svk]

Man you can cook!! You'd make a good ..... Oops better not say that. Seriously, did you grill those? How rare are they? I usually fillet my large mallard breasts, bread and fried in a little oil until they stop bleeding. Not rare as you cook them. Going to try letting up on the heat a little.

These were smoked so they were very uniformly medium to medium rare. If grilling I’ll do them rare to MR. I just smoked them till the bacon started to crisp.