Weekend Opener - How Did You All Do?

[TheCanMan]

Time to get this NY forum active again, the season is back!! Anyone head out for the weekend opener? How did you all do?

My first bird was a nice black drake. I’m seeing a lot of geese (not open in my zone right now) but not too many ducks flying. Not sure if the birds got pressure during the early youth / veterans opener but the birds seem shy. Very few flying, and what was in the sky was flying high. Interested to hear other reports …

 

[TheCanMan]

I hope someone got out today, the temps dropped overnight, the wind kicked up, and some rain over night, and the ducks were flying this morning. Had one come around my right side, my head level, banked around a reed and instantly came face to face with me, I had to “duck” and he pulled hard up and missed the top of my head by 2 feet! Shot a small hen woodie … anyone else?

 

[darkvibe]

I woke up. Saw the hourly forecast said "heavy thunderstorms", texted my friend and went back to bed.

 

[TheCanMan]

I woke up. Saw the hourly forecast said "heavy thunderstorms", texted my friend and went back to bed.

not much of an opener … at least the season is finally here

 

[TheCanMan]

No reports of birds or conditions at all? Was really hoping to bring this forum back to life now that the season is back. I’m out enjoying the first week …

 

[Ramblingman]

Time to get this NY forum active again, the season is back!! Anyone head out for the weekend opener? How did you all do?

My first bird was a nice black drake. I’m seeing a lot of geese (not open in my zone right now) but not too many ducks flying. Not sure if the birds got pressure during the early youth / veterans opener but the birds seem shy. Very few flying, and what was in the sky was flying high. Interested to hear other reports …

View attachment 313070

Beautiful bird! Bucket list species for me. Nice photo as well!

 

[Curt Gibson]

Time to get this NY forum active again, the season is back!! Anyone head out for the weekend opener? How did you all do?
Nice looking bird !!!
My first bird was a nice black drake. I’m seeing a lot of geese (not open in my zone right now) but not too many ducks flying. Not sure if the birds got pressure during the early youth / veterans opener but the birds seem shy. Very few flying, and what was in the sky was flying high. Interested to hear other reports …

View attachment 313070

 

[1bigduck]

We went out, two of us, managed 8 teal & 1 woodie. What surprised me was the overall lack of mallards. I saw 6 all morning when i would typically see 20 or 30.

 

[Soggy Socks]

Shot a couple mallards earlier then went elsewhere for other stuff. I'll be back out that way later in the week. Will post when i do

 

[Soggy Socks]

Well I ended up bow hunting more than doing any duck hunting shot a six point Saturday. I did scout my duck holes a bit that fill up with mallards and blacks as it gets colder. Anyway they were pretty much barren until the day before yesterday. Dog would sneak in and scan the holes since he learned what its all about. He went in that day and saw them pointed and when I walked in they flushed. I knocked down a greenhead on the first shot waited while they cleared a bit a hen circled behind me and dumped her. He got to do a water retrieve and a land retrieve. Bismuth 5's and my Sweet 16 did the trick.