Figured I try to do my part by trying to keep the world updated about how good/bad the season is going here in the Atlantic Flyway. Will try to give a blow by blow recap of the 08-08 waterfowl season. Would like to invite anyone chasing  feathers here on the east coast  to chime in. Hopefully, we will have some GOOD reports and stories

With the resident goose season ending a few weeks ago, most folks reported a" good as usual"  Res goose season .Our weather here in the mid Atlantic  region is usually warm and dry ,  most folks not finding the corn being cut, find it hard to get on the birds. Such was the case this year.

Folks have been gearing up for the "little birds" with the lull between seasons .BUT, we will be out again in full force as our split season for ducks will open on the 8th of Oct. and run til  the 11th,which is Sat. It's a time to hit the swamps and back waters with the hopes of finding our native wood ducks and teal. With the late summer and early fall rains we should find plenty of water in the swamps and hopfully a few ducks too   

Time will tell

Well, the weather God's have been looking out for the fowl of the air here in the Atlantic Flyway. Great weather to do a bit of fall fishing, but not much for hunting, as you know, ducks like it nasty

Slipped off by myself yesterday morning and was not able to do the deed. I had great hopes of having a good morning, but the ducks just were not moving.

Left yesterday evening for a youth /parent hunt in northern Va.which was held today( Sat). Again, warm and pretty, the ducks just did not move, I was able to encourage a couple crows to take a closer look at our "crow talkin decoys" They  were shot at but excaped unharmed. Late in the morning we did have three mallards fly over and I was lucky enough to get the attention of one of the ducks.  A hen mallard turned, locked up and the father and son in my boat jumped up and after a couple shots, were able to drop the duck in the deks. I think the dad killed the duck but the son was given credit. It turned out to be a good day of duckin and after a bacon& eggs breakfast with all the trimmings, everyone feft with a smile on their face. Several other boats had a few ducks do a fly by ,one other boat  in our group did kill a drake mallard.

First split goes out Monday and the weatherman said....... it's going to warm up..... OH REALLY

Well, as an overall report of  our early  4 day duck season here in Va.. weather wise it was warm and pretty all four days. That made for tuff hunting with most folks.  From the reports I got  , most only killed a hand full of ducks. Guess we can say it was typical of our early season , guess  it's just a tune up for the last split.

Our season will reopen the middle of November and stay in til the middle of Jan. Hope the weather will cool down and get a bit more ducky, til then, it's back to the waiting game

No, Buck, you are right, it's geared around "The Wood Duck", which is native to Va. But we do have a good pop of mallards and the others that like to show up for the party.   The weather is JUST starting to push the migs down from the northern regions

Well, this past Sat. was Youth Waterfowl Day here in Va. I wish I had a better report as the weather/winds were supposed to be pretty bad and most of the kids did not show up for the hunt. A few of the kids that did attend the hunt  killed a few ducks and as usual, everyone had plenty to eat and  the kids did carry home some nice prizes. All in all, it was a good day here in Va.    Wish I had some pics but......

We have been getting reports that with the cold weather up north ,the scoters and divers were showing up in the bay, so 3 of us braved rain and a pretty good chop in search of a limit of surf scoters yesterday. They just were not to be had, we only got 3. We just could not find any birds.

Our general season rolls in Sat. the 15th. with everything coming in so, it's going to start getting interesting.   Hope the reports do too

Cut, when does the season go to in the flyway?  I'm assuming that the fowl changes as the season gets colder?

Yea, it's all about the migration, our general season( with includes everyting)  "if it's flying, it's dying" comes in Sat ., the 115th and with run to the later part of Jan. Then resident goose stays in( west of 95) which means inland to us  and will stay in til the end of Feb.  Then it's back to waiting

Well, our opening morning blew in like a lion here in Va. With the night before having thunderstorms, high winds and lots of rain legal shooting time found my opening day spot , 70 degrees,barren of the ducks that were there just a few days ago.   Oh well, that's hunting

Have had a few reports of a few teal, mallards and geese being invited home and "out of the wind". But, Have not talked to anyone having taking a limit, so guess it's safe to say, the best is yet to come.

A front is moving in today, temps will be dropping and hopfully new birds will move into the area.   Will be looking skyward again tomorrow, so will fill you in at "dark30"

The weather is finally starting to get right. Hope it continues, got into the teal this morning!   Boy those little birds do fly

Been getting up at 4, try to be at the ramp at 5 and with a short run and putting out the deks, 5:50 finds me looking skyward.

Our legal shooting hours are 1/2 hour before sunrise and sunset.   Boy if they allowed us to shoot geese 1/2 after sunset.  I could do some serious damage

Can't tell you how many times I've limited out, doves, ducks only to be covered up with them..... Even just killed a deer only to have a bigger one walk up.....  It does mess with your head sometimes   Don't even get me started on "ducks sitting in the decoys ...before shooting light

We had a big push of new birds ahead of the  cold front that hit last weekend. Limits of ducks and geese to be had by all. But those birds also got pushed out and now we are left waiting for another push. I've not hunted since last sat .but reports this week are birdless skys.     But tomorrow is the day I'll get after em, will give you a birds eye view tomorrow!

Happy Thanksgiving from the Atlantic Flyway

We are having a very unusal season here in Va. We are actually have a migration. With our below normal cold weather  we are having ducks pushing throught in front of the cold fronts. A hole that's holding ducks today may be barrin tomorrow.... BUT, plenty of fowl to be had for all those chasing feathers. Our last segment of goose season starts this weekend and looks like we'll have plenty of the big birds to go around.

I know you think "theirs no place like home" but 7 degrees

Well, we had a sort of unusal season here in Va. Overall we worked on the resident birds with most of the migration either passing over Va. or being pushed out by an unually cold winter.

As a rule Dec. and Jan. are our best months but this year most of our ducks were gone and  the last two weeks of the season our lakes were frozen over leaving most fowlers sitting at the ramp scratching their heads.

The folks on the coast and hunting tidal water fared a little better but overall I'd discribe our late season as.... "not too good"

 The '09 resident goose season has started out with a bang, been out twice, 7 fell on opening morning and 4 on Sat. We collected 2 bands on the opener. I'll let you know the details of the life of the two geese when I get the info back!    Boy, I love this time of the year!

Anyone else chasing feathers???? 

Kicked out our Va. opening this past Sat with a 5 bird limit. Three mallards, included 2 greenheads, a hen woodrow and a ringneck. Not5 a bad way to kick off the general duck season over here on the east coast!

Hey beans, how ya doing brother, how's the hunting going????   Been doing pretty good on the fowl of the air but I have a nice deer in behind the house that just will not make "that mistake"    Seem him on the trail camera and he's def a shooter