Idaho: Day 8 & 9

So I read an article the other day about hunting during the full moon. They say that it (the full moon) allows ducks and geese to feed at night and not need to move as much during the day, thereby reducing your chances of slaying in the morning. Furthermore, they say the afternoon is better to hunt because that is when the ducks and geese are going to need to move. They may be right. My last two hunts bear witness to this fact. Read on.

On Tuesday I went to Anderson Lake with Dallas and hunted the point we had been at before. The conditions were altogether wrong for slaying but we went anyway, wouldn't you? Full moon, warm, clear & calm was the forecast for the day and it was surprisingly accurate. I even purchased a rotating wing decoy the day before to improve our chances of attracting ducks on the big lake and from the wetlands preservee next door. There was hardly any action at all and we packed it up without taking a shot at 10am. Bummer.

Today though was a different story. The last two days have been COLD and I figured the ducks would need to move more often and the shallow wetland preserve may be starting to freeze over. Even with the full moon and sunny forecast things figured to be better. Remember now, I am the "Expert" and with that title goes all things relating to knowledge in the world of duck hunting. And of course, I was right.

Most of the water on the point had started to freeze so I worked the channel leading from the river to the lake. I set minimal blocks and my roto decoy facing the early morning sun so the birds would see them first and sitting on the open water. Not long after that the darkness started to break and hunting time was approaching. First light brought several fly-bys and a lone duck flew low checking out my spread. A single 3" round brought her down and solidified my "Expert" status for another day. I had another shot at a greenie that I missed (sun must have been in my eyes!) and shortly after the sun came up in earnest the action died out. I packed it up and headed for home. Mission Accomplished.

As a side note: Being a member of the HOY7 Hunting Team means something must transpire every day to remind me of my station in the world of high power duck hunters. I left the wings of my new roto decoy out in the blind, an hour away. Heston Damn it! Maybe they will be there next week.

GBCH