Blogs / Alan Wilson's blog / Pits or levee
Pits or levee
Just want to say thanks to whom ever put out the dekes on the south levee at north roberts. My son and myself had a great time this morning. We went to north roberts to find the bench seat not quite fitting. When we walked out, there were at least 300 ducks sitting around those decoys next to the levee.
We sat in the pit for about 20 minutes to see the ducks dropping in on the levee decoys. We decided right then that was the place to be.. We layed back on the levee, and watched the ducks swarm us. We got several shovelers, and would have had plenty of pintail and mallards had we had sufficient cover. My waders leaked around both boots, and my crotch seam, so I was very cold and wet. So I couldn't get as deep into the water as I wanted to to cover up. Peeped on my pintail call, and short little quacks, seemed the ducks are very call shy...But we actually shot more than any other groups around. We were horrible on our shooting, partly because of the wind and awkward way we were laying to hide as much as possible. All this to say, if the pits aren't working, jump out on a levee, it seems to work well...There are a lot more ducks down, just low in numbers for this time on the farm....Had lots of fun with my son, and OH YEAH MOO...I love my wool mittens, but i almost chunked them today after missing a hen (again) that got up out of the ditch 3 feet in front of me hiding in the brush...Arms loaded with paraphernalia, Those darn mittens were pulled over my fingers again when I should have had a good shot...Come whackem now, cause you won't be able to soon....
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With all this conversation about my pulling out my Stoeger and showing it to people, I want to make it perfectly clear that "Stoeger" is not a nickname for any body part whatsoever.
Thunder
Just wanted to make that clear too!!! Agreeing that the stoeger posses some mighty fine magic to bringing down ducks.
Had they're northern flight layout blind for 150 a week or so ago. I got one and it's very
Nice and water proof in 8- 10 inches
Alan, I room with "Mr Team Stoeger"! I know more about Stoeger shotguns than I do about my children! Members, Please do not blog you have a Stoeger shotgun for sale until after the season! We eat off stoeger plastic plates, we drink out of stoeger solo cups, Stoeger decals everywhere!!!
Richard
I've got a layout and have used it a few times this year. I really like it. I've got 3 packs of gillie grass on it and look like a pile of rice stubble. I used it on South House when it was flooded and on E. Rayburn while hunting from the ditch.
We also have 5 1/2 dozen full bodies which are great but getting them out to where you're hunting can be a chore. They're not heavy at all but are bulky and it's a team effort to get it all arranged.
I was really hoping to use the layouts when things froze up and the ducks started using the dry fields, doesn't look like that's going to happen this year.
The full body decoys are pricey but you can get the shells which are the same duck at about half the price. They are more easily transported too because you can stack them.
If you're serious about a layout let me know I can get them from Bass Pro Shops at a huge DISCOUNT.
Randy
For years I've wanted to buy one of those sled blinds. They're made of lightweight tubing and made for 2-4 people. One of those could really come in handy for just such levee hunting.
Macks ususally has them during the festival. They're made to tow behind a wheeler across a field and "poof" instant blind, just add water!
Maybe soon!
Randy
Would lay out blinds not work perfect?
-Hunter
Follow @3RiversDuckClub
I know what your talking about...I want some kind of a layout blind, just for that reason..First things first though...I want to buy some full body decoys, but I can't find any at a decent price. Guess I'm gonna have to bite the bullet and just get some. Found out this weekend laying there on that ditch bank, that both legs on my waders, and my crotch area leaks real bad. I was soaked from butt to toes, and cold as a COOT, (sorry, should have used a different duck) Now it's new wader time... That's duck hunting...always something..
Alan, as Randy mentioned me and my family had great a time for 2 days and my 11 year old daughter Brittany plus Thunder Dan and one of the seven dwarfs (extra tall version) Rick "Sleepy" Brantley had another great hunt on the levee during Christmas break. Brittany was able to kill her first duck, a hen mallard with the help of scout Thunder! Thanks again Dan!
Richard
Great, Glad you had a good hunt. I agree, I love to bring my boys with me, that's what it's all about to me. My dad took me, and I loved it. My boys do too...Brittney will always remember these times, and tell everyone about them. Hope the rest of the season works out for you guys, and you have time to make more memories..Did Dan show you his Stoeger, He has been pulling that thing out on everyone, like it is something special...LOL...
Alan, my son and I rounded those decoys up after the BIG FLOOD they floated out of the bag. The pit was still under water then and we threw them out at that south levee hoping to hunt there the next morning. We ended up hunting some where else, but it turns out that was indeed a good spot.
Richard Bishop and his Family hunted there and had a good hunt. Dan Taylor, my son, and Rick Brantley also hunted there and had a good hunt. I saw ducks using that spot all year and even Saturday like you said there were about 300 sittling there. Thats a GREAT hole on a south wind as they come right in your face.
Perhaps we need to make some "pit decoys" you know big fake steel boxes to fool the duck and then just hunt the levees...LOL
Glad to here you had a fun day !
Randy
Yea, great idea Randy. Put pits out in the fields, with mannequins to look like people are in them, maybe even with moving heads, so they will go to the levee decoys...We've been doing this wrong all along...You may be on to something...Hey, that was a great spot for decoys, they were landing right out in front of us. We could have killed a lot more had we had more cover. I usually carry some grass rolls with me, but they were on my fourwheeler, which is not working, because of the choke cable breaking, and getting stuck closed. Those darn rincons just won't move if that choke is on...
Also, if you shoot a duck on the south farm, make sure you keep an eye on it, I shot a teal, and it layed out there for about 20 min., and out of the corner of my eye came a swift little hawk, that decided he wanted it more. He landed on it, as if to taunt me looking straight at me, and I jumped up and he flew off. Good thing, I would have hated to show him my stoeger side....