Mendota Duck opener

TheExterminater · Oct-23-2005, 03:27 PM

Hunted the opener with my dad at Mendota. There were so many ducks flying it was hard to pick one to shoot. Before shoot time there were several groups of Mallards landing in the decoys but just before shoot time they all got up and left. We both ran out of shells before the sun was even up so I had to walk back to the truck for more shells. After that we stopped shooting at the smaller ducks and went for the higher mallards and pintail. Most of them were 50 yards or high up and did not want to come down. The first one that came over I hit but it locked its wings up and sailed a mile away. The next mallard I go to shoot it and I had no shells in the gun and my dad missed it. Then we had a pintail come over and I drop it but it was not a clean kill and it dove down and I ever found it. I hate when they do that. After that we had one more mallard come over and lock up coming into the decoys but about 50 yards out it started to flair off So I shot and dropped it at about 60 yards. That filled out limits and we packed it up had headed out at 9:00am. Here are some pics.

Here is the area we hunted

After that we went over to Panoche Management area looking for quail. found some nice areas but only found two single quail that never gave us a shot. Here is a pic of that area

Here is a pic of the sunset

I will be at wister wednesday. My Friend got reservation 15

Jeffrey

Genelie · Oct-23-2005, 06:25 PM

Congrats on the duck hunting. I have yet to go out. I hope to on the water this coming sunday. BY THE WAY Pintail are not to be shot before november I forgot the date. Beware of the game warden.

TheExterminater · Oct-23-2005, 07:00 PM

Pintail are open. Last year they had the split season on them but not this year. The only thing you cant shoot now is Canvasback. They open December 1.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov//wmd/05_06regrecs.html

Jeffrey

StillinScrubs · Oct-23-2005, 07:50 PM

Nice report. Do you guys ever get cinamon teal? We never see them here in the east.

TheExterminater · Oct-23-2005, 09:55 PM

Ya we get them. There were a few people in the parking lot that had some, but later in the season we get a lot more.

Jeffrey

Sluester · Oct-23-2005, 11:58 PM

Congrats! Sounds like there was a lot of action! I'll take the "little" ducks any day!

The reg. book I keep with me in the field says we can shoot 1 Canvasback per day for the Colorado river zone.

TheExterminater · Oct-24-2005, 12:31 AM

Ya the little speed rockets are fun to shoot and are good eating but it is nice to get some bigger ducks in the mix especially the mallards. I dont see a lot of them. I mostly hunt Kern and Wister and there are very few mallards there. I have never seen a canvasback where I hunt so I dont have to really worry about shooting one.

Jeffrey

Genelie · Oct-24-2005, 06:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheExterminater

Pintail are open. Last year they had the split season on them but not this year. The only thing you cant shoot now is Canvasback. They open December 1.

http://www.dfg.ca.gov//wmd/05_06regrecs.html

Jeffrey

My bad; glad they are open .

Sluester · Oct-24-2005, 08:26 AM

I've hunted wiester a few times. This time a year there are a lot of teal and spoonies. 15 is a great pick. I think if you get in the top 50 you should do well. Good luck, we'll be hunting Sunday @ Sutherland. I' hunt there more but the no dog rule sucks.

KID CREOLE · Oct-24-2005, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StillinScrubs

Nice report. Do you guys ever get cinamon teal? We never see them here in the east.

Scrubs,

In Dec. and Jan there are a few spots here in so. Calif where you could shoot a 7 bird limit of drake cinnamons in full color. There's a guy from Georgia who's coming out to hunt with me in Jan just to get one cinnamon drake for the wall!

BluefinCurly · Oct-24-2005, 11:15 AM

If you are going to Wister Wed, take some white. We saw two flights and word is there are a few more in the valley.

The Cins were heavy this weekend. I presume the front from Mon drove down new birds. We saw Widgeon, Gaddys, Pins and worked a set of mallards to perfection. Very few blabbermouths, but they coulda been resting on the sea.

Cinnamons are early migrators. We used to shoot most of them in Mendota in January when they were already returning. And those are only the lead birds. In baja at the same time they are thick.

StillinScrubs · Oct-25-2005, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KID CREOLE

Scrubs,

In Dec. and Jan there are a few spots here in so. Calif where you could shoot a 7 bird limit of drake cinnamons in full color. There's a guy from Georgia who's coming out to hunt with me in Jan just to get one cinnamon drake for the wall!

Nice. I'll get around to that someday. I duck hunted everyday in college. I havn't shot a duck in 5 years due to medical school and stuff. I may go out this year for the late season which starts in mid December. You have to be hard core to hunt ducks around here since we get zilch in terms of migration. But I have shot or missed most of the species in north america east of cincy, no sea ducks and no cinnamon teal though. Never shot a drake can but have missed too many.

Great reports keep them coming. After I laso my cow tuna I will focus on the ducks. I hunt my own 8 dozen+/- deek spread.