Conference vmsnet::hunting$note:hunting

    
    
      Early in the season the birds (Eiders/Scoters/Oldsquaw) don't seem to
    mind the boat too much.  We hunt out of my 17' center console and it's
    white.  Last year on our first trip for sea ducks we set the decoys 20
    yds. from the boat, which we anchored right next to an island.  We had
    lots of juvenile Eiders land in the decoys, and 3 white winged scoters
    land between the boat and the decoys.
    
      It seemed that the mature males were wary of the boat.  They spend
    the summer off shore away from most of the boats, while the hens may
    raise their young right in a busy harbor.  To get more mature male
    Eiders we started setting up on an island or ledge with the boat
    anchored out of sight or at least 75 yds. away.
    
      You won't want your boat too far away as a cripple can cover a long
    distance quickly on the water (or under it) and you'll want to run them
    down as quickly as possible.
    
    Gosh, I could ramble on for pages about ducks. 8-)
    
    
    Chuck

      I've hunted sea ducks in a dark boat all season long.  We anchor
    as close to some off shore rocks as we can safely get.  Sea ducks are
    pretty stupid.  Never had a problem getting them to decoy.
    
    Jeff

    
    Have you guys ever seen a tougher bird?  I never have seen anything like
    the time I slammed an Oldsquaw with a heavy load of lead, dropped it
    like a bad habit...until the dog got about 5 yds away from it..then
    the chase was on.  I've never seen a bird swim so far under water, and
    fast.  It left my dog in its tracks...I put a couple more on top of
    it...and it took to wing and that was it.  Never seen anything like it
    since.
    
    Kevin

    We've had eiders and scoters decoy to a string of Clorox jugs.  We
    don't even bother with "real" decoys.
    
    They never seemed skittish of the boat, either.  In fact, we usually
    bluefish at the same time.
    
    Mark.

Speaking of tough,,, My grand dad had a pretty good recipe for cooking sea 
Ducks.

 You need a pine board a foot wide and about 14 inches long, a bottle of red 
wine, a rubber boot, a baking pan and a big pot.

 Put the duck on the board, put in baking pan and cover both with the red 
wine. Put into a pre-heated oven set at 350 degrees for 2 hours.

 Put the boot in a pot of cold water with 2 tablespoons of salt and a bay 
leaf. Bring to a boil then simmer for 2 hours.

 At the end of the 2 hours, throw the duck away, eat the board, washing it 
down with the red wine and a couple bowls of the boot soup.

 

 :-)

    I find eiders to be good eatin'.
    
    Mark.

    
    
       As for Oldsquaw swinning a long way underwater, my bird ID book says
    Oldsquaw have been reported down to 80 FATHOMS!  No wonder they smell a
    little fishy. 8-)
    
    RE: 6   Eiders on the grille with my wife's special BBQ sauce - YUM.
    
    Chuck

    
         I've never had a problem getting old squaws or white winged
    scoters to come into the decoys on Champlain here. And I've even had
    them turn around after getting shot at and come right back into the
    dekes. Occasionally we'll bring out a black piece of cloth and wave it
    from one side to the other (left to right and reverse) ever so slowly
    and they'll decoy right in as well. Because I hunt from an island out
    in relatively deep water I get a larger portion of divers and therfore
    use #2 steel for loads and I've got a 10 gauge for the Canadas and
    Snows that we get.
    
            John

    
    Hey John How's this sound?
    
    It's 17 degress and icing. Only one hunter you know is crazy enough to
    be out here. But you brought along a few dozen decoys for company, and
    your feathered friends ought to be droping in any time now.
    
    Soon you'll be warm and they'll be frozen. Your only complaint is you
    can't do it again tomorrow.
    
    Rick
    

    
        Rick,
    
          Considering 17 degrees is warm compared to some of the 5 degree
    ice days I've hunted up here, I may have to wear camo shorts and tank
    top. My dog will be good company as well. I worked her off the island
    last weekend and for a 1 year old I think she'll do well. Just dropped
    my 10 gauge off for re-boring. (Full choke and steel in that thing
    just doesn't work). Will be making the finishing touches on the boat
    just in case we want to hunt in on the sandbar and use the boat-blind.
    
          Yep I'm psyched! Maybe when I get down there I could convince you
    to come out on one of those toasty days?!
    
          John

    
    You won't have to convince me to come out. I love hunting in the most
    rottonest, coldest, wettest, weather....I don't care to hunt on sunny
    days..that includes wild goat hunting as well...ha,ha,ha....
    
    Anyway, let us know how you make out on the opener up there... N.H.'s
    opener is the 9th.
    
    Rick
    

    RE: .7
    
    Chuck, I'm very naive about ducks, but 80 fathoms is 480 feet. Are you
    sure it was fathoms your bird book was refering to?
    
    Don
    

    
    
    
    RE: -1
    
        Sorry it took so long to get back to this note.   I've looked in
    every bird book I have and I'll be darned if I can find the place that
    said Oldsquaw have been reported down to 80 fathoms.  But yes I'm sure
    that's what it said.  My wife and I scuba dive and so we recognized
    what that meant and I remember the conversation we had about it.
    
      If I ever find it I'll post the exact book.
    
    
    Chuck

    RE: .13
    
    Chuck,
    
    The fact that you dive and know what you are talking about in relation
    to depth is enough for me. 480 feet, whew, thats is deep though!
    
    Wow! Animals are amazing! I love the animal kingdom. If only humans
    would act like them the world would be a better place.  :^)
    
    Don

    
    
    
       Finally found the reference to Old Squaw's diving to 80 fathoms. 
    Actually my duck hunting partner found it in his book and brought it in
    for me. Thanks Doug.
    
       Anyway in the Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Birds
    copyright 1977, it states that Old Squaw are one of the very few divers
    that travel underwater useing it's wings.  Thats why they can dive to
    such great depths - as deep as 80 Fathoms.
    
    
    That is amazing.
    
    Chuck

    
    
    Sea Ducks!
    
    
        I am looking for any input on hunting sea ducks. We will be
    trying this for the first time on Oct 19th.
    
    Questions are:
    
    What type of shot is preferred?
    
    What type of decoys will I need? Do clorox/milk bottles really
    work?
    
    What type of calls are needed- if any?
    
    Does anyone have info on species and limits? Lost my damn abstracts!
    
    Any input would be greatly appreciated!
    
    Thanks,
    
    Wildman 
                             

    
    
    To answer your questions......
    
       We have been useing #2 + BB shot (Steel obviously) and have been
    leaning toward BB lately.  Eiders are BIG, Tough birds.
    
       We use official decoys, but I'd bet that almost anything of similar
    color would work as well.   (OldSquaw don't seem to decoy to Eider
    decoys though.  But they do seem to land with other OldSquaw so if your
    after them you may want something closer to the real thing).
    
       As for calls you don't need one.  Sea Ducks are quite vocal but the
    Eiders just, well, sort of, croak and the OldSquaw have a sort of
    melodic call... a little bit like a goose. (but not really).
    
       The seasons and bags in Maine are 7 birds per day.  Any combination
    of Eiders, OldSquaw, or Scoters.  ( There are several different types
    of Scoters in this area, Black, Surf, and White Wing.  Did I miss any?
    
    
    Well those are my opinions....
    Good Luck.
    
    Chuck

    
    
       Forgot to put in the seasons in my last note......
    
       Sea Duck season runs from Oct. 5 to Jan. 19.   Coastal waters only.
    
    
    Chuck

    
    
    I have another question- of course-
    
    How many decoys should I set up in a deke or "J" formation?
    
    I ordered 4 Old Squaw and 4 Eiders lastnight from Cabela's.
    
    Can I chain them all together? Or should they be in two seperate
    spreads?
    
    Is 8 decoy's enough?
    
    Thanks for the input!
    
    Bill "Wildman" Penning
                                             

       I've never tried Old Squaw decoys so I'm not sure if they should be
    mixed in with the Eiders or not.  If it were me I'd keep them separated
    a little anyway.
    
       As for numbers,  sea ducks often raft up by the hundreds.  But, 
    when Old Squaw are feeding they seem to scatter quite a bit and I've
    seen singles drop in near 2 - 3 that were already on the water.  So the
    4 Old Squaw decoys may work at times.  Eiders like numbers.  If there
    is a big flock anywhere near you, you'ld probably need a lot of decoys. 
    But if there are only a scattering of birds you can get some to pull
    in.  We have 28 Eider decoys and sometimes get passed up for a larger
    number of the real thing.
    
       Something we learned is that it's hard to turn Eiders with decoys. 
    That may be because they travel very close to the water and so can't
    see the decoys at any great distance.  When you start hunting a new
    area take note of the tide and wind direction.  Then watch the flight
    patterns of the birds and try to set up in or near a main route. 
    Remember that these routes may change under different conditions.  And
    don't be afraid to pull up from a bad location and move to a new
    location.  
     
       The first time we did real well started out with 1 bird (which we
    missed) for 2 hours waiting.  But during that 2 hours I studied their
    flight patterns and noticed that they preferred to fly past a point of
    the Island that we were set up near, instead of flying across the cove
    we were in.  So we finally picked up and moved around the point, a
    total move of 100 yards, and in the next 2 hours we limited. (14
    birds).
    
       The difference we noticed was that the Eiders like to fly in
    straight lines.  By moving around the point we set ourselves in a lane
    that provided a straight path for several miles between many small
    Islands.
    
    Hope this helps
    Chuck

    
    Hi Chuck,
    
        Thanks for all the info! I did alot of bird watching last year
    while Striper fishing and I know exactly where I will be setting up.
    
    I was kicking myself in the butt last year watching THOUSANDS of ducks
    fly over us.
    
    
    Thanks agian-
    
    Wildman