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Thread: Headed West

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
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    Murrells Inlet
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    2,302

    Default Headed West

    The time finally came for a trip to visit buddies just a little to the West.

    Prep started for the trip over the summer when I picked up a Homer Decoy brant kit, restle coated and painted. They made their way out ahead of me in October to be added to the spread.

    Landed Friday afternoon, messed around the city while waiting on my buddy to get off work. I got some great looks lugging around a shotgun case in a pretty liberal city! Had a fantastic supper in the city then headed to get the gear together for brant in the AM.

    First good group to put their feet down I sat up and rolled two. Second one is banded! What a way to start a trip!

    I had my two birds and rotated out for my buddies to shoot their brant. Final bird of the morning my buddy David spots another band when a group of 8 puts down their feet! Double band, green tarsus!

    Packed up and picked up the spread. Headed to pick up the crab pots we dropped before hunting. Culled the small ones and had our limit of Dungeness.

    Made the call to shoot wigeon in the afternoon. As setting decoys, birds were trying to get in. Laid down and a group swings through, buddy Rick sits up and rolls the first stud wigeon of the day. Picked out a lot of pretty drakes.

    Almost finished the limit and the birds quit moving. We picked up and headed to get ready for brant in the morning.

    Brant again Sunday, then headed to shoot mallards and pintails. More story and pictures coming!

    Got to the mallards hole minus one buddy (had to go back to work). Buddy looks at me and says I don't shoot much more than mallards here, hope green heads are good with you.

    First group of three flies over, hit the call wings lock and boom it's on, 3min after legal, fat greenhead hits the water. Over the next 3 hours we worked groups from the stratosphere from 20 at a time to singles, picking studs and taking turns. 100% the best hunt of my life as far as birds responding and fun time with a good buddy.

    Next day we do similar with a few less pintails. Birds worked and responded well, we had a ball.

    Earlier in the week there was some discussion about a possible Harlequin and we made the call to chase one on the last day. We would shoot brant again if it worked out, but the goal would be to decoy a harlequin to make the trip back to the east coast in my carry-on bag.

    We got set up Wednesday morning in what we realized was a little off the flight path. Moved the decoys over about 100yds, with a little more sun on the decoys, an absolutely beautiful drake swings down wind, turns and tries to get into between the decoys we spaced as a landing zone. I get him! Rock on! Icing on the cake to a killer week with great buddies. A nice bottle of bourbon purchased, and enjoyed with duck 3ways(roasted plucked brant, pintail and mallards).IMG_20190113_131403542_HDR.jpg
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    Last edited by scdiver; 01-18-2019 at 02:36 PM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Feb 2004
    Location
    Charlotte
    Posts
    892

    Default

    Congrats. Looks like a great time

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Gobbler's Knob, GA/ Bamberg,SC
    Posts
    21,442

    Default

    Wonderful!!!

    I love the Sound.
    F**K Cancer

    Just Damn.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Mar 2004
    Location
    Columbia
    Posts
    9,141

    Default

    That sounds like a cool trip. More pics please
    Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him

    He ain't wrong, he's just different, and his pride won't let him do things to make you think he's right

    They don't put Championship rings on smooth hands

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Charleston
    Posts
    2,920

    Default

    buy a lottery ticket...quickly
    "Check your premise." Dr. Hugh Akston

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jan 2003
    Location
    Petaluma CA / Moncks Corner SC
    Posts
    3,920

    Default

    Ahhhhhh!!!! I love the West coast and can't wait to get back out there. Talked with the wife last night about it. We are going to try and get back to Northern California but if that doesn't work then Astoria Oregon and Seattle Washington will be our second and third choices. Any of the three offer amazing duck hunting, big game, and fishing opportunities if you can stand the political climates in those states.
    Living in Moncks Corner but looking forward to moving back to the West Coast in 2020 where there are more ducks and less duck hunters!! LOL

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Wateree, South Carolina
    Posts
    48,810

    Default

    Excellent!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Clarendon County
    Posts
    8,402

    Default

    Sounds like a great trip!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Feb 2018
    Posts
    536

    Default

    Oh yea

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    Chapin SC
    Posts
    5,008

    Default

    I like it!

    Have fun - keep reporting!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Aug 2009
    Location
    Probation
    Posts
    10,071

    Default

    Awesome trip!
    Quote Originally Posted by BOG View Post
    Tip:
    Although it is natural for you and seems to be out of your hands, try to suppress your natural inclination towards dumbassedness and do some research of your own.I wish you luck.
    Tekton Game Calls
    http://tektongamecalls.com

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Summerville
    Posts
    5,873

    Default

    Great trip
    Member of the Tenth Legion Since 2004

  13. #13
    Join Date
    May 2002
    Location
    Sandy Run
    Posts
    5,479

    Default

    I truly believe the west coast offers the most diverse straps a waterfowler could ever hope for. Outside a black ducks you have the opportunity to kill pretty much any other duck or goose in north America.

    Couple that with fewer hunters and more land, it's a waterfowl paradise.

    Good work.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    544

    Default

    Very nice!

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    Banks of the Wateree
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    I love Dungeness crabs.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Clarendon County
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    Now that you've posted more pics I feel the need to say again, Helluva job!

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Dec 2005
    Location
    Ballard's Landing
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    15,424

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    I’ll never understand why pacific widgeon look like that, and ours look like they struggle to grow their eye stripe.

    Great trip.
    Be proactive about improving public waterfowl habitat in South Carolina. It's not going to happen by itself, and our help is needed. We have the potential to winter thousands of waterfowl on public grounds if we fight for it.

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
    Location
    Summerville
    Posts
    5,583

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    I'm supposed to go to California in June. I may have to figure out how to take a hunting trip there next season.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    May 2009
    Location
    pee dee
    Posts
    2,360

    Default

    good work, looks like an awesome time....
    Quote Originally Posted by Roddie View Post
    SCducks is not checkers, it's chess.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    In the middle of it
    Posts
    8,166

    Default

    Great stuff

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