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Thread: #25

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Jul 2003
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    Moncks Corner
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    Default #25

    I started the 2020-21 duck season with a well-defined mission to kill South Carolina Solo Species #25 and I thought I was off to a good start. A pair of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks that I found during the teal season had bred and I re-found them with their progeny the day before the November opener. I was afraid that Tropical Storm Eta had put them on an early trough to their winter homes in Florida but their seven babies must have not have been ready to make the trip. I set-up on these birds with my single BBWD decoy and a BBWD call made for me by a guy in Florida who regularly kills limits of these long-legged tree ducks. He told me that decoys aren't necessary but I made it more for the final photos than actually hunting anyway. The call, he said, was the key. I called but the nine tree ducks simply ignored me leaving me without an opening morning shot. I went back Sunday morning and never saw them.

    Dealing with disappointment is one of the lessons I have learned from chasing the duck hunter's slam entirely within the state of South Carolina. Resiliency is another. Reaching the 32 ducks species really wasn’t the goal anyway. I hunt solo so I don’t have anyone to challenge me on my choice of hunting spots or how I call or how I decoy or when I go. Rather than just killing the same gadwall over and over again I needed a catalyst to force me out of my warm, comfortable box and become a more complete duck hunter. Deciding to try to kill all 32 duck species hunting solo and in SC was that catalyst.

    This catalyst has worked perfectly. It has changed, much for the better I think, the way I approach duck hunting. More importantly, it has renewed the fascination for all things duck and really made me feel like a kid again. I’ve learned a lot of new water and techniques over the past 8 seasons. I’ve built and painted decoys for the species I was after.

    One particular decoy began life as a Herter’s 63 foam black duck. I bought it from Overton's as a sample back in the 1980’s and body-wrapped it with Tanglefree line. The first time I used it the plastic line pulled off the paint and a layer of Styrofoam so I threw it under the house and forgot it. At some point during the quest I remembered that decoy and burlapped it and painted it like an old squaw hen. Prior to last season the hen’s companion was a Flambeau pintail that I rescued from the river and painted into a old squaw drake but, as everyone knows, Flambeau decoys actually repel paint so I had it retired and replaced with some “store bought” foam-filled GHG long-tailed ducks. Whenever I’m in coastal waters I put out my homemade hen and at least three other old squaw decoys off to themselves and closest to deep water. I did the same thing on Tuesday morning and, amazingly, it actually worked. Honesty compels me to admit that it’s worked before but my shooting was the reason that I didn’t book old squaw until November 24, 2020.

    For most of the species in my quest, my usually suspect shooting has been pretty good. I doubled, dead-in-the-air, on my first black scoters (#20), rolled the first surf scoter I ever saw (#21), and dropped a super fine white-winged drake (#22). I missed the rarest of SC ducks on my list, a common eider, twice but she re-decoyed and allowed me to fix my mistake (#23). The common goldeneye (#24) was a clean kill. But, as the beat up decoy will attest, I knotted up a long-tailed duck that was hovering just over her head only to have the bird right itself and fly off as I was trying to get my boat off of an oyster mound. Minutes later I totally missed a decoying pair that included a really long-tailed drake. The decoy was there when I talked to a half dozen other guys that had an old squaw in their boat while hunting the same water I had just been on. One of these guys thought he had what he called a “harli-queen” duck.

    Tuesday was my turn to get the albatross from around my neck and make a shot on what I knew was an old squaw. The single immature, drake I think, almost flew past my spread when it noticed the ball of long-tailed decoys. The best I can describe it was a 180 degree corkscrew landing attempt. I don’t mind water swatting a bird but they’re bigger when they’re in the air. Things happened so quick that it was more of a reaction that any deliberate effort on my part but it worked. The bird hit and dove almost in one motion but I was ready when it came up. This time I made the retrieve too and booked South Carolina Duck Species #25…finally.





    So what’s left…
    Doable: Black-bellied Whistling Duck
    Takes Some Luck: Common Merganser, King Eider
    Lottery Odds: Cinnamon Teal, Fulvous Whistling Duck
    Impossible: Barrow’s Goldeneye
    Illegal: Harlequin Duck

    My motivational poster as it now stands:

    Ephesians 2 : 8-9



    Charles Barkley: Nobody doesn't like meat.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2017
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    1,143

    Default

    If you're looking for a common merg,look around the wyboo area around a good freeze.

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2001
    Location
    Wateree, South Carolina
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    Default

    Nice! Real nice...

    Congrats. Your dedication to your craft pays off again...

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
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    Spartanburg
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    Default

    Fantastic. When I saw the title of the post and who posted it, I couldn’t wait to read. As always, a spectacular write up. Congratulations on number 25. If you ever get the harlequin, I’ll contribute to the ticket!

  5. #5
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    Nov 2007
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    Charleston
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    Default

    Love it
    "Check your premise." Dr. Hugh Akston

  6. #6
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    Sep 2013
    Location
    York SC
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    That is a heck of an accomplishment. I am only at 17 and that is across 5 states. I have gotten to cross off all three mergs. Picked up a common two years ago local, and my red breast last year in the OBX.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    "Some high society lady says is your horse outside, no ma'am he's between my legs, but you're too fat to ride" Hank Jr

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Dec 2003
    Location
    Greenville, SC
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    Default

    Nicely done, sir. Very nicely done!

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    Boone, NC
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    Have King Eiders been killed in SC before?

    I’ve never hunted the coast much, less than 20 times. I didn’t think they made it over here at all.

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Upstate, SC
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    2,391

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    Awesome read as always. I’m at 19 in 2 states, most have not been documented with pictures (or atleast I don’t have them from younger years hunting with my dad and granddad). This compels me to start over in attempt to document with pictures as good as yours and display on a wall in my house. Good stuff!


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    In My Truck
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    3,653

    Default

    That’s impressive for only in SC.
    Windows Down!

  11. #11
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    Dec 2009
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    Charlotte
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    Default

    Awesome... so very cool your stories and your notes from each hunt!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Jun 2011
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    3,676

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    I'll never forget when and where I was when a common merge flew right by my gun barrel and I didn't shoot. I honestly wasn't sure what I was looking at until after the opportunity presented it self. I can still see it in my mind.

    Very cool Mr Rubberhead sir.
    "Think A Guy Like Me Worries About Percentages?" Tin Cup

    "Some get spiritual cause they see the light, and some cause they feel the heat" Ray Wylie Hubbard

    "P.S. I love turkeys. Mostly just hate those who hunt em." Glenn

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    Lexington
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    Congratulations on another one off the list! I still keep an ear out for anyone I know towards the coast who could help you with the BBWD.

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Oct 2003
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    Charleston
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    Good thread, Rubba. Made me think about what I’ve shot.

    Puddle
    Mallard
    Black Duck
    Mottled Duck
    Florida Mallard - Florida
    Green Wing
    Blue Wing
    Wood Duck
    Widgeon
    Pintail
    Gadwall
    Black Belly - Florida
    Fulvous - Florida
    Shoveler

    Divers
    Ringer
    Redhead - NC
    Canvasback
    Greater
    Lesser
    Ruddy Duck
    Old Squaw - MD
    Surf Scoter - MD
    Bufflehead
    Common Golden Eye

    Merganser
    Hooded
    Common - VA

  15. #15
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    Jan 2005
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    FROG LEVEL
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    That is REALLY Getting after it Men!
    Gettin old is for pussies! AND MY NEW TRUE people say like Capt. Tom >>>>>>>>>/
    "Wow, often imitated but never duplicated. No one can do it like the master. My hat is off to you DRDUCK!"

  16. #16
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    Sep 2014
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    Certified Piedmonster
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    Congratulations
    Quote Originally Posted by cajunwannabe View Post
    Man is merely a two legged locust, devouring wild lands, developing and prostituting wildlife and fisheries under the guise of "use of the resource" for tremendous profit and moving on. Will it ever end?

  17. #17
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    Jan 2009
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    Murrells Inlet
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    Default

    Fantastic as always! Congrats on #25

  18. #18
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    Mar 2002
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    'Down in the Holler', SC
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    Outstanding work! Congrats, Rubberhead.
    .
    Foothills Golden Retriever Rescue
    .
    "Keep your powder dry, Boys!"
    ~ George Washington

    "If I understood everything I said I'd be a genius." ~ 'Unknown'

  19. #19
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    Jan 2003
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    24,581

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    That’s dedication! And the photos always top notch!

    Congratulations on #25

    Shooting those on the water can be a very difficult task. I often swore the seen things were made of Teflon!
    You've got one life. Blaze on!

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Apr 2015
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    Blythewood, SC
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    Default

    That’s great stuff, congrats.
    When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home. -Tecumseh-

    Quote Originally Posted by Griffin View Post
    You're also one of select few clemings with sense.

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