I am trying to plan a trip to the Ocracoke Island in January and was wanting to know if anyone has had any experience up there. Any information would be appreciated.
Thank you
Junior Member
I am trying to plan a trip to the Ocracoke Island in January and was wanting to know if anyone has had any experience up there. Any information would be appreciated.
Thank you
Black Duck
You can kill a lot of differnt species of ducks, but like any where else, the weather plays a major role up there.
31-28, 12-0, 3-2, 4-2!!!!!!!!!
Getter of Goats
Hmmmm...what might an aspiring duck hunter want to know about Ocracoke? Well, for starters, it'll take you about 9 hours to drive (part of the way) to Okracoke from Clemson. Then there's the three hour ferry ride from Cedar Island to Ocracoke. You might want to look into that and coordinate your arrival over ground to coincide with the ferry schedule.
What will you see when you get there? You will see mostly brant (limit of two), a few pintails (limit of one), a few redheads, maybe a black duck, probably some scaup (called blackheads up there), and that's about it. Problem is, in order to see each of these species you often have to move to different locations. Typically, the brant will raft up in one or two shallow spots near the island and the redheads will be further out in the sound in deeper water and all the while the black ducks favor little holes back in the marsh. The pintails are sporadic at best with very precious few actual decoying shots. They like to stay outside of even the largest decoy spreads and look at you for about five minutes from every direction while they circle over and over and over before finally climbing out of sight with the constant twenty knot tailwind. They're aggravatin as hell.
One thing is for certain, it is a beautiful and unique location. But, as far as I'm concerned, it's just too damned far to drive there for only a couple of days. If I were staying for four or more days, it would be worth it to me. Eastern North Carolina ain't close to nothin.
Anything else you want to know?
Black Duck
what fish said. I have seen thousands of ducks up there. 1 year we shot only red heads 1 year only blackheads. I did get me a few brant. Those birds are dumb as dirt. That place will torment you.
easy livin'
Black Duck
Fish pretty much nailed it. I can be in Cedar Island in 4 hours. Plan on going back this year as well.
31-28, 12-0, 3-2, 4-2!!!!!!!!!
Senior Member
A hint about the NC Ferry system:
Make a reservation for the trip to Ocracoke!
Vegetarian: Native American for Piss Poor Hunter
Junior Member
i appreciate everyones reply to this. I am looking at going through Open water Duck Hunting try getting set up in there blind one day and maybe a curtain blind another day. There are not to many so called guides services that i can find. Thanks for the heads up on the ferry also.
In case you didn't know
Heck, you could be hunting with one of the GREAT SPONSER'S of this site in Maryland by the time you do all the ferry stuff. PITBOSS WATERFOWL
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!"
Senior Member
We hunted out of Cedar Island last dec. It was like 70 degrees but we limited out on buffleheads and bluebills. We didn't see any big ducks but talked to the guide and he said that the redheads showed up two weeks after we left. We went with a guy named Lester Murphy and had a ball. It was our first time there and it was so much different than sparkleberry hunting as there were no rubberheads and we were the only four for miles around. Our guide was great, $100 a day and you could hunt as long as you wanted. If you are interested I can put his info on here. We are deffinitely going back this year
"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters" Norman Maclean.
Junior Member
phone man that would be great if you could post that information for hunting out of ceder island. Thanks again everyone for all your help.
Member
Hunted Cedar Island 2 years ago with Steve Goodman as our guide. Four of us paid him 100.00 a day for 2 days to kill 1 bluebill.Haven't been back.
Senior Member
Lester Murphy (252) 225-1201 PO Box 535 Cedar Island NC 28520 Also only one place to stay, the Driftwood Motel (252) 225-4861
Hope this helps
"Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it. The river was cut by the world's great flood and runs over rocks from the basement of time. On some of the rocks are timeless raindrops. Under the rocks are the words, and some of the words are theirs.
I am haunted by waters" Norman Maclean.
Senior Member
[img]graemlins/nospam2.gif[/img]
Member
Hunted with Lester twice and Steve Goodwin or Godwin once, cant remember his last name. With Lester we killed four of us limited on Redheads, buffleheads and both species of scaup. From experience if I have to hunt with Steve, I would stay home. Already planning to go back with Lester this coming season. Lester is a nice of a man that you will meet.
Posting Permissions
Reply With Quote
Bookmarks