2020 Season

shotgunner

Ten Pointer
2020 was not a great season as far as # of bird killed, or even #'s seen for that matter. But there were some really great times had by me and my family. If I had to rank them it would go something like this:

#1 would be 3 generations in one blind killing their swan. Including my 73 year old mother taking her 1st animal ever with a shotgun.
#2 seeing my daughter watching and photographing birds at Lake Mattamuskeet. We never had a shot at a duck. But seeing her at the Refuge and then watching her get to see birds on the Lake, thanks to Hydemarsh, are the kind of things I live for.
#3 New friends made and looking toward future adventures with those friends.
 

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Roanoke

Eight Pointer
Great article by Tom Fulgham on page 64 of this months issue of DU Magazine. I think his quote can summarize this past season.

“Some seasons are epic, and some are disappointing. Occasionally one is so bad that it is soul wrenching. Birds come and go as river levels, weather, hunting pressure and food availability change. Treasured hunting spots can transfer ownership or wash away in the waves. Change rules a duck hunter’s life and our ability to persevere and adapt to change greatly influences our success and enjoyment of the sport.”
“Our optimism is fueled not necessarily by limits but instead by those moments in a duck blind that seem fixed in time, perfect and unchangeable.”
 

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Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
I think Roanoke's quote is so appropriate for this season.
Had many awful hunts and interestingly some great ones,
My son and I got to hunt together more. My Johnston county swamps were very good for mallards and black ducks, My son got his first band and his first hybrid (mallard black cross)
 

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shotgunner

Ten Pointer
Sure would be awesome if all duck hunters were as concerned about making new friends and helping "new" hunters as many are about killing limits. Great season for us and even my mother the "deer aholic" is talking about being excited for next DUCK season.
 

Hevi 13. Anson

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Sure would be awesome if all duck hunters were as concerned about making new friends and helping "new" hunters as many are about killing limits. Great season for us and even my mother the "deer aholic" is talking about being excited for next DUCK season.
Yea duck hunting is a different monster. This is my first year in duck hunting east of 95. Learned quickly that you can hunt past 7:30 am, we had a great year by my standards. My lab had over 50 retrieves on ducks and geese we killed our first Gadwall, Bufflehead and Ringneck. My daughter killed her first duck and my die-hard deer hunting girlfriend ended up in waders. I look forward to getting up at 4 to put decoys out and go home without firing a shot but watching ducks fly by or land outside my poorly placed decoys because It will help me prepare for the next hunt. Great to see the photos and hear the stories because I promise mine are coming in the next few years.
 

shurshot

Ten Pointer
If he hasn’t done so already, he could send that band off for identification. They have a way of extracting the band number.

I’ve been at this a looong time and that’s the first banded gaddie I’ve seen or even heard of. Congrats, that’d be on my wall.
 

grim reaper

Ten Pointer
If he hasn’t done so already, he could send that band off for identification. They have a way of extracting the band number.

I’ve been at this a looong time and that’s the first banded gaddie I’ve seen or even heard of. Congrats, that’d be on my wall.
Mark Marshall in currituck had one killed in his blind years ago. GPS tracker too. Only one ive heard of
 

Buxndiverdux

Old Mossy Horns
Overall 2019-2020 season was slow. We had a little bit of everything. Limits, half limits, zero shots fired kinda days. But we had fun trying. Lots of good days afield with my family and dog. My son and I shot about a case of shells, which is about half of normal. Good news is I have plenty of shells for next year already. :)
 
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