Grass cover Goose Creek impoundments

Dingbatter

Four Pointer
I haven't hunted any goose creek impoundment since 2005, is there much grass to hide in for cover and are Pamlico pt impoundment still bottomless knee deep silt mud. I have a few dates that I was thinking about applying for late season
 

JJWise

Twelve Pointer
All of the impoundments I’ve been in over there in the last 2 years have been bottomless silt. There are blinds on the Spring Creek impoundment but I believe that’s the only one, the rest have some grass around the edges but IMO, not enough to hide in effectively in most cases.
 

shurshot

Ten Pointer
As said, only blinds which are assigned are in Spring Creek. Bottoms in that one and CC are not too bad for the most part, you’ll definitely find a walking stick helpful. But PP is a total different bottom. So bad that a friend called me last week to come bring him one of my aqua pods so he could get the rest of his decoys up and 2 downed birds. I had also brought my dog but after seeing what he would have to traverse to set to the birds, I aborted that idea. It’s that bad.

I’m not saying all of PP ponds are that bad but most are and certainly more so than the others. But they all are still huntable! Be prepared to sweat ….
 

TomstoSwans486

Four Pointer
If you're hunting PP impoundments there is marsh grass you can hide in, if you get to the islands, or on the edge. Also good to have a dog or jon boat/kayak. Preferably both. The bottoms are nasty. Number 3 i believe, you can walk around most of it. The others, no dice
 

Dingbatter

Four Pointer
I hunted them last before it went to permit only, Pamlico point was pretty much bottomless then, my knees aren't as good as they were then.
 

JJWise

Twelve Pointer
As said, only blinds which are assigned are in Spring Creek. Bottoms in that one and CC are not too bad for the most part, you’ll definitely find a walking stick helpful. But PP is a total different bottom. So bad that a friend called me last week to come bring him one of my aqua pods so he could get the rest of his decoys up and 2 downed birds. I had also brought my dog but after seeing what he would have to traverse to set to the birds, I aborted that idea. It’s that bad.

I’m not saying all of PP ponds are that bad but most are and certainly more so than the others. But they all are still huntable! Be prepared to sweat ….
Good to hear Spring Creek has a little better bottom, I applied for some of those blinds this year. Last year I had Hunting Creek and Smith Creek and both of those were also pretty much bottomless, at least in the spots where I set up.
 

ctsnow

Six Pointer
If you're hunting PP impoundments there is marsh grass you can hide in, if you get to the islands, or on the edge. Also good to have a dog or jon boat/kayak. Preferably both. The bottoms are nasty. Number 3 i believe, you can walk around most of it. The others, no dice
 
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Clark

Ten Pointer
Don't try PP without a boat. I'm up to my knees every step, plowing the bottom. Took me 20 minutes to get unstuck from one mis-step - and I had a canoe to help or I'd probably still be there. Knees healed nicely, though.
NCWRC has attempted to drain the ponds over the last few years to grow a bottom but it has been tough. They tried to drain #2 and #4 this summer, but gave up when they got 12" of rain.
 

shurshot

Ten Pointer
Don't try PP without a boat. I'm up to my knees every step, plowing the bottom. Took me 20 minutes to get unstuck from one mis-step - and I had a canoe to help or I'd probably still be there. Knees healed nicely, though.
NCWRC has attempted to drain the ponds over the last few years to grow a bottom but it has been tough. They tried to drain #2 and #4 this summer, but gave up when they got 12" of rain.

True words! As I said, it was so bad I didn’t send a more than capable dog out for their birds last week. Can’t swim or run in muck like that. Saw several other hunters paddling yaks and towing sleds behind them. Smart.

You’re right about that 12” rain, no exaggeration at all. Put most everything crop-wise under water unless rows were raised planted. My stuff didn’t fare too well but a little better than some.

At least WRC is trying to manage those ponds but hard to compete with Mother Nature.
 

JONOV

Old Mossy Horns
As said, only blinds which are assigned are in Spring Creek. Bottoms in that one and CC are not too bad for the most part, you’ll definitely find a walking stick helpful. But PP is a total different bottom. So bad that a friend called me last week to come bring him one of my aqua pods so he could get the rest of his decoys up and 2 downed birds. I had also brought my dog but after seeing what he would have to traverse to set to the birds, I aborted that idea. It’s that bad.

I’m not saying all of PP ponds are that bad but most are and certainly more so than the others. But they all are still huntable! Be prepared to sweat ….
Disagree on that...The bottom is awful. Even the blinds that are listed as not needing a boat, need a boat. Maybe really skinny guys don't, I won't go back without a kayak/canoe. You can spend an hour making a 150 yard walk.
 

shurshot

Ten Pointer
If you walk the same paths/areas over the designated cross overs to the blinds as most do, then yep bottom won’t be too good in those areas. I would always take a different route in and avoid it. Came in often from the ICW… still need something to cross over exterior and interior ditches but hoofing it to #1 area was easy. Mater of fact beat a guy at the 4am track meet trying to get there from the Hunting Creek crossover. Felt sorry for him and asked if he wanted to hunt with us. He had 2 buddies coming so he declined but asked how’d we beat him. Local knowledge… Now If going to 2, I’d paddle in. Average bottoms there are no where near as bad as at the Point. You can die there and I know 2 people who did, one a hunting buddy of mine who I often hunted with. Heart attacks with both ….

Now in fairness, my last hunt there was in blind #1 about 4 seasons ago. Maybe the bottom has gotten softer in places but before the dumbing down blind system was mandated, I’d been all over just about every one of those bottoms (including one of the interior ditch bottoms, lol) and as I previously mentioned “for the most part”, were good enough for us. But a drag boat of sorts is a must and prudent for hauling all your gear as is a walking stick ….
 

grim reaper

Ten Pointer
If you walk the same paths/areas over the designated cross overs to the blinds as most do, then yep bottom won’t be too good in those areas. I would always take a different route in and avoid it. Came in often from the ICW… still need something to cross over exterior and interior ditches but hoofing it to #1 area was easy. Mater of fact beat a guy at the 4am track meet trying to get there from the Hunting Creek crossover. Felt sorry for him and asked if he wanted to hunt with us. He had 2 buddies coming so he declined but asked how’d we beat him. Local knowledge… Now If going to 2, I’d paddle in. Average bottoms there are no where near as bad as at the Point. You can die there and I know 2 people who did, one a hunting buddy of mine who I often hunted with. Heart attacks with both ….

Now in fairness, my last hunt there was in blind #1 about 4 seasons ago. Maybe the bottom has gotten softer in places but before the dumbing down blind system was mandated, I’d been all over just about every one of those bottoms (including one of the interior ditch bottoms, lol) and as I previously mentioned “for the most part”, were good enough for us. But a drag boat of sorts is a must and prudent for hauling all your gear as is a walking stick ….
A guy hunting with my dad had a heart attack and died out there a number of years back. I assume one of them was the same guy. If not then now you've heard of 3
 

shurshot

Ten Pointer
Wes Coward’s dad (baseball coach at Topsail High) was the first I knew of, the other was my friend Johnny Joyner. We were hunting two different groups that morning. I was over in Campbells. He was only 39.

That place will swallow you up…
 

grim reaper

Ten Pointer
Wes Coward’s dad (baseball coach at Topsail High) was the first I knew of, the other was my friend Johnny Joyner. We were hunting two different groups that morning. I was over in Campbells. He was only 39.

That place will swallow you up…
Small world. Johnny Joyner was with my dad that day
 

Clark

Ten Pointer
And if I don’t lose weight I’ll be #4. Tough getting around in there. I have gone swimming in there a couple of times.
 
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