Out of State Trips - the Good and the Bad

JONOV

Old Mossy Horns
Hydemarsh said:
Well written story Larry. Did you get to talk to locals? Are there still substantial numbers of birds in the area or has that changed as well?

I have not followed the issue of great lakes water levels, what has caused such an increase in just 10 years?
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It varies based on both snowfall and how cold the winter is. If it freezes over, then you lose less to evaporation. If you get a lot of snow, that affects it too. Typical max ice coverage is roughly 40%. Remember, the lake is an enormous body of water, and it takes a lot of energy to change its core temperature; any ice fisherman will tell you that the first water with safe ice is small, shallow lakes, and the last is the biggest and deepest. Conversely, they're also the last to thaw.

January 2019 saw 99% ice cover, and higher than average (though not abnormal) snowfall (at least for Milwaukee which I checked.)

 

Woods and water

Ten Pointer
Roanoke said:
My passports old and new are covered up with stamps and work visas from Mexico. Very fun place to hunt ducks as well as quail. My first trip was in the early 90's and my last was 2018. I am not going back until the cartels get under control. We had to cut our last trip short due to gang activities. It is not worth the risks. You can no longer Gringo yourself out of a situation with the Federales. They will shake you down for all the cash that you have or worst. Americans travel to hunting destinations in Mexico everyday with no issues but it only takes one incident. It is not safe. Even big resort cities like Cancun are starting to have issues. Tensions have gotten worst since Trump got into office. With the legalization of weed in the US the cartels have lost a huge market of business. To cover that loss they have turned to kidnapping and human trafficking.

Mexican Outfitters do not want to tell you the real situation. He may be paying a member of the Gulf Cartel for protection but they could be at war with the Zetas. You can easily get caught in the middle and the Zetas will kill you or vice versa. I own a hunting and fishing booking agency and have done a good bit of traveling. We are still booking fishing trips to Isla Mujeres but have stopped all hunts to interior parts of the country. Check out the US State Department website for current travel warnings.

Mexico Travel Advisory

travel.state.gov travel.state.gov



Here are my picks based on my experience for hunting in North America.
Mallards. Go to Oregon where you can kill seven of them per day. Try the Columbia river area. I like hunting the flooded green tree reservoirs of the South more, but Oregon kills more mallards than any other state.


Teal and Gadwalls. Atchafalaya Basin of Louisiana. Nothing like it. Fun place to hunt and even more fun to experience the food and culture. Note that there is always at least one Parish in Louisiana that kills more ducks each season than the entire Atlantic Flyway.

Pintails- Mexico use to be my go to but Hyde County has been extremely productive in the past few years. Wish that our limit would not of changed.

Red Heads- Texas Gulf Mexico is better but the like their neighbors north of the border.

Canvas Back- Lake ST. Clair, Ontario. The Canvas Back is the duck that many Carolina hunters have never harvested. People do not believe me when I tell them that the Neuse and Pamlico used to be full of them. On some years the James River has a decent amount of Canvas Backs.

Black Ducks- Delmarva peninsula specifically southern tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Going to Alaska next September for puddle ducks.
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Thanks for the reply Roanoke. I didn't really like the idea of Mexico but thought I'd look into it.I have a cousin that hunted down for years and he quit for the same reasons. Quite a few family members go to euguay so we may head that way. Keep the boys straight in the cabins in Hyde
 
woodmoose

woodmoose

Administrator
Staff member
Contributor
Roanoke said:
Mallards. Go to Oregon where you can kill seven of them per day. Try the Columbia river area. I like hunting the flooded green tree reservoirs of the South more, but Oregon kills more mallards than any other state.


Teal and Gadwalls. Atchafalaya Basin of Louisiana. Nothing like it. Fun place to hunt and even more fun to experience the food and culture. Note that there is always at least one Parish in Louisiana that kills more ducks each season than the entire Atlantic Flyway.

Pintails- Mexico use to be my go to but Hyde County has been extremely productive in the past few years. Wish that our limit would not of changed.

Red Heads- Texas Gulf Mexico is better but the like their neighbors north of the border.

Canvas Back- Lake ST. Clair, Ontario. The Canvas Back is the duck that many Carolina hunters have never harvested. People do not believe me when I tell them that the Neuse and Pamlico used to be full of them. On some years the James River has a decent amount of Canvas Backs.

Black Ducks- Delmarva peninsula specifically southern tip of Virginia's Eastern Shore.

Going to Alaska next September for puddle ducks.
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mallards - yeap, pretty much anywhere in the Northwest from Montana and west

Teal/Gadwall - spot on - that basin is crazy

Pintails - texas gulf

redheads - same

canvasbacks - concur on Lake St Clair - Lake Pontchartrain is good (excellent) as well but the land rules have changed there so highly likely will change as far as huntability

black ducks - delmarva, or further north - can kill them here, but odds are better north of here

I'm spending most of my duck hunting time this fall/winter in Louisiana - like 20 days worth or so,,,maybe 28 if the stars align
 
Hydemarsh

Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
Roanoke, do you book tips to lake St Claire? I have wanted to go there for years. I always have trouble finding someone to go with me.

Hyde is a very good place to kill pintails if you have the right spot. We have a place adjacent to MI 8 so we get a lot of pintails. I rarely get one in my impoundments on Northlake but regularly kill Black ducks there. My Northlake impoundments are small may have something to do with it. However wigeon, gadwall, wood ducks, teal and black ducks are regular visitors.

I have a spot on the western sound in Hyde where it is not unusual to kill pintails and Ocracoke produces a lot.

I have hunted with Ramsey Russell in Obregon for the past three years. Taking the thing I value the most this year, my son. Never had any type of issues there. Perhaps Frank Ruiz is so connected. Perhaps the picture below is why we had no issues on the gulf side. governor provides a State police escort to hunting groups that cross in McAllen Tx.0213191316.jpg
 
Roanoke

Roanoke

Eight Pointer
It is a real shame about Mexico. The quail hunting is my favorite.

Read some of the horror stories about Cancun and Mazatlán. They have had issues where entire families have been slipped drugs like Rohypnol. People feel tired and go to bed then the cartels break into their hotel room and have their way. No value for human life. I was in Isla when the Cartels blew up the ferry and killed all those people.

It use to be that you stay out of the brothels and leave the bars early to be safe. Now Americans are a target and they think that all of us are dumb and rich. We come from the land of opportunity and this is their chance at a piece of the wealth.
I have a client from Monterrey, Mexico. His family owns one of the largest fleet companies in Mexico. We have hunted together here in the US and Africa. I value his friendship and advice which is why I have asked him many times in past years about Mexico. Just recently, I got an email from him telling me how unsafe things have gotten. I have another client that was station throughout Mexico and South America throughout his Military career. He has never admitted this to me but I am pretty sure he is Retired CIA. He is married to a Columbian and still travels regularly in South America. He told me not to go on my last hunting trip and I went anyway. He informed me the other day that rival Cartels have been shooting down private planes around Sonora. The situation in Mexico is not getting better. They are not putting this on their brochures for you to read at the American hunting shows.

I like tacos, cerveza, mariachi bands and shooting ducks as much as anyone. Its the ideal vacation but not worth the risk of riding in the trunk of a car with my hands zipped tied behind my back. You may think you can blend in but most American hunters can not hide their Gringo.
 
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ThrillofDaChase

ThrillofDaChase

Ten Pointer
Buddies are going to Mexico in February. Marina Del Rio Lodge I believe is the place. Doing the duck and quail shindig. I'm cool with steering clear for the time being. The only other trip I have planned definitively is Arkansas. Maybe something else will pop up between now and then.
 
kahunter

kahunter

Eight Pointer
Roanoke said:
It is a real shame about Mexico. The quail hunting is my favorite.

Read some of the horror stories about Cancun and Mazatlán. They have had issues where entire families have been slipped drugs like Rohypnol. People feel tired and go to bed then the cartels break into their hotel room and have their way. No value for human life. I was in Isla when the Cartels blew up the ferry and killed all those people.

It use to be that you stay out of the brothels and leave the bars early to be safe. Now Americans are a target and they think that all of us are dumb and rich. We come from the land of opportunity and this is their chance at a piece of the wealth.
I have a client from Monterrey, Mexico. His family owns one of the largest fleet companies in Mexico. We have hunted together here in the US and Africa. I value his friendship and advice which is why I have asked him many times in past years about Mexico. Just recently, I got an email from him telling me how unsafe things have gotten. I have another client that was station throughout Mexico and South America throughout his Military career. He has never admitted this to me but I am pretty sure he is Retired CIA. He is married to a Columbian and still travels regularly in South America. He told me not to go on my last hunting trip and I went anyway. He informed me the other day that rival Cartels have been shooting down private planes around Sonora. The situation in Mexico is not getting better. They are not putting this on their brochures for you to read at the American hunting shows.

I like tacos, cerveza, mariachi bands and shooting ducks as much as anyone. Its the ideal vacation but not worth the risk of riding in the trunk of a car with my hands zipped tied behind my back. You may think you can blend in but most American hunters can not hide their Gringo.
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Wait I thought we should let them all in and legalize border jumping. The news told me that was ok!!??? Also something about how bad our president is but I cant remember exactly what bc they say something different every day.
 
wildcat3

wildcat3

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
darkthirty said:
Killed a pile of birds with Adam. He will kill birds when no one else is. He’s the only guide I’d go with if I was looking sea ducks. He books up quick.
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Last I heard Adam wasn't guiding anymore?? We use to have a ball with him. Been hunting on Ocracoke the last few years.
 
Hydemarsh

Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
Adam works as the manager of a large and private waterfowl property. Rumor has it the owner pays him not to guide except his selected clients. As a result he rarely takes hunters anymore. when he has a day off he may take some of his old long time clients. I am pretty sure it would be impossible for a new client to book. There are some great guides in Hyde and Dare as well as some really bad ones. The good ones book up quick.
 

GSOHunter

Twelve Pointer
Contributor
Roanoke said:
It is a real shame about Mexico. The quail hunting is my favorite.

Read some of the horror stories about Cancun and Mazatlán. They have had issues where entire families have been slipped drugs like Rohypnol. People feel tired and go to bed then the cartels break into their hotel room and have their way. No value for human life. I was in Isla when the Cartels blew up the ferry and killed all those people.

It use to be that you stay out of the brothels and leave the bars early to be safe. Now Americans are a target and they think that all of us are dumb and rich. We come from the land of opportunity and this is their chance at a piece of the wealth.
I have a client from Monterrey, Mexico. His family owns one of the largest fleet companies in Mexico. We have hunted together here in the US and Africa. I value his friendship and advice which is why I have asked him many times in past years about Mexico. Just recently, I got an email from him telling me how unsafe things have gotten. I have another client that was station throughout Mexico and South America throughout his Military career. He has never admitted this to me but I am pretty sure he is Retired CIA. He is married to a Columbian and still travels regularly in South America. He told me not to go on my last hunting trip and I went anyway. He informed me the other day that rival Cartels have been shooting down private planes around Sonora. The situation in Mexico is not getting better. They are not putting this on their brochures for you to read at the American hunting shows.

I like tacos, cerveza, mariachi bands and shooting ducks as much as anyone. Its the ideal vacation but not worth the risk of riding in the trunk of a car with my hands zipped tied behind my back. You may think you can blend in but most American hunters can not hide their Gringo.
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My aunt is a flight attendant. She said they get an armed guard to and from the hotel in Mexico City and they are not supposed to leave the room. She said it is like Colombia in the 80-90's. The funny thing is she loves flying to Colombia now. It is a safe place now.
 

DuckyDave

Eight Pointer
Contributor
Yep, the drug trade moved from Columbia to Mexico. Now the drug cartels in Mexico are finding there is more profit to be made in human trafficking, kidnapping, unwilling organ donations, etc. I have had my share of fun in Mexico but "no mas"--i will go somewhere else.
 
Duckmauler dhc

Duckmauler dhc

Old Mossy Horns
CountryRN said:
I have enjoyed quite a few DIY hunts on the sounds of NC along with a few guided hunts in Oregon Inlet.

On the other end of the spectrum, a few years back I went on a guided hunt along the Ohio river for ducks and geese. My buddy and I ended up having to pull the guide out of the river in 20 degree weather and get him back to a warm truck before he froze to death. I then had to drive his underpowered boat back down the river to pick up the rest of the customers and fight our way back up stream against high wind and waves in an underpowered boat. Not a hunt I would want to repeat.
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I thought my guide experiences were bad but this takes the cake. I didn't know Capt froggy used to guide on the Ohio River ? :ROFLMAO: :LOL:
 
Hydemarsh

Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
Froggy's antics are legendary in Hyde, this sounds like his Far Creek boat disaster, the customers almost drowned as well.
 

bigdrumnc

Ten Pointer
Two of my good friends actually witnessed that! I laugh every time I see his boat at Wanchese marina! His customers sure love catching ribbon fish!
 
Roanoke

Roanoke

Eight Pointer
All you have to do is watch any major news source and see how safe it is for Americans in Mexico. Shooting and burning babies alive in their car seats. Build the wall.
 
Bailey Boat

Bailey Boat

Twelve Pointer
I bypassed Doves in "south" Texas this year because of the natives being restless and have no plans to go back until something positive happens and I'm not holding my breath...
 
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