Roanoke rapids lake

Terry

Four Pointer
Has anybody been duck hunting that Roanoke rapids lake this year any birds there yet? Is that local guide service still there aggravating hunters?
 
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Neverfail

Spike
Very few ducks. Lots of hunters. Multiple guides. We saw at least 10 hunters waiting to get picked up by the guides on the opener of the third split.
 

Terry

Four Pointer
Haven't been up there in a couple of years sounds like the same old same old thanks Man
 

rray11ncsu

Button Buck
Do you know who the guides are?
Carolina Waterfowler Guide Service- guy named Darrell Mcauly. Has atleast a couple blinds out there. He typically will pay a younger "guide" a bird dog fee to drop folks off at blinds, leave decoys out all year with vegetation growing on them at this point in the season. Market on FB Groups with 10 photos of the only good hunts he's had in the last 10 years, all the same photos year after year. Lot of truth to the negative reviews you may find of him out there. Guy I know went last year.
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
Carolina Waterfowler Guide Service- guy named Darrell Mcauly. Has atleast a couple blinds out there. He typically will pay a younger "guide" a bird dog fee to drop folks off at blinds, leave decoys out all year with vegetation growing on them at this point in the season. Market on FB Groups with 10 photos of the only good hunts he's had in the last 10 years, all the same photos year after year. Lot of truth to the negative reviews you may find of him out there. Guy I know went last year.
Forgive for the ignorant question but I dont duck hunt so I have no clue.
Why would someone paid a guide to hunt on a public lake?
Because they dont have a boat, decoys?
 

timber

Twelve Pointer
Would think the RR lake would be hard to hunt no bigger than it is along with dealing with the boats fishing
 

grim reaper

Ten Pointer
First time I hunted it was the late 90's...had the lake to ourselves that day and all shot a drake can. You couldn't pay me to go now, dang sure wouldn't pay anybody to take me
 

CountryRN

Twelve Pointer
I live 5 minutes from the ramp. I have heard very little shooting this year. I usually avoid the lake unless it has been very cold and the I only go during the week days when there is a few less people.
 

rray11ncsu

Button Buck
Forgive for the ignorant question but I dont duck hunt so I have no clue.
Why would someone paid a guide to hunt on a public lake?
Because they dont have a boat, decoys?
RR Lake specifically has been known to hold canvasbacks and a variety of divers in the winter historically. They pay a guide like you said, cause they have boat, decoys, and blinds. Guide promises a chance at canvasbacks, even though they sit in a raft 1000 yards from any decoy spread aside from a weather day maybe (far and few between). RR lake is also a tough one to navigate as there are a lot of stumps and rocks barely submerged from what I’ve been told
 

MJ74

Old Mossy Horns
RR Lake specifically has been known to hold canvasbacks and a variety of divers in the winter historically. They pay a guide like you said, cause they have boat, decoys, and blinds. Guide promises a chance at canvasbacks, even though they sit in a raft 1000 yards from any decoy spread aside from a weather day maybe (far and few between). RR lake is also a tough one to navigate as there are a lot of stumps and rocks barely submerged from what I’ve been told

Gotcha, yes there is a large group of stumps right there by the Thelma boat landing.
 

Neverfail

Spike
There is also old concrete bridge supports in the middle of the lake on the west side that are mostly just under the water line depending on depth of lake. You need to know the lake or you might lose a prop or 2.
 

Mack in N.C.

Old Mossy Horns
The old river bed splits at an Island and the top of the island is in the middle of the lake . very shallow with stumps ............
 

Clark

Ten Pointer
Water levels change very quickly. Floated the boat into the grass one time, few hours later it was high and dry!
 

TomstoSwans486

Four Pointer
From what I've heard Ole Skimmer (Darrel) is on his way to Georgia, he apparently got a "New guiding gig" - I learned this over the last week from guys in Virginia who had a hunt lined up the 3-5th. Ole Skimmer called them and said, birds aren't here, I'm packing up and you don't get your deposit back ($900 for 3 days). All in all he said he'd give them half as of late. I think they're still fighting to get his money, since HE cancelled the trip and said don't come.

I hope he goes to GA and get's his tail beat down there. That dude left a trail from Harris Lake to RR Lake. He's got bad things coming to him, and leaving the State will only save him for a little while.

So based on Skimmer, no ducks - but it's been a SW wind for 10 days and over 70, doesn't surprise me. Wait til February 5th - it'll be loaded.
 
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TomstoSwans486

Four Pointer
Do you know if this is permanent or just for this year? Is he moving?
i think your messing with us. Lol
This is what I read between them, and saw the text message. Maybe skimmer is lying, but sounds like he's hung it up and moving...maybe for good or just this season. If it's for good...it's about time.
 

Duckmauler dhc

Old Mossy Horns
Oh another “I hate skimmer” thread in the making. If any of you ever met the guy you would have a different opinion of him……but most of you probably only know “what someone else said of him” Darryl is a really nice guy. When I used to hunt Harris all the time I encountered him 3 times per week but I never hunted the area he hunted in. He offered me to sit in the blind with him many times and I took him up on it a couple times when he didn’t have clients. He got harassed on a daily basis by people setting up on top of him that weren’t willing to cut lanes in the grass or willing to put out 500 decoys. It’s always been duck envy. And whoever told you they weren’t getting their deposit back for him canceling a hunt is more than likely full of crap. He’s not like that. I understand why you don’t want him hunting on a lake that you hunt but that statement is false. He’s just a guid trying to make a living which I can’t imagine trying to do on any body of water in North Carolina.
 

grim reaper

Ten Pointer
I'm sure he's a nice person, I don't have any doubts with that. Nothing personal just agree with the statement that he'll ruin the next lake he goes to. Not everybody may agree with the definition of Ruin in this case. If you like major advertisement to your favorite lake then maybe it's not ruined. If you have a particular favorite spot you like to hunt (like the tip of the island mentioned In the article) but now the only way you'll be able to hunt there is to pay a guide and are fine with it, then it's not ruined. If you don't mind a 500 decoy spread that stays out the whole season on your favorite local lake then it's not ruined....matter of fact I'm already interested in this lake in Georgia. Need to get my azz down there before him and bust some. Anyone know the name of said lake? 🙂
 

TomstoSwans486

Four Pointer
GA does have ducks and yes on the Cans. I met Skimmer at Harris too - one day he cussed me out and shot at our spread, that was the first time I met him. The second time he was slipping on the boat ramp on an icy day and I put down sand so he could get traction. He smiled and said "man I appreciate you." People are people, and circumstances bring out the best or the worst. I just think he does guiding the wrong way...as a person - I won't say anything bad about him, but towards him in this professional standing, I have plenty of reason to say he's not a good one.
 

cootmayne

Button Buck
What ever happened to that law they passed that you couldnt keep decoys or be on the lake before 4 am or something along those lines? Also, I dont understand why if so many people have a problem with how he is hunting the lake, do something about it. Go hunt out of his blinds a couple of times and hunt on that point of the island. Nothing he can do.
 

JONOV

Old Mossy Horns
Forgive for the ignorant question but I dont duck hunt so I have no clue.
Why would someone paid a guide to hunt on a public lake?
Because they dont have a boat, decoys?
Why would I pay a fishing guide on a public lake?

Same thing. It could be that they have no boat, no decoys, or unfamiliarity with the lake, etc...
Oh another “I hate skimmer” thread in the making. If any of you ever met the guy you would have a different opinion of him……but most of you probably only know “what someone else said of him” Darryl is a really nice guy. When I used to hunt Harris all the time I encountered him 3 times per week but I never hunted the area he hunted in. He offered me to sit in the blind with him many times and I took him up on it a couple times when he didn’t have clients. He got harassed on a daily basis by people setting up on top of him that weren’t willing to cut lanes in the grass or willing to put out 500 decoys. It’s always been duck envy. And whoever told you they weren’t getting their deposit back for him canceling a hunt is more than likely full of crap. He’s not like that. I understand why you don’t want him hunting on a lake that you hunt but that statement is false. He’s just a guid trying to make a living which I can’t imagine trying to do on any body of water in North Carolina.
I have no opinion of the guy but especially on an inland lake, his practices effectively privatized a public resource. Really, it ends up being no different than if a Farmer went out and planted a food plot on game land with a crop and expected everyone to respect the fact that he was trying to make a living growing crops (on public land.)
 

agsnchunt

Old Mossy Horns
GA does have ducks and yes on the Cans. I met Skimmer at Harris too - one day he cussed me out and shot at our spread, that was the first time I met him. The second time he was slipping on the boat ramp on an icy day and I put down sand so he could get traction. He smiled and said "man I appreciate you." People are people, and circumstances bring out the best or the worst. I just think he does guiding the wrong way...as a person - I won't say anything bad about him, but towards him in this professional standing, I have plenty of reason to say he's not a good one.

Is it me or does it seem like duck hunting gives people the idea they can shoot at other folks or their stuff?

I’ve never been in a position where this happened, but I know guys that have rounded corners, come out of fog, etc and almost run up on a spread and had shots fired to warn them off.

Wouldn’t a simple “hey! We’re hunting here!” Do the same thing, without the risk of someone escalating?
 
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