2/12/2024 0 Comments Golden oaks farm waterfowl![]() ![]() ![]() Have we chosen the right place and right time for an upcoming hunt? Sure, if we’re hunting preserve birds, we know we’ll get in some shooting, but when it comes to wild birds, the odds get dicier, especially when making plans more than a few months ahead. Most all of us, of course, do not have this ace up our sleeve depending, instead, on a lucky roll of the dice. While not every day of the season was a great duckin’day at his farm, he could clearly predict those days-and there were lots of them-when the hunting would be outstanding. Throughout the season, he knew which species of birds were around and, depending on the weather, the routine of their daily movements. Late in the season, when the cold really set in, Canada geese would reliably return to his cornfields, looking to scratch up whatever kernels remained on the ground. He was also well aware, of course, how the weather influenced the movement of local waterfowl.Īhead of a storm, ducks would leave the big water of the bay and make a beeline to his ponds, piling in until it seemed that every mallard in the area had taken up residence on his farm. When the first waves of teal came in, he was likely sitting on his front porch, watching these speedsters jink and jive before cupping their wings and finally dropping down into one of his ponds. As I recall, the property featured four good-sized ponds and several large cornfields, the lower portions of which could be flooded when the time was right.Īs the duck and goose seasons began, this fellow did not have to wait to get second-hand waterfowl reports. In truth, it was a nice place, a late 19th century gentleman’s farmhouse situated on some 30 acres only a few miles from Chesapeake Bay. Some years back, I met a fellow sportsman whose duck camp also served as his family’s home, a sweet, to say the least, deal made possible by a good-natured and tolerant wife who, nonetheless, well understood that this convenient combination gave her considerable leverage when it came to all other household matters. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |