November - Hope for the season

     Although the season started slow with early geese and early ducks there was still hope shining through for a good season.  In October a small flock of snow geese showed up in a local field.  Snow geese are over abundant in much of the country and Canada, but they are uncommon in Rhode Island. Even though we don't see them often, there is still a hunting season for them with extremely liberal bag-limits due to the fact that they are such a nuisance in other areas where they frequent.  Large flocks of snow geese will destroy crops in a field and they are even destroying their own breeding grounds. Rhode Island is just not a normal stop on their migration, although a few show up every year. 

     Spending as much time hunting and having the passion we do, these birds became a target for us.  Initially they were using a small field closed to hunting due to it's proximity to houses, but by some stroke of luck, they moved north a couple miles to a state owned field, open to the public for hunting.  Bob, Jim, and I were there waiting the next morning in, the geese showed and we were able to extract them from the hundreds of canada geese in the area. Although Jim and Bob had both taken snows in the past, this was a first for me and another species to cross off of my list.  A great accomplishment for hunting this area.

A photo of the snow geese a week or so prior to the hunt.

Snow goose success!

Bob carrying gear out of the field. 

     After the success chasing snow geese, and a lull for a couple weeks until duck season opened back up towards the end of November, We hunted for several days in a row and did quite well on mallards and black ducks.  Our two most frequently taken species throughout the season.  Mallards are common through the entire country, they are the most recognizable duck by far.  Black ducks, however are not as common.  Outside of the northeast, black ducks are a prize, and some of the guys, who I'm sure would call me crazy for being excited about a snow goose, would love the opportunity to take one.  To keep harvest numbers down and populations stable, hunters in our area are only allowed to take one a day, so you have to be careful when hunting them as they are very similar to mallards in every way except plumage which can be tough to tell in low light or back lit situations.

     The overall success in November showed hope for the season.  If things kept up (they didn't), it would be a stellar year.  (It wasn't!)

Spent shotgun shells from a mornings hunt - Yes, we picked them up.

A drake mallard from thanksgiving morning.

My first black duck of the season and a decoy my brother carved. Although they are somewhat drab and commonplace here, they are one of my favorite birds to take.