It’s now the middle of January 2021. Winter solstice has come and gone, and with it, ducks have left many of the traditional hunting grounds. However, here at The Elms, our hunters continue to experience notable harvests. Some days produce more birds than others, but ducks and geese keep regularly returning to our flooded fields.
One client went out on a field in sight of the lodge with guide Phillip Davis on January 16, 17, and 18. “There were six of us in the pit,” Phillip told me. “Even with that many hunters, the blind is so spacious, we each had plenty of room. We used old school tactics with only three dozen decoys spread out before us with a nice opening between them and the blind for birds to land. A single shaker and a jerk string with four decoys attached were placed in the middle of the spread to add some ripple action.”
“Of the thirty-six blocks floating out front, only two were pintails decoys,” Phillip continued. “They were set off by themselves slightly to the side. That pair of decoys certainly earned their keep that morning. Pintails ended up being the bird of the day, circling and working in perfectly time after time. Every hunter had an opportunity to harvest a nice bull sprig. Added to that was a mix of greenheads and a few gadwalls, making for another successful day afield.”
Phillip’s client told me that the next two mornings were a little slower, but pintails continued to arrive along with teal, spoonbills, and even a couple groups of bluebill.
Late January is always a busy time here at The Elms, with new groups of corporate clients coming in every few days. They arrive from all points of the compass to take advantage of the good hunting nestled in the very heart of the duck and goose flyway. Life is good here at The Elms!
So, once again, this is your Duck Dive signing off with a timely reminder: “I call the shots.