Santee Delta West Report 1/20

[Huntlabs]

Hunted SDW 1/20 and had a great time. Got to meet Trad and saw a few ducks. Killed 1 mallard and 1 GWT. Recommend if you hunt this weekend 1/27 that you take advantage of the Woodies and Teal early. There were a few mallards but they were extremely gun shy. A gun would shoot on the east side and they would flair. I could have taken a limit of teal and woodies but waited for the mallards and they did not come in to my spot. When I left at 11:00 there had only been 2 mallards, 2 teal, 1 wigeon, and a couple of woodies killed. Good luck! Bob

[Swamp Rat]

That was similar to our experience there a few years back. We shot a good many ducks, but the mallards got up early (pre shooting time) and left. A few worked off and on, but the majority started returning at what seemed like 10:45 - right before quitin' time.

But it's still a quality shoot!

[tradorion]

the last boat out (they quit shooting before 1100) managed 7mallards and some woodies...

if you hunt ANY draw hunt have it in your head to be ready to move in order to get your birds if the birds dictate it

[Chap]

We shot the East side on 1/13 and ended up with 10 teal and 2 Hollywoods. Had it been 1903, and we had dry paper cartridges, Lynch and I could have killed 100 birds a piece by 10:00. Get out of the blind as soon as you see the ducks landing elsewhere. If they are landing on you, shoot'em up. The best tip we got was from Trad and Jim Lee when they told us that, yes, mallards were there, but we would do well to shoot the teal when the opportunity presented itself. I think we were the high blind, and we had a ball. Lots of GWT, plenty of BWT. The Black's were there, but they would only work low for a couple of wide turns until someone shot and they would casually turn and go land in some super hole we couldn't get to. While walking to another hole on the East Side, we pushed approximately 400 teal, Mallards, and a few Blacks out of what looked like a thick grass stand. Pay attention and go easy on the calling. You'll have a ball, dude.

[Moatsy]

thanks Chap... we are on them Saturday, which/ how many blocks did yall put out?

[Huntlabs]

I would keep it to 6 at the most. I had to walk about 200 yards from where I parked the boat to the spot that I was told to hunt. The teal and woodies were working about gun shot away so I moved down to my left. The mallards were working the next field down to my right so I moved closer to the trees that seperated the 2 fields and got one that was swinging a little wider than the others. Like Trad says you have to be prepared to move to get to shoot the birds. Good luck. Bob