What a difference from one year to the next. Last year bone dry and no hunting for us. This year lakes are close to being full.

Had a good amount of birds. I really thought it was going to be lights out. Storms Friday night with all the lightning and thunder seemed to have pushed some of our birds.

Still managed 26 birds. We split up into 2 groups on our big lake….













Then we had a surprised visit….



Sunday hunted the same spot and shot 1 bird….





Had the pleasure to watch Mrs Ellie work both days. She did amazing finding the birds in the Lily Pads….

Saturday.... Started off the morning breaking the handle on my go devil... ended up steering using a mojo pole. Boated about 150 yards from the boat launch, set out the spinners, and shot our twelve birds in about 15-20 minutes. We were extremely picky with our shots due to only having a 25x40-yard hole in the lily pads and anything shot past above 10-15 yards would get eaten by a gator before we could pick it up. Shot one bird and within 3 seconds of it hitting the water a gator destroyed it... Had we wanted to and the law allowed.. my buddy and I could have shot 50 in an hour and a half probably. There were a lot of birds.

Sunday... I knew it would be slower but did not realize it would be that much slower. Still was picky with my shots due to the gator infestation we deal with but it took me an hour and fifteen minutes to shoot my six ducks... and I only wasted one shell. Wild what a difference a day makes.

Hoping to have a story to tell by next Monday. Going to be hunting dove/teal this weekend a little southeast of Abilene. We'll see what this front will do to the numbers out there.

I usually hunt the coast, but sat it out this year. Decided to hunt a local lake. Found birds on Friday and had a plan. What I didn't account for was the time I had to be there to get a spot. Let's just say it was a learning experience from coastal public land hunting with a boat to lake hunting walking in regarding arrival time. Went to plan Y which was one step from plan Z which meant going home. Ended up with two and the dog got to work a little. I'll chalk it up as a win based on the lesson alone. The rest was gravy.

That would be crazy to hunt with gators around. I thought it was bad enough with snakes.....

[/quote]
That would be crazy to hunt with gators around. I thought it was bad enough with snakes.....[/quote]

I think the reservoir I get to hunt is worse than most places with gators. It is deep (2-6 feet, 8-12 feet in bar ditches, depending on rainfall) and is freshwater. Not unusual to go into your duck hole and see 10-12 of them in a 100-yard radius. I was hunting two years ago in January and had a 3-4 foot alligator slide up between myself and the bull rush clump I was hiding in about 6 inches away from me.... I squealed like a girl.

Thanks Rockie had a great time. Mrs Ellie and myself passed out last night

Where in Oklahoma are there that many gators?

Horrible opener. We shot some birds, but I tour my knee trying to move my boat in shallow water. I'm not sure when surgery will be ....after hunting season or late sept and time to recover for hunting seasons

Sorry to hear that!

I took at nap at home from 4:00 to 9:30 looked up and the Cowboys were winning 33 to 0. Got up moved to my bed and went back to sleep. LOL

I guess I should update my account…. Since joining the forum I have made my way back to Houston after spending a season in Oklahoma and three in kansas. I am now slumming it up shooting teal year round in southeast Texas, save the few trips I make back north to scratch the green head itch.

Opener was good. Caught a 3 man.


After getting up at 1 am then college football and cold beers... wasn't getting up Sunday.

Here's where the stories start. Monday go with a buddy to a spot where he scouted a lot of birds. Only saw one small group. Ended up with one random honker. Looks like the storms pushed them out. Went scouting afterwards when I smell smoke. He shuts his Mud Buddy down and there's oil streaming out the block. Had to call for a tow back to the ramp.

This morning another buddy invited me on a sure thing. Well, he got stuck like Chuck. Finally got free and his fuel pump would prime but wouldn't turn over. Walked all the way back to the ramp and got the battery out the truck and jumper cables. An hour later we're running. Too late to hunt so we just scouted. At least we got out. I'm starting to think I'm bad luck.

Hopefully when we hit a couple spots I found this week in my rig there aren't any surprises.

Rosie looks pissed you stopped shooting and the black dog is just focused on birds Great pic LC and sounds like you have some experiences this week.

Really good hunt Monday AM on the Prairie. 24 for 5 guys. Yesterday a little slower, 12 for 4 guys. Birds were there but with no wind and clouds they would not commit. Two big groups of probably 60 birds circled and would not roll in. 14 groups out only 2 limits. With so little water down there, the birds are already getting mojo shy and skittish. With no rain, the 2nd week could be a bust IMO.

Thats why I keep my trolling motor on now year around, and pack 3 batteries…

I think this is the only pic I have of here looking at the camera. I'm pretty sure she's Muslim and afraid the cam is gonna steal her soul LOL. That lab is a lot like her, all bidness when hunting.


He is a bow fisherman and he just took his platform off... with his trolling motor, last weekend of course. But, it would have been a loooong troll into the wind. Not sure we would have made it. He has insurance so the tow didn't cost anything besides an hour wait. I left mine on my old rig all year, too, for the same reason. Worst case you got another battery.

The battery issue on the other hand could have saved a lot of time with a jump box, which I keep in my rig. At the moment I don't have a trolling motor (coming next Spring) so I only have one battery.

Pretty good season. Got 5 solo hunts in and shot 27 birds.