Final Exam

The thing I enjoyed most about Will Gilmer's guest lecture was without a doubt the water and poo song.

Opening Weekend

Hello Hunters,

Well, another opening day has come and gone. Most hunters in the region have reported killing good numbers of birds. I personally had an outstanding hunt We killed 54 total ducks, of which 15 were mallards, 20 were gadwall and the rest were finished out by greenwing teal, which were in the place thick. Other hunter reported the same type of success. If you had water on this weekend, you had ducks is what is going around. With the weather being so dry many people did not have water in their holes. This week is supposed to be a wet one so keep your fingers crossed and hold some water, then you should hold the ducks.

Thanks,
John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club President

Opening Day

Hello Hunters,

Opening day is finally here. Nevember 23rd is the day we have been waiting for. This friday hunters will filling their blinds and all of the hard work and anticipation will be paying off. Many people in our area are reporting large numbers of waterfowl in their holes. With the large number of birds in the area record numbers of hunters will be in the field so stay safe. Also dont forget the bag limits and the number of birds that can shoot. Also do not forget to purchase your state and federal waterfowl stamps. If you need to refresh your memory you can find all season dates and bag limits at www.mdwfp.com.

Thanks,
John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club President

Cold Weather Pushing Ducks

Hello Hunters,

With superstorm Sandy wreacking havoc in the northeast, many types of waterfowl have been pushing south due to the cold temperatures. Temperatues are expected to be in the mid thirties for the next ten days. This is good news for waterfowlers since most ducks move south only because of snow cover or frozen water. If the high temperature stays at or below freezing in northern states expect a great number of waterfowl in our area. Keep your fingers crossed that the cold trend continues.

Good Hunting,
John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club President

Birds Showing Up

Hello Hunters,

With the opening of waterfowl season just a couple weeks away, most of us have our holes flooded and food planted anxiously awaiting the arrival of a few birds. Well, I can report some good news. With the recent cool weather and storm fronts coming through, Most people in the delta are holding a few ducks. While in the area this weekend I saw large flocks of speckeled belly geese and northern shovelers. With any luck the cool trend will continue and get below freezing in many places up north. With the lack of food due to the severe drought suffered throughout the midwest this summer and hopefully some cold weather, We could be in for a waterfowl season for the record books. Keep your fingers crossed!

Thanks,
John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club President

Decoy Spread

Hello Hunters,

One of the most important things you can do when trying to get waterfowl to come within gun range is to have the right decoy spread. Many times ducks will not commit to you because the spread looks unnatural to them. Wind is also a major factor. Having wind adds movement to your decoys and also helps the ducks to land. Always have the wind at your back so the ducks will land in your face. Waterfowl tend to most always land into the wind. For more information on your decoy spreads you can visit www.ducks.org for assistance.

John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club President

Dog Training

Hello Hunters,

One of the most exciting things for duck dog owners is seeing your time and patience pay off in the field with a successful retrieve. Many dog owners dream of having a great retriever but its not that simple. It requires lots of time, energy, and patience to get your pup into hunting form. It all starts at the beginning by selecting a good puppy. This can be done by carefully watching the puppies and seeing how they respond to you. After you make your selection many people opt to send the dog off for training. There are many good training schools out there. Read reviews and make sure you send the dog to a good one. Many companies endorse these places and it is always a good idea to look for these. Ducks Unlimited and Orvis are two companies that come to mind when thinking of duck dog reviews. Look at these two companies web pages when searching for trainers or puppies and good luck this coming year.

John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club President

Duck Migration Forcast

Hello Hunters,

The season is underway the the skies are beginning to fill with waterfowl. While riding around the MS delta thsi past weekend I saw a lot of new birds. These new birds included species such as Shovelers, Blue Wing Teal, Green Wing Teal, Canada Geese, Speckeled Belly Geese and Ringneck Ducks. The migration forecast is still looking good for this season and the birds are on the way. Migration reports are looking good for this season and hunters are reporting phenominal numbers of birds. Maybe this will translate to a very succesful season for us southern hunters too.

Thanks,
John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club President

Duck Recipe

Hello Hunters,

Many of us love to harvest birds in the field but dont know a good way to prepare our birds for the table. Lots of us hunters give their ducks to other people after they are harvested but this is a huge mistake. Ducks are great table fare. Soaking the ducks in water for a few days prior to cooking to remove all the blood from the breast is a must. It is very important that you do not over cook the ducks. (This is most people's mistake.) Letting the ducks cook on the grill until the inner breast is a warm pink is a delicious way to enjoy waterfowl. If you want to find new ways to prepare your harvest there are plenty of ways to do it. Ducks Unlimited offers many new and exciting recipe's on their web page at www.ducks.org which you should try. We work hard for our birds so lets make the most of them by preparing them to share with our family and friends.

Thanks,
John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club President

Catching Water

Hello Hunters,

With the recent rainfall, many of us now have our duck holes full of water. Now the question comes, can we keep this water in our holes without it leaking through our culvert. Many people have this kind of trouble. It takes a lot of work to keep our holes properly filled. The way I see it done many times with sucess is by placing the correct length, treated 2x4 boards. Put your bottom board in the culvert and push mud all around the edges and bottom. It also does not hurt to put a tarp under this board to help hold the water. After the first board is in place the boards in the culvert until you get the boards the height you want the water to be. Pull the tarp back through the boards and let the excess hang over the front of your boards and put a few shovel fulls of mud on the bottom of the excess tarp. By doing this correctly you should not have water leaking out of your hole and possibly have no water for your ducks to land in.

Good Hunting,
John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club, President

Migration Maps & Early Reports

Hello Hunters,

The great migration is underway and hunters are beginning to get excited about the season. The early word out of the breeding ground in the prarie pothole region is exceptional. In Canada, where the season is now underway, hunters are reporting great numbers of birds and reporting limits often times when they are in the field. Many species of birds are reported as having above average populations this year and that has hunters excited. To look at these migration maps and population estimates, go to www.ducks.org. This is the Ducks Unlimited website and these field researchers and biologits really know their stuff. Get ready hunters, the season is fast approaching.

Good Hunting,
John Craig Patterson

Reporting Leg Bands

Hunters,

One of the many sought after prizes when in the field are banded birds. Waterfowl are usually banded during the breeding season by biologist who are checking for disease or who are just trying to gather information about the migration patterns. These leg bands are highly sought after by hunters and are considered to be real trophies. You can obtain lots of information about the bird you harvested such as approximate age and where it was banded. It is always smart to report a band when you get one. The number to call is already on the band. If you call them they will ask for the number on the band then send you your information about your trophy. Good luck and maybe you can bag one of these banded birds this year.

Good Hunting,
John Craig Patterson

Brushing in your Blind

Hello Hunters,

The hunting season is right around the corner and many of us are getting our blinds brushed in. Brushing, is a term used by hunters meaning to camoflauge their blinds. When camoflauging, you want to use things that are the color of the natural environment. If you have things like willow trees around your duck hole you would be smart to use willow tree branches to hide your blind. It is also smart to use colors that match the things around you. Think about the changing of the seasons and realize that things that are green now may not be the same color they are at this moment. It is always better to take the time and brush in your blind well, than it is to see waterfowl flare off of your un-brushed blinds. So, go ahead and take the time to get well hidden and surprise those birds coming into your spread this winter. Good Hunting!

September Teal

Duck Hunters,

Many of us cannot wait until opening day here in a few months, however, there is another season that not many of us waterfowlers take advantage of. The season im talking about of coarse, is the Septmeber Teal season. Teal season opens in the middle of September in Mississippi and runs for a few weeks. These birds are fun to shoot and are a good warm up before the main migration of ducks takes place. Blue Wing Teal like areas with water that stands six inches or less but will occasionally rest on deeper water. They feed on the same food as other ducks and really like anything that puts off a seed. If you have any questions or comments about the upcoming Teal season you can get information from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fishiries, and Parks at www.mdwfp.com. You can also conact me and I will help you as much as possible. So lets start the season off right with these September teal. Good Luck!

Thanks,
John Craig Patterson
Delta Duck Club President

Preparing Ground And Planting Food for Ducks

Hello Duck Hunters,

If you have not already prepared your ground for a duck food plot, now is the time. Planting some type of waterfowl blend will attract and hold many hungry migrating birds on your property. Any type of waterfowl blends tend to work well. Ducks love many types of seeds, these include most all grain crops, millet, and weed seeds such as smartweed. For any other questions you may have, you can go to http://www.foodplots.co/food-plot-mixes-for-ducks-and-geese/  This web page should help you with deciding which seed blend to plant and how to prepare your ground for it.