A Little Loony

I was able to get out and Duck hunt this morning.  I was very comfortable out on the water today.  It was not cold or windy or damp.  It was just nice to be out and about.  I have been using a generic decoy set up for a few years and it does OK.  I run 18 over sized blue bills, 4 Buffleheads, and 2 merganser decoys.  With that said I was very surprised to see a Loon in his full battleship grey winter plumage touch down into my decoys.  I was shocked because they are a big bird and strikingly sleek looking.  He stayed around my decoys for 5 minutes or so before paddling off.  I was able to watch him make the loon call, which by the way, is extremely loud.


   Now on to the ducks, or lack there of.  With the calm comfortable climate the ducks were not flying that well.  There could have been better numbers of ducks around but it was just kind of a bust.  I did have a lot of Buffleheads land in my decoys early on but even they took it easy today.  I did shoot a nice drake Bufflehead just to get things moving and that proved to be a good deal since it sent a Drake Old Squaw my way, which i missed.  I did not want to head in so around 930 i moved.  I found some  Old Squaw and decided to try my luck.  My luck changed quickly when a big flock of Atlantic Brant piled into my decoys!  I shot my two Brant limit, which made my day!   After the Brant episode i settled in with noting happening so after an hour I headed in.

        Brant for those of you who don't know are a small goose with a streamlined shape and dark in color.  They are found out in the more open water eating sea weed or whatever on the rocks and jetties.  They Decoy extremely well.  One must be careful because most of the time they come in flocks to the decoys and you can only shoot two.  Even though, they are hardy birds they are not tough.  One or two pellets puts them down.  I usually see these birds arrive in October and leave in June.  From what I gathered from Internet research,  These birds migrate to major breeding areas in the Canadian Arctic and have time to lay eggs, raise young, and then they got to go before it freezes again.  Some people don't like the taste, but i think it is just fine.  A lot better than Buffleheads and Mergansers.