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New-er to the Blind - Looking for Company

3K views 35 replies 17 participants last post by  QuackHonkBang 
#1 ·
Hello Illinois Waterfowlers - (My Duck Hunting Chat "Personal Ad" :lol3: )

My name is Tyler, I am 24 and this is my first year hunting on my own. I've been in the blind since I was 10, but until recently only brought a camera due to my Super-Liberal mother. My only hunting experiences have been with my father. He does not have as much time to duck hunt as I do this year, and his "X" is not open for me to hunt without him. I've put almost 1000 miles on my car since August trying to find property to hunt, I've had no luck. It seems like all of the landowners up here have been burned by City Slickers too many times to allow someone new/young to hunt their land. Fortunately, I got a few permits for State land this year, but would like to get out a little closer to home as well (Northwest Suburbs of Chicago). I have space in my blinds for all of my states permits. If anyone is interested in spending a morning at Marshall Duck Ranch or Snakeden Hollow with a new-er hunter, or if you'd want let me join you at one of your "spots" in exchange, PM me for dates. I am NOT asking for a hand-out hunt.

I would like to meet waterfowlers in the area, and maybe get out with someone with a bit of experience seeing as mine is limited. If anyone needs help with their blind or anything I am more than willing to help anyone who needs it (even if they don't have room for me to hunt in that blind).

I have a V-Hull aluminum boat, painted olive green, that I run on a trolling motor, paddles and a push-pole. I'd be willing to pay for the Chain-o-Lakes waterfowlers boat permit and make a boat blind if someone with a small outboard would want to hunt the open water with me this season.

My current spread consists of a pair of Baby Mojo Mallards, 6 woodie floaters, 4 canada floaters, 12 mallard floaters; with access to another 2 dozen mallards, 9 canadas, and a handful of canvasback floaters and mallard butts. I made field stands for my 4 canadas and 12 mallards; could definitely use some field decoys at Snakeden Hollow if someone is interested.

Thank You,
Tyler J. Peterson
 
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#4 ·
WTRlabDOG said:
Tyler,

Great post... I've hunted the duck ranch. Just some advice before you take all them decoys out there it's a long hike to make sure you bring what you need.
Thanks and thanks for the advice WTRlabDOG. I've been getting geeky about this season since August, I've been packed up and ready to go since early goose season. I can fit everything (including the MOJOs) into my blind bag and all of my decoys fit into a single bag. I figure my spread is pretty sufficient for the Duck Ranch seeing as you have to hunt over at least 12 decoys. Plus, I'll hopefully have some company to help with the carrying of gear.

I was also thinking about getting those inflatable Cherokee Sports Featherlite decoys. Has anyone hunted over these? Any opinions would be greatly appreciated.
 
#6 ·
Tyler, thats the way to make a first post! I am stationed out in virginia but I will be home over the holidays for at least a couple of weeks. shoot me a PM when december rolls around and maybe we can get together. I live right up there by where jaysweet is at. Maybe all three of us can get a hunt put together.

Luke
 
#7 ·
TomKat said:
Tyler,
You ought to hook up with jaysweet3. He lives in your area and is a fantastic hunter and great guy. I bet if you asked him, he would take you under his wing.
I may have a weekday spot for you. The weekends are always full. Shoot me a pm once season gets started. Maybe we can start a Krew.
 
#8 ·
Thanks for the invite, I will definitely take you up on that offer. Luckily, my boss gives me extreme flexibility when it comes to scheduling around Hunting and Fishing, so weekday hunts work for me. Either way, its not like I'd subject myself to a day in the cube if i could be out on the water for any reason. Never been part of a "Krew" before, but Krew-life might work lol
 
#12 ·
Hey if your in the service your welcome to hunt my club any time if you three guys hook up from Northern Il give me a call and Ill fit you in weekdays are best.
lukea.becker said:
Tyler, thats the way to make a first post! I am stationed out in virginia but I will be home over the holidays for at least a couple of weeks. shoot me a PM when december rolls around and maybe we can get together. I live right up there by where jaysweet is at. Maybe all three of us can get a hunt put together.

Luke
 
#13 ·
Hey thanks for the offer man, much appreciated. I'll see if we can work something out sounds like fun!

Luke
 
#15 ·
:biggrin: That makes three of us! Luke, stay well and get home safe and sound for this holiday season. Now I want to thank you for being part of the 9% of Americans courageous enough to serve/ have served our country in the armed forces.

I also want to thank everyone who has replied and messaged me from this post. The offers and the advice have all been very generous, and I hope one day I can meet, help, or hunt with all of you. You have all fueled my Waterfowl Fever, the next 2+weeks can not pass by quicker.
 
#16 ·
Tyler, you asked about the Feather Lite decoys. If you want to add numbers and get a TON of decoy movement without the bulk then the Feather Lites are great! BUT, make sure you don't shoot near them (obviously) and if there's so much as a hint of ice they will have a hole! I had a dozen that I would mix in because they are slick bottomed and would move like crazy with even the slightest wind! Hope this helps!
 
#17 ·
GunnersDad said:
Tyler, you asked about the Feather Lite decoys. If you want to add numbers and get a TON of decoy movement without the bulk then the Feather Lites are great! BUT, make sure you don't shoot near them (obviously) and if there's so much as a hint of ice they will have a hole! I had a dozen that I would mix in because they are slick bottomed and would move like crazy with even the slightest wind! Hope this helps!
Thanks, GunnersDad, for the heads up on the ice situation. I hadn't even thought about ice being an issue. I ended up getting six "new" on ebay. Originally I was thinking of putting them on a jerk cord, but after receiving some advice on DHC and thinking about it a bit more I think I'm going to just let them move in the wind and use some keeled decoys for the jerk cord.

1 WEEK for the North ZONE!!!!
 
#18 ·
TJP said:
GunnersDad said:
Tyler, you asked about the Feather Lite decoys. If you want to add numbers and get a TON of decoy movement without the bulk then the Feather Lites are great! BUT, make sure you don't shoot near them (obviously) and if there's so much as a hint of ice they will have a hole! I had a dozen that I would mix in because they are slick bottomed and would move like crazy with even the slightest wind! Hope this helps!
Thanks, GunnersDad, for the heads up on the ice situation. I hadn't even thought about ice being an issue. I ended up getting six "new" on ebay. Originally I was thinking of putting them on a jerk cord, but after receiving some advice on DHC and thinking about it a bit more I think I'm going to just let them move in the wind and use some keeled decoys for the jerk cord.
Good idea! Feeding duck butts mixed in your jerk rig look awesome too! And for whatever reason the butt up decoys move more water than standard decoys :thumbsup: Because they have a flat bottom and splash more water that the regular decoys.
1 WEEK for the North ZONE!!!!
 
#21 ·
Hi Tyler welcome to the world of waterfowling. So glad to see that nothing is stopping the fire within! I hunted Snakeden for several years and the first few years I killed birds there and then leased some private ground there for the geese. The goose hunting is very marginal. I'm not sure what happened but they don't show up there in any numbers anymore. So now I lease land there for Deer and Turkey's. Good luck on your hunt there maybe if your permit is for the early part of the season you'll get some action. Keep us posted it would be nice to see the birds come back there again. Any idea of what they shot last year?

Larry
 
#22 ·
I'm not sure how they did out there last season, I'm sure the information is posted on the DNR website somewhere. I'm hoping to get a pit that shoots over water. If I don't, I'll probably set up like a Dakota field hunt for mallards seeing as all of the goose decoys I have access to have Sentry or Active heads; and a field full of geese with heads up is a sure way to signal something is not right to incoming flocks of Canadas. Let me know if I'm wrong here, but when I see geese in fields the majority of their heads are down feeding and when all of their heads pop up its because something startled them or they're all about to leave. Any advice on this subject would be greatly appreciated.

Does anyone else field hunt for Mallards here in Illinois or would I be wasting my time?
 
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