[redleg hunter]

DUCKMANN: I HAVE HUNTED MERRYMEETING WITH MY DAD AND GRANDFATHER SINCE I WAS 4 YEARS OLD. MAYBE I HAVE RUN INTO YOU THERE. HAVE YOU NOTICED THE CHANGE THE PAST FEW YEARS??

 

[redleg hunter]

D.M. I ALSO USED TO PUT IN AT THAT WARDEN CAMP, IT WAS A REAL CONVIENIANT SPOT . INOW PUT IN THE SAME PLACE YOU DO. ITS QUITE A HALL TO THE BAY , I PUT MY SKULLING FLOAT AWAY, AND USE ALITTLE BIGGER BOAT NOW. I HAVE STAYED THE NIGHT YEARS AGO AT THAT WARDEN CAMP WITH MY FATHER AND THE FIDES GANG HAD ALOT OF FUN .BIG DIFF. IN THE AMOUNT OF DUCKS THEN TO NOW.NOW IS ALOT LESS DUCKS ALOT MORE HUNTERS THAT DONT CARE AND SKY BUST AT ANYTHING EVEN OVER YOUR DECOYS. I SEEN MORE FIGHTS AND ARGUEMENTS PAST FEW YEARS. WHEN SOME OF THESE GUYS GOT THE WHOLE BAY OUT THERE, THEY DONT NEED TO SET UP 20 FEET FROM YOU. DO YOU SEE ANY OF THAT?

 

[redleg hunter]

NO. I USUALLY GO OUT TO THE BAY NEAR THE SANCTUARY IN THAT AREA, DEPENDS ON THE WEATHER I HUNT SOME AROUND MUDDY RIVER IF THERES A BAD SOUTH WIND. I HAVE SEEN ALOT OF OUTERSTATERS THERE PAST FEW YEARS PARKED AT THE TOWN RAMP. I FIND IT TOUGH TO DECOY DUCKS WHEN SOMEONE ELSE FIRES AT THEM WHEN THEY ARE WAY CLOSER TO ME THEN THEM.

 

[redleg hunter]

DM: I WAS NOT OUT THERE OPENING DAY THIS YEAR, I HAVE ONLY MISSED 2 OPENERS SINCE I WAS 4 YEARS OLD. SELF EMPLOYMENT DOES THAT TO YOU. I WENT THE FIRST SAT. OF THE SEASON. STRONG S.E. WINDS FORCED ME TO STAY AROUND MUDDY RIVER AREA AFTER COMING OUT OF THE MOUTH OF THE CATHANCE. 10 MINS. BEFORE SHOOTING TIME DUCKS WERE EVERYWHERE. I FIRED 1 SHOT AT LEGAL SHOOTING TIME AND MISSED . AFTER THAT NOT ANOTHER DUCK TO BE SEEN NOT EVEN VERY MANY SHOTS FIRED AROUND. WHERE WE WERE ABLE TO SHOOT BLACKS EARLY THIS YEAR, I STAYED HUNTING THE COAST AND HAD OK LUCK , VERY WARM, BIRDS NOT MOVING WELL IN OCTOBER. ARE YOU THE ONES THAT CAMP OUT IN THAT COVE TO THE LEFT AS YOU COME OUT OF THE CATHANCE RIVER?

 

[redleg hunter]

DM: NO, I DONT KNOW WHOSE DECOYS THOSE ARE. NEVER SEEN GEESE COME IN TO THEM. ISN'T THERE A TIME SET UP LAW ON DECOYS ON MERRYMEETING BAY? THAT CAMPING OUT THING SOUNDS LIKE FUN, GREAT IDEA. I ALWAYS SEE SOME OTHER GUYS WITH A CAMP SET UP IN THAT COVE TO THE LEFT AS YOU LEAVE THE CATHANCE RIVER HEADING IN TO THE BAY. HAVE YOU HAD ANY LUCK IN THE PAST WITH GEESE AT MERRYMEETING?

 

[redleg hunter]

DM, NOT MANY GEESE COME THROUGH CLOSE DURING DUCK SEASON ANYWAY. IN THE PAST 31 YEARS I REMEMBER, MY GRANDFATHER GOT 1 IN EARLY 70S . WE HAD SKULLED A SMALL FLOCK THAT LANDED BEHIND US IN KENNEBEC RIVER BY THE SANCUARY. MY DAD GOT ONE EARLY ONE AM. SHOOTING INTO A FLOCK. THAT WAS IN ABOUT 1983. I SHOT 2 IN MUDDY RIVER ONE AM. IN 1999, THAT WAS A GOOD DAY. SHOT AT A SNOW GOOSE FEW YEARS AGO OUT IN THE BAY, AND MISSED. OTHER THAN THAT THE GOOSE HUNTING THERE IS SLOW. I HAVE BEEN WANTING TO TRY THE COUNTY SEPT AND OCT SOME TIME. MY INLAWS LIVE UP THERE . ALOT OF GEESE IN AND OUT OF THOSE FEILDS.