Blood flowing

I don't even hunt waterfowl anymore. There's too much competition for the places out here that are within my means financially, and the attitude of a lot of those "competitors" has soured me. I stick to upland – I get a lot less shooting, but I also suffer a lot less aggravation.

Plus, I don't have to get up in the middle of the night every time I want to go and I don't have to choke down meat that I really don't care for.

I may never fire another shot at a duck or a goose. If not, that's okay.

I still get excited about hunting pheasant or quail, though, even if I know my prospects for bagging much are dim.
 
I'm with the Ditchparrot, as I've gotten older, I don't want to head out at 3:00 am to throw some dekes out in a field or pond only to find two other parties of youngbloods who have beat me to the punch.

I've been waterfowl free for ten years and don't miss it all that much, I understand the hype as it used to be the only game in my area and I really enjoyed it back then.
 
Upland for sure. Even a bad day pheasant hunting makes me happy. A bad day duck hunting, with all that work and getting up early etc... makes me wonder why the heck I didn't got pheasant hunting! lol! That said, when it all comes together, it's pretty cool. In recent years, I basically leave it (waterfowl) alone until Dec 15th, when the pheasant season closes, then I go for corn-fattened mallards that pluck so nicely for the next month. Then a showshoe hare or two in February before I start packing my fly vest for April 1. And around we go...
-Croc
 
upland , get to move around and love watching the dogs work the field and go on point with the anticipation of what is going to flush out.
 
It's a close call. I surely do love the sight of pointing dogs hunting and pointing but I think the scales tip to waterfowl hunting for me. I just love the sound of whistling wings circling my decoys on a crisp December morning!
 
Upland without question. Love the chase and the dog work. Waterfowl is great but not inspiring although the dog work is parallel to upland.
 
A mature cackling Rooster.:thumbsup:
I would NOT hunt ducks if I had to do the decoy thing.
I combine the Mallard and Rooster hunt, the only way to go. :)

Oct1212089.jpg
 
upland for sure. The dog work and a great point are what I'm all about but I do love seeing a flock of ducks setting wings over the decoys.
 
Upland for sure....

ditchparrot19 said:
I don't even hunt waterfowl anymore. There's too much competition for the places out here that are within my means financially, and the attitude of a lot of those "competitors" has soured me. I stick to upland – I get a lot less shooting, but I also suffer a lot less aggravation.
Click to expand...

This. My last public land just about ended in a shooting incident because a bunch of wahoos figured the rules didn't apply to them. I also wasn't real comfortable with the way the group I was with handled it.

I still remember watching 2 trucks with dog trailers pulling into the PLOTS I was working alone with my dog. I watched about 8 guys piled out and figured I was out of business. They looked up, saw me, got back into the trucks and headed down the road. They didn't have to; they were just sportsmen. That seems to be the kind I run into hunting the uplands.

Add to that all the positives already mentioned about upland hunting here and it's a no-brainer. I gave away all my dekes when I moved.
 
My dog really doesn't care what we hunt, as long as it is not doves. I would take pheasant hunting mostly, but a couple weeks ago watching 40 greenheads cupping in was pretty awesome. I have to tell you covered up in a corn field, in the falling snow, geese 15 yards away, that will get your heart going pretty good too.
 
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