Lake Erie calls!

layoutshooter · Nov 2, 2013

The decoys are in the boat, the shell boxes full. Radio charged. First day out on the Lake for me this year tomorrow! Helping my buddy with youth hunt tomorrow. Don't know how many kids will be there, should be fun. Birds are just starting to show up.

Mrs. Layoutshooter is attending a "Wine and Canvas" Ducks Unlimited with our niece tonight. The event is close to sold out. There will be around 100 women there. Wine tasting and everyone "paints" a painting. I don't get the draw for these things but the women's seem to really enjoy them.

Funny how much life there is when are home.

LDB · Nov 2, 2013

If mama's happy everyone should be happy, whether you understand or not. Good luck tomorrow and have fun.

layoutshooter · Nov 4, 2013

Slow day on the Lake yesterday. Not many birds down yet. Had 3 kids out with us. All 3 got some shooting, two got birds.

Today is a bust. Heavy SE winds predicted, 10-20MPH. SE winds are DANGEROUS on our end of Lake Erie and the Detroit River. Staying home. We don't take chances.

Slo-Ride · Nov 4, 2013

We are still on track for hunting the draw on Wednesday. Weather not looking good, sounds like a rainy day but somewhat warm and as long as no storms get forecasted we are going to give it a try.

layoutshooter · Nov 4, 2013

Slo-Ride said:
We are still on track for hunting the draw on Wednesday. Weather not looking good, sounds like a rainy day but somewhat warm and as long as no storms get forecasted we are going to give it a try.

Not many ducks around. We too are hunting Wed, if the winds allow it. Give me a shout with your plans.

layoutshooter · Nov 5, 2013

New birds are showing up. There are about 250K out on the Lake right now. Large rafts about 5-7 miles out. The weather is not in our favor, not enough wind and what wind there is is out of the wrong direction.

Tomorrow they are calling for rain. Ducks HATE rain, they seldom move at all when it is raining. We will sleep in and do some work on the layouts and boats in the marina tomorrow afternoon.

Today we did one of our "donated" hunts. It was a hunt that was auctioned off at our Ducks Unlimited dinner last spring. Thursday is another donated hunt. This was was donated to the International Refuge dinner.

Friday we hunt for our personal enjoyment. No paid guests, just good friends out on the Lake.

It gets no better.

layoutshooter · Nov 7, 2013

We have one of the "donated" hunts today. This one was auctioned off at the International Refuge dinner.

The weather has changed. It is a LOT cooler and the winds have shifted from the SE to NW. 10-20MPH today, which is high but huntable. The big problem with with this wind it the water may be blown out leaving the marina dry. IF it stays NW we should be fine, if it comes around to W or SW we may have to hurry in while there is water to get in.

layoutshooter · Nov 7, 2013

We had a really good day today. The wind was at the edge but we were able to hunt. The birds flew all day, steady. Mainly ruddy ducks and buffleheads.

Our hunter were total rookies, all family. Granddad, son and grandson. The boy, Gavin, is a competitive shooter, BUT, the layout humbled him. It was fun to watch. Towards after the boy was running low on shells for his 20GA 1100. His granddad gave him shells for a 12. The dad's and granddad's guns did not fit him well. I told him to take my Benelli Super Black Eagle.

His eyes lit up like lighted basketballs and the grin was ear to ear. That made my day. This is why I enjoy being out there. PURE FUN!

Slo-Ride · Nov 9, 2013

Did ya give the youngin a full taste of the work involed setting up a hunt. Or did ya make it easy on him and have it all set up and tore down.
Been 2 years since we had a rookie with us and he hasnt been back but I dont think it was due to the work involed..He was a freind of a family member from Detroit and I dont think the kid could afford to get into it propely. Nice kid and we have invited him back several times but he has been a no show each time.. He had to borrow most of the gear and I think that may have scared him off?? I know he enjoyed it because he really lit up as the geese dropped in, I think that was as close as he ever got to see the birds rolling in and just a few feet off the deck. He talked about it all evening.
To bad he didnt come back because he even enjoyed picking up at night.

Stuck down in KY this weekend and with only 3 loads last week I am afraid we will be cutting Ice next time if I get a chance to get out again. Lost some time last week when I shutdown and was dependent on someone else to go hunting and everything fell apart..Cost me 2 days of work and only resulted in the wife working me at home. Not sure I will be able to complete the Wetlands challange now. Still have 3 to go.

layoutshooter · Nov 9, 2013

We do most of the set up and tear down on these donated hunts. These people pay a lot of money ( I think this hunt went for $800 in the auction) to be out there with us so we make sure they have a good time. I did make the boy pull up the anchor of the "mother boat" when we were getting ready to head in. I wanted to include him in some way, just to make him feel like he was a part of things. Being given a "job" was a real thrill for him. All he could talk about was hunting layout again.

Slo-Ride · Nov 9, 2013

layoutshooter said:
We do most of the set up and tear down on these donated hunts. These people pay a lot of money ( I think this hunt went for $800 in the auction) to be out there with us so we make sure they have a good time. I did make the boy pull up the anchor of the "mother boat" when we were getting ready to head in. I wanted to include him in some way, just to make him feel like he was a part of things. Being given a "job" was a real thrill for him. All he could talk about was hunting layout again.

Excutally thats how we try to do it with them..Being part of it or at least some it really helps with their exp. Plus as much feild hunting as we do, it makes or breaks em esp if we are humping bags of decoys in and out.

layoutshooter · Nov 9, 2013

Slo-Ride said:
Excutally thats how we try to do it with them..Being part of it or at least some it really helps with their exp. Plus as much feild hunting as we do, it makes or breaks em esp if we are humping bags of decoys in and out.

Dick sets and picks up his decoys in a very "special" way. He is VERY picky about it to the point of funny. I had been hunting with him for a couple of years before I was given the privilege of helping him with them. I now often set or bring in the blocks now. On this hunt, Bobby, Dick's son, was off getting an MRI in the morning so I took his place. For the most part only Bobby, myself or another friend, Jimmy, are allowed to handle the blocks. One has to earn his way into that position. LOL! Dick is a riot. I am hoping I can get you out this season to see this while Dick is still with us.

Slo-Ride · Nov 9, 2013

Sounds like he is the Capt of the boat and in the water thats the way it needs to be. 1 person calling the shoots with a first mate to back ya up. Things can go wrong in a hurry out there.
I was hoping to be out there on wednsday but with me being with out a personal vechicle this season is really getting to be a damber on my plans..
I need to hi-jack the wifes Explorer and load it up..But I dont thing she is to keen on that idea..Something about muddy boots,,dead ducks and wet dogs in her truck just doesnt sit well with her..

layoutshooter · Nov 9, 2013

Slo-Ride said:
Sounds like he is the Capt of the boat and in the water thats the way it needs to be. 1 person calling the shoots with a first mate to back ya up. Things can go wrong in a hurry out there.
I was hoping to be out there on wednsday but with me being with out a personal vechicle this season is really getting to be a damber on my plans..
I need to hi-jack the wifes Explorer and load it up..But I dont thing she is to keen on that idea..Something about muddy boots,,dead ducks and wet dogs in her truck just doesnt sit well with her..

Well, just do it for one day and get over here. No wet dogs or muddy boots. We don't use dogs and there is no mud, except on the anchors when we pull them. As for the dead ducks, I use a 5 gallon plastic bucket to put them in.

Slo-Ride · Nov 9, 2013

layoutshooter said:
As for the dead ducks, I use a 5 gallon plastic bucket to put them in.

Thats even better..Remeber,, she is head cook for school system and uses those to bring food supplys into the school at times..LOL

layoutshooter · Nov 9, 2013

Today and tomorrow look like washouts on the Lake. Heavy West winds that are going to blow all night. There will be no water in the Marina. Good chance we won't get out until Monday. The "Gales of November" are here.

Slo-Ride · Nov 9, 2013

Windy down here also.
Kinda blows when ya take time off work and cant follow thru. But Im sure ya got other things to do. Heres some reading for ya on your off time. From the F/book pages incase ya missed em. Second link is kinda saying what I said the other day about being able to adjust and change as needed.

Waterfowl ID, Duck ID, Duck Sounds, Duck Photos, Goose ID: Ducks Unlimited

10 Strategies For Decoy-Shy Ducks

layoutshooter · Nov 12, 2013

Relocating out on to Lake Erie in a couple of hours. Sounds like a good day to hunt. Cool, 24F, winds out of the NW 15 with widespread snow showers. That is the kind of day when the birds move all day. This cold front should bring in a push of "green birds", birds new to the area. Then next two days have the potential to be really good. No donated hunts to work so I get to do a bit of hunting myself. I hope there is good cloud cover, hard to see when staring into the sun.

Slo-Ride · Nov 12, 2013

Have fun. You guys pulling any Geese in out there?

Still stuck where they left me Sunday night,,Phone is telling me we are looking at a warming trend for the remainder of this week and next..If something doesn't break here soon I'm will dumping some beer money into the tanks and heading home.

layoutshooter · Nov 12, 2013

Slo-Ride said:
Have fun. You guys pulling any Geese in out there?

Still stuck where they left me Sunday night,,Phone is telling me we are looking at a warming trend for the remainder of this week and next..If something doesn't break here soon I'm will dumping some beer money into the tanks and heading home.

Nope, don't even try for geese.

Had an interesting day. Put "Bud" in the layout first, he got two birds then the wind went crazy. Changed directions from NW to N and blew up. We left the layout, decoys and one boat on the Lake and came in for lunch, hoping the wind would die off.

Went back out about 1330, winds had died off a tad but changed from N to W. GREATLY improved conditions. Bobby got in the layout and got 3 in about 1/2 hour. I got in and got 3 in about a half hour.

TONS of birds, flying well, out again in the morning.