Avery Outdoors 2003 - Northern Ohio

Avery^® Hunting Journal Entries Troy Ohio 2003

Goose Hunting the South Zone
Troy, Ohio, December 14, 2003
By Sean Finke, Avery^® Regional Pro-Staffer

DATE: December 14, 2003
LOCATION: West Central Ohio
SUNRISE/SUNSET: 7:30 A.M./ 5:06 P.M.
WEATHER: Mostly Cloudy
TEMPERATURE: mid-30's
WIND: East at 5-10 mph
EQUIPMENT USED: Greenhead Gear® Canada Goose Full Bodies and Shells w/ Universal Motion Stakes, Avery® Blind Bags, Avery® Gun Cases, Avery® Neck Gaiters, Avery® Decoy Gloves and Zink Goose Calls.
HUNTERS: Fred Zink Sr., Bill Swartz, Dan Davis, and Sean Finke.
JOURNAL NOTES: We were set-up in the field at about 9:00a.m. and waiting for the geese to fly. The first flock didn't fly until around 10:30a.m. and when they flew out they got shot at in the field next to us. They came over and set-up to the spread and we dropped two. The geese didn't fly again until 3:30 pm. At that time the geese came right into the decoys and in no time the limit was filled for the day. An excellent second day of the split in Ohio's south zone.

Opener to Second Season
Troy, Ohio, December 13, 2003
By Sean Finke, Avery^® Regional Pro-Staffer

DATE: December 13, 2003
LOCATION: West Central Ohio
SUNRISE/SUNSET: 7:28 A.M./ 5:08 P.M.
WEATHER: Mostly Cloudy
TEMPERATURE: mid-30's
WIND: East at 5-10 mph
EQUIPMENT USED: Avery® Floating Duck Strap, Avery Blind Bags, Avery Floating Gun Cases, Avery Neck Gaiters, Avery Neoprene Gloves and Zink Paralyzer XR-2 Duck Calls.
HUNTERS: Bret Ayers, Charlie Ayers, Brian Bowers, and Sean Finke.
JOURNAL NOTES: We were set-up and in position at shooting time, when a flock of mallards came right into the decoys, but after some poor shooting in our faces we managed only one greenhead. The morning proved to be successful with hundreds of ducks seen flying around. The slush and ice that formed over night made decoying birds tough, but we managed to bag 5 drake mallards, a gadwall, and a lone canada goose that fell victim to the decoy spread. All in all, a good morning to be hunting in Ohio for the opener of the second season.

A Tough Week
Troy, Ohio, November 14, 2003
By Sean Finke, Avery^® Regional Pro-Staffer

DATE: November 14, 2003
LOCATION: West Central Ohio
SUNRISE/SUNSET: 6:48 A.M./ 5:22 P.M.
WEATHER: Sunny
TEMPERATURE: mid-30's
WIND: Light southwest
EQUIPMENT USED: Avery® Floating Duck Strap, Avery® Blind Bags, Avery® Floating Gun Cases, Avery® Neck Gaiters, Avery® Neoprene Gloves and Zink Paralyzer XR-2 Duck Calls.
HUNTERS: Bret Ayers, Sean Finke and Hunter (Lab).
JOURNAL NOTES: We were set-up and in position at shooting time, when a green-winged teal came buzzing through the decoys. We saw very little activity the first twenty minutes of shooting light. A flight of about 15-20 mallards approached the spread and with a couple of come back and paralyzing calls they were backflapping over the decoys. I called the shot and we proceeded to take 4 drake mallards. While Hunter was retrieving the downed birds, we could see flights of birds off in the distant. We were disappointed to see no more birds until about 9:30 am, when we finished up with a pair of mallards. All in all with the weather being ideal for a push of new birds, the last week has been disappointing to say the least in numbers of birds seen here in Ohio.

A Fun day with Friends
Troy, Ohio, November 13, 2003
By Sean Finke, Avery^® Regional Pro-Staffer

DATE: November 13, 2003
LOCATION: West Central Ohio
SUNRISE/SUNSET: 6:48 A.M./ 5:22 P.M.
WEATHER: Partly Cloudy and windy
TEMPERATURE: mid-30's
WIND: West at 20-30 mph
EQUIPMENT USED: Avery® Floating Duck Strap, Avery® Blind Bags, Avery® Floating Gun Cases, Avery® Neck Gaiters, and Avery® Neoprene Gloves.
HUNTERS: Bret Ayers, Tom Luthman, Rob Muter, Sean Finke and Hunter (Lab).
JOURNAL NOTES: We arrived at the hunting location and couldn't ask for better weather and wind for the hunt. The temperature dropped almost 25 degrees since yesterday and a strong cold front was upon us, so the anticipation of a great hunt was coming. We got the decoys set and in position. The birds were flying pretty good for the first 45 minutes of shooting light. A pair of wood ducks were the first arrivals to the spread and they both stayed. While Hunter was retrieving the pair of wood ducks, a green-winged teal decided to join the decoy spread. The rest of the morning, we had two mallards finish to the rig and added to the game strap. All in all, a decent morning to be hunting, but not nearly what we anticipated and didn't see a duck after 8:30 am. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a better hunt.

A Tough Week
Troy, Ohio, November 11, 2003
By Sean Finke, Avery^® Regional Pro-Staffer

DATE: November 11, 2003
LOCATION: West Central Ohio
SUNRISE/SUNSET: 6:45 A.M./ 5:20 P.M.
WEATHER: Mostly Cloudy w/ light rain
TEMPERATURE: Low: 52 High: 64
WIND: Southeast at 5-15 mph
EQUIPMENT USED: Floating Avery Gun Cases, Avery Game Straps, Avery Blind Bags, Avery Neck Gaiters, Avery Decoy Gloves, and 3 Dozen Greenhead Gear Life-size and Hot Buy Mallard Decoys
HUNTERS: Bret Ayers, Sean Finke, Brad Goorman, Bill Swartz, Damon Swartz and Hunter(Lab). Not all at once, that would be to big of a crowd for myself.
JOURNAL NOTES: The weather over the last 5 days has ranged from lows in the 20's to 50's and highs from mid-30's to mid-60's. Friday (11/7), we hunted from ½ before sunrise to sunset and managed to kill four mallards that's a lot of hunting and very few ducks seen. On Saturday (11/8), Brad and I saw about 50-75 ducks and managed to bag 5 mallards and should have taken a teal and didn't shoot at two wood ducks within range. Monday (11/10), we hunted the morning and only saw about 30-40 ducks all morning. We did manage to kill 2 mallards that came in 5 minutes after shooting time, but those the only shots we had all morning. Tomorrow is always a better day (HOPEFULLY). Tuesday (11/11), was not much better than the previous days. We saw maybe 40-50 mallards flying high, of which, only two came in and landed about twenty yards outside the decoys. The best part of the morning was when 3 Green-winged teal decoyed beautifully into the pocket and all three were drakes that stayed for the dog to retrieve. Hopefully, the weather changes and the hunting improves for the last 5 days of the south zone here in central Ohio.

A First on This Hunt!
Troy, Ohio, November 1, 2003
By Sean Finke, Avery^® Regional Pro-Staffer

DATE: November 1, 2003
LOCATION: West Central Ohio
SUNRISE/SUNSET: 6:35 A.M./ 5:40 P.M.
WEATHER: Partly Cloudy
TEMPERATURE: 65 degrees
WIND: Calm
EQUIPMENT USED: 6 Greenhead Gear Wood duck decoys, 3 Greenhead Gear Full Body decoys, and 1 Mojo Mallard
HUNTERS: Adam Fennig, Sean Finke, and (Hunter-Chocolate Lab)
JOURNAL NOTES: The plan was to set-up along a creek and shoot our limit of wood ducks, which is two birds a piece. The morning started off with a pair of wood ducks coming by and decoying at 6:50 a.m. and they both stayed. The next pair caught us off guard and slipped by at 7:00 a.m. A flock of about 8-10 came up the creek at 7:20 a.m. and at 25 yards we each dropped the last bird to fill our limit of woodies. The hunt ended the way we had hoped and planned, which in waterfowling and hunting in general doesn't happen too often. Adam shot the first and second wood ducks of his waterfowl-hunting career.

A Banded Woodie on The Hunt!
Troy, Ohio, October 30, 2003
By Sean Finke, Avery^® Regional Pro-Staffer

DATE: October 30, 2003
LOCATION: West Central Ohio
SUNRISE/SUNSET: 6:32 A.M./ 5:45 P.M.
WEATHER: Sunny
TEMPERATURE: 45-50 degrees
WIND: 10-15 Southeast
EQUIPMENT USED: 2 dozen Greenhead Gear "Hot-Buy" mallard decoys
HUNTERS: Bret Ayers, Sean Finke and (Hunter-Chocolate Lab)
JOURNAL NOTES: We were set-up right at shooting time and the ducks were coming in. The strong winds and setup really helped finish the ducks right in our face. The morning started off with a single green-winged teal coming in and staying. It wasn't long until a single immature wood duck was hovering over the decoys and it hit the water with a splash. Hunter went out to retrieve it and when he delivered to hand I noticed it was banded, just my luck that it was Bret's bird to shoot. The ducks worked the decoys beautifully until 8:30 a.m., when we were limited out on mallards (that's 3 each). We were able to bag 6 mallards, 2 green-winged teal, 1 banded wood duck, 1 American wigeon, and 1 Canada goose. All in all, a nice morning to be out hunting here in Ohio.

A Great Youth Hunt!
Port Clinton, Ohio, October 11, 2003
By Sean Finke, Avery^® Regional Pro-Staffer

DATE: October 11, 2003
LOCATION: Magee Marsh Port Clinton, OH
SUNRISE/SUNSET: 7:11 A.M./ 7:04 P.M.
WEATHER: Sunny
TEMPERATURE: Low: 62 High: 82
WIND: East at 5-10 mph
EQUIPMENT USED: 2 Dozen "Hot-Buy" Mallards, 1 Dozen Greenhead Gear Early Phase Teal, and 3 XPS Canada Goose Floaters
HUNTERS: Tyler Dorsten, Adam Fennig and Sean Finke as the adult non-hunter. (Hunter-Chocolate Lab)
JOURNAL NOTES: We pulled into the parking of Ohio Division of Wildlife's Magee Marsh at 4:30 am to the sounds of hundreds of geese and thousands of ducks. I was lucky enough to get drawn for this hunt and was looking forward to providing the kids with quality hunting experience. After registration, we loaded up into the boats and were pulled out into the marsh to our assigned blind for the morning hunt. We flushed numerous waterfowl as the boat pulled up to drop us off to the blind. We proceeded to set decoys and get ready for shooting time. Mallards and teal were landing in the decoys 15 minutes before shooting time. At 7:11 am, four mallards locked up and came right into the decoys and two stayed. Mallards and mostly green-wing teal worked the decoys beautifully for the next 45 minutes. Tyler and Adam were limited out by 8:15 am with 4 mallards, 7 green-wing teal and 1 blue-wing teal. Now that's a morning that the three of us will never forget.