Friday Morning Doubles

by John Francis Sunkler
Zink Calls Field Staff
28 December 2009

After scouting one of my favorite spots, a sand bar on a local river, I found a couple hundred birds loafing on the sand bar. With high expectations I called around to find some gunners and everyone was busy. So I headed out alone on Friday morning. I set up four-dozen FFD lessers and life-size full body and two-dozen Life size floaters. While watching the sunrise at shooting time I started to see ducks moving up and down the river. A couple of quacks and a comeback call on my PH-2 convinced a pair of mallards to dump into my spread. A quick double started the morning. This shocked me because we rarely shoot ducks on the sand bar.

Twenty minutes later large groups of Mallards, Bluebills, Buffleheads, Ruddy ducks, and one knot of Canvasbacks started to fly up and down the river intensely. Once again a couple quacks and a few comeback call on my favorite duck call, the PH-2, and another pair of mallards committed to the spread. I waited till they were back winging in the kill hole and I came out of my Power Hunter and dropped the pair. Sitting on the sand bar I was in total disbelief having a limit of mallards at my favorite river goose spot and diver area.

As the morning woke up around me I could hear huge numbers of geese around the bend of the river where the roost. Finally the birds start to fly. The first group into the spread was about 25 birds. I held off because I do not like to shoot into big flocks for only the two-bird limit. That group swam out into the middle of the river and eventually flew away. Then a group of four and a pair behind them came from the roost area. Soft moans and honks for my Birds Eye Maple SR-1 dropped the 6 birds into the decoys at less than 10 yards. Another quick double and I was finished for the day. I stayed for another hour and worked geese into the spread trying different calling techniques on my SR-1 and Money Maker. After finishing 5 more groups I pick up the spread. A morning filled with great shooting, beautiful scenery, and decoying waterfowl all with the help of my Zink Calls.