Last Hunt of 2011

Last Hero Shot of 2011

The last hunt of 2011 turned out to be a goose hunt with Busch Pilot, Bubba and his son and myself on Saturday December 31st.  We were expecting some light rain early in the AM with fog and clouds the rest of the day so we started out just a little bit later than normal.  There was nothing moving at all until the rained stopped and once it did we started to see and hear some geese.  The geese were quiet for the most part and with the fog it made it difficult to know when there were gesse around. 

Me and Busch Pilot contributing to the Kielbasa fund

We heard the first geese around 8:30am and we would hear a honk or two and that was it.  It took some time before we could see the birds, but they were committed to the field.  As we worked the first flock, a second showed up right behind them as did a couple of stragglers.  We had the first flock on the ground just feet from the blind as we worked the rest of them in and just as the second flock started to touch down I called the shot and in true Team Empty hull fashion, most of the geese left unscathed but two hit the dirt.  Now don't ask me how 10 geese land just feet from the blind and they all fly away to live another day.  Bubba was blaming his cold and the NyQuil he took the previous night, but at least he couldn't blame the sun.

The entire field had signs of traffic

 
We had another flock come in totally quiet and never seen then until they cleared the fog and they were already committed to the field.  As they got close to the blind, they veered a little bit and I didn't call the shot thinking they would swing and commit and they did.  As the first bird touched down I called the shot and two more dropped from the sky.  When Busch Pilot and I went to retrieve the birds we only found one and could not find the other in the field at all.   I looked into the brush on the far side of the field and started to see what looked like small pin feathers on the pricker bushes, so I looked closer and they were feathers and I started into the prickers and found the other goose lying their dead.  That made us half way to a four man limit.

You can barely see the end of the spread

Reminded me of the Chinese restaurant scene in the Christmas Story

The fog had really socked in and we couldn't see more than 35 yards from the blind.  It was so bad we could hear a flock of geese near us and worked them with the calls and they flew straight down the field right over the decoys and we never got a glimpse of them.  We could hear them and their wings, but couldn't see them and they just flew off.   The fog started to clear a bit where we could make out the edge of the field again so we stuck it out for a bit.  For the next 1/2 hour we had ducks darting across the field everywhere but they were not interested in us at all.  We were just getting ready to send Bubba's sone james to the truck for some sodas and as we stood up, Bubba caught  8 geese coming in quiet and everyone got tucked in quickly and once they committed to the spread I called the shot and I couldn't even pick up my gun because I was still too open from the previous shuffle, but the other three let loose and only one goose dropped.  I think the fog was causing havoc with someones shooting because we should have been limited out with the first flock.

Bubba enjoying a piece of Goose Kielbasa

We ended the day with 5 geese, which is just about enough goose to make a batch of Kielbasa which made everyone smile.  We packed it in around 1:30 and headed home.  We may have not ended the year with a limit, but we had plenty of fun and laughs sharing the blind with good friends.  I'd  take that over a limit any day.

Get Out and Fish

With fishing season and spring in full swing here in Connecticut there are many opportunities to get out on the water and fish along with opportunities to try and learn how to fish.

Our first stop is the Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education (CARE) program.   The CARE program offers up many classes geared to learning about water, fish and fishing.  From specific techniwues to target certain species, Ice Fishing to general family fishing learning.

From the CARE website:

CARE will introduce you, your family, and friends to the wonders of water, fish, and fishing.  Expert Instructors pass along information and expertise they’ve gained while angling in many waters for many years.  DVDs, demonstrations, and activities make learning fun for adults and kids alike.  Many times they’ll even take you on a fishing trip!

For a list of upcoming events and classes check out their website.

CARE is also a great way for those who fish to give back to our sport via donations or volunteering and you can contact  the CARE Center at  860-663-1656 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              860-663-1656      end_of_the_skype_highlighting.

Next Stop is for those looking for information on where to fish or where the fish are being stocked here in Connecticut.  The CT DEP Fishing website offers up many publications and news letters with all the information you need to find those fish and enjoy a day on the water.  Make sure to read the Anglers Guide for a list of rules and regulations as well as a list of open waters for fishing.  Trout Management Areas a great place to fish because of the abundance of fish and many of these are open year round so make sure to check out the Trout Management Brochure for more details.   We can't forget about Trout Parks either.  Trout Parks offer another great opportunity to be on fish that gets stocked on a weekly basis so there are always new fish to try and fool.  A new addition to the CT DEP Fishign website are maps of the stocking points for streams and rivers in both Western and Eastern Connecticut.


All of the above is related to fresh water fishing but Connecticut has many miles of shoreline  and access to Long Island Sound that offers many saltwater fishing opportunities to chase Striped Bass, Fluke, Flounder, Tatoug, Porgy, basically just bout anything that swims or lives in the saltwater. 

Race Rock, Long Island Sound

 Our first stop once again is the CT DEP Saltware Fishing website which is loaded with the same type of great information found on the freshwater site.   The Anglers Guide does have a Marine Fisheries section which is a great start but you can't pass on this handy Saltwater fishing brochure which is specifically designed for the Saltwater regulations. 


For those landlubbers the Connecticut Coastal Access Guide is a must visit.  Here you can look for public fishing and access points and also learn about your rights to use our incredible shoreline resources.

The Connecticut Coastal Access Guide is designed to help you explore the Connecticut shore. Use the guide to identify sites open to the public for boating, swimming, fishing, hiking and other outdoor activities. Some sites are posted with brown and white public access signs. Use the signs and the map and detailed driving directions in the Coastal Access Guide to find your way to hundreds of coastal access sights.

Connecticut also has State Parks with coastal access that offer up opportunities for enjoy the shoreline and fish.  About half of these State Parks include designated areas for persons with disabilities and a few offer camping opportunities.

Shoreline Fishing and Property RightsConnecticut's intertidal shore belongs to the people. Under the common law public trust doctrine, the public may freely use land and waters waterward of the mean high water line to fish. The "public trust" area includes beaches, rocky shores and open waters along tidal and navigable waters.  Fishing in the "public trust" area is not trespassing; the DEP encourages anglers to enjoy their rights to use the public trust lands for fishing. However, anglers should also respect the rights of adjacent landowners by not crossing private property without permission and by leaving the shoreline clean and litter free.

All of the above is great information but it sure helps to have the latest information on how the fishing is going and you can get that by checking out the Weekly Fishing Report put out by CT DEP which contains weekly information from many of the states Bait and Tackle shops which  means up to date information for us anglers.



One last item and that is respect of our resources.  This means respecting the rules and regulations, access points and  our neighbors but just as important is respect for the fish themselves.  There is nothing wrong with keeping some fish for a meal but practicing catch and release will help ensure that there are fish for the next person and future generations as well.  Check out the Tips for better Catch and Release fishing for more information. 


Now grab a friend and hit the water.  Tight Lines!