late season fatigue

[DeltaCotton12]

Anyone else get this? The last time I hunted was the great freeze. After that, I just have no desire. Hunted 6 mornings and afternoons, killed few ducks and spent more money than I had. 30 minute drive, 30 minute boat ride on the MS, gas for the truck and boat... Its just a grind. I've only killed what's in my signature, killed a 2 man limit one day and that's about it. My last trip out my 1 year old pup got caught in some vines and it about caused me to come out of that boat and get her. Scared me to death listening to her whimper and cry while about going under. She finally free'd herself as my wader buckles had just come off.

Does river hunting with little success just wear you out much more than say a private lease? Waking up at 245 and having the boat in the water by 345 is our normal practice. Sometime we sleep in to 330 and have the boat in the water by 430.

I do regret not hunting the past few weeks but I just am burned out I guess. Anyone else sitting this closer out?

[MudHog]

back when I hunted Wax Lake, I really picked my hunts. That place was a 1.5 hour truck ride, then a 1 boat ride. You had to watch the tide VERY close over there which was another concern. I've hunted and watched the water drain out from under my decoys and they end up on a mud flat with no water. Was a place to kill ducks though and if you hunted, you usually killed.

Now that I have my new blind in some public waters, its so easy to hunt and I wonder why I never did this 12 years ago. I've always known people who hunted here, just never hunted here myself.

[donia]

my reasoning goes a little deeper, but i'm sitting the closer out for the first time in a 5or6 years on a private lease....good luck to all working on the final hoorah for the season!

dcb12, you're the second i've heard this season with a young dog that got hung up...guy at camp almost lost his dog in the ice-he jumped out of the argo not thinking about water depth and someone grabbed him just as he went in and dragged him back in the argo. said he was nowhere near touching bottom. she freed herself at what seemed like the critcal turning point and was fine, but he was a wreck...

[H20fowlkiller]

DCB12 are you hunting the same spots over and over, maybe instead of rushing around in the morning do more afternoon scouting and see if theres enough birds in your spot to make it worth going. Or look into some closer spots you can hunt, or even a private lease/club so when the extremely early mornings get old you still have the lease/club. Public hunting is hard and agonizing but the best thing i learned through my years has been pick your times. If you are just going to go even though the weather isnt great and reports are not good then just dont go. That will take more of a depressing toll on you than anything. Just hang around the house and deer hunt or dove hunt fish whatever.

[chevy01234]

Anyone else get this? The last time I hunted was the great freeze. After that, I just have no desire. Hunted 6 mornings and afternoons, killed few ducks and spent more money than I had. 30 minute drive, 30 minute boat ride on the MS, gas for the truck and boat... Its just a grind. I've only killed what's in my signature, killed a 2 man limit one day and that's about it. My last trip out my 1 year old pup got caught in some vines and it about caused me to come out of that boat and get her. Scared me to death listening to her whimper and cry while about going under. She finally free'd herself as my wader buckles had just come off.

Does river hunting with little success just wear you out much more than say a private lease? Waking up at 245 and having the boat in the water by 345 is our normal practice. Sometime we sleep in to 330 and have the boat in the water by 430.

I do regret not hunting the past few weeks but I just am burned out I guess. Anyone else sitting this closer out?

You got burned out in 6 mornings and afternoons?

I don't believe it is a public land deal vs private land deal, sometimes you just don't feel like hunting where you hunt. I don't think it is really "burning out" after 6 days though, something more than that. I have hunted 35-40 days (many times morning and afternoon) this year and yea it has worn on me but I will go tomorrow and finish out the season for my dog, not for me.. I am not going to lie, i'm not gonna be sad the season ends tomorrow, until a couple weeks pass and I start getting the itch to shoot a duck. Really sets in after conservation goose order.

As for your pup, don't hunt a collar/vest on her when she is around buck brush, vines, and other stuff that can tangle her up bad. If she is "collar dependent" you have a year to work on getting her to work like she will off collar/on collar. My dog got hung up in some buck brush a couple years back and it is a sickening feeling watching them thrash around and freak out. If I know there is a chance, his collar (he doesn't wear an ecollar) comes off and the vest doesn't go on. If it is real cold, I will leave the vest on him and just be real selective on what I send him on. No use in killin a dog over one duck!

[DeltaCotton12]

You got burned out in 6 mornings and afternoons?

I don't believe it is a public land deal vs private land deal, sometimes you just don't feel like hunting where you hunt. I don't think it is really "burning out" after 6 days though, something more than that. I have hunted 35-40 days (many times morning and afternoon) this year and yea it has worn on me but I will go tomorrow and finish out the season for my dog, not for me.. I am not going to lie, i'm not gonna be sad the season ends tomorrow, until a couple weeks pass and I start getting the itch to shoot a duck. Really sets in after conservation goose order.

As for your pup, don't hunt a collar/vest on her when she is around buck brush, vines, and other stuff that can tangle her up bad. If she is "collar dependent" you have a year to work on getting her to work like she will off collar/on collar. My dog got hung up in some buck brush a couple years back and it is a sickening feeling watching them thrash around and freak out. If I know there is a chance, his collar (he doesn't wear an ecollar) comes off and the vest doesn't go on. If it is real cold, I will leave the vest on him and just be real selective on what I send him on. No use in killin a dog over one duck!

no no.. I've hunted all year. unless the river is 24+ feet, i dont hunt. I am just stating that week of the cold snap was the nail in the coffin for me. seems the grind of the season just seems to catch up towards the end. Small results with big effort. Not complaining, i've enjoyed this season for sure.

The Dog was the best part of the season for sure. Watching her young eyes as those birds lit into the decoys was indescribable. I do have a year to get her going. I plan on going to the southern flight training day in Feb to meet guys and information.

[chevy01234]

You got burned out in 6 mornings and afternoons?

I don't believe it is a public land deal vs private land deal, sometimes you just don't feel like hunting where you hunt. I don't think it is really "burning out" after 6 days though, something more than that. I have hunted 35-40 days (many times morning and afternoon) this year and yea it has worn on me but I will go tomorrow and finish out the season for my dog, not for me.. I am not going to lie, i'm not gonna be sad the season ends tomorrow, until a couple weeks pass and I start getting the itch to shoot a duck. Really sets in after conservation goose order.

As for your pup, don't hunt a collar/vest on her when she is around buck brush, vines, and other stuff that can tangle her up bad. If she is "collar dependent" you have a year to work on getting her to work like she will off collar/on collar. My dog got hung up in some buck brush a couple years back and it is a sickening feeling watching them thrash around and freak out. If I know there is a chance, his collar (he doesn't wear an ecollar) comes off and the vest doesn't go on. If it is real cold, I will leave the vest on him and just be real selective on what I send him on. No use in killin a dog over one duck!

no no.. I've hunted all year. unless the river is 24+ feet, i dont hunt. I am just stating that week of the cold snap was the nail in the coffin for me. seems the grind of the season just seems to catch up towards the end. Small results with big effort. Not complaining, i've enjoyed this season for sure.

The Dog was the best part of the season for sure. Watching her young eyes as those birds lit into the decoys was indescribable. I do have a year to get her going. I plan on going to the southern flight training day in Feb to meet guys and information.

I got ya, I thought you had been hunting more than 6 days! I definitely know where your coming from on the gettin tired at the end of the season. Give it a few weeks after the season ends, you'll be raring and ready to go again haha..then the waiting around kicks in and makes it even more miserable!

[Greenhead329]

Im usually tired by the end of the season, but always looking forward to going and muster the energy to do so hoping for a Great hunt like I had last year..2man limit of puddlers by 10:30 with birds that work

This year has been different..drained pocket book, no birds and if they are present they won't work or we set up 100yds too far off the wrong spot..then move to where the birds are at..then they go to where you were originally Main thing is looking forward to having a good time and hanging out with your buddys..if that part of it is not enjoyable...then probably need to re-evaluate some things

Helped knowing that everyone was having a bad year though so I wasn't too bummed...considering.


Now its time to relax until after turkey season is over with then get that itch about mid summer for the birds again!

[Anatidae]

It's what you make of it........you either have a driving passion for seeing cupped mallards, or you don't. If it burns.....then you go everyday until you see that image materialize over your decoys. It may only last a couple of days, but it kinda erases all the 'hard' days in between.

Sure, I get tired sometimes......and discouraged. But after a shower, a good steak, and a cold beer.......the next thing you do is check the weather forecast and water levels and make your best plan for the next day. If you don't feel good about the prospects - back-off and give it a few days....or go do some scouting. It's all part of it.

The thing that drives me at 56, is I still do it 'cause I can......one of these days it's not going to be so 'easy', anymore. It's not easy now.......that's why it's not about the 'stuff' or talking a good talk.......it's about putting whatever time in that it takes to figure-out how to 'stay with the birds' on a consistent basis. If you get upset because you don't feel like you're getting out of it what you're putting into it........then expectations sometimes outweigh sensibility.

Not being critical or talking to anyone in particular......just relating my own experiences (for whatever their worth to someone else).


Tomorrow's the last day of the season.......it's gonna be a long wait 'til opening day, next year......how many years have we been able to hunt 'til the last day in January?.........Not once since they let us go past January 20th. So, I'll go to bed early tonight and face tomorrow's cold air and a 6-mile boat ride like it's my last.

[Wildfowler]

My dog has got late season fatigue for sure.....

[Faithful Retrievers]

Its been an odd year on the river. Water and weather were right alot of days but birds were not near as consistent as the past for us. That deep freeze should have been the ticket alot of hassle for few ducks, then the next weekend the show up. There pretty good about patterning the river and once they feel a little pressure you have to move with them or wait for new ducks.

[quack_a_tack]

My outlook on the being tired part is this; we are not guaranteed tommorrow, dang sure not next year, so everyday I have a chance and don't go is a day I will never get back. I am tired, I have thought long and hard about sleepin in tommorrow, but I just know its a long wait till next year. I will put in the one last morning, then sleep a couple weekends. Its not long till the turkeys start gobbling and ole papermouth start biting. May ever do a lil conservation hunting this year.

[Money]

It's what you make of it........you either have a driving passion for seeing cupped mallards, or you don't. If it burns.....then you go everyday until you see that image materialize over your decoys. It may only last a couple of days, but it kinda erases all the 'hard' days in between.

The thing that drives me at 56, is I still do it 'cause I can......one of these days it's not going to be so 'easy', anymore. It's not easy now.......that's why it's not about the 'stuff' or talking a good talk.......it's about putting whatever time in that it takes to figure-out how to 'stay with the birds' on a consistent basis. If you get upset because you don't feel like you're getting out of it what you're putting into it........then expectations sometimes outweigh sensibility.

Tomorrow's the last day of the season.......it's gonna be a long wait 'til opening day, next year......how many years have we been able to hunt 'til the last day in January?.........Not once since they let us go past January 20th. So, I'll go to bed early tonight and face tomorrow's cold air and a 6-mile boat ride like it's my last.

Very well said.

[novacaine]

Fatigue- yes, lost desire to chase them for another week or two-no! Everybody's butt is always draggin at the end of the season but dang it's a long time till the 2010-2011 opener . I have lost money,sleep, weight, and a little sanity but i can get all that back by the start of next years season. I'm going to bed and dream about mallards falling from the sky trying to attack me. I will be shooting out of self defense.

P.S. Me and all the other internet scouters will be checking out now and will get back in touch sometimes in November.

[JDgator]

Anyone else get this? The last time I hunted was the great freeze. After that, I just have no desire. Hunted 6 mornings and afternoons, killed few ducks and spent more money than I had. 30 minute drive, 30 minute boat ride on the MS, gas for the truck and boat... Its just a grind. I've only killed what's in my signature, killed a 2 man limit one day and that's about it. My last trip out my 1 year old pup got caught in some vines and it about caused me to come out of that boat and get her. Scared me to death listening to her whimper and cry while about going under. She finally free'd herself as my wader buckles had just come off.

Does river hunting with little success just wear you out much more than say a private lease? Waking up at 245 and having the boat in the water by 345 is our normal practice. Sometime we sleep in to 330 and have the boat in the water by 430.

I do regret not hunting the past few weeks but I just am burned out I guess. Anyone else sitting this closer out?

Sometimes public hunting is too "hard" to enjoy. Especially when you are not killing birds.