An Outdoorsman’s Journal

By: Mark Walters

Fall Waterfowl Hunt on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage

Hello friends, This week’s column is going to go a mile a minute as there is a ton to write about. I generally hunt the northern Wisconsin duck opener on the Turtle Flambeau Flowage. I missed it due to the fact that my nephew Trent Schuster happened to get married to a very nice lady named Amanda Wendt. Run Amanda run!

Instead I headed north with the pups, my War Eagle and my canoe on Monday. I knew the shooting would be minimal but I was very excited for the trip and now had something else that I could blame on Trent.

Monday, September 23 High 74, low 42

Here is the plan, launch canoe and War Eagle, travel with very happy pups to duck paradise, hunt, sleep in War Eagle Hotel, and repeat process for 2 more days. Folks I was on a roll and when I got home would only have one day before I headed southwest for the southern Wisconsin opener on the Mississippi River. So, I anchor the War Eagle and load the canoe for the afternoon expedition and am a bit concerned that I have yet to see a duck. “Thanks Trent”.

I paddle to no man’s land. There are zero waterfowl but I am doing “forced nothing” which I really need to do. After 2 hours I am buzzed by a flock of teal and miss. This would be my only experience until after shooting hours. Ten minutes after shooting hours were over, I watched a hundred million mallards buzz me. Waterfowl really seem to learn when you cannot shoot at them.

Back at the War Eagle Hotel I lit a propane lantern and really enjoyed the evening. About 10:00 I rolled out a tarp, put my sleeping bag in it and tried to sleep.

Tuesday, September 24 High 76, low 40

Sleeping did not work out so well. There were multiple problems such as I was on the floor of my boat and it was too short to lay length wise, there was a very heavy dew and my sleeping bag sucked up moisture at a steady rate and both pups demanded the best spot on the floor which was the top of my head.

So I am up and at ‘em, 2 hours before daylight, paddle to duck paradise and am a little concerned that I am not flushing any of the millions of mallards that I saw last night. I was so careful that I didn’t even turn on my headlamp.

Daylight arrives, I do not see a single duck. “Thanks Trent.”Two hours after daylight a goose flies over and I foolishly think it is out of range, it wasn’t. An hour later I saw a lone goose, it was at least a half mile away. I can honestly say that because I am so horrible at calling geese that I have not tried in 15 years. I give my best attempt and the bird does a 180 and heads my way, then it turns around and leaves the zone. I decide to try again. Give a honk, it does a 180, comes in with its wings set and I dumped it. Two hours later I dropped another and all was well.

At midday I tried a snooze, but it did not work. I decided to go exploring by canoe. I find a 4-inch musky that has just died, and it has a small walleye in its mouth that I am sure was too big to digest. Once again it was proven that gluttony can kill. I also observed that the water is down about 16 inches from normal and every muskrat den is above the water line. That is not good if you are a muskrat.

With 3 hours of daylight left I picked a pretty spot to sit and put out my decoys. I had one round of shooting and that was at a wood duck.

It seemed to have been tickled and sailed a good 300-yards and out of sight. When shooting hours were over the pups and I went looking for it and by-God, Ruby found it.

Sleeping was the same as the previous night and the following morning I did not get a shot.

If you see Trent Schuster, punch him in the shoulder and tell him his Uncle Mark sent that his way!

Sunset

This 4 inch musky literally bit off more than it could chew and the walleye that it had in its mouth was the cause of its death.

The War Eagle Hotel was not as comfy as it looks.

This was a happy moment!