2019 Hunting Trips Reports
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12/28/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Four hunters enjoyed the scenary at a stock tank (pond) Southeast of Austin. For the first time ever we were skunked and didn’t even see a duck.
12/22/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Five hunters had a good time at a stock tank (pond) Southeast of Austin. Jonathan Fleming bagged a drake wigeon and Cade Zamora bagged a hen gadwall.
12/21/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
A record six hunters had a good time at a stock tank (pond) Southeast of Austin. The group bagged six ducks – two gadwalls, two ringnecks, a wigeon and a redhead. Randy Rowley bagged the two gadwalls on the small pond 100 yards to the west of the large one.
12/14/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Three participants mainly enjoyed the scenary on Lake Granger. Randy Rowley and Chris Campbell bagged the only two ducks (redheads) that came into the decoys. They and Chris’ daughter, Christina, were treated to wave after wave or cormorants and an occasional group of ducks in the distance. The group heard around 20 shots. After the hunt they scouted several other areas and found two mallards on the north side of the San Gabriel WMA, five other ducks in a cove in that WMA, and around that number going up the San Gabriel River.
12/10/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Three hunters mostly endured a hard rain at a stock tank (pond) Southeast of Austin. The group bagged two ducks – a wigeon and a ringneck. The rain probably kept the ducks from flying.
12/8/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Five hunters had a great time at a stock tank (pond) Southeast of Austin. The group bagged 15 ducks – the second most number of ducks on an FCS self-guided duck hunt. The group bagged gadwalls, redheads, and hooded mergansers, including Randy Rowley’s first drake hooded merganser.
12/7/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Three hunters had a great time at a stock tank (pond) Southeast of Austin. The group got a three-man limit (18 ducks) – the most ducks ever on an FCS self-guided duck hunt. The group bagged gadwalls, redheads, a ringneck, and a black belly whistling duck (Randy Rowley’s first and the first one that we’ve seen on an FCS self-guided duck hunt).
11/23/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Three hunters mostly enjoyed the scenery on Lake Somerville. Chris Campbell bagged the only duck that came into our decoy spead – a drake GWT. We had one other duck that flew by, but it was out of range. We saw two other groups of ducks and heard only a few shots. The recent cold front must have pushed the ducks out.
11/15/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Two hunters had a good time at a stock tank (pond) Southeast of Austin. Chris Campbell bagged a drake ringneck.
Twenty eight hunters had mixed results on the 9/1/19 (Opening Day Central Zone) Dove Hunt with Bryce Brandl of Triple Play Outfitters near New Braunfels. Paul Ellis got 13, Jim McGee got 12, and Louis Drott got 11, hunting near the trees. The guys hunting near the feral sunflower field didn’t fare nearly as well – averaging around two each. We did not have the field to ourselves, as promised, and there were too many hunters on the ranch.
6/8/19 Guided Upland Bird Hunt
5/3/19 – 5/5/19 Self-guided Hog Hunt
Five participants had a good time of enjoying the scenery, peace and quiet, rain, deer, axis deer, and blackbuck antelope at Mr. Charles Batts ranch near Junction. Unfortunately, no hogs were seen, although Randy Rowley found a dead hog as we were searching for sheds. We also found several piles of hog scat. Randy led a devotional called Mistaken Identity.
2/23/19 Guided Upland Bird (Pheasant, Chukar, and Quail) Hunt
Eight hunters had a great time at the 2/23/19 Guided Upland Bird Hunt with Mike Schumann on the old Dismukes/Bieberstein Ranch near Dimebox. A record 101 birds were killed, including 63 of 72 quail put out, 22 of 27 chukar put out, and 16 of 18 pheasant put out. Jonathan Fleming’s group bagged 35 quail, 15 chukar, and 10 pheasant (they paid for an extra chukar package and an extra pheasant package). Randy Rowley’s group bagged 28 quail, 7 chukar, and 6 pheasant. It was comfortable day with cloudy skies, mild breezes, and temps in the 60’s & low 70’s. The morning hunt concentrated on quail and a few chukar while the afternoon hunt included the rest of the chukar and the pheasant. The participants also enjoyed blasting away at clay targets.
2/15/19 – 2/17/19 Self-guided Hog Hunt
Five hunters saw deer and turkey, but not any hogs at the 2/15/19 – 2/17/19 at Ronnie Ross’ lease near Priddy. The hunters had a good time of fellowship. Thanks to Larry Mitchell for leading this event and to Jose Primera for cooking fajitas!
1/26/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Four hunters mostly enjoyed the scenery on 1/26/19 at a stock tank (pond) Southeast of Austin. Randy Rowley bagged a drake gadwall. We saw one other duck.
1/25/19 Guided Inland Duck Hunt
Four hunters had a slow day with Allen Ethridge on a stock tank (pond) near Donie. The hunters bagged four ducks (two gadwalls, a mallard, and a hooded merganser). There was a group of mallards that circled the tank about a dozen times, but only one of them committed. There were not nearly as many birds in the area as there were on 12/8/18, when the hunters killed 39 ducks. The hunters were probably hurt by the full moon, bluebird sky, lack of wind, and a strong wind a week before blew most of the birds further south. Since the hunt was not very good, Allen only charged them half price.
1/19/19 Self-guided Inland Duck Hunt
Five hunters had a good time at a stock tank (pond) Southeast of Austin. Randy Rowley led the way with two gadwalls. Chris Campbell and Ken Miller also bagged a gadwall (each). Burl Fulenwider hit one, but it dove and got away.
1/3/19 – 1/6/19 Blast and Cast (Self-guided/chartered Coastal Duck Hunt and Bay Fishing Trip)
Seven participants had a good time near Port O’Connor and Port Aransas.
On Thursday Wayne Weilnau’s group duck hunted but was skunked. They saw four flocks in the distance and a trio and a single a little closer. They only heard a few shots.
On Friday Wayne’s group caught a six keeper sheepshead and one undersized speckled trout. Randy Rowley’s group headed to Wilson’s Cut between Port Aransas and Corpus Christi for ducks and were skunked. They saw three groups in the distance and a group of six few by about 80 yards away.
On Saturday Wayne’s group fished all day, catching sheepshead, trout, redfish, a flounder, and a ladyfish. Randy Rowley’s group fished in the morning, catching sheepshead and a trout. They hunted again in the afternoon and were skunked again. They only saw a few ducks in the distance and a single during legal shooting time. A flock of about 15 ducks came by after legal shooting time.
On Sunday the groups again caught sheepshead, Jim McGee caught a 29″ redfish, and Daryl Shipper caught a 27″ redfish. Jim led the way with around eight fish that were keepers.
This Blast and Cast was the exact opposite of the Blast and Cast on the same weekend in 2018, where we only shot ducks and didn’t catch a fish.
Thanks to Wayne for opening up his home to the group and to Wayne and Randy for bringing their boats.
