# Marsh hens



## Drew dumas (Oct 2, 2017)

Anybody chase marsh hens? Seems to be a thing of the past. Going to try and get the boat out and find some this week. Looks like we're gonna have some 8-9 ft tides on wed , Thursday mornings. Any tips?


----------



## DRBugman85 (Oct 3, 2017)

My buddy and his dad had a great time hunting marsh hen Saturday and Sunday both limited with a  410 single shot. Lots of hen's on the northeast winds


----------



## king killer delete (Oct 4, 2017)

Point don’t lead or you will miss. They seem to hover and not fly .Make sure you got a push pole. Watch your tides you can get stuck bad. Have fun you will love the hunt. Good luck and take pictures.


----------



## Mexican Squealer (Oct 4, 2017)

Yep. Hunt da hens same time as catching tailing Reds. Definitely not a thing of the past around here.


----------



## CaptPaul (Oct 4, 2017)

some of the most fun you can have.   enjoy it!


----------



## MudDucker (Oct 5, 2017)

Haven't done it in years, but its a blast.


----------



## Drew dumas (Oct 5, 2017)

Got out with the morning high tides today and yesterday. Met some friendly folks at the boat ramp who gave us some tips. We had a great couple of hunts.


----------



## king killer delete (Oct 5, 2017)

Good stuff


----------



## Bwright (Oct 9, 2017)

My go to hunt with the boys
Always plenty around and the 4 10 can always use the dust knocked off


----------



## Miguel Cervantes (Oct 9, 2017)

king killer delete said:


> Point don’t lead or you will miss. They seem to hover and not fly .Make sure you got a push pole. Watch your tides you can get stuck bad. Have fun you will love the hunt. Good luck and take pictures.



^^^What he said^^^ 
Sometimes with a good head wind they actually fly backwards. I've never called it hunting, we always say go shoot some Marsh Hens (swamp chickens). It's a ton of fun, I just wish there was more meat on those critters.


----------



## king killer delete (Oct 9, 2017)

Miguel Cervantes said:


> ^^^What he said^^^
> Sometimes with a good head wind they actually fly backwards. I've never called it hunting, we always say go shoot some Marsh Hens (swamp chickens). It's a ton of fun, I just wish there was more meat on those critters.



yep. fun is the word


----------



## GLS (Oct 9, 2017)

A nice find from Ebay a few years ago.  1928 at Sea Island. Gil:


----------



## Miguel Cervantes (Oct 9, 2017)

GLS said:


> A nice find from Ebay a few years ago.  1928 at Sea Island. Gil:


Very cool


----------



## king killer delete (Oct 9, 2017)

Nice picture.


----------



## Chewbaka81 (Oct 10, 2017)

We went out last weekend on the high tide.  We only got 4.  Caught some trout too.  It was fun.  Still doesn't seem right you can shoot lead at marsh hens on the water but you have to shoot steel at a goose in a field.


----------



## Lukikus2 (Oct 10, 2017)

Never dabbled on this side of hunting. Cool thread! No
meat? How do they taste?


----------



## GLS (Oct 11, 2017)

Fresh, they are very tasty.  I skinned them out.  I don't know if it was necessary, but I soaked them in milk for several hours before cooking.  Last time I cooked them,  many years ago, I plucked out the breast then I cut the backbone just ahead of the thighs, leaving them intact on the backbone segment.  I tucked the breast between the thighs, wrapped in bacon, secured with toothpicks and grilled.  Plenty of meat and delicious.  The legs and thighs have a good bit of meat.  I've also had them fried.   I never had success in freezing the meat and cooking after thawing as the taste was strong.  At one time I lived on the marsh with miles of marsh accessible from my dock.  Marsh hens were easy pickings on a spring tide during the season.


----------



## Lukikus2 (Oct 11, 2017)

Cool. Thanks GLS.


----------



## rnelson5 (Oct 11, 2017)

Chewbaka81 said:


> We went out last weekend on the high tide.  We only got 4.  Caught some trout too.  It was fun.  Still doesn't seem right you can shoot lead at marsh hens on the water but you have to shoot steel at a goose in a field.



That's our government summed up in one statement.


----------



## DRBugman85 (Oct 19, 2017)

Marsh hens tides for 3 day's.  yesterday's Noreaster put water up great for hens met  a hunter with a kayak and 20 ga o/u had his limit  and headed for breakfast by 830.


----------



## T-N-T (Oct 20, 2017)

So help the ignorant out . .....


I need a Higher tide to get at them better?  But not "necessary"?


----------



## DRBugman85 (Oct 20, 2017)

T-N-T said:


> So help the ignorant out . .....
> 
> 
> I need a Higher tide to get at them better?  But not "necessary"?


No sir you don't need high tides you can shoot the dumb little bird at dead low tide off a mud flat,That being said here on the coastal marsh we teach the young men and girls how to shoot as soon as possible that's why we  marsh hen hunters can out shoot city slickers any day of the week. There's not much sport to shoot a long leg brown bird that's slow and clumsy but it's how we teach our children to shoot at a early age. Taking a youth and having fun is the point I'm making.WHAT is necessary is to have fun with a kid that's going to be the future of AMERICA HUNTERS and a sport that's been around before most on GON were born.


----------



## GLS (Oct 21, 2017)

Marsh hen will run rather than fly if there is terrain to run on.  With the marshland covered with water they will climb up on marsh rack and floating debris.  There's no place for them to hide on a spring tide.  They fly as a last resort and not very swiftly.  Being able to float to them is far better than struggling to retrieve one on foot on a bare mudflat.


----------



## Duckbuster82 (Oct 21, 2017)

T-N-T said:


> So help the ignorant out . .....
> 
> 
> I need a Higher tide to get at them better?  But not "necessary"?



The higher the tide the better. A lot less time and effort to kill them.


----------



## DRBugman85 (Oct 21, 2017)

Just not to sporty for a season hunter but for a kid it's a good time if you get a tide and a young hunter they can enjoy it and it teaches them the art of wingshooting and quite tastey  on the grill just not a lot of ù  (small birds)But take 12-15 can make a meal.


----------



## T-N-T (Oct 21, 2017)

My neighbors sons papa takes him once and again. I had honestly never heard of it till three years ago.  
Thanks for the help. I'll likely take off one day with a novice shooter to help em out ....


----------



## Uptonongood (Oct 22, 2017)

Had some great hunts in the marshes around St. Simons Island in years gone past.  Hunted the flooding tide, let the boat drift up the small feeder creeks and started banging on the boat with the push pole to flush the birds.  Don't take a really good gun on the hunt, it will get soaked with salt water.

I also assisted federal LE in catching folks shooting marsh hens while under motor power.  The state LE guys are out there, too, so those folks in that boat a hundred yards away just might not be the hunters you think they are.  We caught one county commissioner and his son, he sweated it for a while thinking we'd release his name to the media.  We didn't, wasn't our job to do that.  

Oh, and if your buddy is using that push pole to reach out and pull a dead bird back to you, be sure to duck when he jerks the pole back in your direction.  It can take a minute or two to regain consciousness after it hits you between the eyes.


----------



## Dirtroad Johnson (Oct 22, 2017)

I've never been marsh hen hunting but I've heard of it.


----------



## DRBugman85 (Oct 22, 2017)

Uptonongood said:


> Had some great hunts in the marshes around St. Simons Island in years gone past.  Hunted the flooding tide, let the boat drift up the small feeder creeks and started banging on the boat with the push pole to flush the birds.  Don't take a really good gun on the hunt, it will get soaked with salt water.
> 
> I also assisted federal LE in catching folks shooting marsh hens while under motor power.  The state LE guys are out there, too, so those folks in that boat a hundred yards away just might not be the hunters you think they are.  We caught one county commissioner and his son, he sweated it for a while thinking we'd release his name to the media.  We didn't, wasn't our job to do that.
> 
> Oh, and if your buddy is using that push pole to reach out and pull a dead bird back to you, be sure to duck when he jerks the pole back in your direction.  It can take a minute or two to regain consciousness after it hits you between the eyes.


You mean you CAN'T run the OUTBOARD .The Feds Love to write that ticket, Read the regs before you hunt marsh hens. Save the time and money of that TICKET.


----------



## The Fever (Oct 27, 2017)

DRBugman85 said:


> No sir you don't need high tides you can shoot the dumb little bird at dead low tide off a mud flat,That being said here on the coastal marsh we teach the young men and girls how to shoot as soon as possible that's why we  marsh hen hunters can out shoot city slickers any day of the week. There's not much sport to shoot a long leg brown bird that's slow and clumsy but it's how we teach our children to shoot at a early age. Taking a youth and having fun is the point I'm making.WHAT is necessary is to have fun with a kid that's going to be the future of AMERICA HUNTERS and a sport that's been around before most on GON were born.



Before all on the GON were born. 

Speaking of being around since the beginning of time.... When are you going to start hunting Rhett's with Cricket again? You two used to be inseparable back in the dizzay


----------



## The Fever (Oct 27, 2017)

Uptonongood said:


> Had some great hunts in the marshes around St. Simons Island in years gone past.  Hunted the flooding tide, let the boat drift up the small feeder creeks and started banging on the boat with the push pole to flush the birds.  Don't take a really good gun on the hunt, it will get soaked with salt water.
> 
> I also assisted federal LE in catching folks shooting marsh hens while under motor power.  The state LE guys are out there, too, so those folks in that boat a hundred yards away just might not be the hunters you think they are.  We caught one county commissioner and his son, he sweated it for a while thinking we'd release his name to the media.  We didn't, wasn't our job to do that.
> 
> Oh, and if your buddy is using that push pole to reach out and pull a dead bird back to you, be sure to duck when he jerks the pole back in your direction.  It can take a minute or two to regain consciousness after it hits you between the eyes.



Very true. We had a group of hunters follow us for a long time through the marshes. Dad and I thought it was odd. after a couple hours they pulled up and were LE. Checked out licenses and everything. Good folks!


----------



## DRBugman85 (Oct 28, 2017)

The Fever said:


> Before all on the GON were born.
> 
> Speaking of being around since the beginning of time.... When are you going to start hunting Rhett's with Cricket again? You two used to be inseparable back in the dizzay


My buddy and I Do not try to hunt with the Village IDIOTS that hunt the ALTAMAHA WMA,The Internet hunters took over and it's a joke to even try to hunt in Retts Island on any day its open for hunting  ,The best hunting is from 2pm till sunset on Tuesday afternoon when nobody's there. We shot all we needed back in the 70s to the mid 90s till the Internet ruin the hunting on the entire area.


----------



## The Fever (Oct 30, 2017)

DRBugman85 said:


> My buddy and I Do not try to hunt with the Village IDIOTS that hunt the ALTAMAHA WMA,The Internet hunters took over and it's a joke to even try to hunt in Retts Island on any day its open for hunting  ,The best hunting is from 2pm till sunset on Tuesday afternoon when nobody's there. We shot all we needed back in the 70s to the mid 90s till the Internet ruin the hunting on the entire area.




I'm fairly certain ole cricket still hunts over there, but you sure did wise up. I can't blame you. Folks over there got too possessive over ponds and bully folks in the dikes and ramps. It's sad really.


----------



## DRBugman85 (Oct 30, 2017)

The Fever said:


> I'm fairly certain ole cricket still hunts over there, but you sure did wise up. I can't blame you. Folks over there got too possessive over ponds and bully folks in the dikes and ramps. It's sad really.



No sir He hunts with me only on Tuesday afternoon.


----------



## humdandy (Oct 30, 2017)

DRBugman85 said:


> You mean you CAN'T run the OUTBOARD .The Feds Love to write that ticket, Read the regs before you hunt marsh hens. Save the time and money of that TICKET.



Cut the motor off right before you start shooting........pretty easy.


----------



## Uptonongood (Oct 31, 2017)

humdandy said:


> Cut the motor off right before you start shooting........pretty easy.



Actually, all forward motion produced by the motor must have stopped before you fire that shot.  Just shutting off the motor isn't enough.


----------



## The Fever (Oct 31, 2017)

DRBugman85 said:


> No sir He hunts with me only on Tuesday afternoon.



Well hot dang. Good for him. That place is a madness and really not worth anyone's time or funds. 

Next time you're at two way, don't be a stranger.


----------



## T-N-T (Oct 31, 2017)

humdandy said:


> Cut the motor off right before you start shooting........pretty easy.



That's how I've heard it done.  I told the guy, I ain't no marsh hen hunter, but I know that ain't legit.


----------

