# What drives you.



## Hunteradams (Dec 1, 2014)

Are you a numbers guy, quality, or just glad to get out of the house hunter?


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## Joe Overby (Dec 1, 2014)

My dog. Seeing him leave multiple short birds in the decoys, swim right past them, and pick up looooong cripples...ducking and diving and trying to evade...that's it for me.


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## deast1988 (Dec 1, 2014)

Feet down inside 20yds! Belly up grave yard dead.

Whistling wings, distant quacks! The woodys screaming at daylight the flying chuckle of a gadwall. Pretty sunrises, fireballs out the gun barrel on the legal minute in the morning. No dog but love watching ice form on anything wet. Zero degree boat rides, and the possibility of heavy game straps or an Ofer day. 

I really love the calling aspect knowing I turned the flight seeing the smiles on my buddies faces after carnage has been issued on a good flock of birds.


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## GADawg08 (Dec 1, 2014)

I'm assuming you're talkin strictly waterfowl.....for me, its been a series of stages...used to be all about #'s, then it was about quality when I had good spots to hunt.....now, with all the public land hunters and not as many private spots as I used to have as well as an 8 month old baby boy, now its all about just getting out of the house and enjoying a cold morning with buddies. But to me, that's what it should be about anyways no matter what stage you're in.....a "quality" hunt can be one where you shoot limits, or one where you don't fire a single shot


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Dec 1, 2014)

I'm all about the experience.  If you're hunting north Georgia, you better not be in it for the numbers.  

As was so well stated above, it's the little things that add up to a great hunt.  Whistling wings in the dark.  Birds dropping into the decoys that nobody saw coming.  Conversations in the dark waiting on shooting light.  Straining eyes trying to identify distant birds.  Getting startled when a tweety bird flies overhead.  The smell of spent shotgun shells.  Seeing birds commit to the dekes, knowing it's about to happen.

Even if we don't get into the birds, I figure it's another chance to enjoy one of God's beautiful sunrises and watch the world come alive.


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## andyparm (Dec 1, 2014)

A good flock of birds in my face ready to sit in the decoys is pretty solid especially when they have responded to calling. No matter what the circumstances or species the feeling you get when you're hunched over trying not to look but can't help but watch as they come closer and closer until finally they are drifting down that last few feet is hard to beat. First flock in SELA this year I was fumbling with some of my gear and my brother was like "SHUT UP!" I look up and 8 gadwalls are back pedaling into the decoys. That being the first sight of my season this year really helps with the fact that I have also fallen in a ditch and COMPLETELY submerged myself, gun, light, everything. I also nearly got skunked this past Saturday which is something I'm not really in to.

For me nothing compares to a big flock of divers (doesn't matter what they are. Ringnecks seem to do it well though I'd prefer Cans) cutting through the wind as they turn. That fighter jet sound they make gets my heart pumping like nothing else I have experienced thus far. 

I love being out there in it. Really just love everything about it!

I've been on hunts where we killed the numbers but still wasn't quite right and I've killed 10 between 3 people that I would consider epic hunts. Just depends on the circumstances. Company can make a big difference! Hunting with my brother always makes for good times. Sometimes I can drag my dad out for a hunt. Had him on a REALLY good woody shoot a few years ago and he was smiling and laughing like a 14 yo girl. 

Good thread for a Monday morning! Definitely taking me back to better places and times than this chair in my office...


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## Gaducker (Dec 1, 2014)

Watchin my son who is now 13 yo shoot a limit in no time knowing that it was just  8 or so years ago when he started toting that single shot 410 and he couldnt hit the water back then.


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## ghadarits (Dec 1, 2014)

Seeing the boys get excited about what we might get into when going to a new spot, finding new holes to hunt, scouting and finding the birds in the new holes. Being there to see the sun come up with the boys or a friend , seeing my dog go and get the birds on a really cold morning and wanting to go back for more. Taking a full mixed bag limit 4 or 5 times a year and a lot of what was mentioned already. If its just about killing a limit every time you go you won't be happy doing it long in Georgia from my experience even at its best.


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## Hunteradams (Dec 1, 2014)

I guess I am still at the numbers stage. I will take numbers and over quality especially if I can get away from people. But for all those who say just getting out there is why you do it. Isn't their something cheaper to do? This is going to sound bad but not directed at anyone of y'all. I know of a lot of people who hunt a good bit with little to show. At some point you have to expect some return to what you put out right? How can you justify spending the money to get all the gear had and time out into hunting if you hunt a few days and get skunked a few days and shoot a woodie or two or some ruddy ducks once. I have seen a lot of post on Facebook with people hunting 4 or so days over the first season and kill 3 or 4 birds. I would have to give up.


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## northgeorgiasportsman (Dec 1, 2014)

Hunteradams said:


> I guess I am still at the numbers stage. I will take numbers and over quality especially if I can get away from people. But for all those who say just getting out there is why you do it. Isn't their something cheaper to do? This is going to sound bad but not directed at anyone of y'all. I know of a lot of people who hunt a good bit with little to show. At some point you have to expect some return to what you put out right? How can you justify spending the money to get all the gear had and time out into hunting if you hunt a few days and get skunked a few days and shoot a woodie or two or some ruddy ducks once. I have seen a lot of post on Facebook with people hunting 4 or so days over the first season and kill 3 or 4 birds. I would have to give up.



Maybe you should take up golf


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## MrDuckKiller (Dec 1, 2014)

Probably the biggest thing for me is getting it done on public water. Not necessarily full limits but just knowing you had those "good" mornings. Knowing that you put in the time, knew what they were gonna do, and were sitting there the next morning waiting on them to do it... And when they commit, knowing that you were successful in doing your "job"...


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## ghadarits (Dec 1, 2014)

Hunteradams said:


> I guess I am still at the numbers stage. I will take numbers and over quality especially if I can get away from people. But for all those who say just getting out there is why you do it. Isn't their something cheaper to do? This is going to sound bad but not directed at anyone of y'all. I know of a lot of people who hunt a good bit with little to show. At some point you have to expect some return to what you put out right? How can you justify spending the money to get all the gear had and time out into hunting if you hunt a few days and get skunked a few days and shoot a woodie or two or some ruddy ducks once. I have seen a lot of post on Facebook with people hunting 4 or so days over the first season and kill 3 or 4 birds. I would have to give up.



I don't think many people who hunt anything in todays world have a good return on their investment of time and money compared to the food value harvested. I know if that's all I was in it for I would have quite hunting and fishing for that matter a long time ago and just worked more to make more money to buy food.

There's a cycle most hunters go through in their life and I'm at the point that the actual harvest is important but the numbers harvested aren't the determining factor to how much fun or how good a hunt I had.

People do it for their own reasons.


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## andyparm (Dec 1, 2014)

ghadarits said:


> I don't think many people who hunt anything in todays world have a good return on their investment of time and money compared to the food value harvested. I know if that's all I was in it for I would have quite hunting and fishing for that matter a long time ago and just worked more to make more money to buy food.
> 
> There's a cycle most hunters go through in their life and I'm at the point that the actual harvest is important but the numbers harvested aren't the determining factor to how much fun or how good a hunt I had.
> 
> People do it for their own reasons.



Couldn't agree more! Yes I love those mornings that I fill my limit but if that doesn't happen it doesn't necessarily make it a bad hunt. Heck if I have a bad season I'm not going to even think 'maybe I should quit this and start doing something else'. 

If I was looking for a return on my investment with any of my hobbies I'm looking at it all wrong. Couldn't tell you how many tens of thousands of dollars I've spent offshore fishing, duck hunting, scuba diving, surfing, etc. etc. 

For the record...I'm amazingly successful at all of the above listed hobbies


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## Hunteradams (Dec 1, 2014)

I'm just saying I don't golf because I'm bad at it. If you repeatedly don't have success how is it fun. When I say return I am not talking about meat, no mater what you hunt or fish for it's almost impossible to do it cheaper than going to te store. I am saying if you hunt 10 times and kill 10 birds for your group hoe is that enjoyable. Might as well just get some chairs sit by the pool and throw some decoys in it. Call it hunting and save the money.


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## steelshotslayer (Dec 1, 2014)

andyparm said:


> Couldn't agree more! Yes I love those mornings that I fill my limit but if that doesn't happen it doesn't necessarily make it a bad hunt. Heck if I have a bad season I'm not going to even think 'maybe I should quit this and start doing something else'.
> 
> If I was looking for a return on my investment with any of my hobbies I'm looking at it all wrong. Couldn't tell you how many tens of thousands of dollars I've spent offshore fishing, duck hunting, scuba diving, surfing, etc. etc.
> 
> For the record...I'm amazingly successful at all of the above listed hobbies




This...... It would be called an investment if I was looking for a return on it.  It is a hobby and a passion for a reason.  The old saying a bad day on the water is better than the best day at work is true.  I love having full straps, you'd be dumb not to, but then again it is not only about shooting birds to me its the whole experience.  Just being out there.  

Some things don't need to be quantified to be considered of value and I think an experience in the woods or on the water is one of those things.  Seeing the excitement on a small child's face the night before or the morning of.  Just awestruck at the fog rising off the water or the whistle of wing beats flying over head.  The sight of a shooting star right before the crack of dawn or the sound of a hoot owl.  Those are the things that make it worth it.  EVERY SINGLE PENNY...... and not that I am counting, but it has been a BUNCH of pennies.


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## andyparm (Dec 1, 2014)

Hunteradams said:


> I'm just saying I don't golf because I'm bad at it. If you repeatedly don't have success how is it fun. When I say return I am not talking about meat, no mater what you hunt or fish for it's almost impossible to do it cheaper than going to te store. I am saying if you hunt 10 times and kill 10 birds for your group hoe is that enjoyable. Might as well just get some chairs sit by the pool and throw some decoys in it. Call it hunting and save the money.



I get what you're saying. Different strokes for different folks. I like to be as successful as possible no matter what I'm doing. Success doesn't necessarily mean quantity of ducks/fish/whatever killed though. Two examples: Last year (or the year before) I was sitting in one of my regular spots by myself and not having much of a shoot. I hear this "WOOF WOOF WOOF" sound (not barking dog sound) and look over to see a GIANT tundra swan flying up the river. I had never seen one up to that point. The image is burned into my memory. 100% success. No clue if I killed anything or not to be honest. This summer I was spearfishing and had not shot but maybe one fish (again do not remember) on the way up I was completely surrounded by hundreds of jack crevalles, bull redfish, and bonita. There were so many reds in the water that the water was actually red in color around me. It's moments like those that keep me coming back.  Being out there and in the middle of it is all some people are in it for. 

I applaud the guys on here who post that their success rate (as far as birds killed) is very low, but still get after it. You are learning what you need to learn in order to be successful in the future. You are also DIY which is so much more rewarding. Now, if this is your 10th year at it and you're still not having any success you need to stop reading posts like THIS ONE and kill some ducks! 

Also, there is always the possibility of only killing one bird per hunt for ten straight hunts no matter how experienced you are...this is Georgia!


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## tradhunter98 (Dec 1, 2014)

Seeing flocks of 40 or more redheads sounding like a jet buzzing the decoys and finally making that last pass and finishing and hopping up and knocking down multiple birds and my dog picking them up. That's what does it for me.


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## vrooom (Dec 1, 2014)

I've been doing it a while and my main goal at the end of every hunt is to have a large pile of dead stuff to show for it.  That being said I'd rather shoot into 2-3 groups of big ducks that have been worked in through out the morning than go out and kill 15-30 wood Ducks.


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## hoytslanger87 (Dec 1, 2014)

I love it all. Whether it be buying new gear, rigging decoys, calling ,scouting, boat rides. I am more of a quality type duck hunter. If I see 50 woods in a hole versus 8 big ducks I'm gone hunt the big ducks. I love chasing a chance at trophy bird. To date I have killed 11 different species of duck between 2 lakes in Georgia pretty proud of that. So I guess looking for number 12 is what I look forward to.


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## southerngreenscape (Dec 1, 2014)

Well I thought I loved it for the thrill of the hunt, scouting and all that hunting in Georgia its hard to say its about the numbers cause there aint many, but I went to Kansas last week for a 4 day hunt and let me tell you its definitely a thrill to just stackem up I have never seen so many Mallards in my life. And when the geese come off the water and it looks like a tsunami that is a sigt to see I am getting chills talking bout I just love everything bout duck hunting !!!


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## rnelson5 (Dec 1, 2014)

Making large piles and having a good time with good friends.


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## Hunteradams (Dec 1, 2014)

southerngreenscape said:


> Well I thought I loved it for the thrill of the hunt, scouting and all that hunting in Georgia its hard to say its about the numbers cause there aint many, but I went to Kansas last week for a 4 day hunt and let me tell you its definitely a thrill to just stackem up I have never seen so many Mallards in my life. And when the geese come off the water and it looks like a tsunami that is a sigt to see I am getting chills talking bout I just love everything bout duck hunting !!!



I think saying your not into hunting for piling them up is just an excuse for being a bad hunter, ha ha. Post up some pics of your trip.


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## Gaducker (Dec 1, 2014)

Hunteradams said:


> I think saying your not into hunting for piling them up is just an excuse for being a bad hunter, ha ha. Post up some pics of your trip.



So how many hunts would it take for you to,,, Say only kill one bird before you just hung it up and called it quits for good?


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## Hunteradams (Dec 1, 2014)

If I go a 2 or 3without a good hunt I will stop and only scout wait for a weather change or take a ride to where birds are.


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## mlandrum (Dec 1, 2014)

Training my own dog, fixing my own decoys, accomplishing a prepared hunt, and if I'm lucky hitting a duck Then preparing the meal and remembering the hunt, Placing up the pictures


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## BobSacamano (Dec 1, 2014)

killing stuff.


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## across the river (Dec 1, 2014)

Hunteradams said:


> I guess I am still at the numbers stage. I will take numbers and over quality especially if I can get away from people. But for all those who say just getting out there is why you do it. Isn't their something cheaper to do? This is going to sound bad but not directed at anyone of y'all. I know of a lot of people who hunt a good bit with little to show. At some point you have to expect some return to what you put out right? How can you justify spending the money to get all the gear had and time out into hunting if you hunt a few days and get skunked a few days and shoot a woodie or two or some ruddy ducks once. I have seen a lot of post on Facebook with people hunting 4 or so days over the first season and kill 3 or 4 birds. I would have to give up.




I don't have a facebook page and I'm not even a picture poster, but I would be far more impressed with a one picture of one hunt with four big ducks than I would be with four pictures from four hunts with a bunch of woodducks and hooded mergansers laid on top of a yeti cooler.


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## Duckbob (Dec 1, 2014)

It's everything. The sight of the swamp at first light. Standing in the water all set up not knowing how its gonna go. But regardless of the outcome if you truly love it, you get up and do it again and keep coming back. Last year wasn't a good year for me in terms of numbers but I was just as excited for this season as ever. I cought this fever 13 years ago, there's no cure for this.

DB


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## andyparm (Dec 2, 2014)

Hunteradams said:


> I think saying your not into hunting for piling them up is just an excuse for being a bad hunter, ha ha. Post up some pics of your trip.



Everyone dreams of the days that they suicide into the decoys in alarming numbers but that just doesn't happen every hunt. Duck hunting is basically just a very long process of trial and error. Every time I go I think of what I could've done to pull that one flock in a little closer. Saying you would quit just because you're not killing huge piles of birds is like being an Alabama fan...


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## krazybronco2 (Dec 2, 2014)

what drives me is the dog now. i want to get her on as many birds as possible during the season. these 2 months are our down time when we get to have fun. the rest of the year is spent training and testing.

 I will tell you it is alot more fun to hunt with a finished retriever than one you got to throw rocks for.


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## Hunteradams (Dec 2, 2014)

andyparm said:


> Everyone dreams of the days that they suicide into the decoys in alarming numbers but that just doesn't happen every hunt. Duck hunting is basically just a very long process of trial and error. Every time I go I think of what I could've done to pull that one flock in a little closer. Saying you would quit just because you're not killing huge piles of birds is like being an Alabama fan...



I never said quit because of not killing huge piles all the time but quit because they never have any success. One of the guys that hunts with me hunted for two years. Killed 20 or 30 birds a year and hunted 15 or 20 times a year. I took him a few times and did well. He sold all his gear and boat. Now he just pays my fuel and buys me breakfast. It's cheaper for him and he gets to kill birds. I just don't see how someone like that could continue to spend all the time and money to average a bird or less a hunt.


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## Duckbob (Dec 2, 2014)

Yeah but there's gotta be something he wasn't doing right. We were all newbies once and made tons of mistakes and watched and learned from our mentors until we knew what we were doing. So he was either winging it not knowing. Or just not learning. Cause if you do your homework and do things half right you should be able to bag birds even by luck sometimes. Heck I recall on my first few hunts not having dekes or even a call and just scouting and setting up for a good pass shoot and we slammed some birds, often limiting out in 30 to 45 min.

DB


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## Gaducker (Dec 2, 2014)

andyparm said:


> Everyone dreams of the days that they suicide into the decoys in alarming numbers but that just doesn't happen every hunt. Duck hunting is basically just a very long process of trial and error. Every time I go I think of what I could've done to pull that one flock in a little closer. Saying you would quit just because you're not killing huge piles of birds is like being an Alabama fan...



You meant Auburn Alabama right?


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## GSUEagle5 (Dec 2, 2014)

Thinking I know what I am doing to find out there is so much to still be learned. My favorite aspect is obviously the group of friends/family getting out and having a good time. The "calm before the storm" is always an adrenaline rush.


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## rnelson5 (Dec 2, 2014)

I am with you HunterAdams. If I couldn't kill them then I wouldn't go. I will say that sometimes though I am a quality guy. It depends on the situation. A lot of times on my destination trips I am going with a single bird in mind. Those trips are not about piling birds up to me but more about collecting that one duck. The rest of the time though I just like to shoot.


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## g0nef1sshn (Dec 2, 2014)

Only one woody for me so far, and hunted almost every day. I just have fun getting out and trying. Ive paddled miles now in the kayak. I cant just drive 5 mins and set up, i paddle 30 mins to an hour. Its the satisfaction that the hard work pays off. Even when i miss my chances to shoot, its still fun knowing I could have had one. 15-20 years ago when a limit was only 3 birds in fl, we (me and dad) would still put in the work knowing we were lucky to see birds let alone shoot. Any one here for the numbers getting them, if your freezers full you can drop the extra's off at my house, ill clean them. happy face goes here.


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## andyparm (Dec 2, 2014)

Hunteradams said:


> I never said quit because of not killing huge piles all the time but quit because they never have any success. One of the guys that hunts with me hunted for two years. Killed 20 or 30 birds a year and hunted 15 or 20 times a year. I took him a few times and did well. He sold all his gear and boat. Now he just pays my fuel and buys me breakfast. It's cheaper for him and he gets to kill birds. I just don't see how someone like that could continue to spend all the time and money to average a bird or less a hunt.



We're on the same page buddy. I have tons of friends who love to duck hunt but aren't really into DIY. I like figuring out new places and trying new things so I get out there and do it. If I was averaging less than a bird per hunt I would go back to fishing! Bottom line is we all get into it with aspirations of killing limits. Keep those barrels warm boys


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## 27metalman (Dec 4, 2014)

For me it's the experience or time spent during the hunt.  Of course it's always nice to kill a few birds, but when I'm with my group, I'm just as content with the thanks I get after the hunt even if end up firing only a few shots.  If my dad does good, that's all I really need to see.  He's 71 now and every time we go, I think back to when I was the "retriever" when he, my uncle, and my brother would go duck hunting.  Some of the best and funniest times you could ever have in the woods.


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## DLH_Woodstock (Dec 6, 2014)

Gaducker said:


> So how many hunts would it take for you to,,, Say only kill one bird before you just hung it up and called it quits for good?



Well I will let you know when I quite hunting them.
 I've been hunting geese and ducks here in Georgia for 5 or 6 years now and I have killed very few. I don't have any good places to hunt and the beaver pond I do hunt others hunt as well. The others who hunt it have the swamp side and we have the pond side. Most all the ducks and geese seem to come in through the swamp side and get shot or shot at before getting to us. Last year I only shot about five times the whole season. But we have great fun hunting together.  They even let me go out and break the ice and set up and bring in the decoys and retrieve the birds.


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## Larry Young Jr (Dec 6, 2014)

Don't Take me wrong, I love to shoot Ducks in the timber or Divers on open water. But what really gets me going is to meet up with some old friends and new ones. Grass in the blinds and put out a spread and sit around, drink a cup coffee and tell stories till the sun breaks the raising. Then get in the blind and hear that first HONK and see the first flock coming and calling them to you and at 20 yds yelling take them boys. Guns going off and hearing the thump of those big birds hitting the ground. The faces of the people that had never done it and the guys that had. 
That is what drives me. The 1000's miles traveling and scouting. The $1000's invested makes it ALL worth while. Seeing a kid or adult's face taking their first Goose or their 100Th. Is just priceless. If you haven't tried it you need too.
Good Luck and Be safe
Larry


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## Bambi (Dec 7, 2014)

All of the above


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