09-29-2003, 12:12 AM
Saturday was the utah state youth duck opener.
I of course am older than t he maximum age allowed to hunt on this day, but theres no law about just going out and watching.
I think this is the greatest thing the DWR has come up with in a long while. Why? Because on a warm sunny afternoon before all us old men put a hurtin on the ducks, here were a tiny handful of kids in a marsh full of ducks and geese, and it was all thiers.
Providing such opportunity and memories for our youth just cant be beat.
Anyways, I know theres a few guys looking for the details of what I saw so that next weekend they will have some fun too. So, heres my report.
In the last week I have visited many of our refuges. The bear river bird refuge is extremely low. Well, lets get it right and just say empty. Theres no water there. For those of you who saw it the last two seasons before the hunt, it is much worse this year. These years of continued drought are taking thier toll.
On the flip side, the public shooting grounds and salt creek bolth have water, and are holding lots of birds.
The GSL is way low, but if you can gte across the huge mud flats, you will find lots of concentrated birds on the water.
Anyways, the youth hunt looked like a lot of fun, the kids were getting some shooting in, and I even saw a retrieve or two before the mosquitoes forced me back into my truck.
I will be making the rounds all week up here in the northern lakes and marshes. Scouting bird locations and flight patterns. It is my expriience that on the opener, a lot of attempted patterning doesnt do much since the birds dont get a rest and theres a gun waiting just about every where they would usually try to go. But as soon as things slow a bit, knowing where they will be is the key.
It was interesting to watch the birds reaction and flight path when the kids started shooting though.
[signature]
I of course am older than t he maximum age allowed to hunt on this day, but theres no law about just going out and watching.
I think this is the greatest thing the DWR has come up with in a long while. Why? Because on a warm sunny afternoon before all us old men put a hurtin on the ducks, here were a tiny handful of kids in a marsh full of ducks and geese, and it was all thiers.
Providing such opportunity and memories for our youth just cant be beat.
Anyways, I know theres a few guys looking for the details of what I saw so that next weekend they will have some fun too. So, heres my report.
In the last week I have visited many of our refuges. The bear river bird refuge is extremely low. Well, lets get it right and just say empty. Theres no water there. For those of you who saw it the last two seasons before the hunt, it is much worse this year. These years of continued drought are taking thier toll.
On the flip side, the public shooting grounds and salt creek bolth have water, and are holding lots of birds.
The GSL is way low, but if you can gte across the huge mud flats, you will find lots of concentrated birds on the water.
Anyways, the youth hunt looked like a lot of fun, the kids were getting some shooting in, and I even saw a retrieve or two before the mosquitoes forced me back into my truck.
I will be making the rounds all week up here in the northern lakes and marshes. Scouting bird locations and flight patterns. It is my expriience that on the opener, a lot of attempted patterning doesnt do much since the birds dont get a rest and theres a gun waiting just about every where they would usually try to go. But as soon as things slow a bit, knowing where they will be is the key.
It was interesting to watch the birds reaction and flight path when the kids started shooting though.
[signature]
] during season's openers. 
