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John's Journal... Entry 178, Day 4

YO-YO DUCKS

Best Days of Duck Hunting

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more than 20 years Billy Blakely of Troy, Tennessee, has guided duck hunters on Reelfoot Lake in Tiptonville, Tennessee. Reelfoot Lake is 18,765 acres of water that was formed by a series of earthquakes that started in December of 1811 and ended in February of 1812. At that time the Mississippi River flowed backwards and spilled over into the hole left by the earthquakes, creating Reelfoot Lake. Loaded with shallow-water flats, cypress swamps and plenty of shallow-water areas, this lake homes ideal duck habitat. And to make this haven for duck hunters even better, one state and two federal waterfowl refugees are located around the lake. Another reason Reelfoot Lake has the most-dependable duck hunting of any area I know in the United States is due to the yo-yo effect this area experiences during waterfowl season. "When the weather is cold, the ducks migrate from the North to Reelfoot," Blakely explains. "When the weather turns hot, the ducks that travel north from Mississippi and Louisiana also stop here. Reelfoot Lake seems to be the midpoint of the two extremes of weather during waterfowl season." This week we'll learn how Blakely and the other guides at Blue Bank Resort consistently take ducks at this time of the year.

Question: Tell me about the best day of duck hunting you've ever had here at Reelfoot Lake.
Blakely: I've had several days of really good duck hunting out here. The best days usually occur when most of the shallow water is frozen and I have to get to the blind early to break the ice so the ducks can land in the water. If you can provide open water while all the other blinds around yours are frozen, you'll drastically cut down on competition for the ducks, and you'll see and take more ducks than usual. Two years ago when the lake froze, we bought an airboat and used it to break the ice. That day we bagged every duck and every goose that even came close to my blind.

Question: Although you have 10-shooting ports for your hunters, how many hunters usually hunt out of your blind at one time?
Blakely: I generally have six people in the blind: four hunters, my helper and myself. This way everyone gets plenty of shooting opportunities.

Question: How many ducks will you take in an average day of duck hunting?
Blakely: We will often take 18 to 20 ducks for six shooters. Most of the ducks will be mallards, but we'll also have greenwing teal, black ducks, gadwalls, widgeons, an occasional canvasback and a wide variety of other ducks.

Question: Tell me about early duck season on Reelfoot.
Blakely: On the second Saturday in September, we have a five-day wood duck and teal hunt, and we usually take quite a few ducks during that time. That early-season hunt requires us to drag boats and wear waders and work a little harder for our ducks. But we can take two wood ducks or four teal per hunter, and we usually limit-out every day.

For more information on hunting at Reelfoot Lake, call the Blue Bank Resort at (731) 253-6878, visit www.bluebankresort.com, or write to Blue Bank at Route 1 Box 970, Tiptonville, TN 38079.

 

 

Check back each day this week for more about YO-YO DUCKS ...

Day 1 - Decoys and Blinds
Day 2 - Calls, Shells and Spreads
Day 3 - Basic Duck-Hunting Tips
Day 4 - Best Days of Duck Hunting
Day 5 - Open-Water Hunts


John's Journal