On Sunday afternoon, I was taking my daily (OK, sometimes every other day or maybe once a week) walk when I saw the first arrival of large flocks of snow geese overhead. That reminded me of the days when huge flocks of Canada geese covered the sky as they lifted off from Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge. Beginning in the 1970s until the late 1980s, Delaware experienced some of the best waterfowl hunting in the country with Canada geese leading the way. Maryland also had excellent waterfowl hunting, and I was fortunate to experience that as well.
One particular hunting experience in Maryland stands out above the rest. The Grand National Waterfowl Hunt in Cambridge was held every fall, and in 1989, I was invited by my friend and Trojan Yacht Executive Ron Pickle. The vast majority of hunters were men of wealth and stature, but once we were in our camouflage and down in a goose pit or water blind, it was hard to tell a company president from a poor freelance writer.
The first test was shooting ducks. Each new hunter was given three shells and told to shoot as many ducks as he could with those shells. The break-even score was three. Minus scores were misses and plus scores were doubles. Not being exactly a hot shooter, I decided to go for break even and waited until I had good, clear shots on singles before firing. The shooting gods were with me and I broke even.
Then it was time for lunch. This was a big deal, held in a tent near Secretary, Md. There were all sorts of good Eastern Shore foods, including oysters, fried chicken, chicken salad and beer. I don’t recall the name of the fellow with me, but he was from the Midwest and was very quiet. As lunch went on and more beer was consumed, it became obvious to me that fights were inevitable. When you mix beer, dogs, Eastern Shore guides and pretty girls together under a tent, sooner or later an explosion will occur.
My new friend and I grabbed our guide and said we were ready for our afternoon hunt. He was a tad reluctant to leave, but we headed out just before two of the dogs went after each other, causing an argument between the two owners that ended when one guy shoved the other into a waitress who spilled beer on a third guy and it just went downhill from there.
Our afternoon hunt was in a tax ditch between two cornfields. It was a bluebird day and not much flying, so the three of us took turns telling stories and taking naps. Just at dusk, a lone goose surprised us, flying straight down the ditch, and somehow I managed to get my gun up and shoot the bird while it was flying away. I don’t know who was more surprised, me or the goose.
That night was the awards banquet. Great food and, believe it or not, a couple of guys busted doubles with each of their three shells.
The following morning, I was back in a water blind shooting mallards. In Maryland, land owners can stock their property with ducks and then shoot as many of these as they want. The stocked ducks are banded so they can be counted from the wild ducks.
Then from out of nowhere came a small flock of Canadas, and the only one in the blind with a goose call was me. Those birds must have been lonely because they came right to my call and the other hunters busted several of them.
When it was time for lunch, the guides asked where we would like to eat. I said Suicide Bridge. They were shocked. How did I know about Suicide Bridge? I explained that I was raised in Delaware by Sussex County natives who took me there on a regular basis.
After a lunch of crab balls, saltine crackers and Coke, I headed back home.
Fishing report
Yes, Virginia, there are fish being caught.
Tog have been a bit difficult with lots of shorts and a few keepers. The Katydid and the Grizzly out of Lewes have both found citation-sized fish (over 7 pounds) on recent trips. The conditions have been a bit on the chilly side, and fishable days have been few and far between, but when the boats can get out, the fish are there.
Other boats have made the run to New Jersey, fishing for stripers off Wildwood and Sea Isle City. From my reports, the anglers are trolling MOJOs, big plugs like Mann’s Stretch 25s and 30s, or jigging under birds. While a few fish over 30 pounds have been caught, the more common catch has been fish in the 28- to 36-inch size.
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Eric Burnley is a Delaware native who has fished and hunted the state from an early age. Since 1978 he has written countless articles about hunting and fishing in Delaware and elsewhere along the Atlantic Coast. He has been the regional editor for several publications and was the founding editor of the Mid-Atlantic Fisherman magazine. Eric is the author of three books: Surf Fishing the Atlantic Coast, The Ultimate Guide to Striped Bass Fishing and Fishing Saltwater Baits. He and his wife Barbara live near Milton, Delaware. Eric can be reached at Eburnle@aol.com.
