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Duck and Coot Showdown and Elk Season Wrap Up
It’s late November and we’re back in the blind for another Road Hunter Podcast hunt. The ducks were slow, but the coots kept things interesting: we ended the morning with 3 coot, 2 ducks, and plenty of laughs.
Slow morning on the ducks, busy morning on the coots.
Related: duck blind talk.
While we wait on birds, we break down the final days of elk season: what went right, what went sideways, and what we learned as we close the book on another year in the mountains.
If you like duck hunting, real talk, and end-of-season storytelling, you’re in the right place.
Coot vs. Duck: Why We Shoot Both
If you’ve never hunted Oregon coot, here’s the deal: when the ducks go quiet, the coot flotillas don’t. They sit out in the open like they’re daring you to shoot, and Oregon lets you take 25 a day, on top of your regular duck limit since coot don’t count against it. So when the action slows, we water swat a few just to keep the morning interesting. Logan even shot one with no bullets in the chamber on his first try: failed outdoors, folks. That’s the brand.
Logan’s First Duck and a Stolen Hen
Logan water-swatted his first duck of the season, a hen mallard, the only legal bird that day, and we’re counting it. First duck’s a first duck, no matter how it gets in the bag. We’ll admit we stole a couple of his earlier opportunities too. When they’re landing right in the spread, instinct takes over before manners do.
Elk Season Wrap-Up: A Rough Year and a Forked Horn
Eastern Oregon elk season was tough: lots of hiking, almost no sightings. The coastal side wasn’t much better; we busted a herd in heavy fog and never got a shot lined up. The one bright spot: Logan capped off the season with his second blacktail buck in two years, a fork-and-spike (a “spork,” if you’re keeping track of our nicknames). There’s guys who can’t say they’ve shot two bucks in ten years, let alone two seasons.
FAQ: Duck and Coot Hunting in Oregon
Do coot count against my duck limit in Oregon?
No. Oregon allows up to 25 coot per day as a separate limit from ducks, making them a good option to keep busy when duck action is slow.
Why does duck hunting on public land sometimes feel unproductive?
Crowded blinds mean birds get flared by neighboring hunters before they reach your decoys. It’s part of public-land hunting: spreading out and being patient helps, but you can’t control everyone else.
Is a spike buck worth harvesting?
Absolutely. A legal spike fills the freezer and the tag exactly like a trophy buck does. Trophy hunting is fun, but meat in the freezer is the real win.
Catch us in the next episode: we’re heading into duck season hard and chasing crab and steelhead before the year’s out. Thanks for listening, and get outside even if you come home with tag soup.
The post Duck and Coot Showdown and Elk Season Wrap Up appeared first on Failed Outdoors.
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By Brad and Eli McKinneyIt’s late November and we’re back in the blind for another Road Hunter Podcast hunt. The ducks were slow, but the coots kept things interesting: we ended the morning with 3 coot, 2 ducks, and plenty of laughs.
Slow morning on the ducks, busy morning on the coots.
Related: duck blind talk.
While we wait on birds, we break down the final days of elk season: what went right, what went sideways, and what we learned as we close the book on another year in the mountains.
If you like duck hunting, real talk, and end-of-season storytelling, you’re in the right place.
Coot vs. Duck: Why We Shoot Both
If you’ve never hunted Oregon coot, here’s the deal: when the ducks go quiet, the coot flotillas don’t. They sit out in the open like they’re daring you to shoot, and Oregon lets you take 25 a day, on top of your regular duck limit since coot don’t count against it. So when the action slows, we water swat a few just to keep the morning interesting. Logan even shot one with no bullets in the chamber on his first try: failed outdoors, folks. That’s the brand.
Logan’s First Duck and a Stolen Hen
Logan water-swatted his first duck of the season, a hen mallard, the only legal bird that day, and we’re counting it. First duck’s a first duck, no matter how it gets in the bag. We’ll admit we stole a couple of his earlier opportunities too. When they’re landing right in the spread, instinct takes over before manners do.
Elk Season Wrap-Up: A Rough Year and a Forked Horn
Eastern Oregon elk season was tough: lots of hiking, almost no sightings. The coastal side wasn’t much better; we busted a herd in heavy fog and never got a shot lined up. The one bright spot: Logan capped off the season with his second blacktail buck in two years, a fork-and-spike (a “spork,” if you’re keeping track of our nicknames). There’s guys who can’t say they’ve shot two bucks in ten years, let alone two seasons.
FAQ: Duck and Coot Hunting in Oregon
Do coot count against my duck limit in Oregon?
No. Oregon allows up to 25 coot per day as a separate limit from ducks, making them a good option to keep busy when duck action is slow.
Why does duck hunting on public land sometimes feel unproductive?
Crowded blinds mean birds get flared by neighboring hunters before they reach your decoys. It’s part of public-land hunting: spreading out and being patient helps, but you can’t control everyone else.
Is a spike buck worth harvesting?
Absolutely. A legal spike fills the freezer and the tag exactly like a trophy buck does. Trophy hunting is fun, but meat in the freezer is the real win.
Catch us in the next episode: we’re heading into duck season hard and chasing crab and steelhead before the year’s out. Thanks for listening, and get outside even if you come home with tag soup.
The post Duck and Coot Showdown and Elk Season Wrap Up appeared first on Failed Outdoors.