Fishing and Duck Hunting on Salt Creek

SHOOTING DUCKS

I took the kids over the south end, again this October, to Salt Creek hunting ducks and fishing for Bonneville Cuts. We had a nice time, finding quite a few ducks and catching a few fish.

Our first stalk went wrong on a group of 10-12 mallards. They flushed low off the water, keeping willows between themselves and the boys. No shots were fired and we headed down stream for another shot at smaller groups of ducks.

Tyler was the first to hit pay dirt. He shot this hen from a small group. He sluiced her off the water with the 20 gauge bolt action. Corey backed him up. Today was not a day for the sporting chance! The boys wanted teriyaki duck stir-fry and didn't give the ducks a chance to be missed on the wing.

Corey got first shot on the 3rd group we found, now that Tyler had a duck in the bag and blood on his hands. They snuck in on 3 unsuspecting mallards, snoozing on an outside corner of the stream. They made a good sneak and Corey shot another hen with the single shot 20 gauge the kids got for Christmas a year or so ago. Tyler watched the other ducks fly away without firing a shot! I couldn't believe it. Then he shot Corey's duck AGAIN because it "twitched"! You could have dropped a golf ball through the hole it left.

We had a "nice talk" about sportsmanship, not wasting ammo, and clean kills without destroying the game. They understand, a little better, today the ethics of hunting and I expect the more times we go out the better they will become.

Tyler and Corey with their kills, just before fishing the willow flat behind them.

FISHING

The water is low and cooler now, making for difficult fishing with spinners and such. Jared and I persisted and finally caught this smallish fish on a long, shallow flat, below a beaver dam. Corey caught a decent fish, but overall it was pretty slow fishing. The spring and summer can be incredible, especially with a fly rod. We have caught fish up to 14 inches, and lost some between 15 & 16. It is a great caddis stream!

Jared learned to cast today. He did really well. He listens to instructions and follows them well. I need to get him up on Cottonwood Lake, just the two of us, in the boat and let him cast and fish to his hearts content!