Making the move to the bootheel

[Don'tDrinkTinks]

Also, I bought a Predator 2200W generator at Harbor Freight and it's been awesome. Starts up quick and easy, very quiet, and was only about $600. Actually came in handy during last week's ice storm when the power went out.

 

[TnKen]

I have a pit in East AR and even though we had a less than stellar year I love it. I've learned a lot. Few tips for you…

1. Buy a generator, sump pump, and an ice eater. No matter what you do that pit will more than likely flood at some point. Our 16' pit will pump out in 30 mins or less with the pump I have. I hard pvc piped the outlet. Beats a hose hands down. Ice eater has been a life saver. If your field is 18" deep with water there's no way in hell it's freezing solid. Thickest our ice got was 3/4" this past season but when it did we had a lot of open water with the ice eater.

Good advice. We have a 24' pit and it takes a lot of 5 gallon bucket scoops to empty it. We use a trash pump when it's available, and it saves a lot of work. We have an ice eater that will make a hole, but when the fields freeze over the ducks leave. It will give you an open hole when it starts to thaw. It can get epic on a thaw with the only hole open.

 

[Don'tDrinkTinks]

Good advice. We have a 24' pit and it takes a lot of 5 gallon bucket scoops to empty it. We use a trash pump when it's available, and it saves a lot of work. We have an ice eater that will make a hole, but when the fields freeze over the ducks leave. It will give you an open hole when it starts to thaw. It can get epic on a thaw with the only hole open.

Yesssss… hunting the thaw is when you'll kill 'em. I've had one of those epic hunts and it's what hooked me!

 

[RUGER]

Yesssss… hunting the thaw is when you'll kill 'em. I've had one of those epic hunts and it's what hooked me!

I was there for one of those as well. It could have been the hunt of a lifetime but the decoys were all jacked up from the ice.
We had 400-500 ducks tornadoing our spot about 7 or 8 different times.
Quit even taking notice of the geese that were in the air there were so many.
Absolutely amazing sight.

 

[spoonie]

My experience in the boothill hunted a few different spots.
-the mud sucks there
-hopefully the farmer you lease from let's you stash your 4 wheeler somewhere so you don't have to drag it with you every time
-the mud sucks
-if your spot is to close to the road decoys will go missing
-usually got to cover levee Around pit with several full bodies
-the mud sucks
-thaw days are usually a gimme sign it's going be a good day
-afternoon hunts can be really successful
- the mud sucks
-on the slow days you can go to the boat and play a round of poker or craps.

Best of luck to you, I enjoyed it over there but my crew dropped out of the semo game a few years back. The variety of species you can kill in a single day was always fun.

FYI the mud sucks

 

[Dodge Man]

My experience in the boothill hunted a few different spots.
-the mud sucks there
-hopefully the farmer you lease from let's you stash your 4 wheeler somewhere so you don't have to drag it with you every time
-the mud sucks
-if your spot is to close to the road decoys will go missing
-usually got to cover levee Around pit with several full bodies
-the mud sucks
-thaw days are usually a gimme sign it's going be a good day
-afternoon hunts can be really successful
- the mud sucks
-on the slow days you can go to the boat and play a round of poker or craps.

Best of luck to you, I enjoyed it over there but my crew dropped out of the semo game a few years back. The variety of species you can kill in a single day was always fun.

FYI the mud sucks

I agree with everything especially the Mud! The way the mud sticks to everything is one of the top reasons I don't hunt in SEMO more often. I recommend Do Not pull a trailer with finders through a muddy field. We tried it a few times hauling in snow goose decoys. The finders caked so full of mud the wheels quit turning. Man I hate that mud!

 

[cbhunter]

@RUGER can I get a refund??

 

[TNGunsmoke]

Advice from a friend of mine that used to hunt up there, if you are asked if you want the field burnt or rolled, have it burnt. Stems and stalks of whatever crop, combined with the mud will destroy axle boots, and get wrapped up and caked into/around places you really don't want it.

 

[RUGER]

@RUGER can I get a refund??

Send in your balance due then we will talk about it lol

 

[RUGER]

Is it muddy over there ?
Wonder if it's worse than Mississippi?

@gasman

 

[TnKen]

Advice from a friend of mine that used to hunt up there, if you are asked if you want the field burnt or rolled, have it burnt. Stems and stalks of whatever crop, combined with the mud will destroy axle boots, and get wrapped up and caked into/around places you really don't want it.

Rice stubble will definitely wrap around your axles. I haven't had a problem with it hurting anything, but I also try to pull it off at the end of the hunt. Burning a rice field will sterilize the left over seed and keep it from sprouting into a ratoon crop. It will leave more feed available if the field isn't flooded right after harvest.

 

[gasman]

Is it muddy over there ?
Wonder if it's worse than Mississippi?

@gasman

Can't be worse than Mississippi

 

[gasman]

I'm not giving up my 4 wheeler so some kneebooter don't have to get wet @cbhunter @RUGER

 

[cbhunter]

I'm not giving up my 4 wheeler so some kneebooter don't have to get wet @cbhunter @RUGER

We all wading in this time

 

[Don'tDrinkTinks]

My experience in the boothill hunted a few different spots.
-the mud sucks there
-hopefully the farmer you lease from let's you stash your 4 wheeler somewhere so you don't have to drag it with you every time
-the mud sucks
-if your spot is to close to the road decoys will go missing
-usually got to cover levee Around pit with several full bodies
-the mud sucks
-thaw days are usually a gimme sign it's going be a good day
-afternoon hunts can be really successful
- the mud sucks
-on the slow days you can go to the boat and play a round of poker or craps.

Best of luck to you, I enjoyed it over there but my crew dropped out of the semo game a few years back. The variety of species you can kill in a single day was always fun.

FYI the mud sucks

This 10x.

I'm able to leave my side by side at our place but last weekend I gave her the end of the year clean. 4 HOURS. 4 hours to get all the gumbo off. I go a little overboard on my wheelers when it comes to the end of the year cleaning but still, the mud does suck.

 

[Mud Creek]

Good luck, wear em out!

 

[TnKen]

When I first started hun Arkansas I was amazed by the mud as well. Cleaning it off was long and difficult. I asked one of the farmers about how he dealt with removing the mud. He said to let it dry and then knock it off. So I know wait until the end of season to do my clean up, and spend a lot less time on it. If you're a clean freak pit hunting in the mud will drive you crazy.

 

[JagwalCrush]

My experience in the boothill hunted a few different spots.
-the mud sucks there
-hopefully the farmer you lease from let's you stash your 4 wheeler somewhere so you don't have to drag it with you every time
-the mud sucks
-if your spot is to close to the road decoys will go missing
-usually got to cover levee Around pit with several full bodies
-the mud sucks
-thaw days are usually a gimme sign it's going be a good day
-afternoon hunts can be really successful
- the mud sucks
-on the slow days you can go to the boat and play a round of poker or craps.

Best of luck to you, I enjoyed it over there but my crew dropped out of the semo game a few years back. The variety of species you can kill in a single day was always fun.

FYI the mud sucks

But….. What about the mud??

 

[JagwalCrush]

Ame

Advice from a friend of mine that used to hunt up there, if you are asked if you want the field burnt or rolled, have it burnt. Stems and stalks of whatever crop, combined with the mud will destroy axle boots, and get wrapped up and caked into/around places you really don't want it.

n! Learned that the hard way! Wrapped around driveshaft of side by side which was close to exhaust…… just happy I wa smear water to pull off into when It caught fire.

 

[Bgoodman30]

We used to keep a pit in SEMO several years back. It was nice we could hunt 2 states in a day. I had some incredible hunts there certainly on the thaw. Even if it doesn't thaw if it rains on top of ice be there! I am not sure there is anyway you could run an ice eater without digging a pit. A puddle buster may work though?

One thing that got me about that place was everyone hunting in those d@mned pits from daylight to dark... I never remember hunting in a pit until dark in AR before? That kind of pressure certainly has affected the ducks over there.. I thing I would try goose hunting if I still hunted in SEMO.. Good luck