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Post by rickieb on Mar 5, 2022 2:59:52 GMT
Yep! The last big gathering of scullers in 2009 and 2011. Many have passed away or are finding it to hard to find a place to scull has turned off many guys. Yes, scullers are known to be zipper lipped. Though old school guys respect other guys hunting areas, there can be fierce competition in what areas that are left. We use to have guys from East coast on the forum l don’t think they have been on for awhile. l saw awhile back the Wreck Slough Duck Club for sale that hosted the scullers get together in 2009 and 2011. I would like to know if any of those guys are still around? How about anyone left still on the forum and sculling or hung up your oar?
Blessings, Rick B
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Post by marshrat on Mar 17, 2022 18:47:58 GMT
Attended the get together in St. Helens in Oregon but didn't make the California gathering Rick. Bagpipe Bob is still alive and kicking. Raising and milking goats on his farm as well running a truck farm. Bob along with I gave up our floats but kept our oars. Now into our 70's the spots we used to scull are overrun by folks. John Hayden called me last year out of the Blue. Think he's up in Klamath Falls. His Dad, a great guy, died a few years ago. Mat Keller I believe is still around and still sculling. Not sure where the Humboldt guys went? Think Rodger retired? Stan still around I believe and is still sculling. Yea, all the spots I used to scull have blown up with folks.
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Post by Admin on Mar 21, 2022 0:42:30 GMT
I haven't seen John Hayden in several years. I'm no longer in California, but it probably wouldn't matter: the reservoirs I frequented are either about of water, of the flight patterns changed and the birds disappeared. I didn't get the float out at all last year because I took a work assignment and everything was frozen when I got home. However, this year will be different as I'm not taking any work assignments during that time. That means these Montana birds are in for a rude awakening.
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jeffo
New Member
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Post by jeffo on Mar 22, 2022 19:16:19 GMT
Hello, I am new to this forum, and thought this would be an appropriate post to introduce myself. Hopefully I am not a dying breed! Exactly two years ago I purchased my first Scull Boat from a gentleman who lived south of Eureka.
I first read about sculling for ducks in one of Worth Matthewson’s books. After a particularly slow day hunting and watching hundreds of wigeons and mallards rafted up in the bay just out of range I decided to buy a scull boat. I found one online and after making a deal with the owner over the phone, I made the drive down from Portland to pick it up. The guy who was selling it was an old timer who has hunted Brant since he was old enough to hold a shotgun and I enjoyed listening to his stories and admiring his collection of old hand carved Brant decoys.
The scull is made by Joel Edson and only 12 feet. The oar by itself is a wonderful piece of craftsmanship. I can barely fit in it, but it is fast, tracks straight and is easy to maneuver. I’ve used it dozens of times and killed wigeon, teal, mallards, pintails, scaup (greater and lesser) ringnecks, and geese. Canada geese, I may be cursing myself by saying this, are by far the easiest to hunt with a scull and sometimes I pass on them for other species. They don’t seem to feel threatened by a slow moving object floating towards them and they often won’t fly, they just swim away. Maybe they are just used to kayaks and other boats.
I have just ordered and received Scull Boat plans from Glenn L and plan to start construction this summer. I need a larger Scull Boat to accommodate a small outboard motor that rides higher for rougher water. If anyone has used a Glen-L scull, I would appreciate any insight or tips. I have enjoyed reading the posts on this forum and hope to learn from the sculling community as well as read about your hunting adventures. Cheers!
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Post by rickieb on Mar 23, 2022 23:06:33 GMT
Marshrat it’s GREAT to see you on this site. From what I’ve heard I believe scullers are posting on another cite. I just don’t hop around on the computer. I just recently spoke with Mat. He’s still going and talking about putting up another scull boat. I bought one of his one man Kevlar boats from him. I love the boat is definitely manageable to transport. I don’t need a trailer for it. I put it on a canoe dolly loaded with my gear and launch it anywhere I want. Yes, you are right your old stomping grounds down here in the San Francisco Bay has changed a lot. Plus, all the guys from the last scullers get together either don’t scull anymore or just don’t get on the website and talk. I told Mat to give me a a holler when he’s ready to put up another boat. In his mid 80’s I enjoy listening to his stories of the old days. Sculling water down here is still far and few between but love it when the conditions are right. To the new guy on the post welcome! I don’t know where everyone went but we did have pictures of all the guys and boats from the two get together we had plus footage of Bagpipe Bob on his pipes it was a great time in my book. I think Curt had all the pictures. I have tried to put another get together and it just doesn’t seem to happen. Finding a place where we can get together and scull the boats. With the lack of water it seems to be the issue. If anyone still sees Curt could you ask him to post those pictures again.
Thank Rick
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Post by marshrat on Mar 24, 2022 18:31:50 GMT
Good to hear from ya Rick. Kudos to Gene for keeping the site up and running. My last float was one of Matt's that I sold. Miss the passion but not the headaches of putting on a two hour scull on a raft and having some yahoo screw it up. Feel bad for those California scullers that frequent the reservoirs. Never seen such a water crisis like that in my life time. Lake Powell, behind Glenn Canyon dam is now 35 feet from water surface in losing all power to the turbines. Only real sculling option now is the Salt.
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Post by Admin on Mar 24, 2022 19:23:46 GMT
The water woes in Cali are real for sure. My old stomping grounds starting changing drastically well before those issues were so widespread. I used to spend a LOT of time on Irongate Reservoir, norh of Yreka, and Shastina, just a bit south. Birds disappeared from Irongate at least 5 years ago, and the water hasn't been near the public ramp at Shastina in 2 years that I know of, and that will for certain be 3 this year. I'm not taking work assignments this fall, so I'll be able to hit the local waters around my area. You can rest assured that the birds I'll be chasing have never even heard of a scull boat, let alone seen one. I drove to the closest one today and it's icing out pretty good at the south end where the river comes in. The open water was covered with swans, pintails and goldeneyes. Every year that lake sees a big push of redheads and canvasbacks in early October, and this year I'll be there to greet them. Have a few other places I can float as well and I'm really looking forward to this season. Attachments:
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Post by leonard on Aug 5, 2022 15:23:11 GMT
In three years I am moving to Arkansas I sent two scull boats out with my son last year and I will be taking two more with me when I move Anyone know anything about sculling in Arkansas good ? bad ?
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Post by layingaline on Oct 3, 2022 23:36:16 GMT
The water shortage in California is brutal. For the first time, Tulelake and Lower Klamath NWR is closed to hunting due to no water. The main lake was dry last season, and is a dust patch this year. Humboldt Bay can be tough to scull now due to the kayak crowd all over the bay. Same with the lagoons north of Trinidad. You work on the scull, and the birds jump, not because you botched it, but because of the kayakers paddling up behind you. "Oh, did we mess you up?" Like they don't know that they did. Many of the puddle ducks that would sit on Humboldt Bay in the past are now sitting in a flooded area owned by the Humboldt Bay NWR along Hookton Road. No reason for them to leave. Only had my boat out twice last year, and that was out of the area. With my retirement last summer, I'm hoping to get back out a little more...somewhere.
On the Montana front, I know of two retired firemen from Eureka, CA who took their floats with them when they moved there. One hunted the Seeley Lake area where he lived, and said the Mallards were dumb as can be. He has since moved into Oregon to be closer to grandkids. The other never used his float once he got there, and I believe it is still in his barn in southwest Montana.
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Post by njsculler78 on Oct 30, 2022 14:54:33 GMT
I miss this group! I did build a page on Facebook but I miss the old group! I hope to reconnect with the original group.
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Post by rickieb on Oct 30, 2022 23:46:23 GMT
njsculler welcome back. True l heard there was a scullers forum on Facebook l just don’t go there. So how is the sculling the East Coast? Here in Ca. we are dealing with tree huggers and lack of water. Sometimes l feel like an outlaw sneaking around hunting when people are at work and keeping a low profile and that’s not in my boat.
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Post by njsculler78 on Oct 31, 2022 13:21:11 GMT
Rick sculling is still good here. The guides are our only issue out here right now.
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