nix03
Senior Member
Chosen for the Champey Island November hunt. Anybody ever hunt it?
Thanks
Thanks
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Champney Island 11-20
- Thread starter nix03
- Start date
Fenderbuilt27
Senior Member
I will be there also. Tagging on for any help. See you there.
A buddy and I use to make the drive from Metro Atlanta back in the early 80s and hunt on standby. Always got drawn back then. Lot of birds in the area generally and we almost always killed some birds but it wasn't great by any stretch. There is a LOT of area for birds to go when folks start invading on hunt days and most of that area has no pressure on it at all. In the absence of a good front pushing in new birds they know full well where they can go without people being around.
They used to take you to the impoundment you had been drawn for on a hay wagon or in the bed of a pickup truck. There was a small boat at most locations that was needed to cross the ditch between the road and the impoundment. I ain't sure some of that ditch may not be bottomless....it is most definitely deep enough to float your hat....but the impoundments themselves are abouth knee deep, or were, and very firm bottom for the most part. Really hard to get hid properly and really hard to find an overhead cover unless you bring it with you and it is a lot of work to get everything across the ditch and set up before shooting time due to the start time. It can be done but you gotta hustle. They also used to provide some decoys but we never used them, we used our own....the ones they provided were not in great shape and were more likely to flare birds than pull birds. There used to be a LOT of ringnecks, some teal, fewer widgeon and almost nothing else other than coots. There were occasionally black ducks and tree ducks and gadwall and even a few mallards once in a while but I don't know that I ever shot or knew anyone who had killed anything other than ringers, teal and widgeon.
back in the day it was usually a little better than the open area on Butler Island but not always....both locations can be really good or really bad and require a lot of time to learn them to be suffessful more often than not.
On an interesting side note they used to have a log in the check in station where kill records were maintained, I think going back to the 1930s but I wouldn't bet on it. What I do remember is there were a lot of snow geese, canada gees and even brant killed on that property back in the early days of it being public hunting land. I would bet there hasn't been a snow goose in the area in 70 years and probably true of brant. Someone told me there was a canada goose killed from time to time still but I would be surprised if they weren't golf course geese.
If you ain't done it and you are a Georgia duck hunter it is almost a rite of passage. It is about as ducky looking as anything in the state which is not a beaver swamp gets.....but it is or was very hit and miss. We always had a big time and could grab lunch at Archies before heading back to Atlanta....but Archies has been closed for years now.
They used to take you to the impoundment you had been drawn for on a hay wagon or in the bed of a pickup truck. There was a small boat at most locations that was needed to cross the ditch between the road and the impoundment. I ain't sure some of that ditch may not be bottomless....it is most definitely deep enough to float your hat....but the impoundments themselves are abouth knee deep, or were, and very firm bottom for the most part. Really hard to get hid properly and really hard to find an overhead cover unless you bring it with you and it is a lot of work to get everything across the ditch and set up before shooting time due to the start time. It can be done but you gotta hustle. They also used to provide some decoys but we never used them, we used our own....the ones they provided were not in great shape and were more likely to flare birds than pull birds. There used to be a LOT of ringnecks, some teal, fewer widgeon and almost nothing else other than coots. There were occasionally black ducks and tree ducks and gadwall and even a few mallards once in a while but I don't know that I ever shot or knew anyone who had killed anything other than ringers, teal and widgeon.
back in the day it was usually a little better than the open area on Butler Island but not always....both locations can be really good or really bad and require a lot of time to learn them to be suffessful more often than not.
On an interesting side note they used to have a log in the check in station where kill records were maintained, I think going back to the 1930s but I wouldn't bet on it. What I do remember is there were a lot of snow geese, canada gees and even brant killed on that property back in the early days of it being public hunting land. I would bet there hasn't been a snow goose in the area in 70 years and probably true of brant. Someone told me there was a canada goose killed from time to time still but I would be surprised if they weren't golf course geese.
If you ain't done it and you are a Georgia duck hunter it is almost a rite of passage. It is about as ducky looking as anything in the state which is not a beaver swamp gets.....but it is or was very hit and miss. We always had a big time and could grab lunch at Archies before heading back to Atlanta....but Archies has been closed for years now.
nix03
Senior Member
Thanks Dawg. It should be interesting at least and something different for us.
Mexican Squealer
Senior Member
When did Champney become a draw hunt?
across the river
Senior Member
I believe this year is the first year they made it quota. I think I saw the quota was 25 there, and now 25 on Butler. I’m sure it will be a dove shoot.
nix03
Senior Member
That’s what I’m worried about.
Grizzly1775
Member
Do NOT try to cross a ditch unless you’re between two pvc poles. Even the ones out in the middle of the ponds. Don’t ask how I know that one. I would suggest leave the dog at home unless it gets unnaturally cold between now and then, there’s a couple gators in there that will make you contemplate your life choices at 5 in the mornin. Pm me if you got specific questions.
That might explain why I didn't get drawn for Butler with 2 points. First time that 2 points didn't get me drawn.
nix03
Senior Member
Explain please?
across the river
Senior Member
They pull trailers out that everyone rides to get dropped off and then picked up at your "blind." Sort of like a hey ride out across the island. A trailer popped off a hitch on one of them several years ago while people were on it. I don't remember all the details, but I seem to remember a guy got hurt.
Fenderbuilt27
Senior Member
I went and scouted Champney today. It’s going to be interesting. You might want to do the same.
nix03
Senior Member
It’s about 4 1/2 ride one way so gonna have to plan a day to do that.
across the river
Senior Member
What good is scouting it going to do you?
Don't waste the gas or the time.
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Fenderbuilt27
Senior Member
Are you suggesting he just go blind and not know where he’s going or what he’s up against when he gets there?
across the river
Senior Member
Yes, that is absolutely what I am suggesting. You don't get to choose where you go on Butler, and I am sure this one will be the same on Champney. You draw a number out of bucket that is your "blind". Each blind is one of the old rice fields. The will ride you out to that spot on trailer. If there are birds there, they will be sitting on two or three of the fields (blinds). If you get one of those blinds, then you will typically have a decent shot at killing some birds. If you get one of the other blinds they haven't been sitting on, you are essentially in a dove shoot where every bird that flies over gets sky busted at. You just hope one flies over low enough, or you get couple that make it through the gauntlet without getting shot at and will give your decoys a look. Not being negative about it, just telling you how it is. If you had Dan Denton or one of the others where you can pick your spot, then yeah, it absolutely makes since to go scout it right before the hunt and see where the birds are. I even recommended scouting the DD hunt in another thread to another guy. However, driving hours to scout Butler or Champney, would be the equivalent of driving hours to scout a pay dove shoot that will draw blinds. It does you absolutely no good to know where the dead tree is at, the power line runs, or which side of the field the birds are flying in from, because you are going to end up in whatever spot you draw anyway.
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Fenderbuilt27
Senior Member
The Champney hunt is not like the Butler hunt. You pick your on spot. First come first serve. I scouted it yesterday and now I know what questions I need to ask to make sure I have the best hunt possible. That was the reason I suggested it. I would be glad to maybe get together with some of the other folks that got picked to if anyone is interested.
