Fishing with the Rents

After my morning success, I cleaned birds and prepped the boat for the parents' visit. They as well as Paul, Adam, and Cathy were coming for an afternoon fishing expedition. I took them to my small gem lake, and I had the parents in the little boat with me.
The lake was a little choppy, but we made it work without too much water in the boat. We anchored in a little spot as out of the wind as possible, and even managed to find a few fish, and by that I mean Dad did.

It was beyond enjoyable fishing with the parents. They were both coming off of show week and were a little fried, but I would like to at least think I helped a little.
In Paul's boat, Rachel did fantastically and even out fished me. Even when she doesn't care she does well. :)
We got a group pic in front of the boat before heading out for fish cleaning and food.

We went to a local eatery for a bite and then Paul and crew headed back to Sioux Falls while the parents stuck around for the evening. We showed them the town, and showed Dad some of the area, and then we enjoyed good conversation before retiring for the night.

It was great to have a quick visit, and I hope we are able to have more visits as this fall progresses. We would travel more, but Rachel's on-call schedule keeps us on our toes. At least this fall is just beginning.



Stay Tuned

Doves with the Pup

I struggled a fair amount to find any public property that was suitable for a dove hunt, as most of the public up here is suited for pheasants and waterfowl. I spent three evenings driving around trying to find somewhere and came up short. On one of my short Fridays, I found a field that could potentially hold a dove, but it was private. It wasn't until Saturday morning when I continued my driving, that I came upon this field again and it was loaded with doves!

I consulted my plat maps and could not get a handle on whom owns it/farms it. I called my local contact and he told me I was off a little and forwarded me to the right person. A quick call came up short as there was no answer, but my maps showed me where the landowner lived, so I stopped out. He is a super nice guy and told me that there is another guy that has first dibs on the place, but if he wasn't out there I could have at it.

I hauled back to the spot and was greeted by 200 or so doves right at the corner of the fence where I parked the car.

I could not shoot fast enough.

In less than 45 minutes I had my limit. It may have taken me 50 shells to get my first 10 birds, but once I got the hang of it again, I finished my last 5 birds with 7 more shells.

The great part about this spot is the location. That giant cottonwood in the background is visible from my front door. I couldn't have asked for a better spot.


The next day, I convinced Rachel to let me have another go at this spot. When I got there I tried something a little farther from the road, but the birds worked right through my first spot. I quickly moved right back to the spot only to find a couple dead birds laying near the corner post. At first I was bummed that I had missed them the morning before, but the more I looked the more I found out what I was really seeing. Between yesterday morning and today, someone else had hunted the spot. In a small town, word travels fast....
I picked up as many of the other guy's empties as I could find, and I buried the birds I could find in the field.
This morning took a little longer for the birds. They were a little more wary, but I was in the right spot at the right time anyway. I was able to again fulfill my limit of 15 birds. The pup was in hog heaven. As I was collecting my empties and putting birds in my bag, I heard a goose. I looked up and a pair of them were baring down on me fast. I popped out the remaining dove shells and was able to get one goose shell in just in time to pop up and take my single shot.
Folded like a laundry.

What a cap to a stellar morning!!!

Mocha spent the rest of the afternoon stiff legged, or curled up in a heap on the couch. I may have to work her in to this season. She may still have a spring in her step, but she isn't in her prime anymore.

It has been nice to have this plethora of wildlife at my fingertips, but I am struggling to enjoy it as much as I should. Rachel isn't really into the whole getting up at 4am for a small bird, or a fish, so I am currently without a hunting/fishing buddy. For the time being, I will just continue what I do.



Stay Tuned

Labor Day Festivities

This year's labor day weekend, Rachel's family camp up to visit us in the luscious town of Clark, SD. There was no chance we were going to be house the influx of people so the clan reserved the Ringneck Lodge on the west side of town. I was indeed skeptical of the arrangement, but I was beyond impressed with the establishment.
It was an old steakhouse that has been converted to a lodge for mostly large hunting or fishing groups. It was well done, and was a lot more put together than I expected. Wifi for the addicts, cable for the sports enthusiasts, and a poker table because it's South Dakota. There is a bar (un-stocked) a pool table, dining area, and separated sleeping sections.

 To top it off, the owner opened up the kitchen because we were a family group. It's a restaurant quality kitchen, and is fully functional. 

 I was able to Dad's combat style breakfast of bacon, eggs, hashbrowns, and pancakes with complete ease. It was awesome!!!

After breakfast it was time to dive headfirst into our daily activities. We headed to lake for family pictures and some fishing.
We wrangled everyone near the lake as best as possible and took some great pics of the family. Of course, I don't have any copies of these at this time as they are on Sara's camera, but I will include them when I get them.

Once the kids realized this was the lake we were going to actually fish, it was difficult to keep them focused. It ended up that Austin and Jerry took the kayaks, and Ryan, the boys, and I took piled into the boat.
It didn't take but mere minutes before we had fish in the boat.

Ryker's ratio was about 1 for 1 fish caught to hook buried in my hand. Thus, I did not get a photo of Daxton with his fish. I regret it immensely.
The wind was causing us some difficulty so we moved to the other side of the lake and Ryan made short work of our quick move.

 At one point, Jerry came over in the kayak to see how things were going, and we hear Austin yelling from the other side of the lake. I knew already that he boated a waldo and was unsure how to proceed. He ended up throwing it between his legs and paddling to us to put on the stringer.

 After an inordinate amount of snacks, the boys finally had had enough of the fishing thing and it was time to call it a day. By the grace of our beloved wives, we dropped the boys off at the dock, and were granted a few more hours to try and finish off our limit. Jerry and Austin declined and went back with everyone else, so Ryan and I had the lake to ourselves.

 It took us a little under an hour to finish off our limit of walleye. We even stayed awhile longer just to enjoy the fishing. It was banner day to not be taken for granted of and we hammer them!

When we returned to the Lodge I wanted the group fishermen pic.

Ryan and I then spent the remainder of the evening filleting out our catch, and even pan frying a batch for those that had not already eaten.

The next morning was a little rough as being away from everyone has not been easy, but we managed to squeeze in as much kid time as possible.

Even though the trip seemed short, it was necessary for both of us to see everyone again. The fishing, and what-not was but a mere bonus. Just watching and listening to Rachel showed me how much she missed being away from home. I am beyond grateful that everyone was able to come up and visit, and I hope it can happen again. Until next time;


Stay Tuned

Weekend at Maud

Rachel and I took a break from Clark to spend a weekend with Rick, Sue, and the kids. We were able to get up there in decent time, being so much closer now, and were able to even get on the clear water to see the loons!!!
We enjoyed good conversation, an iced whiskey, and even a fish or two. :) We needed a break from Clark and this was a great get away. Our original plan was to hang out mostly with Grace, as we missed her graduation party, but she was already off to college.

Saturday morning, Sue, Clara, and Rachel went into town for a little shopping and Rick and I were granted a morning of musky fishing.
It was a bit of cluster launching the boat as the usual boat ramp was closed, but we were able to finally get on the water.
The conditions were ideal, cloudy, with a bit of chop on the water, but we were struggling to catch anything.
Until Rick decided trolling a giant spoon was the feel for the day.

MUSKY IN THE BOAT!!!!

No it may not have been the record breaker, but a 38" musky nevertheless. A musky is a musky.
After attempting another one for awhile we headed for The Bridge off of the lake, for lunch with the ladies. I thought it was beyond convenient that all we had to do was tie the boat off and walk the dock to the restaurant. Clara suggested the place, and it was a fantastic recommendation!

We hung out for the remainder of the afternoon and evening, again just enjoying good food, fine conversation, and making some apple pie from apples in orchard on the lake.
Sunday morning Rachel and I cheated and decided to forgo the Polka mass and went out on the lake just the two of us.

It was nice to spend some time with the Mrs, even though this wasn't her cup of tea, she still out-fished me.

We helped with a few things around the house before heading to St. Cloud to see Grace. We came up to see her, and we damn well were going to see her!

We were able to fill the back of the car with the few things she had forgotten at home, as well as a few goody bags from the family. It was nice to walk into a dorm that didn't smell like pee and vomit. Actually refreshing.
Grace gave us the tour, and then we were off to meet Sister Janet for dinner. Because we were unable to make arrangements with the dog, she was in tow and we had to modify our dinner plans to accommodate. We ended up eating sandwiches and smoothies outside on the campus, but it was fun to catch up with both Grace and Sister Janet. We were able to catch Grace between meetings as the next day would be her first official day as a college student, and they keep everyone on their toes. And poof. It seemed she was gone before we even got there.
Rachel and I conversed with Sister Janet for  another hour or so before needing to get back on the road.

It was nice to spend a weekend not in Clark. It was Rachel's idea that we head to Rick and Sue's and the St. Cloud visit was impromptu but fantastic. We shall be making that round again.
It's been difficult being isolated from family, especially siblings, so we are trying to make the best of our new proximity to other family.


Stay Tuned