Ducks and My Dearest

As the end of September brought us fall, it also brought an open season on ducks and geese. The original plan was to have Dad come up and we would sit on the pothole slough right off of the road that we hunted last year. This was the 'pintail' slough and there were close to 100 ducks on it the day before opener. As things don't always hash out the way the playbook is written, Dad had to postpone his arrival to Saturday afternoon as work had piled up and he needed a night at home and some time to catch-up on paperwork. No matter, but I was not about to hunt the magic slough without him so I went to the drawing board. The only option that kept popping back into my head was Cottonwood where I had seen plenty of birds this spring and summer. With the water being WAY down, it would be a quick walk in and hopefully a productive morning.


I got out to the lake a little before dawn, and with it being public land, I was greeted by a hoard of trucks in the parking lot....


OK, so many not. I had not anticipated, I had the entire lake to myself.


There were about 30-40 ducks within eye sight in the menagerie of water pockets when we arrived. When we started our walk, they flushed up and out. Mocha and I made our jaunt to our spot, I dropped out decoys, and we waited for the ducks to start pouring back in.

I had low expectations going into this spot, but I knew there would be a few birds. The teal kept Mocha and I more than busy for the rest of the morning. It was by no means constant, but it keep us on our toes! I did shoot a shoveler that decoyed about as perfectly as they can, and I have no regrets in doing so, regardless of their 'shit-duck' status. There were plenty of big ducks on the lake, but for whatever reason, I really struggled to get then to work our set. I wanted something other than a teal, but that is a great problem to have. My last hoorah for the morning was flurried flock of teal that can in out of thin air, and were feet down inside of our decoy spread. I dropped the first one just at the water, the second 20 feet off of the water, and my itchy trigger finger decided to drop a third on the outside of the spread, dropping him in the grass to my right. I have never tripled on anything, and I was able to pull it off on some blistering teal.


After Mocha systematically piled all of the birds in one spot, she would go back and bring back one at a time until I had all three in hand. At this point I figured I should buckle down and wait for a big duck....A quick bird count told a different story. I was done for the day on my triple. The bonus teal thing is fantastic!

A quick pull of the dekes, and we had concluded the 2016 Duck Opener. This was not my original plan, but a decent Plan-B regardless.






Now, there is something more amazing about this day other than another duck opener. September 24th marked our 5th wedding anniversary. Now I could go into the fact that I duck hunted; on our 5th anniversary; without Rachel, but that makes me sound like a horrible person! Instead I will mention that Rachel has been my rock since Day-1. Not only was she fine with me going hunting in the morning, she encouraged it. I have lesson issues balancing the hunt/fish/life balance these days, and Rachel makes all of the difference in the world. We have had a GREAT 5 years, and we are just getting started. We took a trip to the Dells in honor of our anniversary, and the day before we finally we able to get our puppy. I wouldn't trade the life I have with Rachel for anything. We feed off of each other, and we make a great team. I find it is the simple things in life that I enjoy the most with Rachel, like having a quiet evening at home, or perusing flea markets. We are however, enjoying the insanity and new adventure that is Tallulah.

After my morning duck shoot, I was home for the rest of the day to celebrate the day. Rachel made another flawless batch of chicken noodle soup, and Dad came through and brought some Panara bread for the Mrs. We spent the rest of the evening having good conversation, and the occasional play or cuddles with the new pup. I must say, it is going to take a long time for Mocha to get used to this tyrant mutt that has invaded her space!




To my Dearest Rachel:


I will always love you, happy 5th anniversary, and I hope you can stick with me for many more duck openers!!!

Stay Tuned

Tallulah

This was a long time coming, and there were some unfortunate events leading up to this day involving the original puppy I had picked out, but we finally have our little German wirehair puppy: Tallulah. We will call her 'Lou' for short as it is much easier to bark that at the top of your lungs over a duck slough or rolling prairie.

She is an absolute handful, but she is learning fast, and will be an unstoppable demon in the field. For now our struggles are not peeing in the house, no biting, she is getting used to the kennel routine, but it is the Mocha dog that will prove the biggest struggle in this new chapter. Let's just say, she has been a little less than enthused by the newest spawn of Satan. It will take awhile, but they will be chasing each other around before we know it, we just need to keep close tabs on her for now as Lou is but a gram over 5 pounds and Mocha could eat her for breakfast. Believe me, if it weren't for us, it would already be done...


Regardless, we play, we sleep, we poop, we pee, we eat, we play,... you get it. Life of a puppy.




Stay Tuned

Indian Summer

Yes, autumn did not officially start until September 22nd, but my fall season starts September 1st every year. Doves, ducks, deer, and fall fishing are but a few things to take a shot at during the fall months. The leaves are falling, along with our temps. Once the nighttime temps start dipping into the 40's it's time to get serious with some fishing as well. Adam and Cathy came up for the weekend of the 10th and we tried our luck at a fall waldo, or in my case, gator. The fishing was slow, but there must have been word that the bite was on, because there was no shortage of boats at the boat ramp. We tried fishing the main lake initially, but that was a complete bust so we did what we have always done, and headed to small bay. We worked the shoreline as best as possible, but a prominent mud-line, and six other boats told us where we needed to be. I was finally able to boat a small pike, to which it mangled my thumb as usual...


We stuck it out in this spot for awhile and I was able to hook into a sizeable waldo!

Into the live-well it went despite some hesitation from Adam. We worked this area for awhile, while the other boats anchored and boated perch all morning/afternoon. On the other side of the bay I was able to hook into another great waldo. There were frustrations about the lack of fish from the 'Captain' but we were trying everything. A quick jaunt to the bait shop for minnows and we were back in our spot with Adam and Cathy throwing out slip bobbers. Adam was finally able to boat a small walleye, which at that point was all he needed to say he wasn't skunked. I kept pitching my swimbait and eventually hooked into my gator!!!

At 33 inches, he was not a giant but far better than anything I had caught this summer, so I was stoked to say the least.


When the wind dropped out, and the sun beat down, we decided to call it a day; we weren't exactly hammering them.


Two big waldos made their way home with me and await a frying pan!

Stay Tuned

Doves with Dad

After an eventful morning,  I prepped and scouted for the next morning's shoot as Dad was coming up for a dove shoot. After inventorying the contents of my freezer, I advised against shooting any more geese until I can thin the stock some. Not nearly over the limit, but still way more geese than I care to have at one time.


Dad arrived a little after 7:30 the next morning. We collected ourselves and headed out to our spot. After some guide confusion we were finally in our spot. The birds were not nearly as thick as they had been. This was the "X" field a week before, but I was afraid that the landowner had some other guys pounding the doves there as well as the geese. Enough dove load empties proved that to be the case of sorts. We ended our morning without a photo, and with two birds. Not a complete bust, but it was nice to show Dad some new country. I hope Dad was not expecting an exciting crazy weekend, because after returning home, we kind of vegged for a awhile, ate lunch, and then took an extended nap. After awaking from our afternoon slumber, we attempted to catch a fish on Antelope, took a few cast off of Marty's dock on Indian, and called it an afternoon on the water. After a slow morning, we headed out to "The Pass" where I had shot so many birds so far. I seemed almost more productive in the evenings when they were headed back into town for their roost. It took less than 20 minutes and the action started. It was by no means a shoot-fest, but there was significantly more action than the morning's attempt. We both did some spectacular shooting and humbling missing.

 With the sun setting fast, we decided to call it a hunt, take some pics, and go have a duck and dove dinner.

 This is what fall is all about!!!


The next morning I had better vibes about the spot as it was supposed to be cool,  cloudy, and windy, plus we were going to get out about an hour earlier. We step outside and it is warm, calm, and clear as a bell.....oh for dumb.

We drive the horrendous 2 minute jaunt to our hunting spot and load up and start the walk. Before we even leave the car, the mosquitoes were in force already. I reach into the car for the can that fell out of my bag..................This is going to suck.

We walked a brisk pace to the far side of the property in hopes that the doves would follow the corn field edge.We sat in the fenceline for a little over an hour before we couldn't take it anymore. I did manage to drop the one dove we had that was fooled by our mojo. We took some pop shots at pidgeons but it was out of mosquito infested desperation. We left our spot to head back to the plowed area from the morning before to see if that would change anything. The breeze and the cloud cover basically followed us to that spot and the cool brought sweet relief. Even Mocha was beside herself.
Our new location was not proving any more productive, even though there were 5 or 6 sitting there when we got there.

Just before we called it a morning, we hear this click noise, Mocha blasts out towards the mojo decoy, and there is a small hawk crawling off of the spinner decoy. We didn't get to see the initial hit but I have never seen one come that close. We were reveling in the moment when another, larger hawk swooped down right in front of us and did the same thing!!! We may not have hammered the birds, but that was not something we got to see every day!




I am so glad Dad came up and joined me on a dove hunt, I am doing my best to avoid the 'guide' mentality, and let myself enjoy the time outdoors. Any outing with my brothers or my Dad makes it that much easier to not get hung up on the harvest and focus more on the memories.



Stay Tuned

Gunpowder and Feathers: Reloaded

The second weekend of September was just another chance for me to get out, and I was not about to turn that opportunity down. I took the chance and changed up my location as I felt I was had not been where the birds wanted to be, but rather on their route to said location. I tried to put myself on the "X" but that's not always the easiest. I sat next to a hay bail on the end of a dried of slough, but wanted to see where all of the birds were, as well as where all of the geese were heading for their morning feedbag. My first bird I shot 10 feet on the other side of the bail, and when Mocha brought it to me, there wasn't a scratch on it. I honestly think I hit it with the wad.
I eventually hopped up on top of the bail and proceeded to shoot two more from this perch. As the geese started to leave their field, I hopped off and hoped that an arrant flock would swing my direction. The first big flock couldn't have read the script better if I had written it myself. Right over the top: BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Only my first shot connected but a thundering poof in the grass behind me told me I hit him well enough. I turned around to see Mocha again, befuddled by the giant-feathered-bird-thing. Another huge goose on the ground. I waited for the rest of the birds to do the same thing, and I had three more flocks do the exact same thing; except for the fall out of the sky part... I may have done some horrendous shooting. A pair finally swung my direction, one split off, the other right over my head. I heard the pellets rake through the feathers on the first shot, but the second shot folded him. A deep thump behind me told me the dry slough was still a little mucky. I picked up this bird, and as seemed to be the trend, another giant Canada goose. The pair weight 14 pounds each, being two of the largest geese if not the largest I have ever harvested. I finished my morning with a final stray dove, that made a mad dash through my setup after being chased off a tree by small hawk. Nature is so freaking cool!

Stay Tuned

Gunpowder and Feathers

September 1st was the opener of dove season, and I was unable to get out and do some actually hunting. I was however able to gain some more access to some dove spots. Friday evening of the 2nd I collected a few shells and took the dog on a walk/scout. The wind was blowing 25-30mph but it was a beautiful evening out on the prairie.

It didn't take long after setting up to see some doves around, but they were not flying anywhere near my setup, so I moved to the bottom of the hill at the corner or three fields. Within 10 minutes I was picking off birds. The shooting was fast as it usual is with these feathered missiles, and I did a deplorable amount of missing, but I eventually found my groove.
Mocha was definitely enjoying her time out!

The birds moving, and what seemed like a decent location was a great omen for my morning hunt.

Shortly before calling it an evening, I had a doe and a fawn investigate the ruckus from the evening.

The next morning, Mocha and I got up early, but light was already peeking around the horizon by the time we got to our spot. I climbed out of the car, took 20 steps and Mocha flushed a arrant dove.

BLAM!

I guess that didn't take long...

Once we settled into our spot the birds began their travel from roost to food. I would pick them off one at a time, meticulously, and sometimes embarrassingly. As the morning wore on, I would listen to the barrage of gunfire from the landowner and his crew on his other field. The 3rd was the opener of goose season, and there were geese absolutely everywhere. After a large flock was ripped through, I heard and watched at the flock made its long flight towards our setup. I had all of the necessary licenses to harvest waterfowl, and it was the opener, so I grabbed my 870 just as they came into range. Directly overhead, I opened up!
BOOM! Two hit on the first shot!
BOOM! finish off the cripple and drop him inches from my dove mojo.
BOOM! Hail Mary for the triple to no avail.

I double on some great big honkers!

Mocha barrel-rolled over the second bird after it hit the dirt and proceeded to stare at it. Again, she had no idea what to do with this mutant 'dove'. 'Twas much larger than the doves she had retrieved all morning.
Eventually, I was able to finish off my limit of doves, and I even biffed on a couple more opportunities at geese, but the reality is; I don't need more geese in my freezer.

Sunday morning, I again took the opportunity to scrape down a dove or two.

As is usually the case, they were far more skittish on this mornings hunt, but I was able to bag another eight birds. As was the case with the morning before, I also had far more opportunities at geese, but failed miserably. Four easy flocks. ZERO birds....My inner desire to not eat any more geese is starting to make me miss. Yeah; that's what it was. I had fully planned to stay out there until I finished off a limit, but Rachel fought dirty with snap-chats of coffee and breakfast.

I was packing up after the first message!

Another FANTASTIC start to my hunting season!


Stay Tuned