February 5, 2009
January 9th-Goose crushing...
|
January 9th
Gridley, CA
This hunt started off just like it ended... Great. The hunt was full of action including a four-pack of cacklers, multiple specklebelly geese landing in the decoys. Lone specks at 10 yards for multiple passes. It was great that I had the chance to spend time with my Father and good friend Eric. This hunt will not be forgotten any time soon.
|
February 5, 2009
January 10th-Solo at the Gridley Property
|
January 10, 2009
Ok... so how much could I have possibly pounded them... 4 deep is all one guy can go. I had to go solo due to limited time. That's why "you" didn't get the invite. Next time... Please enjoy the photos.
|
February 5, 2009
January 11th-Another solo at the Gridley Property
|
Janaury 11, 2009
I made a solo trip to the Gridley tank... I neglected to invite anyone since I fell asleep early yesterday evening. Sorry guys. Hope the rest of you enjoyed this blue-bird weather as much as I did.
I got out to the blind five minutes after shoot time. Nothing was flying... I mean nothing. The geese hadn't got up yet and NO ducks were in the air. Two minutes after getting into the blind a single speck was off to the South, and was doing the "aww-aww-aww" of a lost juvenile. He responded oh too well to the call/decoy combo, and came in to less than 20 yards before I added him to the daily bag. Just fifteen minutes later a few geese started moving around the area and I noticed a group of fifteen off to the East. Now the sun was breaking through the low mist in the distance... and I could tell that the geese were callable. Even though they just got up from the dry fields they already had "call me and shoot me" written on them. I started calling them they entered my South pond and were moving towards me with still over 300 yards to cover. They also needed to drop another fifty yards to be in range... From the North came a four-pack of young specks and it was clear that they were racing the larger flock to go home with me. They came around with a few clucks, and then finished strong from the South just underneath of the larger flock. I had to hit them hard to line them up for the final approach... they finished just a bit to the right... I pulled up and smoked the furthest bird... and moved through the flock moving closer to me and then the third bird in line... the only bird to get away was the lead bird. He's still out there to pull his buddies in next time!!! May he bring his buddies to your decoy spread next...
I was able to get out to our local refuge since I finished early on geese at the Gridley property. Even when we had to cross waist-high water Aaron and Gunner were right there with me. Birds were moving throughout the refuge and our location was no different. My son helped call birds while I had the easy job of finishing them off. Gunner loved playing fetch with the already retrieved birds. Good times…
|
February 5, 2009
January 20th-Winter Wheat-Oh yeah!
|
Janaury 20, 2009
As I write this post I am thinking about the guys that didn't get to hunt that much this season and also for the guys that didn't get drawn for ressies. I'm sorry things worked out that way for you. I wish you could have got out more and I also wish the ressie would have come in the mail for you.
Imagine this: shiny winter wheat sprouts everywhere... goose foot prints EVERYWHERE... you're standing there thinking... the X is a good 150 yards out in the middle of this... Do you:
A> set up on the edge and HOPE the birds will work back to you?
B> set up out in the middle of your spread and hope the birds are blind or special?
C> set up out in the middle and cover up with available grasses that make you look like a 2 foot tall mound of winter wheat?
We opted for C, and set up for our "One Hour" hunt. We set up the traditional "U" with a nice landing strip up the center. It wasn't magical or anything... just traditional. The first 5 birds to enter the scene were more than warry. I called them around three times lower than 30 yards, and they came by one last time... but it was clear they weren't sticking around for another pass. We let the moment get the best of them and since it was the first up of the evening... we were rusty... No birds???
That's ok... A couple of small flocks of maybe 3 specks were milling around within a mile of us. Hit them hard on the call... they came to check us out. This 3 pack came around perfect. Just like a John Wayne flick where the guy in the white hat always wins! They swung wide right into the 3-5 mph NE wind and drifted up the runway we layed out for them, right into us. 15 yard shots... 3 birds down. Next was an awesome single...big ol' bar bellie from the South. As soon as he heard me he was on a string. He dropped straight down from over a hundred yards to under 20 and Mr. Wilson turned his light off. Nice. Next was another single that did like the first group of three. Then was the grand finale. Mr. Wilson had been saying the entire hunt that he just wanted three good ups, and well, we already had that many. There was only 5 minutes of shoot time left, and I was still hopeful, but more realistic... He said out loud... and nearly in slow motion... "I hope we get one more good up? Not 5 seconds later a 3 pack of specks came from behind us and kind of suprised us. Hit them with the call, ground talked them and pulled them straight up death alley. Whammo... 3 more BIG bar bellies in the bag. Whew... what an awesome hunt. I hope you all find that magic X this year. As this season comes to an end I hope you all find time to remember all of the people that made this season so great for you, and thank them. Good times, Gentlemen.
|
February 5, 2009
January 17th-Delta Region....
|
January 17,2009
What a great morning hunt. These guys can really shoot; that's exactly what they did. We smashed limits of specks in just a couple of hours, and spent the rest of the time hi-fiving and telling war stories of how great the hunt was.
|
February 5, 2009
January21st- Local refuge damage...
|
January 21, 2009
Had a ressie for a local refuge and hit up a backup pond. Seemingly the primary pond for most hunters that go to this refuge… wow… This pond was a war-zone! It's a hard-core game out there on our local refuges. All in all it was a great solo day on the pond. I opted to go solo on this one so I could get a Gentleman and his son in for the morning shoot. I looked all over the parking lot until I found the pair, but they got in... and had the shoot of their life! I met them on the bridge heading out of the refuge on the way back to the lot and they had the biggest grins I've ever seen! They told me about how they got out to their favorite spot and about how their dog had retrieved a BANDED Speck! WOW... BTW- The guys had near limits of Specks and Ducks!!! Good times…
|
February 5, 2009
January 22nd- A long Delta morning hunt...
|
January 22, 2009
Got together with the Young Slayers again… it was no different than the other times… they shot great and had a good time doing it! Our hiding spot was less than sufficient, and the birds let us know with the oink…oink…oink. Not all of them got away! Thanks for the invitiation Dave.
|
February 5, 2009
January 23rd-Three guns and a pile of specks...
|
January 23, 2009
This morning was good to the three of us. We started off a few minutes tardy to the blind, but didn't miss out on much. Cloudy, and foggy and just overall ducky weather. I was a bit worried because the specks don't commit very well in this kind of weather, but I was determined to make the most of the day because that's what we do. We walk through mud and water, we fall down in it, we get up, and we like it.
Anyways, the birds worked like I had a Magical Flute. Between my father, a great family friend and myself we had more fun than should be legal. The last few times out to the Gridley tank I was only able to get the immature birds to commit and land, but today... almost all bar bellies. One was just plain black... I know...breeders... FYI-these won't be breeding! We only shot a hen woodduck after 10:30. The geese just had a bad attitude after breakfast??? There's always tomorrow!
|
February 5, 2009
January 24th-Local Refuge Shooting display...
|
January 24, 2009
I got another ressie for a local refuge and had a great time... again. What a good habbit to have! there were many birds to choose from. I had a great time… I started off with a nice flock of widgeon coming in from the North, fighting that 10 mph South wind, and right on the deck… less than 30 yards right overhead! I pulled up and dumped a drake from the back of the flock; pulled up the bird next to him… bang… scotch double on hen widgeon. WOW… three birds down, and have only been set up in this spot for 5 minutes… Not bad. Next group of widgeon to fall for the mallard call was a flight of about 10… so I pull up and pick a drake out of the back of the flock, boom… one down… boom again… another hen down. Man… is there a better way to start a hunt? I don’t think so! I get all five birds and have to dump them in my tule patch quickly because I see some callable mallards in the distance… I hit them with a soft nasally hank… hank… hank…. The pair came right in… less than 15 yards, I pull up and dump the drake… I let the Susie go. 5 seconds later… same scene. Drake sails 50 yards off to the East, and I have to go fetch him up. He’s a swimmer with a strong will to survive. Great! I get him and come back to my tule seat with a giant grin! A feeling of complete satisfaction… the sunrise was beautiful, the wind stung my neck… it was great. It seemed as though nothing could change this positive outcome. Until… I started counting birds… only 4 widgeon… I must have counted 10 different times. Same thing. All of my ducks were dead when I placed them in the tule patch and I was at a loss for what had happened to my missing widgeon. Oh well… I looked for 15 minutes… I was in the middle of an open water area with no cover in site. I ended up smashing a drake spoonie for my 7th bird of the morning. Good times…
|
February 5, 2009
January 25th-Unbelievable Grand Finale!!!
|
January 25, 2009
The 2008/2009 waterfowl season is now a fond memory for some of us. Some of us had our best season to date, and others simply had to enjoy the photos and stories that others posted. Either way I hope each of you enjoyed one or the other.
I am posting this as a Final Note so to say. I’ll still be around… but not in the same capacity. When the season is over I drop waterfowling like an old girlfriend and pick up my bow for turkeys, pigs, deer, bear, and elk.
I saved the following pictures for today because I wanted to see just how depressed everyone was going to be around here after the season closed. Well… I have seen some sad faces, but I am happy to say it seems like each of you seem motivated as ever; so with that being said I would like to present to you the last waterfowl picture I will post for this season.
This hunt took place on Sunday, and last only a few hours. I was a guest on this hunt and had a great time calling a shooting my share of geese. Each of these men had a look of excitement to start the hunt off, and a look of amazement when we finally “called” the hunt. I have had to stack birds before, but this stack was big... it wouldn’t cooperate at all. All of these specks were big and fattened up; just ready for the table. In the end, 15 hunters took 64 geese. The opportunities were many that morning and the smiles were bigger than ever!
The afternoon hunt was just as amazing but in other ways than the morning hunt. Dave had scouted a pond and had high hopes the six of us could get into the Honkers in the evening... We did... with a little help from Cole! Stay safe, brother.
A picture of each of us with our birds from the entire day!
|
February 5, 2009
January 31st- Two Juniors... and their 1st Honkers!
|
January 31, 2009
The NO CHARGE Junior hunts this year were amazing. It gave Jason and Mathew a chance to take their first Honker and it gave their Father Tony a chance to watch it all happen. I took numerous photos of the adventure and you can check them out in my photo album. Watching these two young hunters on their first ever Canada Goose hunt was exciting to say the least. Each of the young men had ample opportunity to put a big honker in their daily bag and that's just what they did! Duke did a wonderful job retrieving the birds, and each of us had the time of our life.
Mathew
Jason
A proud father...
|
|
Archives |
