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| The last two geese are real |
Wednesday, November 23, 2016
couple days and one duck
I went out on Monday to lake #2 and had some hard fought luck..... I was set up and hadn't seen anything (besides the geese that are not in season) all day.
Until I watched a dozen or so ducks land across the lake from me..... I waited until I was ready to go then off to the other side of the lake to see where these ducks were going. When I got over there, there was a walkway through the cattails and on the other side was an opening with beaver cut stumps and muskrat huts all over. Then I saw the ducks after I saw them I took one more step and they flushed; 3 shots later I had 2 drakes down. Then the hunt was on...it was really thick with cattails back there. The bad news is I only found one, the other one must have put his head down and snuck off. I looked for at least a half hour for the other duck with no luck.
When I went back on Tues. I looked again for that duck. I didn't find him or any live ducks to add to my game bag. Don't be too sad though. I did see 4 muskrats and one mink on Tuesday so at least a mink or coon will get a good meal out of my misfortune.
Thursday, November 17, 2016
Had an awesome week
My scouting on Sunday afternoon let me know my fields were void of waterfowl. So with my regular water spot dry this year I have had to find new areas to hunt. I started thinking about all the places I have hunted or intended to hunt and remembered a small lake about 45 min to an hour of where I am. Well desperate times calls for desperate measures so Monday morning found me on the way to a hopeful hot spot.
I rounded the corner to the launch and there were 4 cars in the parking lot with headlights bobbing everywhere. To me that means ,"they beat you here, go find something else." Fortunately I had devised a plan B so off to lake #2 which really isn't that far from my first lake.
I get to lake #2 and there's a car in the parking lot. This would be weird if I wasn't way out in the boonies, since I am this is downright unnerving. I did see a guy walking on the road on the way in so I thought maybe he just parks here and goes for his walk. The more I move the truck around and get the boat launched the more I'm thinking the drivers seat is laid down. Well I get launched and go to park the truck a car space from the car and there was a dude sleeping. So of course my first thought is "I hope he doesn't break into my truck".
I'm finally on the water to the spot I found on a contour map that should be shallow enough for me to set out my spread. I get to within 10 feet of shore and what looks like a foot of water, I jump out and immediately sink to my waist (I always hold on to the boat when I get out in an unfamiliar lake). After figuring out that I would be able to put out my spread (very cautiously) I got to work. I got done and got the boat in place just after shooting time started. As I was loading my gun I watched 4 mallards drop down on the other side of the lake I started thinking I set up in the wrong place. 13 minutes had gone past when a flock of mallards started working my end of the lake.... they got too close. When the smoke cleared I had 3 mallards on the water, and the 4 that had set down across from me came over to see what all the fuss was about.... bang. I had my mallard limit before 7:30am so I changed loads and waited for geese. I did have some geese come over by me but not close enough. While I was waiting for geese I did shoot 2 more ducks to fill my limit.
Since my success on Monday I decided to go back to #2 lake again on Tuesday. I had a spoonie hen come in and commit suicide about mid-day. Sorry no pic of the hen.
When I got home I cleaned my bird, changed clothes and headed out to scout for Wednesday. Since I was pretty sure I didn't have any birds around here I headed out to Toms to see what he had going on.
There was nothing.... until after shooting time then he had every goose in a 3 mile radius dropping into his field... found our Wednesday spot. So I called up my minion and decided to get at least one more gun in the field so I gave Brian a call. He gave me this song and dance that he just shot a deer and he had to clean it blah, blah, blah. I finagled him into giving me just a couple hours in the morning then he would have the rest of the day to cut up his deer.
Well we got to the field and we could see nothing... the fog was thick. Well Brian had to leave around 10 a.m. so I was really hoping the fog would burn off soon. It started to thin out by 8 a.m. and we started putting feathers on the ground. By 9 Brian had his limit and Sean and I each had 2, so Brian was going to take off and we were going to stay to try and fill our limits.
As it turns out Sean got one more and I each went home 1 short of limit.
Oh, yeah, all the ducks flew early (after shooting time but still early) I was playing with the decoys, Brian was texting and I think Sean was sleeping. So no ducks today.
I rounded the corner to the launch and there were 4 cars in the parking lot with headlights bobbing everywhere. To me that means ,"they beat you here, go find something else." Fortunately I had devised a plan B so off to lake #2 which really isn't that far from my first lake.
I get to lake #2 and there's a car in the parking lot. This would be weird if I wasn't way out in the boonies, since I am this is downright unnerving. I did see a guy walking on the road on the way in so I thought maybe he just parks here and goes for his walk. The more I move the truck around and get the boat launched the more I'm thinking the drivers seat is laid down. Well I get launched and go to park the truck a car space from the car and there was a dude sleeping. So of course my first thought is "I hope he doesn't break into my truck".
I'm finally on the water to the spot I found on a contour map that should be shallow enough for me to set out my spread. I get to within 10 feet of shore and what looks like a foot of water, I jump out and immediately sink to my waist (I always hold on to the boat when I get out in an unfamiliar lake). After figuring out that I would be able to put out my spread (very cautiously) I got to work. I got done and got the boat in place just after shooting time started. As I was loading my gun I watched 4 mallards drop down on the other side of the lake I started thinking I set up in the wrong place. 13 minutes had gone past when a flock of mallards started working my end of the lake.... they got too close. When the smoke cleared I had 3 mallards on the water, and the 4 that had set down across from me came over to see what all the fuss was about.... bang. I had my mallard limit before 7:30am so I changed loads and waited for geese. I did have some geese come over by me but not close enough. While I was waiting for geese I did shoot 2 more ducks to fill my limit.
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| 4 mallards, a ringneck and a gadwall hen |
When I got home I cleaned my bird, changed clothes and headed out to scout for Wednesday. Since I was pretty sure I didn't have any birds around here I headed out to Toms to see what he had going on.
There was nothing.... until after shooting time then he had every goose in a 3 mile radius dropping into his field... found our Wednesday spot. So I called up my minion and decided to get at least one more gun in the field so I gave Brian a call. He gave me this song and dance that he just shot a deer and he had to clean it blah, blah, blah. I finagled him into giving me just a couple hours in the morning then he would have the rest of the day to cut up his deer.
Well we got to the field and we could see nothing... the fog was thick. Well Brian had to leave around 10 a.m. so I was really hoping the fog would burn off soon. It started to thin out by 8 a.m. and we started putting feathers on the ground. By 9 Brian had his limit and Sean and I each had 2, so Brian was going to take off and we were going to stay to try and fill our limits.
As it turns out Sean got one more and I each went home 1 short of limit.
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| Sean,Brian,Me |
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Second day on this field
Well this was the second day within a week that we put feathers down in this field. Actually let me back up a little bit. The day before we hunted this field I was scouting the field from a culdesac, there were 50 geese or so on the field when all of a sudden I had 2 cop cars on me, and a cop standing at my window asking what I was doing there.
Now having to tell a cop I was watching geese was very true but I'm sure that he kinda questioned it if only for a second to himself. Now while he was running my license and plates there was another cop (a chick) that came up to the window and started interrogating me: what was I doing here, do you know who lives in the farm house, whose property is this, do you really goose hunt.... Now I answered all of her questions until she asked for my property owner's phone number. I was just about to give it to her when I came to my senses and told her, "No, I won't give you the number". She looked at me and said, "You won't give me the number?" And I told her again, "No, I don't need the cops bothering my landowner when I'm doing nothing wrong." Just at this point the other cop came around and gave me my license back and let me know I can't park there over night.
Man the stuff you put up with just to kill a couple geese.
One goose short of limit and all the ducks flew really early but at least we came home with some meat.
After this hunt (we park in the culdesac) I went over and talked to the people in house that called the cops and assured them I harbored no ill will about them calling the cops and that I would've done the same. They informed me that the had been living there for 30 years and only started to have problems 6 months ago, hence the call.
Anyway on Tuesday I stayed home and caught up on some house work and it was suppose to rain and it actually did most of the day.
Wednesday I went to Round Lake for the day and ended up with one goose and one wood duck. Not terribly good but it was the first time on that lake and it looks promising.
Today I went back to Round but I set up in a different spot and had zero luck.
Man the stuff you put up with just to kill a couple geese.
After this hunt (we park in the culdesac) I went over and talked to the people in house that called the cops and assured them I harbored no ill will about them calling the cops and that I would've done the same. They informed me that the had been living there for 30 years and only started to have problems 6 months ago, hence the call.
Anyway on Tuesday I stayed home and caught up on some house work and it was suppose to rain and it actually did most of the day.
Wednesday I went to Round Lake for the day and ended up with one goose and one wood duck. Not terribly good but it was the first time on that lake and it looks promising.
Thursday, November 3, 2016
Finally something to write about
So since the last time I entered a blog entry I have been:
1. Fall Turkey hunting 4 times and did not bag a bird.
2. Waterfowl hunting 4 times and have not bagged a bird.... until this week.
Monday I went to Loon Lake and had 2 geese come in and land in the channel to my left. After at least a half hour of talking these birds in I was finally able to get a shot on them. Unfortunately only one stayed on the water the other one got up and made for a quieter resting spot.
Tuesday I scouted and called for permission for a couple fields I wanted to hunt on Wed.
After I got permission on a field that has been holding MANY ducks and geese. I called my posse and let them know I nailed down a killer field for Wednesday.
When Wednesday morning rolled around it found me and my compadres hard at work stubbling blinds and putting out a killer spread of decoys. But there was also bad news
The bad news was:
1. The roost pond was less than 100 yards behind us.
2. There was little to no wind.
3. The ducks and geese would have to come from behind (over) us to get downwind into the spread.
4. When the clouds cleared we were looking straight into the sun.
5. Once again we all shot poorly.
Despite all that was bad about this shoot, we still managed to anchor down a 3 man limit of geese and a couple ducks.
And the best news is I just drove by this field today and the ducks and geese are still using it..... can't wait for Monday.
1. Fall Turkey hunting 4 times and did not bag a bird.
2. Waterfowl hunting 4 times and have not bagged a bird.... until this week.
Monday I went to Loon Lake and had 2 geese come in and land in the channel to my left. After at least a half hour of talking these birds in I was finally able to get a shot on them. Unfortunately only one stayed on the water the other one got up and made for a quieter resting spot.
Tuesday I scouted and called for permission for a couple fields I wanted to hunt on Wed.
After I got permission on a field that has been holding MANY ducks and geese. I called my posse and let them know I nailed down a killer field for Wednesday.
When Wednesday morning rolled around it found me and my compadres hard at work stubbling blinds and putting out a killer spread of decoys. But there was also bad news
The bad news was:
1. The roost pond was less than 100 yards behind us.
2. There was little to no wind.
3. The ducks and geese would have to come from behind (over) us to get downwind into the spread.
4. When the clouds cleared we were looking straight into the sun.
5. Once again we all shot poorly.
Despite all that was bad about this shoot, we still managed to anchor down a 3 man limit of geese and a couple ducks.
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