That's right I'm done... I'm just getting too old and sore to keep going out and killing myself for a couple geese, deer, turkey, whatever. Regardless of what my future holds my last hunt was a veritable barn burner. As I drove the hour into town I listened to the weather warnings come over the radio. Just trying to stay on the road with the wind blowing 15-20 and gusting to 40 with the snow coming in sideways was enough to make me want to turn around and go home. When we got to the field, the ferocity of the storm hit home... or more appropriately... our faces. As we started to drag our gear out, the snow helped the sled's slide easier. The wind however, was
really cutty and the snow 'bout blinded us. Once we were set up it didn't take long at all to get some geese in and put some feathers on the ground.
Well, it wasn't long for
me to put feathers on the ground, Jake, on the other hand, was having a bit of a time. After a couple 3 misses on geese he deduced it was his new Sitka neck gaiter that wasn't allowing his head to get down on the gun. Once he figured that out he started putting his limit together. By the time the worst of the storm had passed we had our limits and were packing up, it wasn't quite 9am.
We were squinting because the snow had turned to hail and the wind was still going just as strong. I really wanted to get video of this hunt, but with the snow coming in hard along with the wind I didn't think I would get anything but white.
2020 IS THE YEAR I START HUNTING....
After thinking about this long and hard I have decided to start hunting again. With that Jake and I headed out to the same field, we shot the above limits. So, New Year's day we found us setting up to try and tack down another limit of geese. It started off with a coyote sighting crossing the end of our field. Try as we will we couldn't get him to come closer, he was downwind and I'm sure he scented us as soon as he crossed our scent cone. The next was 7 doe's running from the same way the coyote went. When they realized we were in the field they went back the same way they came from. A couple hours later had those doe's coming back across the field trying to get into the woods on the left in the picture above, 3 of them made it and the rest headed back the way they came from. Jake took off around 11ish and I decided to stick it out. So, after we packed out his gear I grabbed a watch and headed back to
get some sleep, watch for geese. After I woke up from my nap I still had a couple hours before sunset, so I got up and moved decoys and got ready for the horde to arrive. Well, the horde got off their roost 45 minutes 'til sunset and headed to the NW (not my way) and never even gave me the hope of a flyby. I did have a single fly from right to left a couple hundred yards away, he was looking for company. I started calling to him but that didn't deter him in the least. A couple minutes later he flew by again from left to right, so I started calling again, and still he didn't change course. Now it's 3 minutes to sunset and that same single is finally headed my way. He cuts the distance to about 60 yards just outside of the spread and just kinda slides off, not sure why so I continue to call at him until sunset. Mystified, I get up and start policing up my gear when I look behind me I see 2 small bucks come up over the hill and head to the woods, now I know why that goose was spooky.
So with that my first hunt and first hunt of the year came to an end without a shot fired.
I think I'm going to like this hunting thing... maybe next week I'll get lucky.
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