Three hunts and Three birds

 Tuesday Jake gave me a call cause the Hill birds moved a couple fields over and were showing up every evening. So I went over around 2 to help paint a couple blinds and get the low down. We threw a couple dozen decoys in the truck and headed over to put them out. Bad news, when we got there their was already a dozen birds in the field so we drove the truck out an shooed 'em out. We threw out the decoys, blinds and gear and started to get everything ready. Jake gave a buddy of his a call and he showed up just after we had everything set. Now we waited.... with the weather cold, cloudy and light flurries it didn't take too long. When they started to fly they all started coming all at once. You don't want to see them all show at once, but so be it. We landed a dozen or so in front when the shot was called, we emptied our guns and only had 2 birds to show for our effort. I whiffed with every squeeze of the trigger, Chad did not, he shot 1 of the 2 geese and his was..... yep banded. 

I brought Jake to my spot and he shoots a band. He invites Chad to his spot and he shoots a band... where's my band???

We waited 'til shooting time was up, packed up and headed home.

I had scouted in town for geese and had around 200 hitting a field by mine. Which means we wouldn't be on the X but if they came out, and we had almost all my decoy's out, they might come over for a look-see and offer us a shot. So Wednesday that's what we did, we set up in a fence row with the deke's in a winter wheat field and waited. We had 2 large flocks of high flying migrator's go on either side of us but the geese we were waiting on just didn't fly at all. It was just too cold and clear, the sun was out all day, so the birds sat around and ate grass. 

Complete no show 

I wasn't going to hunt today.... until Jerry called me to let me know he just had fifty to a hundred geese land on the river. With that in mind I let him know I would be there in the morning. 

I got down to town and was ready to walk in and jump shoot the flock of geese at shooting time. I parked the truck and snuck over to the river edge, crested the hill and started picking out targets. I was able to knock 2 down and wound 2 more, now the race is on. I started out to cross the river which today where I was crossing was chest deep. No need to rush and fall in so the crossing was kinda slow. When I got to the other side I started across the field diagonal to try and cut off that wounded goose. Once I crossed the field I got down to the river and started walking upstream to try and catch him coming downstream. After 5 or so minute's I saw the geese I killed floating down. So I crossed the river again to intercept my prizes. After I had the 2, I crossed back and continued upstream again only to figure out he must have gotten past me, or holed up in a deadfall or in a tangle I don't know, but I didn't find him. I was almost back to where I started when I thought I should check the field and see if he went up there. I was making my way to the bank when I tripped on something and put my arms out to stop my fall. I landed on some thin ice that broke as I dropped to my knees and went in up to my shoulders with some water getting in my waders. It was kinda shocking and a little cold, that's when the fear hit me. 

I was done for the day.

I kinda smiled and laughed a little at the position I just put myself into, knowing I still had to cross the river to get to "my side". So I headed back across slow and easy, no rush now, picked up my ammo belt I stashed on a limb. Waded over to where I usually set up, put my geese down and my iced over shotgun. I couldn't even get the action open, so without a gun I started walking upstream again to where I thought I saw a goose that didn't fly when all the rest did. And of course he was sitting on the far bank as I got closer he flew out 25 yards to the middle of the river and started swimming around. 

I concluded he was fine so I started back down stream when I kicked out a coyote on the other side of the river. After the coyote I proceeded  to retrieve my geese, gun, and net and head to the truck. When I got to the truck I called Jerry and told him the whole story, he has stories just like that one but worse. To my surprise he told me hold on he was going to put some warm clothes on and he would be right out to chase that cripple.

When he got over to me we grabbed the canoe and drug it down to the river's edge. Then he gave me one of the 2 guns he had brought, and off I went after the goose I just chased onto the water. Well, I got down to the last place I saw him and beached the canoe and headed on land to try and hunt him down. I hadn't gotten fifteen yards on land when I spotted him, just a little after he spotted me. One shot later I had my goose and was heading back. Jerry and I chatted for a little bit I thanked him again for letting my hunt and letting me borrow his gun, then I headed home.

Yeah I know this is only 2 geese. I took it before I called Jerry and recovered the 3rd goose.