Frozen on the river

As a duck hunter sometimes I question my sanity. Today was one of those days. Maybe sanity is isn't the right term, but I have learned there is a fine line between crazy and stupid.

Joel had permission to try a new spot on the river. It was -2 when we started down walking down to the river at 6:30 this morning. We found the hole we wanted to hunt, thanks to google earth on my phone. I never would have thought my Blackberry would've helped me duck hunting, but I've used it several times. Anyway, we had some mallard, wood duck and golden eye decoys. Joel and Skye were putting the wood duck decoys on the far side, and I was putting the golden eye's on the close bank when one of the golden eye's got caught in the current and was going down stream quick. I ran down and snagged the golden eye just in time to pick up four decoys that had got away from Joel and Skye. After doing this a couple more times, we ended up with about 1/3 the decoys in the water that we started with.

We had a pair of mallard that tried to drop in and Joel got the drake. That was the first and last duck killed by us this morning. We had one drake golden eye buzz us that didn't even pay attention, and then a hen woodie circled once, but didn't present a shot. We packed up and were back to the truck by probably 9:00. I got home and took my waders off the this is what they looked like. I had been in the river up to about my waist and then the water froze and my waders were able to stand up on their own.

I'm still not sure if I am crazy or stupid, but I do know that I am a duck hunter that has mud in my blood.

Hunt on the river

Last Saturday I went out with my father in law, Danny, for a hunt on the river. It was just for a couple hours in the afternoon and I wasn't sure what to expect. Usually late in the season is when it is the best, and I didn't know if we were late enough yet. We threw a couple decoys out in the river, and nothing was flying. I was teaching him about fantasy football when I look up and see about 15 mallards locked up! We were up above the river, and the ducks were probably only 15 yards when I first saw them. We each took a greenhead out of that flock, but we should've had several more. Shortly after that I shot a hen mallard. Then it slowed down for another hour. Then a lone goose was trying to land on the sewer ponds behind us. I kept calling at him and he finally came over and I hit him and Danny finished him. Definately an enjoyable hunt with Danny.

A few pics

Here are a few pictures I had on my camera from hunts this year.

This was with Martin and Samantha last Saturday. It was slow and Samantha would conveniently "see" ducks that just went behind the reeds...I think she had ducks on the brain. We didn't shoot much, but I sure had a good time.

Here is Guage. He is turning into an amazing duck dog.
Here is Guage learning about the Mutt Hutt blind.

I left work a couple hours early and went out with Brandon and one of the Secretary's husband (Yancy). It was Yancy's first time duck hunting. We tried jump shooting and a couple hen spoonies came up and Yancy dropped the one on the right and I missed the front one. I'm usually a pretty good shot so I was a little surprised I missed as close as they were. We jumped a hen widgeon and I shot first, but she was in the trees in the river, and I didn't hit her hard enough. Yancy finished her off for his second duck. We threw out a couple decoys, but the birds just wouldn't quite come close enough. On the way out I shot a hen spoony, and I believe it is the one I missed earlier in the day. Not too bad for a hen slaying day. I took a couple pics of Yancy and his first two ducks, but my camera isn't very good and they didn't turn out at all.