I will address the picture first. I am sure you can figure out that Sunrises and Sunsets are about my favorite subject to take a picture of. Well the Sunrise this morning was another opportunity to snap a picture. Now the sunrise is not that great, but I have always wanted to do this with a silhouette of someone. Really I wanted to have a picture of a man, with a gun and a dog. Not wanting to ask some one to get out and stand for a picture, that know one can identify, taking an chance on blowing a shot on some early ducks, seem to be imposing on someone, so I have never done it. There was an opportunity this morning, so I took advantage of it. I can not shut the flash off on my camera, so this also made it an even more, a big chance, it was to be a failure. I thought it come out pretty good so I included it in this report.

Another cold night and had ice on the pond, again this morning. Were a few birds moving, but no wind to work with, so decoying was tough. If it would not get so warn during the day so the ice would stay on the pond, and we could develop a ice hole, it would help the hunting.

However was did have some action again this morning. Had a pair of Mallards, that ventured so close to the pond that they could not resist mellow tones of our ducks calls, henceforth found themselves victims, of our smoke poles.

Shortly after then we had one of the most baffling things happen. Ralph says he has never seen anything like it ever before. We had spotted eight Canada’s coming from the North, when they got in calling range the choir fired up and they responded. When they got close to the pits I took another look, and the boss made one more call and I seen one peal out, and it was obvious they were our birds. I put my call away, got Ol’ War Eagle in hand, as well as getting my crew ready to shoot. Just seconds latter you could hear they were very low right over the top of my blind, and one got out in front, just far enough that I seen it too. The next thing I was hearing, was Ralph calling trying to get them back. Ralph said, that he had not ever seen anything like it before. When that one pealed out four others joined and they come in “corn shucking” all the way in to about 10-15 yards above my pit, and then flew up and joined the other three, that had not made any effort to decoy. I guess they were coming in so fast, that calling a shot was impossible, any way you would expect, thay would make one more circle, and have a better shot, but they just flew out. Not scared or anything.

Later we had a loan Canada come along and we put him in the pond, feet up.

That was the total action, and some of the guys had to get to the airport for a flight back home, so we closed up and come to town a little early again today.

Please say a prayer for the troops again this evening

See Ya, And please check back

Carl