This should have been posted a couple of days ago, but I have been having some major sewer problems at my house and have not had time to put a new posting together.

With all the snow we have on the ground and more in the forecast, Ralph asked me to tell you he is shutting down for the fall season. We have had a couple of good days on ducks and some great days, where the harvesting of the “big ol’ boys” was truly, a couple of dream days. For those that were there no Dec 2, 2007, the day, will live in your memory forever, I am sure.

I have not got any totals put together, and how they compared to my predictions, but I had the Snows and Blues in on that, so will try to give all the numbers at the closing to that season of that. I do know the ducks, I missed big time, because we never had a Mallard day all fall. The Canada’s, we may have not hit that either, but I had that set high. It was a good year on them (Canada’s) anyway. Then the boss out of action for a week too, and that hurt the totals also. So I have excuses, for not reaching my predictions.

Using our grandfathers for predicting the weather, we may be in for a long spring hunt. We have been have our share of fog in this area, this is putting some snow in our area around the middle of March, and that is also Nebraska’s big snow month. So maybe, we will get two or three go-a-rounds on them. Where they go north and get pushed back and then have to head back north. This blind setup this year, was put together with the spring hunt in mind. The boss says we should harvest near 1000, if they come back this way. Start stocking up on shells, or at least saving your nickels so you can buy some. Your going to need them for the spring.

So with all that out of the way. Everybody, please have a very Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. Also please remember all our Service Men and Women in your prayers each every night.

Good Lord willin, I will be back on with some post before the spring season kicks into action, giving you some idea as to when, Ralph will be start hunting again.

See Ya Carl

I don’t know if this is a summery of the season or not. We received another snow storm over night and it sounds like there is another tomorrow night.

There should of have been other reports posted but I have been playing lazy. It is also very hard to write about a days hunt when you have harvested, just a couple of birds, after the bonanza we had last Sunday. I guess I should have taken a picture of the pile of birds, because I thought there would be people offended of me posting such a picture. If I would have had a picture I would have been tempted to post it. Well I have had so many E-Mails for such a picture I requested some one to mail me such a picture. So I am including that picture from 12-02-07. Another good reasons for me posting this picture, is that this is positive proof, that I do get out on the lake every once in a while.

There may be a few birds missing in this picture because there were some hunter that had to leave and they and taken their birds with them. But it still is a big pile. This is taken from behind of the blinds looking over the blinds and on to the no fly zone. The boss is saying we had 79, but others say there were 80, but by either count it was a great shoot. As you can see in the back ground there is a couple of inches of snow, and we have picked up another 6 to 7 more inches since then. This is the end of talking about Sundays shoot.

As for the past couple of days, they have been hard hunting with all the snow and the cold weather. Then when the skies are also void of birds it makes it just a little harder to hang in there. Friday we seen several flocks of geese, and many are still the little Cackler’s with just a few big Canada’s flying with them. This combo as you know is very hard to decoy, so if is also frustrating, because you have to try, and all the time know very well you are going to fail.

The toughest part has been to go out to the pits and knowing you are not going to see any ducks. We still are receiving report that there are thousand of Mallards north of us yet, and we can not see a good flock of them. I think we have shot one on both Thursday and Friday and two on Saturday. We have loved the ice hole shooting for years on Mallards, and the past few years that has been just a memory. The duck season closes here on this next Sunday, and all report are the ducks have not pushed south yet. We are thinking there is no ducks, but how do you argue with the positive reports.

Remember all the troops in your prayers always. Also remember those that are affected by this mess in Omaha, in your prayers also

See Ya Carl

First I have to tell you that I fell asleep in my chair and that is why, there was no report last night.

The action was very slow at the pits and we took only a couple of ducks. We did see two of flocks of geese that looked us over, but could not get them into range.

Today’s action was also slow. With this storm coming in you would have thought there would have been some feeding in the area. It appeared, that there was no frenzy of feeding, that we seen today. Did see some ducks in the area that looked like they were looking for a field to feed in. Also did get into on small flock of ducks and harvested a couple of ducks and also got into a flock of 5 or 6 Canada’s, taking 3.

Please excuse me for such a short article tonight, but with the tragedy in Omaha this afternoon, writing is far from my thoughts. So tonight please include the people of Omaha in your prayers as well as the troops, in your bed time prayers.

See ya Carl

Today was slow by yesterdays standards, but yesterday will always make everyday slow. I have to say thanks, to you, that have E-Mailed me and have call Ralph and told him congratulations, on the day. It was truly an unbelievable day.

Have some other unfinished business, that takes us back to Saturday. We hunted for a couple of hours on Saturday in the rain and ice, Kevin shot one snow goose out of the decoys.

Also before I get started on today’s hunt, I have some outstanding number to give you. We compared notes (Ralph, Kevin and I) and we came up with two totals for you to run over. In the past 8 days and that includes today, we have harvested 233 or 236 Canada’s.
We can not agree on the total kill on just a couple of days. But take either total and it is quite impressive total form a Monday to the next Monday.

Now to today’s story. It started off with two big flocks, that we got into and we thought we were in for another unbelievable day. We were short on hunters, therefore we knew we were not going to log big numbers again, but had visions of limiting out, for the few guys we had. Both early go-a-rounds were before we should be seeing geese, let alone getting into them. One flock we had birds, land in the water, when the shot was called. I had seen three, go into the water, but thought that was all and left them for blind No. one. I went on birds that was a hard shot and did not score, but others took advantage of the easy shots. The other shot was up over the top of the blind, and it was plenty close. We took 6 out of one flock and the other we took 5. Both shots we should have scored better, even if we only had 7 smoke poles.

Also had a flock of ducks in the afternoon. I was cleaning my shotgun when they decoyed in. The harvest was not to good there either with only one coming down. On the duck side, we did see some ducks coming off the river, and looked as if were coming North to feed. Now both flocks were big flocks of over 100 birds, and this is something we have not seen for the past couple of seasons. Being we are talking about feeding birds I should also tell you that we had a flock of 100 plus Canada’s pass over, that had just got out of a field and they had mud and corn stalk leaves, stuck to their feet. Though that would make them interested in our water hole but did not give us a look.

Better close this and get it posted, so please say a prayer for the troop again tonight.

See ya Carl

A record day on Canada's

Today we started out with a sharp Northwest wind, and before the hunting got started the fog moved in as well as a snow storm. We were getting reports from west of us that it should be clearing but the snow kept falling. Then there was a report once the snow moved out that the sky was filled with ducks. But the snow kept falling. Hunters were feeding info into there cell phones to get a radar picture of our area, and we were on the back side of the storm, but the snow kept falling. The blinds were getting wet even if we were under the covers, but with the wind it was still blowing in and melting. Just the setting made you cold, as you pried into the gray clouds hoping for some sign that the storm was passing. At about 10:30 the snow let up and the sky started to clear. Then in a few minutes there were shouts there is some ducks, and there is another flock, then we got into a little flock and put 4 drakes in the pond.

The sky’s were clearing and there was shouts of “look at that high flock of Snows and Blues , and there is a flock of Canada’s”. But everything was passing us by. Then some one predicted that we were going to bag 24 Can. Another said we were going to bag 30. and others made their prediction, so I had to make one. Since there is nothing I can predict that plays out with this screwed up season, I said 2 Canada’s. Right now I want to tell you know one was close to the end tally.

We had a nice flock that decoyed but flew out and the Boss said “the decoys are not set right”, pointed out that know self respecting flock would, set on the ice covered with snow, in that pattern. So he went out and made his voodoo adjustment, and moved about 6 decoys. Now this was about 10 minutes before 12:00 noon. Well the 12:08 flock was just a little late and showed up at about 12:18. We had two flock that were looking our spread over and decided to make the Boss look good, and prove Ol’Carl wrong, about this voodoo move. They got down wind on two different levels and made one beautiful approach into our spread. When the smoke cleared we had 9 D I P. Got them picked up and back into the pits when another two flocks showed up and give us another spectacular decoy in job and we took 15 out of that flock. That was followed by another go-a-round and took another 9. Now this was 33 birds, in just about 45 minutes.

Now this is getting to where we have a bird for everyone to take home, and you know that most will be leaving, with a good feeling, about the days hunt. Again I have to remind you, with the wind where is was, and blowing like it was, most of this beautiful decoying was in full view of everyone. The Boss kept saying “lean back and don’t move” but you could do this and still see most of the action and they dropped in and come up through our ‘no fly zone’ and into range of our smoke poles. I can’t say just how many times this happened, but enough time that all hunters went home with more that any one bird.

Before I can give you the final tally I have to tell you of one more flock. I have this love hate, feeling about the little Cacklers. They are always messing up a good shot on the big Canada’s, and seem to dominate them when they are flying together. Well we had a flock of 150 those little SOB, along with about 25 Big Canada’s that decoyed in. All the chirping of them little bastards, along with the sweet sounds of the big Canada, plowing up through the ‘no fly zone’. Now remember the boss has hunters in 6 pits today, and is wanting to get everyone a great shot. He let 6 great big Canada’s pass close enough to him and I that we could clubbed them with a pool que, they were followed with another 50 birds in range of our guns. He was waiting for, when there were more big boys in range, of other guns, then he give the command to TAKE’em. Well we places 26 birds in the pond on of that go-a-round. There were birds all over the lake.

Well the total for the days shoot is a record day for Canada geese. The old record was set a few years back before I had retired, at 60 some birds. Well we passed that by over a dozen and half and finished with 80 birds. We needed one more bird for a limit for everyone. Just think of that, 27 hunters going home with a limit of dark geese.

Well I have to close this. The pictures shows some of the retrieving of today. Most of the time they were hard water retrieves but some were in the water too.

Say a little prayer for all our great Hero’s tonight, and please check back

See Ya Carl