Was fast, early but ended early

We have got through the big crews and today we had just 4 guns. All the action was early and they were not what I would call a “chocolate shot”. But we made the best of it and took 6 out of one flock and 5 out of the next two flocks. We had a flock of 7 I think. There was 2 low birds and the rest was high, and they stayed that way. The boss called the shot on the two but they were on the way out but we downed them. I think is was pretty much “good luck” that we got those two down. Then the heavy clouds moved in and the birds were scarce and high from then on. Most were young birds today again. We wanted some little Ross geese today, but could not get any of them to get into range. Had a hunter that wanted to stuff some of them, so you would bet we would see but not shoot a one. That was the case to.

Going to see if I can get my home work done and get a little extra rest. Sure don’t know just how the boss handles, these hours, like he does.

Say a prayer for the troops tonight and please check back too.

See Ya Carl

A Good Morning slow afternoon

You get a two in one today. I had a busy day after hunting planed, so skipped out early yesterday. They got into a flock after I had left the pits. There had been a flock of 8 (7 blues and a snow) that had got down low enough for us to shoot but was wide at least 6 times. They would leave then come back and decoy in and just miss us every time. Well after I left they tried that stuff again. I understand it was not the best shot, but the boss called the shot and they took 5 of the 8. We had 4 in the bag before so that brought the daily total to 9, for yesterday.

Now to today. Had 3 go-a-rounds and had 22 in the bag. The highlight of the day was. A flock of about 40 come right in on the first circle, right up over the pits and we took 15 out of it. Put a little fear in me, I though some was going to fall into my blinds. I left a shell in my smoke pole and took cover under the blind top. We had one sailor that made the west side of the lake, the rest was very close to retrieve.

Sure would love to have one great day this spring. There was no memorable days last fall and so far not much to log into the ol memory bank, for the spring. Maybe we are just a little greedy but feel we have one day like that coming. One a year is not to much to ask, is it.

Forgot to say that every bird we took today was a JUVIE. Not one adult bird. I say that cause you guys that live close should plan to hit the pits here in the next few days, for a bunch of fun

Say a little prayer for the troops tonight, and please check back

See Ya Carl

To many clouds and to little wind till late morning

Going to try tonight, Today’s action was slow but with some success. With the heavy clouds, but really no rain, there was no morning bird movement. For a while it looked like we was never going to turn off the callers, and hunt with our eyes. Then the wind come up just a little and moved the clouds out, and a ray of sunlight soon followed. When the clouds are heavy we still have very small flock moving and we can decoy them, if they are not to much of a surprise. Think we got 2 maybe 3 before the skies cleared some, and we had some sunshine. Never did have a push over us, but we could see plenty of them moving west of us, between us and town. Had reports from all over that they were on the move. When we pulled up stakes, we had 10 in the bag. Not the greatest day but what we had for weather, it could have been worst.

It looks like we are seeing the tail end of the breeders and starting to see more juvies, Ross’s and the real old birds. Now this has always been our bread and butter, of the harvest so I think the best times are in front of us yet.

Remember the troops tonight and every night, in your prayers.

See Ya Carl

Some great sights and sounds today

No wind and light fog, early. I say light, there had to be about a ¼-1/2 mile visibility but that is not much when you are looking for birds in the clouds. The wind got up, in the NNW just a little, about 11:00 and blew the fog out and some of the clouds. Especially the low hanging clouds, and then we started seeing some birds. First off the only thing we could decoy was singles and small flock of 2 or 3. The crew was making short work of them too. Later the sun pop out some and brightened up and another big adjustment of the decoys and then we were attracting larger number of birds. I think the highlight of the day for me was, a flock around 40 birds that we called in and they were settling into the pond off the end of No. 1 pit. The boss will never call a shot where you are shooting over other blinds. There were already some birds on the water and then there was a group of about 7 snows was dropping straight down to join them with their feet down. I don’t know just why, when a goose drops his feet it gets to me but it is something I know I will see in my dreams tonight. We got them up but they were to wide for us to call a shot on, but the sight will be with us for some time. I almost forgot to say that before good light, and after legal time, we had birds all over us, but we were not sure there was no specks, so could not call those shots. And believe me when I say there was a couple of great shot we missed out on there. Another sight in my dreams tonight

Since my last report there has been some shooting so I will try to catch you up on the harvest. Tuesday we took 5, yesterday there was only one harvested. Today it was around 25. Not for sure of total because there is still a blind full hunting and we had some traveling hunters, that left about noon and they took birds with them.

Mother is wanting to kick up her heels tonight since is St. Pat’s day and we also have a couple of Grandkids that have birthdays on this day. Rare thing for us to have two grandkids with a birthday, on St Pat’s day and they do not have the same parents. Anyway we best make a call to both of then and wish them a happy B’day.

As always say a bed time prayer for the troops tonight and please check back

See Ya Carl

A great day

It was a fun day. Started out with all the fog and heavy clouds and us cussing. We were seeing a few flocks and got a shot or two but nothing big, you know pair or maybe 3, but no flocks. Finely the sun broke through and we started seen more migrating birds. But to get them to decoy was another thing. So the boss and most of the hunters, got out and done a revamp of the decoys, and things changed quick. The flocks just could not pass us up. The most memorable, flock, had about 250 to 300 birds in it and all were locked up and coming in fast. I have to insert with a south breeze the decoy action was all in full view, for all to watch. As I was saying all were locked and dropping like a rock, but there was a small flock 7 that was ahead of the main body. They come over the pits at about 30 yards high, and the boss let them pass, because there was over 250 geese coming in and why shoot at just 7. Well the next round they were going to land, and he just had to call the shot. They were about 20 yards in front and maybe 15 yards high. Needless to say there were 7 DIP. There was no “watch that one” as he sailed out, only cheers, as the main body of geese faded away into the clear blue sky.

There was plenty of geese that has moved into our area too, over the past day or two. We can see three huge flocks get up off a puddle or out of a field, and fly around for a couple of minutes then set back down, right back, where they got up. Have not got any reports from the south as to what the bird count was on those reserves, but I am guessing they will report they have lost birds.

Best get this posted and get my evening work done in prep of tomorrow. Cause I would miss tomorrow for nuttin.

Remember all the young men and women that are serving us ,both over seas and here on out main land, in your bed time prayers.

See Ya and check back

Carl

Not one of the best days

Was a slow day today. There were only a few flocks and they just did not like our frozen lake and everything else we had to offer. We thought our music was OK, but it was obvious, they we not interested. However we did get a handful in the bag.

The Ducks were not as active either. We still seen them but they did not buzz our pits, today, like they had for the past 3 days. I don’t think they liked our frozen lake either.

I am suffering from DST syndrome. I have a smart clock that adjust the time for you. Well I have had it, for 3 years and it had adjusted on the right day only 2 of the 3 days. I worried about if it would wake me when it should. See if I would have just gone to sleep like I should I would have woke up before the alarm goes off . Well it set the right time last night there fore the alarm goes off and hour before it should, and that is after not sleeping the early part of the night I am tired, so I am going to make this very short , and hit the hay early.

Remember the prayer for the troops tonight and please check back.

See Ya Carl

Just a little slower today

The day was a little slower today, than what we thought, it would be. Had the wind we wanted, but the birds today was of a mixed bag type. Almost every flock we had decoy was loaded with Whitefronts, making it to dangerous to shoot. So the shooting was mainly singles and pairs today. However we had a bag of around 10 today. Never lost a bird today tho.

Still was seeing plenty of birds and all reports from the south are saying there is plenty left, to come through.

The ducks number are still amazing us. Today there was more pintails with-in gun range today than we seen total, all of last fall. There was ducks in the air all day long. I know we had to see the same duck more than once, but never the less when they all got up there was one big black cloud, of ducks.

This Saturday, so I have to make this short, cause this is mothers evening, to kick up her heals.

Please say a little prayer for the troops, who serve our country. Also please check back

See Ya Carl

Was a fun day

Ok so I have not posted in several days. Some for good reason and some no reason. We had had some luck the past couple days. Yesterday I tried to write some thing, but when I read it is sounded like I was complaining.

We killed a couple yesterday and seen thousands but could not get them to decoy. That is not unusual for us, because we have never been able to decoy the breeders, that come through first. The juvies and the non breeders, we usually have pretty good luck with. So if what we seen today were all breeders, we are in trouble, because they are out producing our shooting. I can not guess the number of geese, S&B’s Canada’s And White front’s, if it is a wild goose that flies our flyway, we seen it today and a bunch of his brothers and sisters.

Not sure of the total kill today, but it was about 20, had 15 in the sack tonight. Lost some sailors. We hate that, but it happens.

Tomorrow we will have a wind they have to buck, and that usually means they are easier to decoy.

More, on today’s bird activity. The ducks were there showing off today. They were playing DARE DOUBLE DARE. They did there best to get us to violate the spring hunting rules, and jump up on a flock. They were in on us all day and the same goes for the Canada’s. It is so much fun just setting out there and enjoying the birds.

A fun and successful first day

First day of the spring hunt is in the books. I was very sure that, we would not see any Geese today, when we went to the blinds. But it took only a few minutes for the action to start, after we got set up, to go. After a couple of near misses we hit pay dirt. Had a small flock of 10-12 birds, drop into range. We had only 4 shooters but we still averaged one bird per gun. It is rare when that is done. Then when you factor in that only one gunner, fired 3 shots. I shot only one, off. My first shell was a dud, and didn’t jack the action, so I had only one shot. Now I know that one or two more shots, may not have upped the kill, but it killed my fun of pulling the trigger., a few more times

Yes, we seen plenty of flocks today and should have been into 3 or 4 more flocks than we did. All in all it was a very enjoyable day hunting today. We always love to have wind and there was not much of that today, but it was a very comfortable day. Yesterday we had wind chills of below zero, and we hunted the afternoon with the heat off, in the blind. The lake is still covered with ice, but it is very rotten and almost black by the time we left. Most of the birds were coming back from the north, again today. Not sure the reason of this but, it made for a fun day. Plenty of Canada’s and at time the skies were full of ducks. We had one flock of S&B’s that we missed out on because ducks and geese was in different direction and spooked each other, wiping out our shot.

Have to change the times for leaving the Café. We will be leaving at 5:30 for a while. I messed up on my own formula. Hope we can just stick to that time until we change the time for DST. Another note, Flo will not be open this Sunday, so we will meeting at The South Mini Mart. They are serving breakfast in there so if you are wanting to eat, it is still possible.

Have to close this so please remember to say a little bed time prayer, for all the young people that are serving out country. Also please check back and we’ll see ya

Carl