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The last couple of years I added a marsh boat to hunt out of. Hunting in the backwaters of the Mississippi River requires having a larger boat for "big water". The problem is "big" is more difficult to hide. As the season progresses, ducks learn to "see" a big blind covered boat...

Pounce (the pup) has grown into a "powerhouse". She is well into transition and '"did" her first hunt last week. I've made a few "adjustments" on my Migrator to make it more mobile. The first was to fabricated an oar extension "setup" and secondly add a trolling motor bracket...

Looks like in about a week my nine month old pup will finally have some grass to train on. Pounce is ready to begin "yard work". I've got an exciting "live wire" that will be hunting next fall. After the long, "snowy" and cold winter, she has a lot of stored up energy. I've never had a pup...

boats are stored and it's time for winter puppy training. No snow yet and I'm not complaining. Pounce is almost seven months old and saving a few goose wings has worked out well. On Christmas day Pounce got her goose ("kind of") to retrieve. The last goose hunt of the season (for me)...

Duck season was "frozen out" early and my two boats are stored for the winter, but a new pup has taken up the slack. Pounce just turned 6 months old and training is taking on a more formal approach. Fortunately, this year's December winter in northern Illinois has not begun to cover the...

Pounce is doing super in her early preparation to be my newest retriever. She's having a lot of fun with the "duck camp" routines. About a week ago, we went on scouting trip to Teal Island in the Mississippi River. She's definitely a "keeper". The mud rig is becoming "old hat" to her...

was the highlight of recent journal entries in the life of a nine week old pup. http://kwicklabs.com/images/Pounce/ToadIsland/PounceBackTo%20BoatWEB.jpg Aug 18 Pounce did four retrieves at the Square Pond grassy area late in the afternoon worked on walking with me on lead afterwards -...

The last several weeks have been spent getting ready for the newest pup. With a deposit mailed in the day of whelping, seven weeks seemed to drag on way too long. July 25th after a nine hour round trip, "Pounce" was home. What a wonderful little pup she has turned out to be. Pounce's first...

A few days ago a morning training session that started with Daisy and Kooly ended with Taffey. She's fourteen and yet more than just along for the ride. http://youtu.be/taxMW43u0_8 ---------------

It's been a long winter and spring has finally decided to stay. What with the shoulder issue (surgery), my four dogs have been hibernating. After a few "romps" to break through the cob webs and stretch a bit, we did more conditioning at the Riverside Park DTA. It is a short drive to the large...

I need some input from Illinois marsh boat owners. Where should I "mount" my Illinois Registration numbers/decals on this rig so as to avoid a ticket? ---------

Just when you think "there's not much new", another duck jumps up. Saturday was the Illinois opener and it was cold. The water level had changed (again) on the Mississippi. Gunny and I bounced to three different spots that were previously scouted. The wind was in the wrong direction at the...

The second split of the Iowa Openers is hectic. Most everyone is out early and many camp overnight on a shorelines or even in their boat blinds. After scouting the day before, we left at 2 am and soon discovered the spot I wanted was already taken. The wind would have been in my face so I was...

This summer I purchased a Four Rivers Migrator. Since I mostly "solo" hunt the Mississippi River (pool 13), getting it to the spots required a "tender" or towing. I am not comfortable with towing alone in the dark, so the choice was rather simple. There were two obstacles to overcome. First of...

Well, just recently I refinanced my big rig to buy something to use for the "hard to get into spots".....that was dog friendly. "Gotta" go where the ducks "wanna" be. I'm too old to "pack in" anymore, so "floating in" will be a lot easier on my 73 year old bones. It has been a progression...

We're more than half-way through the shortest month of the year. It's been a long winter of down-time. Right now, with frozen slush on the ground training is an issue. However, it won't be long. The winger batteries are charged and training plans have been written. Late last summer, good...

A few weeks ago I posted up a story called "The Retrieve" (http://www.duckboats.net/...;;page=unread#unread where my dog had done really well during a hunt. Since then, I've finally decided to post "the rest of the story". Hunting alone can be an adventure. That day nearing sunset, my phone...

The last two weeks in November were to prove interesting. Duck camp is on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River. However, my dogs and I hunt both sides (Illinois and Iowa licenses). I scouted an area on the Iowa side of the Mississippi that looked promising. However, it would require...

is best done when the water warm.

the shooting "thing" with ducks is coming along really well, go on a hunt when there's a fifteen mph cross "breeze", the temperature is almost freezing and the sun is in your eyes. In addition, you're wearing chest waders, layered clothing, a heavy coat and "supposedly warm" gloves (always...