What a change from yesterday. Friday the day got to 60 some degrees pushing 70. Then the winds came. It blew hard yesterday afternoon and most of the night. Woke up this morning to 32 degrees and 40 mph winds out of the west which gave us wind chills in the lower teens.
I got to the ramp a bit early figuring the forecast might make for a few more hunters this morning. I was the first to arrive and no one else had showed by the time I pulled away from the dock. I motored up the river and set up in one of my favorite spots. Six goose floaters along the outside edge with 18 duck decoys spread in a loose vee on the lee side of an island. The wind was blustery but my decoys seemed at home on the slack water cove created by the island.
Daybreak came and I could hear geese honking in several directions. Many ignored my pleading calls but one did not. He turned and came in right where he was supposed to and I ended his migration.
Soon I saw a pair of geese floating/swimming along the far bank. They were eyeballing my spread but did not seem interested in coming over. Just then they lifted off the water and flew right towards me, I pulled up and fired two rounds,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and they continued on their way unscathed. How could I have missed an easy double? Must have been faulty ammunition, only thing it can be, can't be anything else.
A while later I get another opportunity, as a flock of about 8 geese turn and cup their wings. Closer and closer they get while dropping their landing gear. As they hover for that split second, I pick one out and boom, down he goes. I shift my gun slightly to the left and drop a second goose. A nice double and I have filled out my 3 goose limit. Ahhh, sweet redemption.
What is that swimming out there about 100 yards away? Why it is a drake Gadwall. I hunker down to conceal any movement and give a few quacks on my duck call. No response, so I decide to wait him out and see what happens. Soon he decides everything is OK, lifts off the water and flies into my spread. Well, almost flies into my spread. I end his short fight just before he touches back down.
I give it another hour and half but nothing is flying so I pick up and head for the ramp. Back at home the birds are cleaned and I turn on the stove. Goose hearts are tossed in a pot of water to boil and the Gadwall breasts are being browned in a cast iron skillet. Yumm, yumm turned out pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.
I got to the ramp a bit early figuring the forecast might make for a few more hunters this morning. I was the first to arrive and no one else had showed by the time I pulled away from the dock. I motored up the river and set up in one of my favorite spots. Six goose floaters along the outside edge with 18 duck decoys spread in a loose vee on the lee side of an island. The wind was blustery but my decoys seemed at home on the slack water cove created by the island.
Daybreak came and I could hear geese honking in several directions. Many ignored my pleading calls but one did not. He turned and came in right where he was supposed to and I ended his migration.
Soon I saw a pair of geese floating/swimming along the far bank. They were eyeballing my spread but did not seem interested in coming over. Just then they lifted off the water and flew right towards me, I pulled up and fired two rounds,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, and they continued on their way unscathed. How could I have missed an easy double? Must have been faulty ammunition, only thing it can be, can't be anything else.
A while later I get another opportunity, as a flock of about 8 geese turn and cup their wings. Closer and closer they get while dropping their landing gear. As they hover for that split second, I pick one out and boom, down he goes. I shift my gun slightly to the left and drop a second goose. A nice double and I have filled out my 3 goose limit. Ahhh, sweet redemption.
What is that swimming out there about 100 yards away? Why it is a drake Gadwall. I hunker down to conceal any movement and give a few quacks on my duck call. No response, so I decide to wait him out and see what happens. Soon he decides everything is OK, lifts off the water and flies into my spread. Well, almost flies into my spread. I end his short fight just before he touches back down.
I give it another hour and half but nothing is flying so I pick up and head for the ramp. Back at home the birds are cleaned and I turn on the stove. Goose hearts are tossed in a pot of water to boil and the Gadwall breasts are being browned in a cast iron skillet. Yumm, yumm turned out pretty tasty, if I do say so myself.
