A new all time record - can anyone beat this?

Tod

As unpleasant as that experience was it doesn't hold a candle to the fun we had in Arkansas two years ago. I'll spare all the details other than to say we were harassed by a local, had undercover wardens hunt with us the next day, and the guy was eventually convicted of violating state hunter harassment laws and that conviction had major ramifications on the WMAs in NE Arkansas. Those two hunts are the most memorable in my 30+ year career.

Eric
Click to expand...


I remember your Arkansas story :(. Sad commentary that those are the two most memorable hunts.
 
Tod

Guy was maybe 150 pounds with his waders on. He made some comment about me cussing in front of my kid over a bunch of ringnecks with a tone of voice that ringnecks aren't even worth shooting. Odd how something that isn't worth shooting is worth cutting someone off to get to them. Well we did end up getting the spot we intended to hunt that day. We shot some lowly ringnecks that day and some big ducks too, like pintail I seem to recall. In addition to leaving the note they wrote in the snow around my truck "Fuck you", "Pussy", and "Asshole". Ahh, gee, where is the concern for my son's exposure to profanity that you earlier expressed?
Click to expand...


Lets see, worrying about teaching a kid something... Not cutting in line ranks pretty high in my list of basic rules - has all kinds of important messages there.

I'm not one to think that strong language is to be reserved for only special occasions, but to write it in the snow is so odd.

He was probably only thinking back to his childhood when he couldn't read and write until he was in high school. No harm writing it out then...

BTW Was it yellow snow? My thoughts of this guy would totally change if he has that kind of control.

Tim
Click to expand...
Click to expand...


I bet it is pretty hard to write anything when squatting and even then your footprints would mess up what you wrote.

T
 
I remember your Arkansas story :(. Sad commentary that those are the two most memorable hunts.
Click to expand...


I have a ton of great memories tucked away but when your 12 year old son is lying in the bottom of the boat crying from terror it overpowers the good hunts shared. It also makes you very appreciative of Wildlife Officers and the job they do for public safety in addition to protecting our wildlife.
 
I remember your Arkansas story :(. Sad commentary that those are the two most memorable hunts.
Click to expand...


I have a ton of great memories tucked away but when your 12 year old son is lying in the bottom of the boat crying from terror it overpowers the good hunts shared. It also makes you very appreciative of Wildlife Officers and the job they do for public safety in addition to protecting our wildlife.
Click to expand...


I get you there. Having your kid along in a dangerous situation is not pretty.

We had an experiance this summer that I was like fuuuuuuuck does this really have to happen today with my kid along - it wasn't like the situation you are talking about but having a little kid along made it way more stressful. On the last day of our float trip in the Arctic we were sucking wind and had been working against the wind all day, I was physically and mentally toast, just done and about an hour from where we needed to get. Jen says "I see a guy waving a flag in distress". So we oar our way over to the guy and he he incoherent, cut bad, covered with blood, stunk of animal guts, wet to the nipples in all cotton, shivering, lost and on the wrong side of a fast mean river. He and his brother had animals down, a raft that they couldn't row because he was hurt and the night was supposed to be in the 20s with high winds and heavy snow (we were rushing to beat that weather). They had lost their food and water, had no shelter, no compass, no GPS. So, we obviously had to help them. We watered and fed them, got them across the river and within sight of their camp and bid them farewell. If it was Jen and I it woudl have been no biggie, but with Gus already pushed to the max and me spent, it was WAY more than I wanted to deal with. So, yes having a kid along makes it different, I get that - sorry that your had to see that. At least Gus got to see us save someone.
 
Holy crap. That sounds like an adventure very few kids, or adults for that matter, will ever experience. I bet Gus remembers what he saw forever and it will affect his judgement in a positive way many years from now.
 
Today was my day off. And no there aren't any shear pins. Tod you should buy one run over those damn spinning wing decoys, haha.


Not many birds, so I haven't even seen another hunter since the season started.

I didn't have a mentor. my buddy and I learned most of our techniques from trial and error(lots of error lol). But the golden rule works for everything treat others how you wanted to be treated. If I see some one close to my spot I say sorry, good luck and go to plan b.

Here is a story on the opposite side. 2 years ago I took my gf and her dog out to one of the few blinds on the ct river that are still hunt able. We were set up by 4. Another guy comes by to hunt the blind sees my light and kills his motor. He says " well you beat me, I have seen good number of birds coming here, you should do well. Good luck" I say thanks you too. He idles away not to sir up my dekes again and moves on. I ended up getting my first banded bird and a nice pair of teal. It was also one of my greatest memmories. Not everyone is rude, but coming in late and setting up close to another person is one of my pet peeves
 
Holy crap. That sounds like an adventure very few kids, or adults for that matter, will ever experience. I bet Gus remembers what he saw forever and it will affect his judgement in a positive way many years from now.
Click to expand...


The funny part is that there was this purple rope, a little 10' piece of 1/4" that came with the raft that we rented - just a piece of junk rope. Anyway we tied that to their raft and Jen held it - I didn't want them tied to us in case there was a problem - the river was class I water, but big, fast and mean. We left the rope with them just because I wanted to get out of there. Gus was obsessed with loosing that rope and the water bottle we left with the guys. Even after expaining that the rope was nothing to worry about - he still couldn't get over it and was worried that the raft guy was going to be mad.

The guys ended up giving us a serious hand later that night by picking us up and ferrying us to the truck, so it worked out.
 
Today was my day off. And no there aren't any shear pins. Tod you should buy one run over those damn spinning wing decoys, haha.


Not many birds, so I haven't even seen another hunter since the season started.

I didn't have a mentor. my buddy and I learned most of our techniques from trial and error(lots of error lol). But the golden rule works for everything treat others how you wanted to be treated. If I see some one close to my spot I say sorry, good luck and go to plan b.

Here is a story on the opposite side. 2 years ago I took my gf and her dog out to one of the few blinds on the ct river that are still hunt able. We were set up by 4. Another guy comes by to hunt the blind sees my light and kills his motor. He says " well you beat me, I have seen good number of birds coming here, you should do well. Good luck" I say thanks you too. He idles away not to sir up my dekes again and moves on. I ended up getting my first banded bird and a nice pair of teal. It was also one of my greatest memmories. Not everyone is rude, but coming in late and setting up close to another person is one of my pet peeves
Click to expand...


Spinners are usually too shallow to run over :).

Most guys are good. I had a bass fisherman pick up and move when he saw me this week.

T
 
I think that was the first time I ever saw Eric swear at anybody. He usually directs those words at inanimate objects or when he becomes frustrated with some situation. Did I tell you Eric can be impatient? He didn't tell you the best part of the story though. Even though the guys had a minutes headstart, they had a heavily loaded 16 foot big john and a mud motor. When they were almost half way to the spot, we blew by them in the Black Brant with it's 40 Merc. I think we probably passed them with about 10 feet of clearance even though the managment area is about 250 yards wide there. A BBII with a 40 on it will beat a heavily loaded long-tailed mud motor every time. 34 mph vs. perhaps 12 mph. When they saw us get the best spot they just turned around and recovered their boat.


As for fishermen, another story. About 15 years ago I was hunting with the guy that introduced me and Eric, Philip Sommers. We were out for an afternoon hunt on the Flint River. An hour or so into the hunt some jackass fisherman comes blowing in off the Tennessee River doing 60 mph. About 100 yards below us he stops, lowers his trolling motor and begins casting his crank-bait, steadily working closer and closer. He fishes right up to our spread and then starts tossing his bait in between our decoys. Huh? Philip said something to him and this idiots reply was "You are in the only place on the river with any fish and I have a tournament this weekend". In hindsight I realize what the needed action should have been. I should have waited until the moment he cast his crankbait to yell "Pull!" and then blown the shit out of it with the Citori 3.5 inch modified choke. Then I could have yelled "throw me another". That might have given the guy a clue.
 
Yeah, those Thai longtail motors on big jons might be good at some things but breaking ice to open water isn't one of them.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top