Al Hansen
Well-known member
The last time I hunted which was on Thursday, I never shouldered my Nova. The wind was kicking up out of the southwest this morning which is totally opposite of normal. I decided to set out 17 decoys and see what happened.
Right after shooting hours opened I had six widgeons come and I got lucky and scratched a hen out of that group.
About an hour later I was sipping on a cup of coffee when I saw a bunch of shadows in the sand and water right in front of me. I reached for my duck call and then saw about 35 pintails (All Drakes) fly right over my head from behind me. I got them to make a big turn and they came back for a second look. Just as they began to make a turn I put the bead on the leading drake, fired, and watched him plus the drake behind him both fall into the Rio Grande. That is the first time in my life I have ever taken a Scotch double on bull sprigs.
My little Olympus P&S did its best.
Following that was a long dry spell but I did have a pair of sandhill cranes land on the island just behind my decoys.
About another hour went by when I saw a flock of snows heading south into the wind. It was pounding on them but they seemed determined to get back to Bosque del Apache. Just behind them and on the other side of the Rio were three snows that were trying to catch up. I grabbed my duck call and gave my best hail call. What the heck. Guess what-----it worked. A juvenile snow peeled away from the other two and winged its way across to my side. That is the first time I have ever shot a snow goose with a 2 3/4" steel 7 shot shell.
After getting the goose, I sat there another hour hoping to see some other ducks to shoot. That did not happen but I did see some more pintails. They ended up landing right after I took the last picture with my camera. I sure wished that I had my other camera with me. Not to be, however.
It was a great morning to be out.
Al
Right after shooting hours opened I had six widgeons come and I got lucky and scratched a hen out of that group.
About an hour later I was sipping on a cup of coffee when I saw a bunch of shadows in the sand and water right in front of me. I reached for my duck call and then saw about 35 pintails (All Drakes) fly right over my head from behind me. I got them to make a big turn and they came back for a second look. Just as they began to make a turn I put the bead on the leading drake, fired, and watched him plus the drake behind him both fall into the Rio Grande. That is the first time in my life I have ever taken a Scotch double on bull sprigs.
My little Olympus P&S did its best.
Following that was a long dry spell but I did have a pair of sandhill cranes land on the island just behind my decoys.
About another hour went by when I saw a flock of snows heading south into the wind. It was pounding on them but they seemed determined to get back to Bosque del Apache. Just behind them and on the other side of the Rio were three snows that were trying to catch up. I grabbed my duck call and gave my best hail call. What the heck. Guess what-----it worked. A juvenile snow peeled away from the other two and winged its way across to my side. That is the first time I have ever shot a snow goose with a 2 3/4" steel 7 shot shell.
After getting the goose, I sat there another hour hoping to see some other ducks to shoot. That did not happen but I did see some more pintails. They ended up landing right after I took the last picture with my camera. I sure wished that I had my other camera with me. Not to be, however.
It was a great morning to be out.
Al
