http://s70.photobucket.com/...odsBuddy/story/24731
Theres a link above fellas to a pictuage of the trips i got out to chase ducks and geese ill try and put words to discribe them as i can get time...I couldnt ask for a better season considering the circumstances...
Lots of laughs a few good storms to hunt but not enough at the right times .....always the way...
3 days before end of season...
a buddy and i decided to head to eastern shore area to chase seaducks and geese .The nite before just at the end of the day we were bombarded with hundreds of geese way out of range but this sight says to us we have to be on that island tomorrow nite.....and by nite i mean end of shootin for the day half hour after sundown....
so we pack up boat and gear and got out in the morning and sit dekes out nuthin all day ,,,the day was like the day before nuthing to worry about but this was about to change brutaly in favor or old man winter....We saw two boats head out on the high tide leave early for some reason we didnt clue in all them geese were still in the harbour and they flew right over the island we were on on the same wind the evening before....well it got overcast it got windy then snow started we were all excited it was our day....it had called for west winds 20 k and snow squals in afternoon going down to minus 8C so we didnt bring the dawgs....we could walk to get our birds on the half tide going down...dead low was around 9 to 10 pm...lots of water to get out and ours was parked where we could jump in and go low tide....
at about 330pm its gets considerably nasty way higher then forecast and by my geuss were looking into 50 knott winds and snow...the harbour is a wash in white caps and rollers 2 to 3 footers i says to me buddy we mite be staying awhile....At 4pm the geese started and flew until well after shooting time...i figured them dang birds were flying at 100mph with the tail wind they had we couldnt hit nuthin then i downed one ,,,, good i says lets get out of here the boat loaded we tried to launch and promptly got a face wash several nices waves broke on bow and sprayed us and it turned to ice instantly ,,,,we couldnt keep bow into wind,,,,i says to shore we go i was not taking any more of a chance then that...
so we flip up a huge 5ft high chunk of ice against another for a wind break and sit on the other...we put up a few other sizable chunks to ward off this wicked wind and snow and sand now was drying out on the beach and blasting at us....we would check the waves every half hour ...i had texted my wife saying it be midnite before we would get home and not worry we are warm and waiting for wind and waves to stop before we crossed...a few hunting buddies text me and i told them the predicament we were in .God bless the brothers of the feather they were gonna go and get there boats geared up and try a rescue...we were warm dressed for it and we had lots of them shake hand warmers [saved the hands] only thing got cold when wet from handling the boat....I WAS JUST DREADING if someone called the fire rescue guys we were fine been there done that plenty a times hunting the end of season....
well 7 pm then 8pm it started to subside the cloud rolled out the Moon popped out the winds down to a howl.My buddy and i sittin on the island looking out at the water dancing under the moon he yells something i take my hood down what? he says ya didnt mention a moonlight cruise in your brochure......!!! well i fell off the ice chunk on the beach laughin me arse off now that was funny ....i can imagine someone on the shore hearing us two old fools laughing our heads off in the middle of this adventure....
so we check and its down to 1 foot or less so i grabed the oars and start rowing for deeper water we couldnt get motor to run totaly encased in freezing spray an inch thick,so my buddy the whole time i rowed was facin the rear tryin to get the motor to go i had my hood up didnt know where the shore was i was tuckered so i stopped ,he egts it going yells i got it cranks the throttle and bump we hit shore ,,,,again two old fools laughin in the moonlight.... we get home around midnite my waders stood up by themselves when i hauled out of the back of the truck....
on way home forecasters said we were in 50 plus knott wind and freezing spray warning-23 C windchills and small craft advisory was issued that morning around 9am to late for us we were already out there by then....the next day i promptly found all weather sites and plug them into my phone .....
handwarmers and rain jackets made us comfortable with out ida prob called for fire rescue and there zodiac....
sherm...
