First day of the season

Nice hunt Al. Sounds like Chip is doing great!

We didn't see all that many ducks around either on our first couple of hunts. Luckily the boys were able to get a few wood ducks. Although I did hear that there were plenty of birds around the refuge. It's something how their numbers can be so different in spots that are only 15 miles apart! With our kids being busy in sports during the fall, all of our hunts need to be close to home.

Good luck to you and Chip on the rest of your season. Hope your water levels are good too.
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Hi John,
For this time of your life, I wish you and your wife well because so much of it is playing taxi cab driver. Goes with the territory I guess but you know, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way when my kids were growing up.
It would be interesting to find out what is attracting all those ducks to that one spot. I assume it is food and the safety zone. Good luck to you also. I will look forward to seeing some pictures of your duck hunts.
Al
 
Great set up Al....looks realistic as can be! Ill be heading out tomorrow afternoon with Sage. Football in the morning so evening hunt it is. Chip is a natural
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Hi Jake. I'll send you another picture when I get this one done, Jake. Let me know how you two did. I hope you get into the birds because I am waiting to see how Sage does. Good luck to the two of you.
Al
 
Good start Al. Nice gog work. You are well on your way to having a wonderful companion.

Fred, you can't fool me, you packed in it cause of Mike's snooring. I suppose I should drive up to the ranch tomorrow....
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Thanks so much, Brad. We work on that on a daily basis. He is one of those dogs that doesn't want to be left behind. I am enjoying him so much.
Al
 
Love the way it looks out there so different from where i hunt to where you hunt. It really is neat to see how different areas are but yet still hold the same types of birds!! Great hunt love your pictures!!
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Hi Wesley,
Glad that you enjoyed seeing the pictures. What you had to say about the different areas while hunting ducks is one of the main reasons that I like this "duckboats" site so much. I couldn't agree with you more.
Al
 
Very Nice Al, always great to read your adventures!
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It is always good to hear from you, Troy. I hope you have had a successful fall so far. As for adventures, I can't begin to tell you how much I look forward to this time of the year while living in the desert and loving to hunt ducks.
Al
 
"Wasting Bullets ?, She certainly hasn't seen my shooting!! When I have a huge pile of hulls in the boat I just explain that I was picking up all I saw to clean up the marsh. Works most of the time. Thanks for sharing your story and pics again, nice opener. With all that water this year you may need a boat soon. ;-) Chip looks like a dandy
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Hey Tom---are you telling me that Big Stone county has that many ducks still flying around? I got a kick out of that. Yup, it is good to know that there is another "bullet waster" out there besides Rick and myself! Glad you liked the story and pics.
Al
 
Lots of good things in this post. Chip looks to be doing well, the water is rising and your shooting can only get better. :) Bummer on the rice breast, it's been a while since I have seen one with it but usually once you see one there are more to follow.
With the water rising the ducks will come. I do have to wonder do you normally see many Woodies around there?

Tim
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Hey Tim,
The only negative is that my shooting will not normally get better until I have a gunsmith take out the left hand curve in the barrel. After the season I will have that done. It has been about 5 or 6 years now ever since I bent that barrel and then had it almost straightened out. As for part II, normally when one gets older your shooting doesn't improve. So I just need to be patient and let the ducks continue to back pedal into the decoys.

We have a resident flock of woodies down here. I'll have to ask Tim M. where they nest but just like the rest of the US, as numbers have been steadily on the increase, they have been down here also. When they come to the refuge, they will hang around until the temps start to get really cold and then it off to Mexico for them.

As for the water, on the opener the Rio Grande was flowing at close to 200cfs. Yesterday when I went out there it looked like I was in a different part of the river at first because so much had changed. It had dropped to around 120cfs. Nothing is ever the same down here from day today.

I can't begin to tell you how much I look forward to seeing what Chip will learn when we go on another hunt. He is exciting to have along and be sitting at my side in the duck blind.
Al
 
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