Rick Pierce
Well-known member
Ronnie Ladd and I went back up to Paducah to spend a weekend with Steve McCullough and hopefully get a few birds. My Dad, Mike, was able to drive down from Wisconsin, despite the winter storm that rolled through, and met us at Steve's house Friday night. A chicken cacciatore and some red wine later, it was off to bed.
Saturday morning found us in a backwater off the main lake. Steve wasn't holding out much hope, as the forecast called for bright sun and almost no wind, but as they say, you won't know if you don't go.
Ronnie setting a string of decoys off the back end of Steve's boat.
Decoys look good...
Get someone in the box and get to work!!
The rig in the mist...
My Dad splashes a bluebill drake...one of my favorite pictures in a long time...for a lot of reasons!!!
The five of us - Ronnie, Steve, Dad, Brian Moneymaker, and I - ended up limiting on 'bills on a morning that we figured on nothing...20 drakes...
That evening was full of laughter, more wine, and more great food...Dad brought ribs he'd smoked plus sauce, and Steve cooked duck confit, pan seared duck breasts, asparagus, broccoli and the leftover cacciatore. We opened a few bottles of the shiraz my Dad made earlier this year and nine of us ate like kings and queens.
Yesterday was a "perfect" day...a mass of new birds had pushed in, the forecast was for overcast and wind, but by noon we had a drake bluebill and a hen bufflehead (perfect...good study skin!!!). We had to take one of the gunners back to the dock, and my Dad elected to get an early start to Illinois for Christmas...so Steve, Ronnie and I hunted a while longer. Wound up with 8 bluebills and the buffy; not a bad day by any means, but had to tough it out...
Lots of good food, good people, and good fun.
Thank you, Steve, for hosting such an awesome weekend!!!!!
Saturday morning found us in a backwater off the main lake. Steve wasn't holding out much hope, as the forecast called for bright sun and almost no wind, but as they say, you won't know if you don't go.
Ronnie setting a string of decoys off the back end of Steve's boat.
Decoys look good...
Get someone in the box and get to work!!
The rig in the mist...
My Dad splashes a bluebill drake...one of my favorite pictures in a long time...for a lot of reasons!!!
The five of us - Ronnie, Steve, Dad, Brian Moneymaker, and I - ended up limiting on 'bills on a morning that we figured on nothing...20 drakes...
That evening was full of laughter, more wine, and more great food...Dad brought ribs he'd smoked plus sauce, and Steve cooked duck confit, pan seared duck breasts, asparagus, broccoli and the leftover cacciatore. We opened a few bottles of the shiraz my Dad made earlier this year and nine of us ate like kings and queens.
Yesterday was a "perfect" day...a mass of new birds had pushed in, the forecast was for overcast and wind, but by noon we had a drake bluebill and a hen bufflehead (perfect...good study skin!!!). We had to take one of the gunners back to the dock, and my Dad elected to get an early start to Illinois for Christmas...so Steve, Ronnie and I hunted a while longer. Wound up with 8 bluebills and the buffy; not a bad day by any means, but had to tough it out...
Lots of good food, good people, and good fun.
Thank you, Steve, for hosting such an awesome weekend!!!!!
