Season in review -Part 2

Brad Bortner

Brad Bortner

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till trying to figure out this new forum format and pictures... I don't know why it keeps flipping this picture upside down.

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I hosted the annual visit of my retired colleagues from Alaska, Washington and California. We annually get together and relive the glory days.

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Occasionally we make happy mistakes. Totally random Eurasian wigeon harvest. None of us knew it was a Eurasian until the dog brought it back.

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The young dog has become a diver fanatic like his older kennel mate.

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Someone got a new youth sized shotgun for birthday and Christmas. Was he excited.

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Then over to Fred Slyfield's neck of the woods to try a change of scenery and to wash the dust off of my redhead rig.

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It was kinda slow but the dogs kept watch.
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We were successful in getting this young lady a her first greater scaup. She only has 7 more species to go to finish harvesting every North American waterfowl species.
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In the meantime I did a little "field engineering" when I ripped the hydraulic lines out of my steering cylinder. Meet my new tiller handle. It got me 5 miles back to the dock.

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Finally I hosted the Oregon waterfowl biologist on a muzzleloader diver hunt. It was a blast.

Two more weeks of the season and it's been memorable. Hunting with friends from Alaska to North Dakota to California and every state in between.
 
I believe there are lay lines that the ducks use as they migrate. A vortex is right in that neck of the woods.

I did a patrol in the old Duckbomber boat on a nice day, before the season started.

I went at low tide specifically to find all of the deadheads and make note of their locations, so I wouldn't tear my motor off on one some morning in the dark and rain.

We launched in Cathlamet and then took the Clifton channel down past Knappa, Svenson, over by the bald eagle operation, Then plowed past Rice island over to Altoona. We poked around in the channels and coves and waterways that come and go with the tide too. We found old blinds that somebody had worked on, some really nice ones, some rickety and old. (I think the deal was that you aren't supposed to build permanent blinds there) but somebody really did a good job on a couple of them.

I can't imagine how much juice I'd have blown through with a 2 stroke motor. As it was I used about 10 gallons.

I had a 10 Gallon tank and a 60hp 4 stroke and just barely made it back without having to add any extra gas. I saw a zillion birds that day.
 
Brad Bortner said:
till trying to figure out this new forum format and pictures... I don't know why it keeps flipping this picture upside down.

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I hosted the annual visit of my retired colleagues from Alaska, Washington and California. We annually get together and relive the glory days.

View attachment 53835
Occasionally we make happy mistakes. Totally random Eurasian wigeon harvest. None of us knew it was a Eurasian until the dog brought it back.

View attachment 53836
The young dog has become a diver fanatic like his older kennel mate.

View attachment 53837
Someone got a new youth sized shotgun for birthday and Christmas. Was he excited.

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Then over to Fred Slyfield's neck of the woods to try a change of scenery and to wash the dust off of my redhead rig.

View attachment 53839
It was kinda slow but the dogs kept watch.
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We were successful in getting this young lady a her first greater scaup. She only has 7 more species to go to finish harvesting every North American waterfowl species.
View attachment 53841
In the meantime I did a little "field engineering" when I ripped the hydraulic lines out of my steering cylinder. Meet my new tiller handle. It got me 5 miles back to the dock.

View attachment 53842
Finally I hosted the Oregon waterfowl biologist on a muzzleloader diver hunt. It was a blast.

Two more weeks of the season and it's been memorable. Hunting with friends from Alaska to North Dakota to California and every state in between.
Click to expand...
What a nice season Brad! Loved the pics. The muzzleloader hunt looked great.

It has been an average season in NJ , however teal must've had a great hatch as we are covered in young birds.
Here was a nice one I bagged among the young'ins.
 

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Todd Duncan Tennyson said:
I believe there are lay lines that the ducks use as they migrate. A vortex is right in that neck of the woods.

I did a patrol in the old Duckbomber boat on a nice day, before the season started.

I went at low tide specifically to find all of the deadheads and make note of their locations, so I wouldn't tear my motor off on one some morning in the dark and rain.

We launched in Cathlamet and then took the Clifton channel down past Knappa, Svenson, over by the bald eagle operation, Then plowed past Rice island over to Altoona. We poked around in the channels and coves and waterways that come and go with the tide too. We found old blinds that somebody had worked on, some really nice ones, some rickety and old. (I think the deal was that you aren't supposed to build permanent blinds there) but somebody really did a good job on a couple of them.

I can't imagine how much juice I'd have blown through with a 2 stroke motor. As it was I used about 10 gallons.

I had a 10 Gallon tank and a 60hp 4 stroke and just barely made it back without having to add any extra gas. I saw a zillion birds that day.
Click to expand...
do that trip several times prior to the season and during the season. Great area.
 
A few observations

You guys probably look better upside down
The pictures of your grand kid's are where it's at
The tiller rig should be on modern marvels
 
Brad

The vast openness in your pictures always amazes me. Not another party in site, no trash, and breathtaking backdrops. That must be some of the finest public land anywhere. For curiosity sake I looked up Cold Bay and Izembek NWR. I had heard the names before but had no idea how remote an area that is. Must be an amazing place to visit. Congrats on having a great season with friends and loved ones. That's how it should be.
 
Eric Patterson said:
Brad

The vast openness in your pictures always amazes me. Not another party in site, no trash, and breathtaking backdrops. That must be some of the finest public land anywhere. For curiosity sake I looked up Cold Bay and Izembek NWR. I had heard the names before but had no idea how remote an area that is. Must be an amazing place to visit. Congrats on having a great season with friends and loved ones. That's how it should be.
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Thanks Eric. We saw or heard a few hunters in each of the locations in the pictures, but never have bad inactions or crowding. Having grown up on the Chesapeake and hunted across the country, I really appreciate the wide open country and availability of public land in the west.
 
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