Jason R
Active member
Here is SE VA its has been ridiculously warm. Low temps have been 20 to 30 degrees above normal. Mosquitos and gnats are back, gobblers are gobbling, and shorts don't seem like a bad idea even though its January. Anyways I headed up to a spot I typically only hunt during the Sept. goose and teal season. I talked to the landowner and he said the geese had been around, come and get them. We made it to our spot and the rain stopped, it got real calm and the gnats started buzzing around my head, then the mosquitos. I regretted taking my thermacel and bug spray out of my gear bag 2 months ago. Another bit me and I thought about global warming. Shooting time arrived and a hairy head pitched ten yrds from us, then flew off when the dog whined for some action. A few teal zoomed over to their normal spot upstream. A little sunshine peaked through the clouds and we heard some turkeys moving in the woods. A few minutes passed and three hens flew out right over the dekes. The dog didn't know what to make of them. She looked at the turkeys, then at me then back at the turkeys in a what the heck were those kinda way.
The tide started to turn and then the geese started in. A flock of 7 came in and I dropped my two. One sailed into the marsh on the opposite side, I sent the dog after it. After a bit of commotion in the marsh she came out with a very unhappy goose. She made it back and I sent her after the close one, which she decided to try to pluck for me or taunt it into coming back alive so she could enjoy a chase, I think it was the latter. For some reason she will not pick up a stone dead goose on land. Ducks, doves, rails, quail yes, geese no. If its alive on land she'll go hellbent for it. Live in the water, dead in the water no problem. I started picking up and watched as the obligatory "working ducks while you pick the decoys up" paid a visit. Started the engine and headed back. Rain, bugs, teal, and geese, September already again.-J
The tide started to turn and then the geese started in. A flock of 7 came in and I dropped my two. One sailed into the marsh on the opposite side, I sent the dog after it. After a bit of commotion in the marsh she came out with a very unhappy goose. She made it back and I sent her after the close one, which she decided to try to pluck for me or taunt it into coming back alive so she could enjoy a chase, I think it was the latter. For some reason she will not pick up a stone dead goose on land. Ducks, doves, rails, quail yes, geese no. If its alive on land she'll go hellbent for it. Live in the water, dead in the water no problem. I started picking up and watched as the obligatory "working ducks while you pick the decoys up" paid a visit. Started the engine and headed back. Rain, bugs, teal, and geese, September already again.-J
