MIKE-SID said:
Joe Daly said:
If you look at expense versus financial reward duck hunting is an expensive way to put food on the table. I would guess its cost at a minimum of $100 a pound all in. Including boat, motor, guns, ammunition, gear. I only do it for self satisfaction. The thrill of a duck responding to my call and pitching into decoys I made makes it worth it all.
Joe
Joe I agree, one good day among many slow days relights the fire and satisfies for many more days to come.
Is it me, or is it totally unsatisfying to hunt with a friend or group where everyone shoots at every duck everytime? When this has happened to me I found myself not shooting, unless they stop shooting, and not hunting with them again. Tell me guys, am I weird? I can handle the truth. [smile]
Mike,
You might be weird. But not because of your choices on hunting partners. I usually hunt alone. I do try to share the blind with a few from this site. I occasionally hunt with someone else... but not regularly. I rarely find people that I want hunt with... then many don't want to me... that really narrows the field. I do not want to be in a party when you don't know who shot the feathers that on the water. If I hunt with others, it would take specially circumstances for me to be in a blind that has more than 3 total shooters in it.
As to my season. I probably could not have asked for a better season. I was able to take Kodi out for opener. This was bitter sweet. He knew exactly why he was there, Sadly I didn't shoot a bird for him, as I was only wanting a drake Woodie, and they were dating by in the low light dawn. When we moved to a little better spot, he had a breathing fit (Larengetical Paralisys) and I actually didn't think he would make it home. It was his last hunt.
Otter, was, Next Man Up. He learned a TON this year. He started with his first retrieve in a beaver pond. Early in the season, he didn't really get what we were doing. His second bird, sailed into the tall grass behind us. I would have thought he was an upland dog, the way he used his nose, back and forth, and located the crippled running wood duck. This was the second bird he brought back to hand. Several of his next retrieves, he had problems seeing the downed bird, but I would take him out on the boat to give a different perspective an still get the retrieve. By the time November showed up, the temps had fallen below freezing and mostly stayed there for the rest of the month. For the first time in my life I put clothes on a Chessie. But Otter was soooo skinny and didn't have real coat so, he wore a vest. He started putting things together then. Bringing back Cans, and Mallard back on LONG retrieves started to imprint on him. When Jim B shared the boat with us, Otter started to get over his apprehension of jumping off the boat to get to the birds... The following week hunting with Pete M. He seems to slip back.. retrieves were OK, but WOULD NOT jump off the boat (keep in mind the water is about 6" below him). The next day, we lost Otter and some other dog took his spot. It was Canvasbacks and Goldeneye. Otter did a double and LAUNCHED off the boat for every retrieve. With a little help, he even used his nose and found a hidden bird...truly a blind retrieve. He didn't regress the rest of the season. On Thanksgiving another new experience. Hunting with another Chessie (Sr Hunter). This could have gone horrible, but it did not. Otter SCREAMED when Gator went on retrieves. However, when he was "Hunting" there was only Me, Otter, and the downed birds. When it was Otter's time to retrieve, he Bolted past Gator, without even a glance. He made the retrieves, and ran back and jumped in the boat and deposited the birds in my hand.... Again, like Gator wasn't there. I could not have been more proud of him that day.
Kodi crossed the Rainbow Bridge on Nov 30. We didn't hunt that weekend. He is my dog of a lifetime. Our house still isn't normal.
We made a trip to Kansas between Christmas and New Years. Thanks to some help from Craig S, we had opportunities. Sarah went with and hunted for the first time since 2002. The weather got a bit sporty on this trip, and Sarah enjoyed watching Otter work, but did not enjoy picking up longlines in the rough water. But she did a great job pulling longlines and didn't start crying until we were back on shore. The next day was a chilly 11 degrees with no wind. We still took a few more birds, and Otter got the experience of breaking ice getting to a bird. He ended his first year with 56 retrieves by the time he was 10 months, and a wide variety of experiences.
In January I went to St Paul, AK and again fought "sporty" weather. We were not able to get out in the boats much. I did manage to bring home 4 King Eiders and a Harli. Yes... I think this was a pretty memorable year.
I don't think I am about limits... I embrace the time in God's creation and sharing it with both my partner, as well as the intruders that I occasionally let share the blind with my CBR and me. I love watching Cans work. I love the beauty of the quarry, and the smell of a wet CBR beside me. I love the excitement of my partner, and the late season Ice on his coat. I love to enjoy the fruits of my labor on the dining room table. All that being said, I put a lot of time and money in my gear and partner. I love full straps.. for me to give Otter plenty of retrieves, I have to shoot plenty of birds.
Sorry to hijack your thread... but you asked. September seems a long way a way.
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