Al Hansen
Well-known member
Being a fan of Jack London's short stories, two days ago while I was clearing the trail of a few saplings, I found myself thinking this. How long has it been since I heard the word "spittle" being used? Heck, that was easy because back in 2001, I happened to be reading his story, "To Build a Fire", to my 4th graders. This particular class happened to be one of the 3 best in my life time of being an elementary teacher. All you had to do is look into those eyes and you could tell how excited they were about learning. Yes, it was fun!
Of course they were having some challenges trying to understand what real cold was, since the winters down here aren't considered anything major. I can remember having -20F and a couple of good snow storms that left 15 inches of snow for a few days. I'm glad that I had the experiences gained from living in Alaska for 8 years. I do know what it is like to try and navigate a cold spell on a three day weekend in Fairbanks, AK when it was -58F.
So my mind wandered back to the task at hand which was lopping saplings/branches. I ended up driving my Mule to a particular spot where an earthen berm was built to keep possible flood waters from racing through the land I was on. I got off the Mule and walked over to lop some saplings that had begun to lean into the trail area. I picked one up and tossed it to the side. As my eyes followed it I caught a glimpse of a shot gun shell on the ground. As I bent over to fetch it, my eyes lit up and my mind raced ahead because I knew exactly how it got to right where it was lying on the ground.
It happened to be towards the end of January of 2009-10 duck season and I was duck hunting on the Rio Grande which was adjacent to the Torres/Dotson land. I had asked their permission a few years prior to that. It was my pass to be able to get to the river. Let's say that I have had more than my fair share of duck and goose hunts to last a life time of spinning yarns.
Chili and I were walking out, the morning hunt being over and I was really loaded down. With the Benelli over my shoulder, a folding chair and coffee thermos in my left hand, a strap around my neck that had 3 Ross's geese, 4 greenheads, a drake Mexican duck, and a gorgeous baldpate hanging there, I came to a sudden stop when I heard that familiar voice of Hal's break the silence. "My God, have you ever thought of leaving a few ducks and geese for seed?" he asked. I looked up and saw that wide grin on his face and we began to chat. He looked like he was having fun just pussy footing around with his single shot 10 gauge shot gun resting at his side. I always called it his cannon because that gun had a 36 inch barrel and looked like one. He took a picture of me and as he put away his camera, began talking until I heard him utter the word "Freeze!"
My eyes just looked straight ahead to his and that is how I knew what was going on. A small flock of mallards and one Mexican drake flew over my decoys that were still out in the small creek and as they came closer to the edge they made a swing towards the south to head back to the Rio Grande. I watched Hal shoulder his gun and when he touched off that round, it was like a mad bolt of thunder that broke the silence. I watched the Mexican drake collapse in mid air. I yelled, "Way to go, Hal. That was one hell of a shot!" It was then that we watched Chili take off and make the retrieve.
Anyway, I only had to walk less than a hundred feet from where I had parked my four wheeler and I was at the edge of the river area. Looking west from there was a small stream of water that happened to be my cornucopia of duck hunting. This lasted almost 4 years and I do know how lucky a person I am to have found this spot. It was like there were hidden magnets in the area that seemed to draw the ducks to it. I think I was only using 9 decoys and boy, did they work!
From that spot my gaze took me to the other side of the river, which was about 2 city blocks from where I had set up. Now if you want to get over there, you must walk through brush, bushes and trees all ranging from the 10 to 12 foot range with some getting up to 20 feet tall now. Times are a changing and duck hunting has changed with it.
You have to know that at one time there happened to be duck food all over this place. Then slowly the farmers/ranchers would start letting their cows have free range in the Rio Grande corridor. That is a tough piece of real estate to monitor by the way. So now I had bovines eating all the duck food and then the saplings took over, the brush grew higher, which then created another monster, called sand. When the winds really howled, the flying sand would get hung up in the brush and then hills began to form. Presently I am eye balling an area for my blind and it is 5 feet above the river.
Time never stands still in the desert southwest. It might just make a wild change some day when a gully washer lets loose and all of a sudden there is a massive wall of water cascading down the Rio Grande corridor. Who knows, maybe a new route will be made back on the east side of the corridor and who ever is hunting ducks at the time will think that they are pretty lucky! Heck, it could happen in my lifetime---maybe.
Al
Foot note; I am going to give this hull to Andy, who is one of Hal's sons. I will tell him the story, also. Oh, maybe a half dozen years ago we lost Hal to a massive heart attack. He was so young, just 52. His son, Andy, is quite the guy. I had him in my summer church camp class. He also was that kid that came over to my house one day to check out my pigeons. He raised them for years. I can still remember taking him duck hunting when he came home on leave from one of his two tours to Iraq.
The family has a burial plot on the land, where Hal's ashes were placed. I will not forget putting some shells into that freshly dug hole as each of us that was present there on that day, said something about this wonderful man.
I have only a few pictures of Chili and the years I hunted with her. I lost them in my computer and time just kept on trying to pass me by. These pictures were taken of Habanero aka Habi, who was 9 months old in December of 2012. The pictures will give you some idea of what a small area I hunted which was perfectly suited for ducks looking for a place to loaf the day away.
View attachment _MG_8181.JPGView attachment _MG_8269.JPGView attachment _MG_8281.JPGView attachment _MG_8365.JPGView attachment IMG_5785.JPG
Of course they were having some challenges trying to understand what real cold was, since the winters down here aren't considered anything major. I can remember having -20F and a couple of good snow storms that left 15 inches of snow for a few days. I'm glad that I had the experiences gained from living in Alaska for 8 years. I do know what it is like to try and navigate a cold spell on a three day weekend in Fairbanks, AK when it was -58F.
So my mind wandered back to the task at hand which was lopping saplings/branches. I ended up driving my Mule to a particular spot where an earthen berm was built to keep possible flood waters from racing through the land I was on. I got off the Mule and walked over to lop some saplings that had begun to lean into the trail area. I picked one up and tossed it to the side. As my eyes followed it I caught a glimpse of a shot gun shell on the ground. As I bent over to fetch it, my eyes lit up and my mind raced ahead because I knew exactly how it got to right where it was lying on the ground.
It happened to be towards the end of January of 2009-10 duck season and I was duck hunting on the Rio Grande which was adjacent to the Torres/Dotson land. I had asked their permission a few years prior to that. It was my pass to be able to get to the river. Let's say that I have had more than my fair share of duck and goose hunts to last a life time of spinning yarns.
Chili and I were walking out, the morning hunt being over and I was really loaded down. With the Benelli over my shoulder, a folding chair and coffee thermos in my left hand, a strap around my neck that had 3 Ross's geese, 4 greenheads, a drake Mexican duck, and a gorgeous baldpate hanging there, I came to a sudden stop when I heard that familiar voice of Hal's break the silence. "My God, have you ever thought of leaving a few ducks and geese for seed?" he asked. I looked up and saw that wide grin on his face and we began to chat. He looked like he was having fun just pussy footing around with his single shot 10 gauge shot gun resting at his side. I always called it his cannon because that gun had a 36 inch barrel and looked like one. He took a picture of me and as he put away his camera, began talking until I heard him utter the word "Freeze!"
My eyes just looked straight ahead to his and that is how I knew what was going on. A small flock of mallards and one Mexican drake flew over my decoys that were still out in the small creek and as they came closer to the edge they made a swing towards the south to head back to the Rio Grande. I watched Hal shoulder his gun and when he touched off that round, it was like a mad bolt of thunder that broke the silence. I watched the Mexican drake collapse in mid air. I yelled, "Way to go, Hal. That was one hell of a shot!" It was then that we watched Chili take off and make the retrieve.
Anyway, I only had to walk less than a hundred feet from where I had parked my four wheeler and I was at the edge of the river area. Looking west from there was a small stream of water that happened to be my cornucopia of duck hunting. This lasted almost 4 years and I do know how lucky a person I am to have found this spot. It was like there were hidden magnets in the area that seemed to draw the ducks to it. I think I was only using 9 decoys and boy, did they work!
From that spot my gaze took me to the other side of the river, which was about 2 city blocks from where I had set up. Now if you want to get over there, you must walk through brush, bushes and trees all ranging from the 10 to 12 foot range with some getting up to 20 feet tall now. Times are a changing and duck hunting has changed with it.
You have to know that at one time there happened to be duck food all over this place. Then slowly the farmers/ranchers would start letting their cows have free range in the Rio Grande corridor. That is a tough piece of real estate to monitor by the way. So now I had bovines eating all the duck food and then the saplings took over, the brush grew higher, which then created another monster, called sand. When the winds really howled, the flying sand would get hung up in the brush and then hills began to form. Presently I am eye balling an area for my blind and it is 5 feet above the river.
Time never stands still in the desert southwest. It might just make a wild change some day when a gully washer lets loose and all of a sudden there is a massive wall of water cascading down the Rio Grande corridor. Who knows, maybe a new route will be made back on the east side of the corridor and who ever is hunting ducks at the time will think that they are pretty lucky! Heck, it could happen in my lifetime---maybe.
Al
Foot note; I am going to give this hull to Andy, who is one of Hal's sons. I will tell him the story, also. Oh, maybe a half dozen years ago we lost Hal to a massive heart attack. He was so young, just 52. His son, Andy, is quite the guy. I had him in my summer church camp class. He also was that kid that came over to my house one day to check out my pigeons. He raised them for years. I can still remember taking him duck hunting when he came home on leave from one of his two tours to Iraq.
The family has a burial plot on the land, where Hal's ashes were placed. I will not forget putting some shells into that freshly dug hole as each of us that was present there on that day, said something about this wonderful man.
I have only a few pictures of Chili and the years I hunted with her. I lost them in my computer and time just kept on trying to pass me by. These pictures were taken of Habanero aka Habi, who was 9 months old in December of 2012. The pictures will give you some idea of what a small area I hunted which was perfectly suited for ducks looking for a place to loaf the day away.
View attachment _MG_8181.JPGView attachment _MG_8269.JPGView attachment _MG_8281.JPGView attachment _MG_8365.JPGView attachment IMG_5785.JPG
