What a pussy....

Huntindave McCann said:
Not looking too promising. Froze over again last night and a lot of ice coming down stream.
Click to expand...

I agree, looks pretty sucky, that is the one good thing about the saltwater...
 
Tod,
Great post, I am with you. Like you my hands can not tolerate the cold like they use to. Back in the day no
problem. I was able to get out yesterday before this cold front came through and shoot a couple of birds
so I am very happy sitting by the wood stove today. Had a wicked snow squall come through while I was out made things a little interesting....
 
Flashback to a day when when my fingers were too numb to pull the choke out on a 6hp boat motor that was icing up.
I looked down to see my converse tennis shoes awash in water splashing over the side of a 14' boat on the Mississippi.
As I turned around around to see if my friend was looking worried, Ice sheets cracked and fell off my arms.

We were probably 15 and indestructible but man we were really really, clueless.
I'd like to say I'm smarter now but we set out a layout boat a few years back when it was -15.
The wind was blowing a low fog off the water and the hunter and boat became invisible when he lay down.
At this point I feel lucky to have survived my younger years.
 
Mike Sheppard said:
.
At this point I feel lucky to have survived my younger years.
Click to expand...

More than once I have told my daughters this, especially in connection with my driving habits on dark two lanes roads. They are adults now and have begun to understand what I was talking about.
 
I don't blame you Tod. Today was cold here in CT. I'm not always smart enough to stay home and warm. I'm going out Saturday and going to set up for divers, will be a bit warmer, and I'm not working.
Does anybody feel guilty not going out when they have the day off, or time to hunt?
 
Tod,

I hope you will find the following interesting: During the last years of his life Dave Hagerbaumer would make all sorts of plans during the summer for the upcoming season. That included making a lot of decoys etc. Then he would spend the winter in front of his fire throwing wood on it. No hunting at all. He was in his 80s then. It use to get on my nerves and I would discuss it with Marge.
Well, now that I am 77 with bladder cancer and Parkinson's I find myself doing much the same. I still get out, but at a much limited basis. The way things are going, I may end up just sitting by the fire myself. This has become especially true in just the last two years. Frankly I never thought this would happen. I guess I am saying that while one is able to get out, do so, because age brings with it some major disappoints. Best, Worth
 
Eric Patterson said:
Dave

Not sure everyone will agree with me but I have always felt the wind to be colder when it blows over large saltwater rather that inland freshwater. Probably in my head but it always feels that way. The one condition I have grown to refuse hunting in is 35 degrees and a steady rain. NO THANK YOU!

Eric
Click to expand...

I would agree with you Eric.....though I will say I think the coldest I have ever been was a hunt with Steve and Hitch. It was ONLY about 50 degrees out (obnoxiously high humidity) but we had had a 45 mph airboat ride to get to where we were hunting. By the end of the ride we were all crawling into decoy bags trying to stay warm.
 
tod osier said:
I'm sitting here dicking around on the internet and puttering around the house today when I should be out, but damn, it is cold and windy to be on the water. This kind of weather used to be my bread and butter for waterfowling, but I'm not screwing with it anymore... like I said - what a pussy.

Might deer hunt tomorrow, and next week the weather is a little better for getting out on the coast.
Click to expand...

I didn't reply yesterday because, well, I'm a pussy to. Went out one day last week and had to break ice. I'm not comfortable doing that anymore. Even more so when I'm hunting solo and the only one on the river. I did sit in the ground blind during a 20 something week deer hunting and It was pretty nice once the sun hit the roof and defrosted everything. After reading Dani's post I remember just before moving to Florida Hitch says come on over and I'll take you duck hunting. He said to bring all my northern clothes that I'll be surprised how cold the marsh can be. Well I didn't follow his suggestion much mostly because shipping my hunting gear was getting expensive. 40 something degrees. That's a tee shirt and light camo jacket up here. I did take my heavy duck coat but not much of anything thermo. Man what a mistake. 0 dark thirty and Hitch is running the airboat full throttle hanging on to a hand held GPS. We hunted out of Carstens Puddlers and I couldn't wait for the sun to come up! Damn it was cold.

Don't sweat it, there will be other days.
 
Worth Mathewson said:
Tod,

I hope you will find the following interesting: During the last years of his life Dave Hagerbaumer would make all sorts of plans during the summer for the upcoming season. That included making a lot of decoys etc. Then he would spend the winter in front of his fire throwing wood on it. No hunting at all. He was in his 80s then. It use to get on my nerves and I would discuss it with Marge.
Well, now that I am 77 with bladder cancer and Parkinson's I find myself doing much the same. I still get out, but at a much limited basis. The way things are going, I may end up just sitting by the fire myself. This has become especially true in just the last two years. Frankly I never thought this would happen. I guess I am saying that while one is able to get out, do so, because age brings with it some major disappoints. Best, Worth
Click to expand...

Thanks for your words of wisdom Worth, I appreciate it. I was "lucky" in my mid-thirties that my wife and I had a serious enough flirtation with a significant health issue that I believe that I learned some of that lesson early. While I didn't become a complete hedonist, I did completely realign my life with the understanding that you have to live your life now. The genesis of the "What a pussy..." feeling is that the drive to get out there is strong knowing that I only have so many more adventures left in me. I hope that I can look back and see that the balance was there to be able to maximize both the quality and quantity of the time spent in the field and with family, but also that I was able to sustain it in both the short- and long-term without too many negatives creeping in.

I'm sorry to hear about the health issues you are having. I wish I was closer to be able to offer up some help. I hope that you can take solace that in your adventures and in your craft you inspired many to get out there and live their life and also gave many joy when they were unable to get out.
 
jode hillman said:
Lol, I knuckled down and went out. Lots of ice built overnight. But lots of ducks too! Chasing decoys through ice floes is not fun though. I figured I?d be smarter than this at my age, but I still can?t stop. The deer stand is so much easier. But I?ve killed a pile of them so far.
Click to expand...

You know, I always thought you were a decent guy, but kick me when I'm down with stories of lots of birds. :).
 
Ed L. said:
tod osier said:
I'm sitting here dicking around on the internet and puttering around the house today when I should be out, but damn, it is cold and windy to be on the water. This kind of weather used to be my bread and butter for waterfowling, but I'm not screwing with it anymore... like I said - what a pussy.

Might deer hunt tomorrow, and next week the weather is a little better for getting out on the coast.
Click to expand...

I didn't reply yesterday because, well, I'm a pussy to. Went out one day last week and had to break ice. I'm not comfortable doing that anymore. Even more so when I'm hunting solo and the only one on the river. I did sit in the ground blind during a 20 something week deer hunting and It was pretty nice once the sun hit the roof and defrosted everything. After reading Dani's post I remember just before moving to Florida Hitch says come on over and I'll take you duck hunting. He said to bring all my northern clothes that I'll be surprised how cold the marsh can be. Well I didn't follow his suggestion much mostly because shipping my hunting gear was getting expensive. 40 something degrees. That's a tee shirt and light camo jacket up here. I did take my heavy duck coat but not much of anything thermo. Man what a mistake. 0 dark thirty and Hitch is running the airboat full throttle hanging on to a hand held GPS. We hunted out of Carstens Puddlers and I couldn't wait for the sun to come up! Damn it was cold.

Don't sweat it, there will be other days.
Click to expand...

Was out this morning for deer and was thinking... "at least I'm not on the water...". :) 15 degrees with snow and a bright moon while not the best for deer hunting, sure is pretty. We have good weather predicted coming up, so I'm getting excited to get out on the Sound.
 
I think that only you can judge whether you should be out there or not....I'm probably on the younger side of most guys on this forum (I just turned 41 in September) but I know that the perspective on things changes as you get older. Cold doesn't bother me much yet but I definitely already feel it more than I did in my 20's. Best to listen to that little voice in your head, don't judge yourself on what others might think. The birds will still be there, hell I used to try to be out during the thick of every front that came through but I've come to realize that often times the clear, cold days after a front rolls through are can offer better hunting than during the storm itself. I do believe in making the most of every day but sometimes being inside and appreciating the little comforts of home and hearth are just as rewarding as being out in the elements.
 
tod osier said:
I'm sorry to hear about the health issues you are having. I wish I was closer to be able to offer up some help. I hope that you can take solace that in your adventures and in your craft you inspired many to get out there and live their life and also gave many joy when they were unable to get out.
Click to expand...

Amen. exactly what i was going to write in resonse!

Worth, I sold off my hunting books a few years back when I knew i had a big move coming.
The one book I kept is my copy of Big December Canvasback.
'Nuff said.
 
Boy do I hear you. Unfortunately up here if I didn't hunt in the cold I may as well give up duck hunting. I don't go anymore when rain is in the forecast and I don't float some of the rivers I used to when I was younger. Floating in the dark with temps below zero all along was an accident waiting to happen. My all time "record" was -11 when I put the Hoefgen in the river to float downstream to the hunting spot. Got there and got set up. I remember it being really cold until the sun came up and gave some reprieve. When it came time to get back upstream, I had one of my homebuilt weed eater mud motors on the back. Fired it up but the prop wouldn't spin. I knew I didn't break a shear pin as the motor hadn't started until it was time to get back upstream. Lesson learned, The prop shaft had frozen ice around it and wouldn't turn (I left the prop sitting outside the boat but not in the water). Simple fix was to put the motor in the water and wait awhile until the ice "melted".

Those days are done for me. Went out ice fishing yesterday and it was a balmy 25. Walking out to the spot was cold but walking back in the dark was even colder. Man, I'm getting old.

Mark
 
Glad I,m not the only ol fart that's feeling the weather this season. Our Canada goose season came in this morning here on the Eastern Shore. Been looking forward to it all fall as this is a late start for us here in Md. My big water blind is a good place to shoot a goose consistently. Had 16" boat hooked up , decoys loaded, everything loaded to go last night but would be hunting by myself. Even stuck a buddy heater in there to keep the chill off dog after retrieves. Just about a mile run from the ramp to my blind. Got up at 4:45 a.m. and looked at outside thermometer showing 16 degrees. Said to myself, self , tomorrow its supposed to be a balmy 22 degrees in the a.m. , I,ll have 2 great nephews going with me and probably same geese will fly by the blind. Went back to bed with dreams of goose down in my head! I,ll get em in the morning..
 
If there was a scale to rate the risk that we take as duckhunters.. I think I would fall in on the Dumb~Dumb side.. Not completely stupid but no so bright.. I still love the battle...
 
tod osier said:
Worth Mathewson said:
Tod,

I hope you will find the following interesting: During the last years of his life Dave Hagerbaumer would make all sorts of plans during the summer for the upcoming season. That included making a lot of decoys etc. Then he would spend the winter in front of his fire throwing wood on it. No hunting at all. He was in his 80s then. It use to get on my nerves and I would discuss it with Marge.
Well, now that I am 77 with bladder cancer and Parkinson's I find myself doing much the same. I still get out, but at a much limited basis. The way things are going, I may end up just sitting by the fire myself. This has become especially true in just the last two years. Frankly I never thought this would happen. I guess I am saying that while one is able to get out, do so, because age brings with it some major disappoints. Best, Worth
Click to expand...

Thanks for your words of wisdom Worth, I appreciate it. I was "lucky" in my mid-thirties that my wife and I had a serious enough flirtation with a significant health issue that I believe that I learned some of that lesson early. While I didn't become a complete hedonist, I did completely realign my life with the understanding that you have to live your life now. The genesis of the "What a pussy..." feeling is that the drive to get out there is strong knowing that I only have so many more adventures left in me. I hope that I can look back and see that the balance was there to be able to maximize both the quality and quantity of the time spent in the field and with family, but also that I was able to sustain it in both the short- and long-term without too many negatives creeping in.

I'm sorry to hear about the health issues you are having. I wish I was closer to be able to offer up some help. I hope that you can take solace that in your adventures and in your craft you inspired many to get out there and live their life and also gave many joy when they were unable to get out.
Click to expand...


And that is the crux of the matter. I actually said to myself as I was hooking up my deceased friends boat /Im going today for all my buddies who cant anymore./

We only have so many trips around the sun.

Worth, I wish you the best with you health issues. You have enriched all our lives immensely and I hope you continue too for many more years.
 
Last edited:
Worth, So sorry to learn of your health issues . Yes getting old is not for sissies , I am 78 will be 79 very soon. I am making plans to put the bbsb over board 27 Dec. at our duck shack on the Chesapeake. With that being said I think the weather will tell if it happens. Siting in front of the pellet stove with a cigar and a couple of fingers of Balvenie is a good second choice. Best luck an d prayers to you and yours. Merry Christmas .Fritz.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top