Dave Shady Larsen
Well-known member
Man ya know when you have one of them days... Got up late for starters I make my way to the ramp at 830am. It was super foggy, a couple of guys were already comin back no ducks they made the comment you better have a compass or know where your going. I headed south from the ramp out into the fog. It wasnt to bad I kept the bluffs on my right and headed to where I wanted to hunt and up pops a head... out and around for me. Down to the spillway and sat wor a lil bit, whacked a Hen GE and gordy got to do some deep water belly flops.
Heres some of the fog before it got THICK.
Im still trying to catch him in mid-air, he does a nice 5-6' launch
oh well ill get him eventualy here is his 1st hen GE
Very nice bird a lil on the small side but nice coloration
Ok so i get tired of the south part of the river and head north up the channel, the fog was lifting until i drove back into the 5000+ can,bill and mallards sitting in the pool then the fog rolled back in fast. I could just see the tip of the Iowa bluffs and headed for shoreline. I sat for a bit as the guy in my 1st choice spot left I moved in. Nothing going there either it was about 1030am not. I get the boat oof the shoreline and start the motor... rrrrr rrrrr rrrrrr clunk..... I left my headlights on..... battery is dead. Im about 1/2 mile from the ramp.
I start to walk then pole the lil 19' barge up shore towards the ramp and denise calls and she is getting my porta jumper that I forgot at home and going to meet me 1/2 way to the ramp. There are cabins along the RR tracks and I get the boat to there at about 11:30am. She gets there I thank her much and get the rig fired up and head north back to my fav spot for afternoons. I never put a coat on today short sleeve shirt and my waders it was 60 degrees and from the poleing and pulling the boat i was drenched anyways in the neoprene 1000 gram thinsulate waders.
Noon I hit my fav spot put out 5 decoys 4 Buffies and 1 labrador and drop anchor. I get the boat fixed up and load up the 12ga. A single comes from the right one shot 30 yards drop the lil buff. Gordy is out to get her and here comes a pair from the right. 3 shots 2 more down and hes not even back to the boat yet.
Gordy and Buffie
Over the next hour I score two more buffies and have our 6 duck limit in the bag. This takes gordy up to 88 retrieves for the season. Very proud of his work he is doing well for not yet a year old still. Before we left a trophy bird come sailing in at the boat. I had my limit already but this was a REAL trophy bird and the gun still had 1 shell in it........
It was a nice bull at that....
To hard to pass this one up
so after 88 ducks the meat dog will still fetch a coot... its a good thing