Skunked



The hunting season started out with a bang.  A nice 350 to 400 pound black bear, then a camera safari to Kenya and Tanzania, followed by an Elk trip to Colorado.  Then came some excellent duck and goose shooting.  Then the Nebraska limit of two turkeys was filled within two weeks.  How could it get much better? 

Well it did not.  With an Iowa turkey tag to fill, a quick check in with the landowner down by the Missouri River was not positive.  He reported that there was little traffic in the area that had been hunted for the last 5 years.  The turkeys were on the west side of the levee and close to the river per one of his deer hunters.  He also indicated that the smell of rotting dead deer was strong in some areas due to the virus infection hitting the deer this summer and early fall. 

Still, patterns were etched in my mind and the first of two trips was made to my favorite woods and pasture.  Starting around 8 AM, and hunting till 11 AM.  The second journey started at 3 PM and lasted till sundown.

The landowner suggested that a hunter should set up along the electric fence line around the pasture.  The few he had seen seem to come out late morning to late afternoon and stayed in the easterly side of the pasture close to the dense woods. 

Hiding in the the hanging branches was the first location. 

With that in mind, I stayed in the pasture on the north east side and set up in some standing or fallen timber.  The only turkey sign found was a pile of feathers where it was assumed that some hungry critter had a meal, but did not like the taste of feathers.  The weather was warm and no wind.  This made for a really pleasant experience.  Who cares about the wind.  Turkeys do not wind you anyways, but they do have extremely sharp vision and can see long distances.  The key is to remain as still as possible.  Usually I carry a lightweight folding chair and push back into dead or standing timber.  Plus I wear a leaf suit which covers my entire body.  I have had turkeys in dense timber walk right by me.  As long as there was no movement, they did not know a person was there.  Changing locations twice, nothing happened.  So, the plan was to come back in the afternoon.

Sitting with my back against the first tree on the right kept me in the shadows.

Arriving around 3 PM, a quick walk was made to the easterly edge of the pasture.  In this area, there were no signs of turkey, and there were no feathers laying around anywhere.  Usually if turkeys have been going through an area, you will see some droppings and some feathers.  Usually not a lot, but if the signs are fresh, your opportunity just went up. 

Sitting right in front of the big tree might be a little exposed, but visibility was good 180 degrees, and a person just had to sit real still.

The temperature was now around 70, and the wind had came up to a really brisk breeze.  This does not affect the hunting, it just makes it more comfortable with the tendency to take a nap.  What is really interesting about this area is the lack of any sightings of mountain lion.  Just 30 miles to the north, there has been multiple sightings.  The deer population has always been very high, and the only thought might be the closness of the city and traffic bordering the north of the farm. Coyotes have been spotted on the ground.

Right in front of the tree on the right and behind all the brush was the best spot of all.  Here the spot was a 100 yards out from the dense timber, but in the past they had traversed through this area.  This was the last spot to try but I got skunked anyway.

Following the same process of sitting in one spot for at least 90 minutes and then sneaking off as slowly and quietly as possible still produced no results. 

My tag expires at the end of the month.  This year the Iowa turkey tag may not be filled, unless I head west across the levee and into the dense timber toward the river.  The process is called hunting and not shooting.  There is still time to go.  Getting skunked happens periodically.

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Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

 

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What a Day



If you are a duck hunter, it can hardly get any better than this.  The forecast was for terrible weather with falling temperatures and high winds from a northerly direction. The best part was the heavy snowfall in the Dakotas.  It is great when they get lots of snow and we get none.  The ground north is covered up and the birds have to move to find food.  Adding to the fact that the water starts freezing up and the birds are not able to get a drink. They have to leave and head south.

Here comes our man Jackson retreiving a big northern mallard.

The club has had a phenominal season with some of the best shooting ever seen.  With the drought throughout the midwest, the potholes were all dried up. As the birds came south, they ran right into 40 acres of open water.  The numbers at the northerly reserves did not seem right.  The reserves north of us were not holding a lot of birds.  The thought was that they were strung out, slowly working their way south.  The midwest has had unseasonably warm weather and no precipitation. 

Why are these guys smiling.  It is freezing cold.

Then came the forecast.  It consisted of snow in the Dakotas stretching over to Minnesota, temperatures in the teens, and really strong winds from the northwest to north.  As I arrived at the blind, the temp was a balmy 38 degrees and with a light breeze.  The question was asked, "Where is the weather?"  A few ducks were taken, but there was no movement.  Then it hit and with a vengeance.  As I looked to the north, a gray line of clouds was working its way south.  The temperature began plunging, and the wind started blowing.  It was miserable to be out in it.

Ernie pointing out where birds have fallen.

The dogs did not do it all. 

Strings of migrating snow geese began flying over the top of us just below the base of the clouds. Then came the mallards.  Migrating flocks started locking up and coming down like they were on an elevator.  With wings cupped, it looked like they were falling out of the sky. Against the wind they were almost motionless.  To stand up and shoot was brutal because you were immediately hit with a blast of icy cold air. This is eastern Nebraska, and high humidity makes it that much colder.  The blinds are heated with propane burners so it is nice and toasty in the blinds.  As you stand up to shoot you get a really good feel as to the weather. As they came into the wind, there was little time to get off a good shot when it was called. We had to move quickly because the birds would turn immediately climbing with the wind to get out of Dodge.

The best shot in the country.  Jim has Olympic Gold Medals to his name and shoots for gun manufacturers

I never got a count of hunters, but several left between 10 AM and noon with limits of Mallards.  The excellent traffic kept it up until about 3 PM.  Most of us left with a limit of really nice northern Mallards.  What was really interesting with all the Canada Goose traffic we have had, there was not one taken.  The next day the boys got into the Canadas and had an outstanding shoot. 

Jackson's dad helping him bring in some birds.

With no snow on the ground and warming temperatures we should continue to have excellent hunting until the season ends.

Rusty is bundled up to face the elements.  He is incognito so the birds do not recognize him.


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Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank.

 

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This is Almost a Crime

I almost felt guilty.  The morning started off at 4 AM and it was the drive up to Tekamah for a day of duck and goose shooting.  That is the good news.  The bad news was winds were out of the south forecasted to move to the southwest around 5 - 10 miles per hour.  In addition, temperatures were to be climbing from the middle 40s in the morning to the mid 60s by noon.  Still, it has happened before, and it doesn't always hold true that this type of weather does not produce good waterfowl shooting.  Northerly flow, cold weather, and a spit of precipitation seems to work the best.  

There were only three club members and two guests for a total of five hunters.  Fortunately one of the hunters there owned an outstanding yellow lab.  When we did, or if, we got into some birds watching the dog work would be one of the highlights of the day.

Watching a good dog work is one of the highlights of the day.

The lake was empty when we walked in, and that was not a good sign.  At shooting time a small flock of mallards flew overhead and stayed way out of gun range.  They had been there before and a burning bottom was probably well etched in their memory.   Several other small flocks of ducks worked the lake with a couple of passes, but they seemed to get higher as they approached.  The comment was made, "We need some fresh birds and a snowstorm in the Dakotas."

And then it happened.  A flock of low flying Canada geese locked up and began to sail towards the lake.  As they got closer, they re-formed into a V climbed and flew directly overhead.  Another comment was made to the effect that they know this place. Finally a group of about 15 Canadas locked up and sailed into the kill zone coming in from the northeast.  At the edge of the lake they began to pump and started up.  The shot was called and four were dropped.  There was debate about the call on the shot.  Some people felt they were just going around again to set up and drop into the water.  Another opinion was they must not have like what they saw and decided to get the heck out of Dodge.  These Canadas are really big, and they will make a lot of meat for someone. 

Sitting there for another two hours was more that my backside could take.  The Big Chicken had a patty melt special and since we had been eating so much healthy game a little fat and chlosterol was to be enjoyed. 

Calling my good friend north of Fort Calhoun, I asked for permission to stop on the way home and try out his farm for turkeys.  The week before the Nebraska Deer Season, a spot was found in the afternoon where they were running.  Nebraska is a rifle state, and when the deer hunters are out in force, staying out of the timber is a good rule to follow.

At the farm a quick check in with the owner was done.  Down below the farm house at the bottom of a steep hill runs a small stream.  Two weeks ago it was discovered that the turkeys were coming up from the stream and then moving up the hill to an area that held a lot of oak trees.  This location was where the first one was taken.  Finding a downed tree with multiple branches, I wedged myself into the fallen timber to blend in with the mix.  Sixty+ degree temps and a light wind made for a perfect opportunity for a short nap which turned a little lenghty.  The crunching of fallen leaves woke me up and here they came.  There must have been 30 hens scratching and pecking the ground, and they were not quiet. 

Slowly moving the gun to my shoulder a nice big hen was selected from the flock, and at the right moment, ker-plunk, dinner was made available.  This was way way too easy, and the total time invested was not over 90 minutes including the nap. 

 This was just too easy.

I am limited out on Nebraska Turkeys and now have one more tag to fill for Iowa.  The farm has not been scouted so there needs to be some immediate contact with the landowner to find out where they are running.  


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Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

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Where Have All The Turkeys Gone



My fall turkey tag is still not filled, and I need this to round out the season.  At 5 AM the ground was covered with a heavy layer of frost.  There was no wind and the forecast was for rising temperatures.  After a gallon of coffee, it was time to head to the woods, which is only a 10 minutes drive for me.  I should have checked the temperature as it was really cold.  Getting out of the truck, the temp gauge showed 17 degrees.  It was just a little chilly.  Still the plan was to only stay until the sun was well up.  A person should be able to handle a little cold.

Turkeys were hard to come by on the farm right next to my house as they were all flocked up down by the river.  Crossing the levee to the west and walking toward the river is really tough going.  That was out of the question.  We had seen turkeys feeding in a cornfield close to the housing area.  Having seen this in the past, they had come from a section of woods and then made their way to the field.  I knew the path.

Looking straight west, the turkey will come off the roost and into the open ground and follow the tree line to the next field or feed right out in front.  Today, deer came out.

Setting up in the shadows bordering a reserve, put me in the shadows.  The waiting game was on to see if this plan was correct.  The sun rose over the trees to the back of me and lighted part of the field to my front.  It was obvious that they were off the roost or maybe not hiding where they had been before.  A light breeze came up right out of the southwest.  Wind is not an issue when hunting turkeys.  A friend of mine, an old turkey hunter, told me that the deer tell the turkeys we are in the woods.  Anyone who believes this, also believes that Elvis is still alive.  Still, spooking deer is not good as the rest of the game in the woods are alerted. 

Looking to my left and south.  I have pushed myself back into the standing grass behind me and kept myself in the shadows.

Then some action developed.  It was not the kind of action that was wanted, but still it was action.  A really big doe stepped out of the woods 50 yards in front of me.  She was followed by three smaller does and at the tail end came a small buck.  What was interesting about the buck was the big patch of white on his throat under his chin.  They looked straight at me, but because I was in the shadows and in a leaf suit, they could not figure out what was sitting there.  The wind was now straight in my face, and they could not wind me.  The leaf suit also is a scent blocker type of suit.  It has worked in the past as deer have been very close to me in dense timber. 

Two more are right behind

They moved closer and at an angle till they were about 25 yards away.  Here they stopped and stared.  The big doe stomped her foot.  Very, very slowly I moved  my hand to the game bag and pulled out my camera.  My first camera shots were taken pointing in the general direction.  Still moving very slowly, I lifted the camera up to my face where the shot was visible.  I took several shots.  They must have really calmed down because they would just pause, look straight at my location, then slowly moved toward the timber south of my hiding place.

Look how pretty she is just standing there staring at me.  This would have been an easy shot.

At this point in time, my body was feeling the effects of not wearing enough or the right kind of clothing for the cold temperatures of the morning.  I gathered up my gear and headed across the field in front of me.  Two more deer tried to come out of the woods.  The minute I stepped into the sunlight, up went their flags and off they went bounding into the timber. 

There is the little buck.  The white patch is visible just under his chin.  He walked with a lot of arrogance. 

This was a great morning watching the deer even though no turkeys were shot.

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Canada Geese by the Thousands



If you have ever read Lewis and Clark's chronicles about the trip up the Missouri River, what I just witnessed had to be very similar.  Thousands upon thousands of ducks and geese were flying, feeding and mucking around like waterfowl do on a regular basis.  What was more interesting was that there was no heavy snow cover up north in the Dakotas.  The thought is that due to the drought last summer and into the early fall, the waterholes are just plain dried up.  When you add the decreased production in corn and beans, there is not the usual table fare for the migrators as they travel south. 

The 40 acre lake where our group hunts is probably one of the first puddles of water that they find.  There is always the river, but we have not heard a lot of shooting on the river this fall. There is plenty of duck weed to nibble on.  The corn crop in the area while not up to normal, still produced what would have been considered as excellent 20 years ago. 

This is the best the hunting spot has ever looked.  It just makes you want to get in the water and paddle around.

There is my good friend John checking out the decoys and everything that moves or doesn't.

The wind moved out of the north and really began to blow.  The set-up at the blinds is made for just this type of shooting.  I arrived at the Big Chicken by 5:15 AM,  ordered a big breakfast, stoked down some coffee, and chatted with members from the club and met their guests.  By 5:45 AM everyone  headed out to the blinds to get in and get settled.  The lake was packed with ducks and geese.  When we walked in, the noise was deafening as they left the water.  The thought was, "They will be back, and we will be ready."

Right at shooting time, in came the Mallards.  These were not small flocks, but big ones and they just fell into the decoys.  With a total of 21 hunters in three blinds, there was plenty of room and the birds just fell out of the sky.  Periodically there would be a smaller flock of six or seven that would work the area, but would not finish.  They came low, but always stayed out of gun range.  The feeling was these were birds that had been over the area before, and their fannies still burned.  They remembered.

Now it was time for the dogs.  On this hunt there was one in each blind, and each one is outstanding.  Our group never loses a cripple.  With a black, chocolate, and a yellow lab in the blinds, we had all the colors.  Three things that everyone in the blinds are fond of is watching the ducks decoy, watching the dogs retrieve, and then dining on fresh game at home.  

Our man Junior bringing in a downed bird.

 Around 10 AM, it started.  The sky became filled with Canada Geese.  Flock after flock after flock began to decoy.  This was not swirling around the decoys and the blinds, they would lock up, make one pass and drop into the decoys.  As they approached the open water with the north wind, it looked like they were just hanging in the air motionless.  With 21 hunters,  this was an opportunity rarely seen.  We would pick up the dropped birds, and then have to hustle back to blinds because here came another flock.  These were not small groups of five or ten, but thirty and up.  At one point, there must have been a flock of 300+ really big Canada Geese setting sail with their wings cupped and gliding into the lake.  I did not even stand up to shoot, but just watched with my head just peeking out of the blind to watch this magnificent spectacle. 

This is only part of what we saw.  Sitting down in the pit and looking straight up overhead, this was just part of the flock that started coming into the lake.

At this point in time, the camera lens was just stuck up enough where there might be a chance of getting a picture of what was unfolding.  This was the lead of the 300+ and as you look at the picture to the right more geese were sailing in.  This is the biggest flock of Canada Geese I have ever seen come into a blind.  The only sound you could hear was the constant honking.  They were thirsty.

This was the pile of birds that were harvested.

With 21 hunters, the group had limited out on Canada Geese for a total of 63 geese harvested.  Several people left at noon with a limit of ducks also, but the majority of the hunters left after 2:30 PM.  The few hunters that stayed could not shoot anymore Canada Geese, but could still fill out their limits on Mallards.  As we stood south of the blinds, the Canada Geese were still decoying into the lake and the remaning hunters just stood up and watched.  What an exciting day!  

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Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

 

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