Home for Christmas

Since September 14, 2012, we have been waiting for our new arrival to take his honored place in the guest room.  Traveling from the Tetons in Wyoming to Council Bluffs, he visited us only briefly before taking off for a better climate in beautiful San Francisco.  I am sure he sat on the dock at the bay watching the ships come and go or however it goes.  In this beautiful city he experienced the enjoyment of a fine tanning before a trip back to Council Bluffs.  New clothing was what he needed now, and it was off to Montana for a quick backing job.  This took several months as the clothier was way behind on her jobs and could not be pushed.

Who is this new arrival?  It is the black bear I shot on a trip with Bob Barlow of Barlow Outfitting in the Tetons.  The beauty of this region speaks for itself, and it was recommended that the trip be made before the elk season started and after the wood cutters had been in the region.  

Staying at the Tetonia Mountain View Lodge, the scenery is spectacular as you can see the back side of the Grand Tetons outside of Jackson pointing skyward.  Hunting the area is even more beautiful as the fall colors are starting to come into their own.  The tourist season is over and the mountains are left to the quiet solitude and grandeur one would expect on a hunting trip into the wilderness.

This trip was one of the highlights of my life and I am so fortunate to have had Bob Barlow guide me to areas in the mountains where bear has been spotted.  The areas were berry patches that the big guys would go to feast to help themselves gain weight for the coming long winter that exists in the mountains.

Looking at the backside of the Grand Tetons from the Tetonia Mountain View Lodge.

On the picture below, is the location where the big boy stuck his head out from behind a bush about 75 yards down the mountain.  Bob had gone back behind me to look at another place.  What was more amazing was the cell phone service I could obtain.  Behind me into the valley below was Driggs, Idaho, and just to the southeast and over the Tetons was Jackson Hole.  This area, being a popular tourist destination, must have created the need for good phone reception.  My wife talked and I whispered into the phone.  Looking down the mountain a big black head peeked around a bush and looked up at me.  The wind was in my face. He could not wind me.  The sun was behind my back, and I stood next to a tree with a couple a limbs stretching across my front.  Seeing me would be difficult.

The bear stuck his head out from behind the big pine tree and bush on the left.

Whispering, my only words were, "I have to go," and I slowly lowered the phone into my pocket.  The bear then appeared slowly taking a couple of steps forward.  Each time he moved, his head looked away from me, and I moved the gun up.  This took several stops and starts as he would look up the mountain at me.  Bob said afterward, "He knew something was there, but just could not make it out."

After several stops and starts, the gun was laid across a branch and the shot was made successfully.

There he is.

We prepped him out, and 36 hours later he was at the taxidermist in Council Bluffs resting on a bed of salt.  Then the journeys started.  

This is a guest room and it is a queen size bed.  That will welcome some guests.

Upon checking him in with the state of Wyoming, they took a tooth and a sample of his hair.  Six months later a postcard came in the mail and the state estimated the age at 11.5 years.  This was an old bear, and now he is home.

The proud parents. 

 Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.  Hank

Great book from a long time friend.  Add this to your library, I have.

The Mallards Have Been Found

Mallard shooting has been somewhat skimpy, well maybe not skimpy, but not the numbers we have seen in other years.  Sitting in the blind and staring skyward, many days I would see high fliers winging their way south when riding a strong north wind.  Why should they stop?  With a 30 to 40 mph wind from the north, and they fly almost 30 mph, they are really moving and bypass our fine looking place for a rest.

Ernie is checking out the landscape.

I am going to call my friend Dean in Texas and ask him what he is seeing in the rice fields of Texas.

Sunrise is a sight to see in the early morning.

It was time to do some research.  When talking with old friends, we always remember the days when a good snowfall in South Dakota would push massive flocks down to Nebraska and Iowa along the Missouri River.  The blinds are just 0.5 mile from the river, and we are right in the traffic zone.

Keith with a really big goose.

What is different today from 25 years ago is striking.  I fish northeastern South Dakota, and when I drive up I 29 to  Webster, SD,  the landscape has changed.  While there are more potholes, thanks to government purchases of wetland areas, the farmers now grow corn. Twenty-five years ago this was pasture ground or dry land wheat.  With the new hybrids, the Dakotas can grow corn with a shorter growing period than years ago.  They are matching yields in Nebraska and Iowa which have a longer growing period.   When the corn harvest is completed,  there is always a certain percentage of spillage left in the fields.  This is what is happening. When the farmers harvest in our vicinity, we have the same feeding fields for the waterfowl. Unless there are six inches to a foot of snow on the ground in the Dakotas, the birds do not leave.  There is plenty of open water and the giant reservoirs of South Dakota provide a great place to get a drink and some sand from the North Dakota border to the Nebraska border. 

There goes Jackson after a downed bird.

The one thing we do get is Canada geese and lots of Canada geese.  With limits now moved up to five per day, the group has been having outstanding shooting.  Still, I like the Mallards the best, even though they all eat the same.  It is just that the Mallard is a bigger duck with a bigger breast.

Windy days in the decoys.

The State of South Dakota has published Missouri River Waterfowl Counts (http://gfp.sd.gov/hunting/waterfowl/counts/week03.aspx)  The count is for November 26th and shows how many ducks are in South Dakota.  The top of the list is the northern most location and each site moves further south. Not shown are the counts of geese.  I assume that the majority of the ducks are Mallards as historically they are the last of the ducks to come.

1. Upper Oahe                      119,600
2. Lower Oahe                      272,500
3. Pierre Area                           3,400
4. Lake Sharpe                      275,725
5. Lake Francis Case            124,600
6. Red Lake                            45,000
7. Lake Andes                              -

                                   Total                                      840,825


What more can be said?  When the numbers show the massive number of birds up north.  I wonder how many came through already.

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This book is written by a person friend and I highly recommend it.
 

Good fishing, good hunting, and good luck.  Hank

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The Weatherman Fakes Us Out

 100 Hot Books

The best laid plans of mice and men, and in this case we relied on the weather forecast.  Southerly flow, especially from the east is not good for our situation.  Westerly flow is better, but when it is right out of the north, Katie bar the door, the birds are on the way.  This is what happened on a beautiful weekday morning.  The forecast was for winds out of the north.

Shooting time.  Notice the calmness of the water.

We arrived at the lake well before shooting time.  There must have been at least 12 hunters and we split up into the middle and south pits.  The lake was totally empty with the walk in and that is a bad sign.  Still everyone was relying on the forecast.  We expected the winds to pick up at any time and blow from the north.

RedHead Deluxe Hand Warmer Shell Belt

Several of our club members wear this setup.  Keeps shells handy and your hands warm until you are ready to shoot. Click on the link above or the pic to order from Bass Pro.

With shooting time, everyone was very quiet and the conversations were kept to a whisper.  When you have still days like we were experiencing, the birds can hear you.  Also the blinds are made of steel, and that will add to the echo.  You make any noise and they are gone.  So everyone in both pits was quiet, quiet, and quiet.  We waited.

Benelli 12 Gauge Super Black Eagle II Semi Auto Shotgun

This is the gun I shoot.  You can buy it through Bass Pro.  Click on the picture or link to purchase and for pick up instructions.  If your wife says anything, just tell her it appeared.  Works for me.

Soon the usual local birds made their appearance.  How did we know they were local?  They never landed or locked up to make the final approach into the decoy setup.  They had been there before.  They circle and circle and start to come in, then rise up over the lake or the pits showing us their bottoms and wing their way to annoy another group of hunters.  The consensus of opinion is that their bottoms start to burn upon approaching the lake or the pits.  It makes for action and there is always hope.

Duck Commander Series Hot Shot Motorized Mallard Decoy

Our club operates two of these decoys.  They are very effective and help draw the birds into the lake.Click on the pic or the link to buy from Bass Pro.

After total daylight, everyone was standing up in the blinds and for most of us the top of the pits are shoulder high.  The talk was about patience.  If we just waited a little longer, the wind would switch and there would be action.  Food was passed around, coffee was guzzled down, but there was never a discouraging word. Well maybe one or two.

Duck Commander Waterfowl 4.0mm Neoprene Hip Boots for Men

This is the boot I wear.  Click on the link to buy from Bass Pro.

Nearing 11 AM, hunters slowly gathered up their gear and started to head back to their vehicles.  At that point there was only half of what we had started out with, and by 11:30 I was ready to hit the bricks.

Drake Waterfowl Old School Floating Blind Bags

Click on the pic or the link above to buy from Bass Pro.

A light breeze developed from the south and put a little ripple on the water.  Then it happened.  A group of six mallards dropped right out of the clear blue sky.  With wings locked up and feet down they were coming in for a drink.  No one moved, and our excellent duck callers just gave a few chuckles.  I always say to myself, " I need a movie camera so that everyone can enjoy this beautiful sight."  We harvested the six birds, and everyone headed for home.

QuietWear Reversible Fleece Radar Cap

I wear this cap in the blind when it gets really cold.  Click on the link or the pic to buy from Bass Pro.

Checking the weather patterns for the next few days, showed a major low pressure developing in the pacific northwest with high winds and a lot of precipitation.  That should stir things up. 

 
Click on the link above for great buys on the website.
Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck. Hank

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They Flew South Riding the North Wind

An enormous cold front moved southeast out of Canada and a low pressure rolled out of the southwest carrying a lot of moisture.  Then they collided. This brought inclement weather with powerful winds out of the north and precipitation.  This was duck weather, and the hunters turned out in force.

The decoys are pushed up to the weed line in the calmer water

Besides all the hunters, you get a lot of long underwear showing up.  You have to get to the blind, but after that you are sitting below ground level with padded seating and propane heat.  It is called "gentlemen hunting."  When I was a boy we had to walk into a marsh to get to open water.  We would then put out about 12 to 18 decoys or as much as we wanted to carry.  Then we carved out a blind of weed and still stood in the water.  The clothing was wool and heavy, not anything like the modern fabrics we have today.  However, on this day who cares how much inclement weather we have to put up with.  It is warm inside.  

Heads are down to stay out of the wind.  Three blinds are lined up in a row heading north with 20 acres of water on each side.

It started slow.  The wind switched to the northeast.  While it was still northerly, for good shooting we wanted a northwest blow.  The birds came in small to medium flocks.

They eat really good.

With the wind, they would have to swing over the top of the blinds and then make a hard turn into the wind to land.  These were not the best shots, but with 20+ hunters, meat was dropped.  They locked up and almost fell from the base of the clouds.

Olympic Gold Medal winner for trap shooting.

Traveling with the wind, the flocks would break formation, wings would lock up and it looked like they were falling out of the sky.  Then with a few pumps with the wings to stabilize themselves, the legs would drop down and into the decoys they came. 

Ernie likes Canada Geese

Watching migrating ducks drop out of the sky is a sight to witness.  On this day we were seeing a lot of tired and thirsty birds.

The best part of the day is the dogs in action

While the shooting was outstanding, the best part of any day is the dogs.  With two dogs on hand, they went to work bringing in the dropped birds.  The best part of a well trained dog, is you almost never lose a cripple.  

Here comes Jackson with a nice fat mallard

As a boy we did not hunt with a dog.  I felt it lucky just to have the opportunity to get out and try my hand at shooting and half freezing to death.  We shot lead then, and I do not remember having cripples.  Most of the time they fell dead, but today with the requirement to shoot steel, the parameters change.  Steel does not have the density of lead and loss of energy takes place over the distance to the target.  This is now being changed with different types of non toxic shot, increasing the velocity, and different metals more dense than lead.  The hunters in the club shoot about everything.

Cooking deer sausage.  How much better can it get than that

Limits were easily filled with a few mallards, but we harvested a larger number of smaller ducks on previous hunts. 

A flight of Canada geese setting up and locking up to come into the blinds.

 By mid morning the Canada geese started to decoy.  Again the shooting was excellent.  The day ended early with the decoys being pulled and the ice beaten off to get things ready for the next day.

Another excellent shooter

These are great days and it is what hunting along the Missouri River bottoms is all about.

It is not all fun, there is work to do.

I just bought this book for my Kindle. 

Good hunting, good fishing, and good luck.  Hank

 

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