Lancer09

Been a big season of learning. Killed a greenhead on saturday at 10 yards landing in the decoys. Knocked down a ringneck and a gaddie this morning. Doing pretty much everything self taught or from youtube it's been pretty dang rewarding figuring it all out. From decoy placement, blinds, to how far to lead birds has been quite the season to figure it all out.

I've killed a couple of greenheads (lost one that dove under and got stuck in some weeds), 2 gaddies and a shovelor hen. My wife wants a few different drakes mounted along on/along a long wood slab angled from the floor to the ceiling. I really like those spoonie and bluebill drakes.

You killed more birds in one hunt than I've in 5. Something tells me your shooting percentage is substantially better than mine.

I only killed a doe during rifle this year and had the same thing happen. Granted I ended up getting her it, I missed twice before I finally hit her. I thought She was 250 ish out... I counted out to 330 ish when I stepped it off and found first blood. It's a good thing I was aiming high already. I was real lucky frankly because she had worked far enough to my right that I was shooting standing without a rest too.

Beginning in July each year I can't buy anything for myself, because when I do, it's usually something that has already been bought as a present. If I do buy something it needs to be something I have NEVER brought up in conversation. Woman has the memory of a darn matriarchal elephant.

Billet that venison looks amazing. Exact reason I want a sous vide. I think I'll be picking one up soon if it doesn't come from the wife for Christmas... Been dropping hints for 6 months now. One thing I did see that I think would be pretty neat. Awesome, and terrifying was a recipe for 72 hour short rib recipe. Cooking for three days!

Is all I did this morning... Teaching them that they can come hang out by me all they want and not get shot. Got out this morning and should have had a limit by 6:45 this morning. From Shooting light til 7:45 I never went more than five minutes without at least getting to work birds. had 8+ groups all cupped up and coming in. At least two more landed out of range including a group of 7. All I had to show for the day was a bunch of empty shells and one duck. I'm hunting a farm pond that is deep in the center 15+ feet but super muddy and super weedy pretty much everywhere now with so much silt coming in from the cattle. This pond used to be even deeper with no moss or weeds. But that one duck I shot at a quartering away and he sailed out into the middle. My first Greenhead. He was 90-100 yards out and I didn't think taking a shot that far would do any good and I'd just be wasting shells. I've been using my canoe to hunt the other side of the pond so I grabbed it and as I was putting in he dove, and never came back up. Saw my last group of birds at 7:45 and nothing else. Unfortunately I even had a bad wind today. 10 mph right into my face istead of back out across the point I'm sitting on like usual. Didn't matter birds still wanted to be there and I just couldn't get it done. Picking up 40 decoys solo, in a canoe, in the wind really sucked. So did paddling the whole 10 acre pond trying to see that duck below the surface. Oh well. Time to work on being patient and shooting those cupped up birds dropping in instead of just being able to hit the passing by shots. Time to move on to deer for a bit.

Was pretty slow for me. I'll probably be out one or two more times before Saturday. Saturday I hunted afternoon/evening. Jumped 1 group of 8 ish mallard drakes off when we got there. Sunday morning bright and early I think it was the same group circling above my decoys as I went ashore in my canoe and they bolted out... was around 6 am ish and still pretty early, left the decoys out from the night before. Eventually had a few teal come over and missed a shot on one. Ended up dropping one mallard out of a group of 10 that came in low and hot over me, Had to work the birds back to me but ended up dropping one.

Getting ready here! Got a small family farm pond that is perfectly clearing up some of the nasty moss from the cattle and more ducks are showing up every day. Watched a red head this morning for about five minutes. Had a mix of Mallards, teal, and gaddies on the pond the last few days.

Dig it. I usually use a few more saddles after the first layer of bucktail for more swimmy action. Like the rattle idea back off the bend. Ever dealt with short nipping fish pulling it off?

The large skunk I shot a few weeks back actually fell to one of the redfires. Single shot to the top of the head and he was done.

I like them actually. They definitely aren't as heavy as the rockets which is why I don't like them at the longer distances but up close they are deadly. There is a good bit of mushrooming compared to other pellets in .177. There is no doubt when you make a hit with them. There is a noticeable pop when the redfires find there mark.

I actually picked up the Gamo Hornett Maxxim in July to pick off squirrels that were getting tomatoes in the garden. I'm still picking tomatoes and still popping squirrels out of there. Yesterday number 45 took a dirt nap. There was also a very large skunk living underneath my front porch as well that met its demise. I wanted it in .22 but when I went to bass pro they only had it in a .177. Seems to be doing the job pretty good for me though! I'm shooting a mix of Gamo rocket pellets (got a copper bb in the nose) and the gamo red fires. I know the red fires are 2 grams lighter so they shoot a bit higher but at close range they hit harder than the rockets. The rockets shoot better for anything over 20 yards or so.

all of those trout are the McClouds. They aren't always colored up like so many of the pictures. Just revel in the fact that yo u can catch trout, in Missouri, in a creek that hasn't been stocked in over a hundred years.

I took no pictures.. .because I was stuffing my face.. Aldi has a pretty decent Thai Peanut sauce that's a great starting base. Cook up some chicken seasoned with S&P, Tumeric and Allspice. Get that all crispy in a super hot wok. Remove Chicken. Add a rough chopped onion, couple minced jalapenos, thai chili paste and some minced garlic. Cook down. Add the jar of peanut sauce which for me was just entirely too nutty and no spice, but a good start. Add another good bit of that hotass chili paste, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, and a few splats of some nice funky fish sauce. add a bunch of green onions and some strips of baby bok choy, definitely didn't have enough of either of those. Add chicken back in, simmer for 20 ish minutes until it starts to thicken up. Serve in a bowl over some nice white steamed rice. Eat with chopsticks because your not an animal. enjoy a nice nutty chicken dish with a good burn on the back end.

I'm still pulling 1 to 2 pink brandywines a day from two plants, the black prince and cherokee purple are knocking out a tomato every other day of so for each of them that are ripe. Cherry tomatoes are really going right now too better than they have so far. Golden Jubilee is finally putting some fruits out too. my two basil plants are over 3 feet each, and the jalapenos are going strong still also. they get that good late afternoon sun that I think is really helping them right now.

Tomatoes are still going strong now that they aren't eaten by squirrels. I'm sure they'd be producing even better back when it was a bit warmer but I'm getting a few tomatoes a day off of the plants. The better boys have been real good but the brandywines, black prince, and golden jubilee's have been incredible tomatoes.

Well since photobucket decided to be dumb I don't really know how to share pictures. I've fished the arkansas twice this summer. haven't caught anything that big but got on some of those browns and a few brookies real high up. really pretty river.

In the last two weeks my garden has gone crazy setting actual fruits. Particularly the tomatoes. I have yet to get a full size tomato from the garden and only a few cherry tomatoes.. that's with 12 tomato plants. the 2 week surge in growth is directly correlated with me purchasing a new air gun and clearing out 20 squirrels from the back yard in those two weeks. Birds are a lot happier on the feeders now too. I'll keep and eat a few when it cool;s off. Righ tnow they are just pests and half of them are getting popped as I step out to head to work.

I just think when I see people hold fish that big like that.. "how are they ever going to get the smell out of those clothes?"

Garden is doing good. Got some of the small heirlooms finally starting to set some fruit. The hybrid maters have been for a while but the squirrels had been eating everything. a few weeks, lots of frustration. Netting the whole garden in, and a pellet gun I'm finally starting to see some actual fruit! Tomatoes, melons, squash, zuchini, watermelon, peppers galore.. all finally starting to put fruit out now. I think the squirrels were getting it a whole lot worse than I realized.

I never really figured the blue out. no real hatches, lot of pumping water, lot of fishing in the city, it was the "I've gotta kill some time while everyone gets ready" fishing for me. had a few rises on some small stimulators but that was about it.

Stayed up in Silverthorne. Spent some time there, Breck, Leadville, Glenwood, and basalt!

Last year around September, my Grandfather's 85th birthday he decided that he just couldn't use his bass boat any more. It was one of his prized possessions. He grew up dirt floor poor, served, came back to small town MO and served as a principal and guidance counselor. Money was never something was in abundance and he spent years fishing out of small aluminum jon boats while he saved up for his fiberglass boat. I was beyond ecstatic that he asked me to take it, clean it up, and catch some fish out of it. I've many memories as a kid in it, now I'll make some more as an adult and eventually, hopefully some memories with my own kids. We got it down to the lake and after a few hours of cleaning, scrubbing, shampooing, waxing and buffing we got her ready for some fishing time. My brother sat in the front pedestal and drank a bunch of beer while he worked on his tan. The last few years instead of Christmas presents for all of the kids my dad and his "wife" decided they would start booking a house in various locations across the country for a week every year and all we had to do was get ourselves out there. This year was Colorado. I spent a lot of time working leading up to heading west but when I sat down on the deck for a few beers after nearly 12 hours in the car.. We had a pretty darn good view. We did some fishing, hiking, rafting, little bit of everything touristy. Sure I would have preferred an all fishing trip, but it was a pretty darn good time. I guess I have to make plans to point the car west again.

More of a drive, but I'd just as soon head out the direction of West Yellowstone and spend some time out there.