Bird Watcher

Nice lineup of drakes. Good job.

Thanks guys.

Nothing to see here, move along folks. We're all froze up. Maybe we'll get a reverse migration.

There's a lot going on this picture from Today's hunt. Not a fancy camera, but I liked the picture. Not my breaking dog, but in her defense, she'd been sent by her owner.

Beautiful birds. Congrats. It's been a really long time since I've shot a readhead.

So, you are saying that you grabbed a blue goose out of the air with your hands?

Wow, that's pretty incredible. It reminds me of Hollywood squares.

No. That would be illegal. Unlike Bobcats, which are in season. A season set by biologists. I take every legal shot at a coyote I can and would love to shoot some pigs too. I'm also really considering getting more into trapping to control the predators on a few of my favorite pieces of hunting property. Raccoons, foxes, skunks, possums. I almost feel guilty I don't put more effort into eliminating some of them.

Great picture Marty, I'da crakapayowed him in a sec. I love to look at them, even better up close and in hand. Beautiful animal. I don't think some people realize how many of them there are, because, well, they are a cat that is mostly nocturnal. They don't quite draw attention like a murder of crows in the front yard. Start looking for tracks and running game cams and you'll soon realize there are plenty, probably too many. I always figured there was about a ~30 quail and ~10 turkey net gain for everyone one I was lucky enough to shoot. They are a hard animal to get a shot at.

Care to quote the wildlife code that says they are illegal?

Welcome aboard Pat. I thought it might be a good time for a refresher...... "No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation."

Umm, well, so, I generally don't condone "grammar police" type of behavior on the internet, but this is something I care about. It's "Y'all". A southern english conjunction of the the words "You" and "all". Not "Ya'll" That's the only thing in this thread that I really take seriously.

That's because all you fish for is gar. Here, I found the book that guy wrote about you.

Logged in just to type reply. You're such a yankee. logging back out now.

I think the most amazing thing about this thread is that I see known, staunch, supporters of both sides of the political fence loosely agreeing on something. Maybe it's indicitave of the population. It gives me a little, just a little, hope. Nah, probably not though. Come election time everyone will probably just pull the familiar handle and blame the other guy.

Agree on everything else, but disagree on this one. Those fish are on the shallow wind blown banks and points. Usually, they are somewhat relative to where they've been all summer and electronics are the way to find them. It'll drive you nuts sometimes because it turns into a scavenger hunt, but when you seen them on the electronics, they are usually unmistakeable.

Windblown points on the main lake or riffles like saluki said on tribs.

Right on. This forum could really use a little more chiving. Lower the blood pressure, so to speak.

I gather that you calling me a half-wit. Maybe I am.. It's all here if you want to read it. http://www.cbo.gov/publication/44521

It doesn't really matter what we do. Once all you silver haired geezers start sitting at home and scissor cutting your lawns, we're all hosed anyway. more taxes or less entitlement. one or the other. Solve that one, OAF.

Joke Fail...the daughters all date and marry Black men.

Joke Fail...the daughters all date and marry Black men.

I agree with your first point for sure. In my travels, I have seen exponentially more limits of barely legal smallmouth on stringers than gig scarred smallmouth. I also think the protected slot is a winner. What is "relation repair"?

I did just mean it as a joke. I don't really have a stance on gigging since I've never personally done it. I know quite a few that do. I guess as a big fan of freedom, I respect everyone's right to do what they want within the limit of the law. Most of the ones that I know that do, seem to be law abiding and always emphasize the social aspect. I know of one 3rd hand story about a guy that supposedly gigged everything 'back in the day', but he's retired from it and sold his boat. It just seems to me like if all this pressure on the smallmouth were as bad as everyone claims, the darn things would be extinct. I think this stuff gets sensationalized, and I'll stand by for the personal antecdotes from all the people on the Meramac and Current rivers telling me I'm wrong. As to the illegal pressure on morones, those get overharvested just as much as anything else, sometimes more I think. If they are small, everyone thinks they are a white bass and eats them. If they are average, everyone thinks they are a trophy and kills them. Either way, they don't make it back into the water very often. Does that bother me? Meh, I try to politely mention the regulations to people that I see breaking the law, but at the end of the day I can only control my own actions. The bottom line is, the world population is increasing. There are more and more people out there living. with more and more people there is going to be more and more pressure on everything in this world. Recreational use of Missouri streams and the fish that live within are one tiny little miniscule piece of that global problem, but I understand that it's huge to those that care deeply about those streams. So, by all means, if you can help aid law enforcement by catching people in the act of committing illegal acts, please do. It's great that you care enough to spend your time doing so. Me? I think the changes are inevitable. We all have limited time on this Earth. If I have a free night to hit the water, I'm going fishing. I'll be looking for my next honey hole instead of hiding out in the bushes trying to catch the ding dongs that ruined my old one but to each their own and I hope you achieve the results you are seeking.

lol, that is the truth. Seems like it's been like that for as long as I can remember up there.