BilletHead

Looking good there David, Fresh start to this year and I bet it happens for you. Good luck and keep us up to what you are doing. AND no one can compete with the Wrench, BilletHead

Me like, well done and great way to finish up! BilletHead

Thanks Wrench I remember you saying three years max and get rid of it. So one year down for me and another two and out they go! Thinking I may try to get three out of my two, BilletHead

Just knowing that cold weather is hard on batteries I have been told one of the automatic maintainers is a good thing. Especially to us that get busy or are just old and senile forgetting as I do in my off season. I have been doing this just on the starting battery. I just check the deep cycle like time to time like you said IF I remember. So how hot and how cold is bad? Cannot think in a garage it gets too hot but three degrees like it did one night here I am thinking is pretty extreme? I have in the past pulled batteries and stored them in my shop. Oh by the way we did sleep on the porch that three degree night:) BilletHead

So tell me fellas what do you guys think of the little maintainers you leave on all the time during off seasons? Wow ketchup bummer but thanks for bringing this to attention, BilletHead

I totally agree it has been quite different this season. This being said it was our best season for ducks. What made out totals good began in early teal and then slipping North a few miles and getting some good shooting in the middle zone. So good a mallard year too. We only shot two gadwall this season. That is a change as we generally shoot quite a few. South Zone did some good hunts. Some pretty frustrating too. I think a lot of the ducks got hung up here and did not even make it down your way. Blame it on El Nino. Goose hunting not too bad . We did a traffic field hunt this afternoon until LST stopped us. Put out every canada decoy and a couple dozen silo sock snow geese. Pretty fun and we could of shot better. Had some rather large snow flocks check us out, tornado down, see something not quite right and swirl back up and booger out. Then another flock come in, leave come back and work down. From what we witnessed before I called the shot and we got one. Looking back one of those should of let them do one more pass? Who knows but that was the largest flock of snows we have ever got to work! Then I am ashamed to admit this We had four dark geese come in. They locked up at a distance and sailed in. They dropped there landing gear to reveal orange feet, Specks! We missed, whiffed, zeroed, nadda. Mrs. Billethead even teared up.It happens and our excitement was part of the cause. I have taken three in past years but the Mrs. is still looking for her first. Later on the canadas started flying and we took out three before calling it right before LST. It was nice not to have to wear waders and hunt in the dry, Frozen bean stubble. Was even able to drive the truck out to the place we set up. We may try in the morning same place again. Will be able to drive out there but it will thaw and we will have to shuttle decoys and blinds out with the ATV. BilletHead

Nice John! Still waiting for seed to make it to the house. They may be in the mail box. Got to check. Did plant some of last year lettuce seed yesterday in trays. So do you go from this stage right into starting trays or wait another day or two? BilletHead

Oh I know Wrench there is a down side of everything All I can say it may be a good thing you live so far away. So would Towboat come get me where I go? So cheaper huh? But the guys that break down will still be wanting to fish right? If you fish on the way back towing them they could fish too. Oh I get it there would be no one wanting to fish behind you. They would not have a chance! hehhehehe BilletHead

Now Wrench this could be a win-win situation. Put your shop name on your boat or a flag blowing in the breeze. Towing service to boot. Fish as you tow to the ramp. Charge outrageous fees and quit giving out free info to us on here. Scratch out the free info in previous sentence. We like the free help, well at least I do BilletHead

My money is on team Marcus and team Wrench! BilletHead

Yes Ness the butter bell crock is the best. I detest hard butter! Looks like I will have to have leftovers for lunch/ dinner. Darned the bad luck BilletHead

Yes Chief we did see the Bar-S brand. We settled on a different brand all beef for a bit more. We decided to skip Bar-S so we did not get any chicken lips and pig intestines and cow udders. The brand we bought just had cow udders in it Hey I read that smoked Bologna was Oklahoma loin ? Like Ozark round steak better.

This third thing was actually started last night. "Duck Rumaki" Sliced up two mallard breasts Two sides each into a quarter inch strips across the grain. These were put in a marinade of fifty fifty soy sauce and teriyaki sauce overnight. Out this morning and wrapped the duck slices around a water chestnut slice then of course a half slice of bacon enclosed this, pinned with a toothpick thus making the perfect package. So we ended up with close to fifty packages. Back into the marinade for a spell. Later fired up the grill and the Mrs. filled up the grill rack, Grill ready on they went. In the house and done, Grabbed one of those babes and put it between the teeth then slid it off the toothpick and chowed down! Yowza! Grilled the bologna slices then it was time to plate up, Did these and on a hoagie bun the thick smoked grilled bologna. Just some miracle whip on the sandwich. Good eats today, BilletHead

Next thanks to all you fellows and your smoked bologna. So all the posts had me intrigued. So I went to googling. Took the best of a a few variations and ran with it. Bought a roll, chunk, plug or whatever you call it. Almost twenty bucks worth here. Could of bought a couple of small steaks:) So I cross hatched the thing. Slathered it with mustard. Sprinkled the slather with a rub and put it in the smoker for three hours, Sliced a couple of thick slices to put on the grill, Had the third thing on the grill before the smoked bologna. It will be in the next post, BilletHead

We had three things going today, We will start with an early lunch. Can't remember what it was called. Bet RPS knows what it is. Took sweet belle pepper slices and sliced button mushrooms and worked them up in some olive oil. Them we added some canned sunshine. That is what I called it today. Some of the first canned tomatoes we have done from last summer. A mix of red and yellow. I took a fork full right out of the jar. Told Pat it tasted like sunshine. So the jar of maters right into the skillet. Let this cook down some. While that was going on took some everything french bread, Sliced and toasted in another skillet. Made some "wells" in the tomato mix. Cracked some eggs and dropped them into the tomato "wells" to poach until the whites were done. Then ladled onto a plate where the toast was waiting. Yea baby it was good! OK now we had something pretty healthy out of the way. More to come. BilletHead

Am I going to have to send you two to the ice shanty for a time out . Sort things out in a beer summit? I mean iced tea summit ! Carry on gentlemen, BilletHead

Neat way to do this John. Never have tried but may this go around. We just ordered yesterday. Have some fall Lettuce seed left and plan on getting some started this week. When weather starts to stabilize I will get horseradish roots in the mail. They might as well rest in my crisper and keep yours free for all that good cooking you do up there. We had a fat mallard grilled yesterday:) BilletHead

I couldn't agree with you more Kayser. For me and what my capabilities are it is transportation only to and from spots. Shallow water only even going to and from those spots. Too much can go wrong in a small craft. On another note they made the recovery of the guy who went missing up at Four Rivers. Found him Friday morning. Here is to hoping there can now be some closure for his family, BilletHead

Bringing this up again. Guys are talking about pouring lead in the General forum. This will get you ready for fishing season. Someone shoot me a GOOD offer please, BilletHead

Good job on the duck buddy! We did General Taso today. Last time we did this we used goose, today wild turkey breast. Served over a bed of white rice, BilletHead

Yes hoping for one more thaw in BilletHeadville. Tonight all but the roost will freeze over again. BilletHead

Not only that but if he is taking the video I hope he is not the driver so this may not be his truck. I picture one shot with more of a Beverly hillbillies rig. If he is taking the video it is hillbilly ingenuity . That is a complement and made in the most sincerest way . I like oneshots posts! BilletHead

Figure it out yet Mark? It is when you posts are liked. May your reputation grow with leaps and bounds. Say something stupid like a few of us and t will happen, BilletHead

So up at four AM pretty early but as I am going to do this hunt solo it takes me quite a while to put things out. This allows me time for breakfast and coffee before leaving the house. I had chosen a pond that would work with a West North West wind. Clear skies and cold. Starting in the upper twenties. It was a fun hunt, not as many canada geese flying as I had hoped though. Enough to keep things interesting. Bagged two and should of had another, I have been known to miss . Mallards flew good and got my four drakes. One of the geese was a little cackler. It got cloudy which could of kept some of the geese on water? Large groups of snows in flight all morning. A few white fronts working around also. Had ten make a pass at that should I or shouldn't I range so I held back and did not fire. BilletHead

As you can see by the last two posts I got lonely in the blind today and decided to give updates from the hunt . So what led up to today's hunt? Scouting and more scouting trying to figure out what the birds wanted to do. Well most of it worked. So we will start with day before yesterday and the "Scouting Tower" Huh you ask? Well my favorite farmer has built a brand mew leg for his numerous grain bins. It is 110 foot tall. Eleven flights to the top. I decided to take the climb up the stairs carrying the binoculars and camera. Everything but the big roost was frozen over. When I finally made it to the top the view was amazing. A nice clear day too with some wind and the top shook some So I look around, In the distance on the photo above is the big roost. Just a small amount of water in the middle of it is thawed. Now a couple of photos of the geese in the field between the ponds in the distance. The birds strung a couple hundred yards long. This is a mile away, Hard to see them but they are in the pasture between ponds this side of the distant cows. Many snows flying too so I shot some with the camera from the tower, I was up there for the better part of an hour just taking the sight all in. Then the farmer decides to feed hay in the field by the roost. So as I watched him drive in with the binoculars the geese part like Moses parting the red sea. Some fly to the roost while others just walk out of the way of the truck. He than feeds two big bales of hay. I can see the birds moving and getting nervous. Farmer then decides to drive across the roost pond dam. Well that is when all heck breaks loose and there is a black cloud of birds going in all directions. Amazing sight. Ducks and geese both, I shoot some of them too as they fly by. Funny looking at them from their flight level 110 foot in the air, They work over all the frozen ponds within sight and them most back to the only open water in the area the roost. No to yesterdays scout. Back to the tower only a ways up this time to get peeks at the ponds. his would be the day of the thaw getting into the lower sixties with a big south wind. I watched birds get off the roost and scatter all across the area seeking out and landing on open pockets of water opening up. Good! Now to hatch out a plan for a hunt. BilletHead