BilletHead

We are the Zen of mallards hunters. Be patent young master, may the force of the North Winds be with you in your quest, This being said there isn't much around BilletHeadville today. Have made a long trip from home looking. Either have to try to run afternoon traffic for canadas or just sit up in a field for ducks and hope there is a group looking for field. Anyway we try it may be just a long afternoon look into the sky. It has warmed from 7 this morning to 34! BilletHead

No,no,no Boobie I am BirdWatchers apprentice, Birds had left the roost next to this place. As of this morning froze over. BirdWatcher, At the "Z" location there are approx. 500 still there. Talked to big John "Z" and the "boys" will be getting them this weekend. Not sure what or how they are going to do this as the open water is a good thirty yards from shore?

If I share my method Ronnie can I have my 100 points back? Heck you will pick it apart if I do. This build is getting me in trouble. Mrs. BilletHead says where's mine that color? I say honey I have a box full of colors you can use similar to these. Yes she says but it's not like having my own. I got more bodies in the works and I will be spraying one up that will be "Just hers" , BilletHead

Wrench by all means take the challenge. I want to be there with the camera though. Just saying it needs to be documented. John P. Yes whites and I have taken many hybrids on the fly rod version of this popper. I was hoping you could get into those upper Bull stripers with them. BilletHead

hahahahhaahhaha The pink flock would have to be right on the elusive "X" where the birds want to land.

Well this started out as kind of a joke I think. John P. said he would like to put a pink flamingo in his decoy spread. I said the first one to do this that I would make them one of my poppers. Sure enough John took out a neighbors pink yard bird and sure enough he killed ducks with it. I sent him a PM. He uses mostly spinning gear so I made a couple with treble hooks. So here we are the "Pink Shad" one with a prop and one without. These are the second and third I have done for spinning gear. Since I carve them out of balsa they tend to be pretty light. I sized them up a bit larger than I would do for the fly rod. Used big stick on eyes instead of painting them on. I think they will work, BilletHead

Nice, Birds around just have to adjust some. Well done Michael, BilletHead

Whhhhhat Wrench? Me carry decoys? I drive right to my places if not you have got to meet my porter. And another thing I could see you pulling me around in that nice john. Rig a harness to Orion and have him help Jason, instead of a rundown it has become a runaround. I suppose this discussion has showed you both sides and mostly where you want to go and how to get there. In the past I have pulled many boats to places I could of driven to with the right rig. I know as Al has pointed out missed many places that hold fish. I like a nice boat ride to find certain concentrations of specific fish. We all want to do what we like and like what we do. Have you went with someone jet boating? I have in the past fished with a fellow in a rather large jet boat. The guy had nads of steel and was crazy to boot. The welds on the bottom of his boat told the tale. He has had me stuck on gravel bars. He had a hot foot and could run that boat like a banshee. Speed up to a gravel bar trim the motor, slide over and tilt back down hit the gas and keep on going. When I got smart I quit fishing with him. I think I would of had a coronary if I kept it up. Not to the other extreme. With another friend a small 25 jet on a 14' boat. We plane to the point where we get out and examine the shoal. Decide carefully the route to take. I get out and point to the place and my bud slips right through. Most problems sloved. I say most because while persuing a specific contrary group of fishes we hit a rock. A stream of water was spouting from the back of this little boat we were in. We return back to the ramp. Peen the crack best we can. Clean the area and I apply some medical tape to the spot. Again launch and this time miss the rock and fish. Problem sloved and we only had a small seep the rest of the trip. Later to a nice welder and small bead and back to new. As you are doing I am looking for my rig. Not too small and not too big. With Wrenches help and he may hate me whan I am done it will get done. Hate me or not I bet he will fish with me Good luck Jason, BilletHead

Well Wrench my friend I'm not physically able to drag the shoals anymore. That and there are not many people where I go, that and you won't be there unless you go with me will you? That and still no boat yet, that and I am still working on it and you may not want to go in a four stroke boat motor? I said that a bunch and that is that

BirdWatcher you make me feel so special. Ha Ok you are right about the birds. They fell like pennies from heaven and the ones that hit the ground were very nice. They sure do bruise their little breasts when they hit the frozen turf too. Mhowerton. Yes they may stay there and keep it open if I did not scare them off too badly. BirdWatcher may be checking it this afternoon, BilletHead

BirdWatcher, come on you know I can be stupid. Yes, yes you have been there for a scouting trip. Your birds? I made sure I only shot the ones that were staying there. I asked each one before I pulled the trigger if they had been to or had come from the "Z" Lake. In all seriousness thanks for "Watching the Skys" and kind of telling me I was an idiot, BilletHead

Ness! I did call some but really none needed. Might of really had a good hunt if I did not call at all. Private, Good to know and have farming friends. They farm many, many acres. Not all is waterfowl friendly but enough to make a good hunt now and again. POACHING ? What? I don't sneak around, just ask BilletHead

I got some very good intel yesterday morning. When Sir Von Field Marshall The guru BirdWatcher speaks we should listen. We had been shooting the bull on the phone yesterday when he said he had seen some mallards dumping into a field up my way. There was a bit of confusion on which field at first but when we got that straightened out. I decided to drive down to take a look see. He had also found a roost pond and I scoped that too. I got to the field parked the truck and took a stroll. Not much of a place to hide as the field had been disked. Found whre there was an intake in a low spot for draining terraces. Some weeds there. Peeked over a hill and low and behold there was another roost. Large irrigation lake 99% froze with one open place litteraly covered with birds. I quickly ducked and scurryed back to the truck and one the way home called the BirdWatcher. So he says you going to hunt it? I replyed no just goint back to watch them to see where they are going, then make a plan. He responded you are an idiot if you don't hunt it right now. Someone might mess them up before you get to hunt it. Do it NOW ! So I proceed to load up. Fourteen full body geese, two dozen ducks a layout and two mojos. Field frozen so all of this in the back of the truck. Ten miles later I am in the field setting up. 2:30 setting up a tornado of birds coming p off the lake. A group of ten start circling the field as I just stand there. Crap and I bounce the truck across the field to it's hide. As I walk back two birds are circling my spread. They leave as I dive into the blind. Quiet for a while then more birds get up and work me. Still early they are not too serious and they leave. A bit later here comes a group, they circle twice and down they come. Three shots and two drakes down. As I picked them up I peeked over the rise and the pond mass had not scattered. Good BirdWatcher and I had been afraid if I shot that close to the roost I may booger them out? So far so good. I then got to see a flight of assorted birds. A bunch of specklebellies flew over and landed with the ducks, many many snows flying south over me. Great flights of mallards high going south, some of them breaking off to land on the lake. Another group of ducks started working me. Smallish group. And as they started to land on my bad shooting side I wiffed three shots. When I did a large group got off the lake, worked me and then landed a long way off int he field. They fed for awhile and returned to the lake. I thought I still have a half hour before shooting time ends. Then still another group gets up and begins to work me. As they do I see a couple of drake pintail in the bunch. I let them work wanting the sprigs. They circle and circle coming down. Swing to the West and just then out of my right eye a literal cloud of ducks swing and desend on me. I raise on them and shoot twice and drop my other two mallards. So then all heck breaks loose and the sky fills with ducks off the lake. They all scatter some wanting into the field and others going who knows where? I quickly pick up and get the heck out of Dodge. I am not sure if I did indeed booger them out or not. Time will tell. I am glad I went and even more glad BirdWatcher told me I am an idiot. It is getting to the point in this season I need pushed a bit. Some photos of the set up and reward. I had a half circle of decoys. Geese to the right and left with ducks and Mojos in front, BilletHead

Excellent report. Love the photo of Brother Dave over dosed . A good way to go on a walleye coma. BilletHead

Nick you should take a little time and check out the trip Mrs. BilletHead and I take out West to Wyoming. It is in the USA West forum on here. I think there is two summers of posts. If it is a type of trip you might like just PM me for any questions, BilletHead

There you go. That will work. BilletHead

You did it! HA! way to go you win! I will have one before next season and it will be along. Ok you win the next BilletHead popper I make. Are you going to be flyfishing with it or spinning reel? Color prefrence? Maybe pink flamingo pink? You take the cake friend, BilletHead

Fourth annual after Christmas hunt, My friend and his wife came down for the fourth annual hunt we do right after Christmas. Second time his Bride has partaken too. They arrived the day after Christmas just after noon. Mrs. BilletHead was off too so we all had a feast of goose fajitas and headed off for an afternoon hunt. We are not much of afternoon water hunts and as a matter of a fact this was my first one this way. Needed to try this as my field hunting has been non exisisnt this year. We arrive and spook off a couple of small groups of canadas. Set up the decoys and layouts and as we do a couple of singles want in. This was a dark cloudy day with drizzle. As the afternoon starts to vanish we have a double of canadas come and not leave, then a tripple and they go down too. Four shooters and five geese, not too bad I thought as it got darker and darker. I call it as I did not check last shooting time. When picking up five nice groups and some singles try to come in and come to find out we had fifteen minutes more to hunt that day. No pictures taken on day one. A good evening of visiting and deciding what to to thenext morning. Girls say we are not going in the morning! Day two alarm goes off at five fifteen. I suggested the place where I had gone a week or so ago and managed a duck limit and a goose. Drizzle again damp and dreary. Temp around freezing, north west wind. Put out duck floaters, goose floaters and some big foot geese. Five minutes to spare and it began to spit snow. LST arrived and noting. It took fifteen minutes and two ducks shot by and circled for another pass. When they did we lit them up. Brad took the one to the right and I took the left one. As I pulled the trigger I seen the spoon bill. As mine went down I said shoveler. Turns out two smilies. Oh well. A bit later it began to snow harder. Big white wet globs of snow. A trio of canadas came in and again we lit them up and all three dropped. Some larger groups took a look see and veered off. I think they were seeing snow on the field decoys backs. Floaters looked fine as the warmer water kept the snow melted. A pair dumped in and we had too more. Then a single and we were done with geese as the snow got even more heavy. Seen a few ducks more but none interested. Good morning some photos. Sorry for the quality of the pictures as I just took the point and shoot during the crappy weather, Got that batch cleaned and another rather large mid day meal was consumed. Discussion followed for another hunt. We had made up our minds what we were going to do and let the girls in on the plan. Afternoon hunt would be just for geese and since we were done the gals would have to do all the shooting. We picked a spot, snow had stopped and most had melted off. Colder north wind. A hard place to hide as irragation lake low with pretty bare bank backed by fescue. Tried to blend in best we could, girls in the middle with us on the outside doing the calling. Lots of geese flying with big groups ignoring us either going other places or picking out something they did not like. A single then dumped in and The Mrs. took him out. Then a double and each of the ladies tagged one. Ten minutes later LST had arrived and we got up to three groups of twenty or more trying to come in. MAYBE this is why I don't hunt evenings? So three more down. More photos of the spread and hide, Cleaned birds and again discussed the next morning. Going to be a low of nineteen this night. Girls say no way in the morning again! Up again next morning back to same place as night before to ice, ice baby around the bank where we had been hiding the day before. Wind was now out of the south west so we changed banks and set up. We both got pretty cold and all we seen was long distance flights and a big goose egg for the hunters. Mid day rest and another meal again big and tasty. Now where to go? Back to Fridays spot and this time I know quitting time. All four of us again. Just goose decoys again. We see distance flights and a few closer ones but nothing commits. All of the suden I hear a roar which is a single gadwall coming straight down to the decoys. It flared and circled three times looking at us as we called to it. There were four ruddy ducks in the middle swimming around and everytime it tried to land we gave it a come bck call. I thought this bird got confused hearing a duck calling to it but no ducks there to land with. Well third time was the last time when it got a bit too close and Brad took it out. So one duck down and again when picking up geese fogging in. Now i am beginning to dispise afternoon water hunts. No pictures. Home to discuss tomorrow. Tomorrow rrives to seventeen degerees and and again the Mrs. had to go to work and Mrs. Brad says no way she is going. We guys look at each other and neither one of us were smart enough to agree to not go so as Brad says you have to be tough when you are stupid and we head out. This time just for a ducky looking place where we had seen a few day before. As we drive that way my truck read fourteen. Are you kidding me I thought. Why am I doing this? Well misery loves company and yes we were pretty misreable yesterday morning. First thing where we wanted to get it was froze out thirty yards from the bank. We did flush birds out. and did set up near the dam where there was deeper water. We got buzzed by a couple of green wings but all we got was cold so home we went. We went to town and ate at the local greasy spoon for a great burger and suzie q's. Back home for the last hunt. Decided to head to the best goose place where we had got our limit one morning. Got set up with goose and a half dozen duck decoys. Did manage seven mallards to my suprise. No geese in before LST ends but a bunch while picking up. Again now I really know why I am not hunting ponds unless forced to in the afternoon until we have to quit. So the bag for the last hunt with friend, Home for cleaning ducks and a feast of leftovers. A good visit and as the hours got later and more talking. I see Brad's eyes go closed right in the middle of a conversation. he nodded off in the middle of me talking. I did not want to admit of being tired and hurting and neither did he. Today all is quiet and I will be taking a break, BilletHead

yep pretty slow. Ducks are as rare as hens teeth around here. Did manage ten in the last few days, BilletHead

Canada goose wing feather, Billethead

Good one John, Pat will want one now! That would make one neat picture too. Could you imagine someone coming over a hill, around a bend to see a pink flamingo in a decoy spread. One of all of us on here needs to take some ducks with one. I'll tell you if anyone does this I will carve and paint them up one of my poppers. BilletHead

Mrs. Claws goes duckhunting. After the weather report and thoughts of a sunny sunrise for a change we decided to make a Christmas hunt. No sugar plums were in our dreams last night just thoughts of waterfowl dropping from the sky. Big South wind and hit the same pond as yesterday morning. Did not have great expectations just the sunny morning would make it a good day. Set up on the opposite side from yeaterday. A few teal to the right, big ducks in front. To the left strung out goose floaters and a few more teal, and then land geese going up out of the water into pasture. (kind of a cove or cut) Plans for ducks to commit in front and geese if any sail by to there family of floaters. About seven thirty a pass of three gadwall and as I try to call them back a single mallard drake trys to join them. Crud I thought he would get with them an as goofy as gadwall can be leave out. Well he disconnected from them and began to work us. I told Pat he is first on the hit list as he circles dropping down. Then from behind the gadwall come back and drop onto the water int he cove to our left on Pat's side and at the same time the mallard puts the brakes on and drops intio the wind right in front hovering. I figured I would call the shot on the mallard for her to shoot but before I did she says shoot that bird. I do as she tries to shoot the gadwall which have now decided to get the heck out of Dodge. She misses and off they go. Not much happened after that except for the rather large gaggle of geese doing what they did yesterday heading to the same pond. Called it good s we got to wittness another sunrise together. Hom many times have I topld you I am a lucky man? Well I just did again. Snapped some of Mrs. Claws before the pick up. A far one of the set up. You can see her head in the middle, one a little closer and then a ho, ho, ho Merry Christmas one, BilletHead

You bet and back at ya Jerry and to everyone else too, Mr. And Mrs. BilletHead

Well have not went since the stab in the dark pond hunt until today. Mrs. BilletHead has five off in a row stating today so I abused her again this morning. Well kind of as she takes this in stride. We got up early like usual expecting snow like they had been calling for. We did hear rain last night but awoke to no particapation. We decided to just hunt the closest big pond/lake close to the house. Hooked the four wheeler to the trailer and down the road a half mile to the place. This is where there was a large roost last season that I posted photos of. Set up and then drizzle started which turned to wet snow showers. Ten minutes after LST Mrs. says geese! Huh I thought she can't be seeing them this early as I peered into the cloudy dark sky. Where ? Right there close to the ground. Then I seen them gliding low right at us. As low as they were I really don't think they seen us as I had the decoys close to shore in the stiller water like they were hunkered down in the hard north west wind. They pitched in the middle and we let loose. One dropped and the others hit the north wind and went straight up and faded out quickly out of range. I am still puzzled at how early they flew like teal do? Then wizzzzzzz went a duck by our heads. My first thought was a diver and as soon as it had appeared is vanished. Then it came back and before i could react in landed eight yards away in the middle of the teal decoys. On my side so I popped up and so did it and I flat mised, wiffed big time and it hit the wind and gone it was. I thought dumb butt as Pat giggled. Soon a single mallard drake came in cupped and comitted, no calling needed and it hit the waater in one shot. Yowza. Made up for the wiff. A bit later a single gadwall did the same and the mrs. took it out. Seen a bunch of geese in the distance going to where we can't, well maybe could just don't want to ask some folks. That was all as we started getting pretty wet even in the lay outs, BilletHead

Cool beans there John way to go there bud. After a week break I took out Mrs. BilletHead in the wet snow showers. We got three birds in the misreable stuff. I will update my BilletHead post later. Again way to go! BilletHead