BilletHead

With my camera I remembered the post quite a wile back about our poisonous snakes. Plus every time I see one now Fins and feathers comes to mind. Well today hit the Sac arm of Truman early and made the long ride to the 54 highway bridge looking for fish. Let me say fishing sucked. A few small crappie, some spotted bass, a small hybrid and whites plus a bonus drum. Nice day to be out. A couple of eagle nests with birds on them. Truman has the Sac backed up and there are carp going crazy in some of the edges of flooded fields. OK now to the snake. A nice fat cottonmouth crossing the river at the bluff near coon creek.. Would of liked closer pictures but my fishing buddy is scared badly and wouldn't get me closer. Glad I had the telephoto lens on. He opened his mouth once but I missed the shot. After seeing this one we seen two more nearer the boat ramp, again swimming from the wintering bluffs dens towards the swamp across the river, BilletHead

It was pretty neat Duane, we did not even get a mess last year looking in the same spots. Might look more tomorrow but I need to find a place to take Pat fishing first:) Rivers and streams still a bit muddy and dingy up this way. May just hit a pond or two. Marty

Mrs. Billethead and I hit our spots in Vernon County today. Did pretty fair. 115 assorted sizes were found. From little greys little finger sized up to the size in her hand. So we just had to eat a few with some Ahi tuna we caught at Sam's club. We like our morels cooked on the charcoal grill. Grilled in a grill basket. Coat them first with a mix of butter, minced garlic and salt and pepper. Keep them stirred until toasty brown. Food shots............. Marty

Sounds like a good time Ralph.Way to go, Marty

There are more cottonmouths out there than you all might think. I wasn't looking for them either. Maybe Pat and I are snake magnets. Clear creek in Vernon County, Flat creek in Barry County,Weaubleau Creek in St Clair County and Sac River just upstream of the 82 boat ramp also in St Clair County. Every fall on the Sac they gather on the sunny side of the bluffs getting ready to winter. There they lay in groups in the sun. All the nooks and crannys in the bluffs make nice places to den. They have been there every Fall for the past several years. They do for a fact ride high in the water swimming with there head up. The above Copperhead I posted the photo came from Vernon County. I know places they den near Clear Creek. Marty

This is a rather large copperhead from about 25 years ago. A friend and I were bowhunting squirrels in the fall. A cool morniing and I had missed this in the middle of the trail we were walking on. My friend Rolla screamed and said I had just missed steping on the snake. Needless to say it then recieved a couple of flu-flu arrrow metal blunts to the head. 38 and 3/4 inches long. I don't kill snakes any more, I even stop and help them off the road now. I would much rather have a snake then a mouse or rat around.

We sleep on the screened in porch all winter. They flew last night big time. Night before last Pat awakened me and said do you hear the specklebellies? Man I have the hook set and she has been ruined. Marty

I feel they move as the weather changes to what ther prefer. I have a friend that said they flew over the St. Louis area in waves yesterday. Marty

Thanks Scott, It was my highlight too:) Thanks for the invite to hunt this weekend but my son and his family will be here for a visit. I have 4 doz. Silosocks too, never had them all out yet. I had to help Mom out on a project today and there was one lone snow walking around a pasture on the way over there. I see white birds and think of you now. I called where you recommended for the can mount and asked some questions. May get the bird sent first of the week. 8-10 months is a long time. I could be hunting the next season when I get it back. This was my best season so far here. Especially on the geese. Marty

Don't know them and this shooting was not rabbit hunters. I have a friend who used to help a waterfowl outfitter in that area. They have a bunch of private ground leased. Pat and I seen quite a few whote birds up there three weeks ago. Duane can attest to some up there too as he got some while duck hunting. Marty

You know yesterday morning it was pretty quiet. When it is like that we can hear shooting a long way off. From our hunt Pat and I could hear alot of shooting north and North West of us I would say a line from Walker to Compton Junction area. Maybe even as far north as Four Rivers. I would guess Snow goose hunters. Not Canadas as they would of been done quick as much shooting as there was. Volleys of six to ten shots at a time, Marty

"Mary" here, got to type a bit slower don't I ? I will be watching for the whites. Seeing some now and again. Only place I have seen them in the fields were South West of Sheldon. Those were staying near Camp Clark but they are gone now. Pat and I seen a bunch yesterday From and going to Schell I bet. MARTY

I was a good time. Man you should see the photos of me back then. I was just a kid. Thanks for unleashing some memories Chris. What a hoot! Marty

This is one of the things that kept Chris laughing Friday. It involves a couple of flatlanders with flat land horses and a trip to the mountains of Montana.in 1983 . He knows the story pretty well. It now rests at a neighbors where it is used for storage. Man it brings back memories of more youthful days. I have been looking at old photos of this trip. I will share more someday with you all. I need to learn how to scan some of these old pictures. For now here is some of it's resting in peace, now a home for rodents, snakes and what ever, Marty

Good hunt Chris. Tell you dad he looks good in the FuManchew. Pat says If I darken my Van Dyke I would look younger so I said ok then she says stay gray. Yes it is expensive driving a trip like you do up here. But you would miss laughing at me. Geese all over here today. I have my blinders on though. Pat and I finished scraping the carpet off the boat and it is now at the body shop in like for the bed liner. Mary

An onion, good description Chris. I will get a photo of the bus for you to see. You laughed your rear off about that. hahahaha Marty

I thought I might get to sleep in this morning Duane, Sure could not ignore Pat's request. I seen your report from today and you have me itching to fish. i may have to come down and bug you some time. Marty

I only thought I was done. Last night Pat says are you going to take me one more time? Well a man doesn't want to pass up a trip with his spouse. Up early and load the decoys on the trailer to be pulled with the ATV. So my bride of 34 years and I head for the nearest pond. Have not been there in a while. Just a stab in the dark and hope the birds fly. Got there to sit up and hear a few geese lift off. While sitting up some flew in. In the dark I could not see them but Pat got a better look and said there was at least three.. All set up now and time to lay back. Sun is rising and it is beautiful. Soon we see ducks, lots of ducks and 23 dump right in to the goose decoys. This is the first time Pat has seen this many decoy into your face. We watch them go to shore and start dipping. She says this made my trip. A bit later four geese come right in and we got one. Close they were and Pat missed. She says I can't beleve it? I think she tried too hard. We see more ducks and geese in the distance. Soon more ducks circle and leave. Then a lone hen mallard sits down. She soon leaves, another big bunch comes buy and a drake drops down. Ducks galore. He leaves and a group of 25 dump in. Pat says where were all these when we wanted them? Crazy birds and all we seen were heading South into a South West wind. Then a single goose comes from the South West. Circles twice and dumps in, right on top of us again. I tell Pat shoot him in the face! And just as his feet hit the water she does. Good shot babe! Got him retrived and now she is on target. More ducks in the distance, but geese also and they want us. In they come a group of twenty. Three hit the water. Two swim to shore and we each have to chase down and shoot again. We are happy and sit there in the sun and reflect on our season. Starting in October I get to see Pat shoot her first goose, then her first duck in November. She went with me ten times this season, you all don't know how lucky I feel. Had a friend from St. Louis make two trips down and hunt six days. Got to visit with ducky doty in person once and he let me bend his ear on the phone twice. Able to meet and hunt with Bird Watcher. Correspond with fins and Feathers too. My first white-fronts and a canvasback. Pretty cool to share some of these hunts with folks on Ozarks Anglers. Thank you Phil for having this place. Time to catch up with things I need to do and there are fish to be caught This mornings photos for you all. One of part of our set up, me and Pat with our birds, Marty

Mr. and Mrs. BilletHead would do the hundred also, but we also know it is your rear on the line. Marty

Sadie, our fishing companion, Marty

What a fun hunt. Bird Watcher and I made the meet and greet this morning at 6 AM. Set up the decoys and ourselves. FOGGY and damp. Later on in the mornning a bunch after bunch came up from a lake/pond just to the South and went the other way, maybe they will come back later? Nope but the company was good. We had a good visit. Seven hours worth and it did not seem that long. We will hunt again I bet. thanks Chris for the morning, Marty

hahahaa Duane, good answer young man. I had the pleasure of meeting Bird Watcher and his lab. What a pleasant dog. I did not know a dog could lay that still.. Marty

I know we are off and a tanget here from the origional post kind of but it says nothing about rods and reels here, If you use more than 3 poles (or two poles on the Mississippi River) at any one time, the additional poles must be labeled with your full name and address. Regardless of the method or number of poles, you may not use more than a total of 33 hooks at any one time; except on the Mississippi River the maximum is 50 hooks at one time. If fishing on the Mississippi River and on other Missouri waters at the same time, no more than 50 hooks may be used and not more than 33 on waters other than the Mississippi. Hooks on trotlines must be staged at least 2 feet apart. Hooks on any type of line, as well as the line itself, must be attended every 24 hours or removed. Marty

Could be Jim but I never seen anyone get ticket for it and I know for a fact they watch very close up there thanks, Marty

I know what you mean Duane, I needed to fill this order to be able to go tomorrow. I made sure I could fill this or I wouldn't of been able to go. It is nice to gift to folks. Neighbors who cannot fish anymore really like a mess of crappie fillets. Someday we might get like this and thinking karma might get around. I hope to have a friend like me someday. Does that sound wierd? Sure not ment to be. Marty what goes around comes around