BilletHead

Ok good this is what I was wanting to hear. As far as lighting them up mildly to get there attention I can see that but the guy I went with had the thing set pretty high and he was screaming and shocking with a mad tone to him. His dog to him was a tool to be used for one purpose. He does work the dog off season. I know one thing for sure dogs don't live long enough. Our Sadie isn't really supposed to be up on the furniture. We do let her lay on the porch futon where we sleep most of the winter. When we leave her in the house she has this look about her like she had done something wrong. You can go into the bedroom and see and feel a warm place where she had been. A few times I have slipped in and caught her. She lays still and plays the you can't see me card. In her senior years we are a bit more relaxed though. When we have things going where the dog can't go we have neighbors in there late 70's that watch her. She has a hall pass there and they let her do as she pleases. First thing she does is hit the couch next to Ross. BilletHead

I'm telling you Chris, " Goose fat is where it's at " BilletHead

First of all amazing photos and dogs. I am learning a lot and will have a water dog someday. Right now I have a pot licker companion. I know this thread started off hunting dogs but am glad that non hunting friends have been included. Question I have is to you with hunting dogs is are they your everyday pets? I know some here are. I hunted with a guy in the middle zone and he had a high powered dog, just a hunting dog. He kennels this dog. Not a pet like most of us have. Hunts it with a shock collar. It is a young dog, did well but the guy did light up the dog a couple of times. To tell you the truth it kind of broke my heart when he did. I know if Mrs. BilletHead was there she would of lit the owner up There is no way in heck my dog would not be part of the family. Opinions please? Ok here is our Sadie. She is now eight and showing her age. Beginning to get lame on the right back leg. She goes with us everywhere. And at the end of a long day she is doing her job, just laying around, Finally one for flysmallie, BilletHead

Oh yea forgot to mention how a goose almost out ran you. Glad it wasn't me I would of tripped right out of the starting blocks. Next season? I'm counting the days, BilletHead

Well here is why we went again after we said we were done. Mrs. BilletHead on her way home from work was seeing lots of birds. So she got off early yesterday and we did an evening drive. Three photos from yesterday. First one Canada geese, second are specklebellies, Third bunch of ducks. These birds and there was bunches were working three different fields. Got my fever up again, So this morning I went over to visit with my mom and I checked the fields on the way home. Kind of cloudy, windy with a drizzle. So I see all three fields being worked by birds. I start getting giddy and call BirdWatcher leaving him a message saying I am having withdrawals and told him I was seeing birds, a lot of birds. Soon the cell buzzed. What are you seeing he says. Massive flocks , many massive flocks I replied. He says are you going? I said don't really want to go by myself. Quickly he reply's I'll go. Of course if you come up we will go! I'll be right there. I loaded up and waited. When he got here we scoped out the fields. Geese and ducks all over flying and already in the fields. We had three options on where to set up. Ended up where we had seen the most birds just about a half mile from the roost pond. I don't know how many we had to scare off to set up but there was a bunch for sure. The rest of the afternoon we spent flapping our jaws, laughing and watching birds. We seen mallards, pintail, widgeon, snow geese, specklebellies and canadas. Big canadas, lesser, and tiny cacklers. Ducks worked us almost non stop. We even happened to shoot some goose between laughing, Ice coated all our gear as the temp dropped with the drizzle. What a way to finish season. Good times with a good friend. We are both sorry we told everyone we were done for the season NOT ! Chime in here BirdWatcher, BilletHead

Story and photos to come. BirdWatcher is on his way home. Please have good thoughts for his drive. We had ice on the decoys, on our gun barrels, truck wipers were froze down too. Mrs. BilletHead said cars had slid off the road on her way home. BilletHead

What can I say? I just thought we were done.. Choking down a peanut butter sandwich . Everything is loaded. I hope there is something to report

Nice , me like, BilletHead

Yowza! I like. John P. I want to borrow your dog next season for some photo ops. Well done fellows, BilletHead

Neat photo for sure. I remember the big one that hit around here and did a real mess in Springfield I think in 2007. It was when Mrs. BilletHead was doing her radiation treatments. Big ice hit and we called St. Johns that Sunday night to see if they were up and running for her treatment. Yes that said don't miss any treatments the generator is running radiation oncology. We left home (North West 90 miles from Springfield at 5 AM so Pat could be the first one in line (she worked during her treatment)and wanted to be first daily so she could return back to work. On the way down there was no lights for miles. Erie feeling when every day drive like that you were used to seeing towns, yard lights, etc. Closer to town the darker it was. Had to wind our way through town with downed lines and power poles. Like a bomb had went off! We made it there by 7 AM to open doors and hardy any workers. Finally about 9 AM she got her treatment. BilletHead

Chris that was the four rivers muddy walk in debacle. Neither one of us had much of a smile when we finally made it out. Nothing to drink at the truck either. We both look back and smile now. The next time we went in I paddled everything in with the kayak and she cut across country with just herself. Made the hunt more manageable. Fins and Feathers knows the drill to that place. BilletHead

BilletHead has more, It has been a good season, This isn't all but it was our best days. BilletHead

Excellent photos everyone, BilletHead stuff. Keep in mind most of these are solo hunts by me or with Mrs. BilletHead. Three of the photos were with me and a friend. Birdwatcher and a friend from St. Louis. BilletHead

Nice, I may have to get into this, BilltHead

hahahahahha

Good deal. Eight months until teal season

Good going Scott! Gongrads, BilletHead

Thanks fellows, Like I said it's been great. Chris soon it will be time to chase those crazy broken striped speed demons. Should not have to wait until they run. Maybe we can hit those big bug eyed slabs sometime in between. Besides I have a nice flashlight hostage this season BilletHead

Well we got out to hunt this morning. We are calling it our last for the season. It went well and was a good end to our best season so far. Really froze up here but knew of a place holding many birds, mostly Canada geese and they were keeping a small place thawed out. A roost and loafing place. Since we are almost at the end of season I figured it was time to hunt here and try to go out with a bang. Got there at dark thirty this morning. As we parked on the road we could hear birds on the pond. I knew that and as we peeked in the stars and moonlight the place was covered. Birds on the water and covering the ice. Off they went in a roar! We hauled in our gear and proceeded to set up. Not a god place to hide as birds had trampled and eaten the grass. The Mrs. did her best to grass up the blinds. I pitched out six floaters and scattered some full bodies on the ice as close as I could to where the ice and water met. Ice was pretty thick and formed six to eight foot from the bank edge. The open part of the pond was not too big and we figured we could shoot birds anywhere over that open water. All the time we were setting up geese were trying to land but it was before legal shooting time. Soon it was on and ducks started coming in. Mallards. We shot seven of them. Five drakes and two hens. Geese were seeing faults in out set up, our blinds most likely but we did fool two of them. All the time we were hunting snows were coming over hitting a field across the road. We even seen two flocks of speckle bellies going into the field of snows. One group right over us close enough to see the barring on their breasts but too far to try a shot. A great morning with the best hunting partner I have had. Now to some pictures. So how to fetch birds? Kayak! What a hoot. I slid it over the bank onto the ice. In I got. Now what? A shove off by Mrs. BilletHead across the ice and into the water. I hope this doesn't go like the titanic and iceberg Fetching birds, Fetching decoys, A partial picture of the set up, Now how do I get out? Well is was a speed paddle towards the bank and ice, a hit straight on and right up on the ice and slide to the bank where the Mrs. Grabbed the front of the kayak and pulled me up enough for me to get out. We were laughing so hard it hurt out sides. A photo of our take, Time to haul out. Did you know I was married to an angel? Yes I am and her wings are a pair of layout blinds! Yes our last hunt was a good one. Still some days left but we are done. We thank you for letting us share some of out hunts with you all. Thanks too for all that have shared with us, The BilletHeads

Well done Scott, We are done here. Our report on next thread, BilletHead

I predict you will get that freeze and it will be raining ducks thick on you again Birdwatcher. Mrs. BilletHead seen some landing with geese on her way home. In a bare field? BilletHead

Life is good in the Water fowl world. Darned cold here and froze up again! BilletHead

We will

Got to have fun Duane. Ness you have no idea literally. Scott what size flicker shad would we need for such a beast of a walleye? Maybe a striper, big trout or a smallmouth for bait? You find the monster and I will come help you catch it BilletHead

Thanks all, I will share four more for grins. Not antiques like the previous but retro for sure. These are from the early eighties. BilletHead Jr. with one of my trapped bobcats. Oh yes I had my trapping days in the past. A couple with fox. I really liked greys as they were frisky and they wanted to fight you like bobcats. The reds were timid and you could grab and hold them like a dog, carefully though. I have taken greys out of traps alive but it did include a wrestling match of sorts. Another day with a couple of grays and a coyote, BilletHead