BilletHead

Send grunts my way, BilletHead

They really do Justin. The Hollywood duck. I have eaten them before and will these also. The ones that landed we got to watch were so goofy. Swimming in circles lapping up scum with that bill, BilletHead

Mostly to aggravate feathers and fins. Turned out real good and juicy. Did it with a couple of roasts from the hams of Mrs. BilletHeads archery deer. BilletHead

OK here we go again, I have been walking to a place in knee muck type boots watching ducks for a couple of days. Lots of birds so excitement set in. Came up with a plan, good plan I thought. Last night I told the Mrs. we had an adventure in store for the following morning. This started at 4 AM. Going to use the kayak with wheels to take in what we needed. Decoys, guns etc. Have it in case we need to get through deeper water if we got ducks. Loaded up the kayak with goodies and slipped off into the dark. Off we go and about a third of the way the wheels start to gather mud, river bottom sticky mud and we slow down bogging down. Uh oooo I thought as Mrs. BilletHead engaged in a mini temper tantrum. What the heck she said? I thought you sais this would be easy? Well I thought it would be I said. The last two thirds was not too pretty with many stops and a bit of heated discussion. It will be worth it I said hoping it would be but not saying that out loud. Finally got to our destination and set up. Right off the bat three different flocks of green wings came in and out before we could react. Another what the heck she said? Then a flock of fifteen shoveler dump in and I say don't shoot don't want any of them. Ok they stay a long time and finally leave. Soon after that wind changes out of the West South west. So now over my right shoulder in scream two birds, small and in plain brown wrappers, I take them out. As I pick them up they are two little hen shovelers . Mrs. says I thought we didn't want any of them. I thought they were green wings she says sure you did. Things started getting better after that with more smiles from the Mrs. She said I have never seen so many birds. We ended up with four mallards, two pintail, one gadwall, one green wing, and the two spoonies. Should of had out limit but had a problem hitting today. I asked as we were picking up if it was worth it, yes she quickly said and then I told her I would ask again if we make it back to the truck. Photos now, A couple of the kayak loaded, Last one of the Mrs. holding birds. If she seen this before I post I wouldn't get to put it up. Easier to get forgiveness than permission I will not be doing this again unless I have two tuff fellows as my grunts. I would carry my own shotgun and be there guide, BilletHead

Thousands on the water, middle zone. BilletHead

Yes thanks Ness, Outstanding outing. I love to see dogs work. BilletHead

Hey Scott I seen something this morning that would make you slobber but it wasn't cooked yet

Goosestrami, ha that is a good name to call it. Good for sure as was the corned goose. Right now I have in the smoker I have two deer roasts from the deer the Mrs. got with her bow. I was cured 10 days and it will be pastrami. Ness did you do your RR trip? If you went down 71 now known as I-49 we could of done a drive by, toss in the window some of that goosestrami!<br />BilletHead

Neat and thanks for posting. Was that real time or did you speed up the video? BilletHead

Neat reports gentlemen, The Mrs. and I did get out Saturday morning for a quick try. Hit a pond just on the West side of I-49 (71) Been seeing a few ducks on it. Got set up early flushing a few off. Just when it was looking good A young dog started walking the dam. It finally spied the decoys and the fiasco started. it would bark and jump forward and back. I sat up in the lay out and said scat. Hahahhaa Then it said friends and ran over and loved us. Not much I could do as we were guests on this place even though it was from another farm. Finally it got tired of playing and rested. Even though it was a light colored dog if it stayed still maybe? Then a flock of ring necks shot by and started working. Up came the dog and barking ensued. Ducks went by by. So I try to lead the dog away. Every time I take a step back towards the blinds the dog does too. Pat was laughing her rear off. We packed it up and was happy to have another sunrise together. I may try again this week as I found a place where there is sheet water on a public area. Not enough water for duck boats but the kayak might be the ticket? Depends on the next two days of rain. BilletHead

Outstanding and congrads! BilletHead

I can get the picture in my mind, well done to your grandson, BilletHead

Great minds think alike JD, I've been getting ready too here at home but think sometimes I may do it the hard way. My previous seasons decoys look pretty good. I did buy another new dozen mallards too. So I found a guy that had 8 dozen mallards and three dozen mixed decoys for sale. I told him I wanted the mixed bunch for a variety to hunt with. Got to the house to make the deal. He said a guy gave him the decoys for free but they were left out the whole season. I could see that they were pretty faded and beat up and paint was bad. Oh well I can repaint them right? Bought them. Picked some to work up and bought paint. Now I have it figured out I could of bought for what I will have in them half as many new decoys for the same price Oh well the BilletHead needs a project. Working up dozen so far. Widgeon drakes, ringneck drakes and some bluebill drakes. Soap and water scrub with a power wash follow up. Progress so far, The rest in the frosty yard this morning. Actually all would hunt and attract birds like they are but we want them to look good. One of our members on here told me he has friends that paint there old decoys either black or white and mix them in there spreads for fillers. Kill lots of ducks over them. I am a puddler hunter because of where I have to hunt but do get divers from time to time but if I was a big water hunter all of these would be a combo of black, white and grey for sure, BilletHead

Good discussion JD. One thing for sure we need to do whatever it takes to keep things running smooth. Life is too short. BilletHead

Thanks JD.. There was a time when I thought I needed alone time too. It took a life altering experience to make us look at things different now. Several years ago we were told she had breast cancer. Surgery, chemo and radiation and prayers later she is now considered cancer free. Life sometimes jerks a knot in your tail. My alone time is now when she now goes to work every day. So I consider each day now as a gift and am ready for her to get home. I sometimes wish I had a do over for early times when we were first married as she deserved much better looking back with what we have been through.<br />BilletHead

Mic she is a work in progress. 36 years worth of training. Actually I am a very lucky man to have her. Scott yes there is suicidal fungus around here wanting to be harvested. They are slow enough to be caught without running off. A bit of planning for the other critters that have fur and feathers. BilletHead

Thanks Lee, I hope we are good people, at least we try to be. I know we will reap our just rewards be it good or bad someday, BilletHead

Well I got Mrs. BilletHead into one of her shotgun turkeys this morning and then a hen of the woods score. So lets go to the deer woods this afternoon. She hunted close to home last Evening when she got home from work. I was about a quarter mile from home. She just grabbed her camo bibs and put them over her scrubs and hit a tree stand where the wind would favor her hunt. When I got home she told me a story of all the deer she had seen go under another stand. So I told her today when the wind changed she should hunt there. Deer are moving pretty late so we did not go until a little after five. I took the stand she hunting last night about 25 yards from her stand for today. When I handed the bow up to her she said they walked right there under the tree. Sure enough at six fifteen here came two does into the food plot eating turnip tops. Then one proceeded to head her way towards the cut corn field she drew when the doe went behind a tree, it passed her and stopped three yards from the tree slightly quartered away and she let loose the string. I seen the hit and there was no doubt and I hollered good shot babe! The deer was on a death run and even in the wind we heard her pile up. A short 45 yard trail and here was her deer. Tears flowed some as it always does and we thanked her for giving her life for us. She has now been skinned and quartered and in the spare fridge to chill out. Saturday morning it will be cut up with some hitting the grinder. We have been so blessed in this season of harvest, BilletHead

She is Ronnie. As we walked in the yard with it she was pulling feathers. Sadie is just part of the family. If we leave the house with a gun or bow and don't come back with something we get the stink eye from her. BilletHead

Not on the map yet, I'm a long way off from you as you are on the far east and I the far West. BilletHead

While out in a ground blind bow hunting last Evening I spied a small flock of young turkeys feed through the woods. Soon I heard them fly up to roost. So this morning Mrs. BilletHead loaded her shotgun and I was her guide. Wouldn't you know it they flew down and went the wrong way. We circled a loop to where we thought we could do an ambush. She made the shot and bagged her a young hen. On the way back to the house we checked one of our hen of the woods trees and made another score. So now we have an old hen carrying a young turkey hen and me with the hen of the woods. Nice haul, The old hen has the young hen legs and thighs in the crock pot. They will be added to creamy wild rice soup and noodle soup. May be a hand full of shrooms in that mix. More hearty hen of the woods soup on the stove right now. My abode smells so good. It is a miracle I don't weigh 500 pounds the way the Mrs. cooks

Took the breasts out of the brine Sunday morning. Put them in the crock pot with cabbage, carrots and taters. Slow cooked until the Chiefs game came on and feasted watching the game, Lots of meat left so last Evening it was reuben sandwiches. Will do more reubens another night this week and vac seal and freeze for easy meals. BilletHead

Outstanding Leonard, We found a couple more hen of the woods this morning. BilletHead

Might need to do it. I have been looking at options to the North and West but so far one little pond/mud hole. hehehe Will be looking though. I am sure one of us might find something, BilletHead

It's a long time until Thanksgiving for us Scott. I drove by a favorite pond yesterday and there was over fifty mixed ducks on there. I glassed them and there was a nice bull canvasback in the middle. I told the Mrs. and she said you got to be kidding? I gave her the binoculars and she exclaimed Crap! hahahahaa I know how you feel about waiting. I bought three dozen used mixed decoys looking for a project. They had been left out all season and were faded so sure I will paint them. Went to home depot in Joplin today and got paint to start. Oh boy I think I could of bought them new and saved money, maybe The decoy mix included life sized widgeons, ringnecks, blue bills, a couple of pintails and some oversized redheads. We are now sleeping on the porch for the winter. Been hearing specks every night each time I wake up. This compounds the desire to start water fowling. The dreams a guy can have between speck flocks. Had seared teal on the charcoal grill yesterday too. Not sure if it helped or made things worse? BilletHead