BilletHead

Told Pat you all said not to let them be. So up at 4:30. 5:00 put a batch of goose jerky in the smoker, loaded the truck with decoys and blinds. Soon after that we headed out. Got set up and proceeded to enjoy the morning. Left the duck decoys at home because geese was the bird of the day. Stellar hunt. Birds all morning. We even let some land, ten foot from our blinds. Seen more ducks this morning than we have any morning. Home by 9:30. Pictures as follows. Birds flying like this all morning. A couple of the set up. Pat and our birds. She shot real well this morning. Marty

Don't lnow about Shawnee but I would bet it is good around four rivers. I did see a guy who posted on follow the ducks on the DU website from Rich Hill who has been doing well. I stay here close to home and don't talk to anyone but you fellows. Marty

yep the red dog is still there, two other ones from time to time. You think the dog looks tuff you should see the guy in the trailer! I have had a conservation with him a time or two, just be sure and be upwind when doing so Marty

ok then I have figured out a place to park. Close to that creepy old trailer where the dogs try to eat my tires when I drive by. And yes the birds are still there. But you all know the best laid plans of mice, men and Marty have a way of going wrong. The pond to the East is farmed by some friends and I am the only one there. Could of been leased in the past though? Marty PS I just noticed in the first photo there is a swan at the back just to the right side. I seen him yesterday but did not know I got him in the picture this morning.

Guess that is where I should take Pat in the morning? Hummmm? I may have to drive over there this afternoon and figure out where to park. Not me to the North of there but If I recall right Pat and I were just to the East on the South side of the road. Do you know where that pond is Bird Watcher? Bet you do.. Boy our paths have crossed I am sure of that. Marty

I have a friend coming next week for a little hunt or two. Shall I save this place, let it rest and take a chance of someone or something messing it up or save it? This pond has a pump that will send it's water to a larger lake and it may be drawn down. I still have places to fall back on too. I am getting giddy just thinking of it. Marty

I will see if I can figure out how to PM you, Marty

Come on over and harass them. I really think this will help the pond hunting. Marty

Thank you for the blessed rain here. Our ponds and lakes have been so dry here. I got a couple of inches here at home. Quite a bit North and West of here. ...THE FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING RIVERS IN MISSOURI... LITTLE OSAGE NEAR HORTON AFFECTING VERNON COUNTY MARMATON RIVER NEAR NEVADA AFFECTING VERNON COUNTY .HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH OCCURRED OVER THE LITTLE OSAGE AND MARMATON RIVER BASINS YESTERDAY HAS CAUSED RIVER LEVELS TO RISE. Good news for four rivers. These two rivers come together in that area. I am sure the Bates county drainage ditch will be pretty full also. I did some recon on places I hunt and the water on the ponds that drain large areas were full and up in the grass. A few ducks and a big load of geese were tails up feeding and very happy. Pretty muddy for tha cattle farmers but the crop boys will be happy as the irragation lakes fill. A true blessing for the food chain of the chased and chasers, Marty

Priceless my friend. Yep here's to Dads for sure. Wondering myself about the cold weather. we are getting much needed rain here today and more tonight.. This might fill the ponds finally. I have a friend coming down from St. Louis to bum for three days next week. Need to find where the birds are without running them off the roost ponds and lakes and share my luck or lack of luck with him Marty Oh and good photos too. you look like a great team.

Birdwatcher, You speaking of your dad brings back some neat memories. How I miss my pop so much. Our family moved from So. California in the Winter of "77" I was a junior in high school. Both of my parents were from North west Missouri but me So Cal born. Dad had polio and wore braces on both legs. He could walk with them and a cane on flat ground. We had not hunted before. Kids in school talked of dove hunting. This we did the first years. We would get him off the road in fields in a lawn chair. I would walk the milo fields keeping them stirred and we would both get shots. When getting back to him he knew where each of his birds had fell. I was the bird dog without a nose but we managed to find them. Now we dicided to duck hunt. The pond where Matt and I were is the pond where dad and I hunted, or sorta hunted at that time:) we had an old jeep commando . We would drive down an old road, across a ditch and then up to this pond behind the dam. Dad would get out and lean againt the jeep as I would circle around and sneak up on any ducks maybe get a shot and hope they would fly over dad. We did not get much but had fun. We also got a bright idea to go to Schell Osage and try to get one of the ADA blinds. We got it two times. Back then they rented decoys, we did and we did not get any ducks but one goose someone sky blasted a long way off and it sailed into us. Getting teary eyed now. We would fish some on Truman. The ADA ramps were good too. Got him into the boat. We would fish when we could. Mom told me his best trip was when we made some jug lines. Mom said Dad thought he was good help as he could grab the jugs with his cane as we went after them. Dad has been gone about ten years now after a long battle with lukemia. Thank you for jogging some memories and cherish each moment you have together. I wish I had done more with him, Marty

Way cool Fins, Looks like your folks have a little bit of heaven down there. Specks to boot! Nice story and thanks for sharing, Marty

A picture tells a thousand words sometimes. I had the pleasure of taking my Son out this morning. He is a great family man with little time to do much else. Up early when the rest were sleeping soundly. Got set up and not much going on. Three flocks of ducks high and going places. Heard the geese on roost ponds making noise but not flying off them. Finally seen a group of eight a long way off, again going places other than we were. Sun up pretty high peeking through the clouds. Had to get up and move a bit and wouldn't you know it a lone duck did a dive bomb and quickly flew out. Got hunkerd back down and told Matt fifteen more minutes as he and his family needed to get back home. No sooner than I said that a lone canada, way up and I mean way up was booking it North. I gave a call twice and that thing turned inside out and came our way, still up there. Another call and it cupped its wings coming almost straight down. As it closed the distance I said Matt its all yours. It was and down it hit the water. A retrieve as it floated to the bank with a grin back to the blinds. Thanks for a good morning my Son, Marty

Neat rig. If we get a big freeze I may try a float somewhere. One time many moons ago when things were froze I fished some holes on the Sac below Stockton, ducks everywhere! Marty

Sounds like a tasty meal Duane..A fellow needs to get creative with waterfowl. I see you are up early. The son and I are up getting ready to go. Little trailer is loaded and hooked to the ATV. I wish you all luck this morning, Marty

Sounds like a neat hunt. Great photo of the ladies too! I am going to take the son Matt out in the morning. Hoping for a hunt like I had yesterday for him to enjoy. How are goldeneye for eating? Marty

Hope you get them good Duane in the next couple of days. Our Son and his family are coming up tonight for our Christmas together. Might get him out on a Sunday morning hunt before they go home. Not going to be so cold that morning. There was some ice today on the pond. Marty

Sometimes I get a little impatient. Pretty cool here this morning. 24 when I left the house. The misses had to work so I was on my own. The pond is about two acres in size. And only a half mile from the house. More geese starting to show up, still having trouble finding them in fields. They all break up off the roost ponds and scatter to smaller ponds to mill around. I load up a small utilty trailer behind my ATV with what I need and don't need and head out. First thing is I should of had a face mask on cold face, duh! Took my time setting up but still managed to sweat and get damp. Did not set the decoys too far out as I just had hip boots. Noticed a pretty good frost with my head light. Settle in for a beautiful sunrise. No wind, Pond smooth as glass and not a decoy moving, not good and then I noticed the glaze on the decoys where I had splashed water on them, not good and then I noticed how white the ground was and how the frost had now covered my land decoys. Crap I thought as a few ducks started to fly. Making pass after pass and not liking what they were seeing and then leaving. Even in the layout blind my hip boots had frozen stiff. I started to figet some. Ducks quit flying but I could hear geese starting to make noise on two roost ponds/lakes. Soon the first flights of three to a dozen or more are heading out. Over me some come and tilt there heads and do as the ducks did ignore me and my frosty set up and go other places. By now the sun was up pretty good and I noticed the frost leaving the sunny side of the decoys. I get up and spin them around trying to thaw the dark side. More flights stirring and here come more. A pass over, a turn and then eight cupped up with another twenty behind them. I get a little crazy at times too in my shooting but this time I told myself take your time. Just as there little black feet hit the water I let them have it. Three hit the water dead and not even a twitch. I grab my rod and reel and drag them in. While doing this a duck landed and more geese trying to do the same. I get loaded up and the heck out of Dodge for another day. Back home and un loaded by nine thirty. Right now I bet there is a couple hundred that are roosting in a five mile radius of here. Like I said some new birds about. While skinning and slicing the breast sided out I noticed one bird had a #4 shot just under the skin. Next bird had a big, big like size #T heavy shot type not steel about a quarter inch in the breast. Both had healed about completly up. Pictures . The set up, not too pretty but it worked. The results and loaded ready to go back to the house.

Way to go on that hunt. I know when Pat and I drove through Schell last weekend the South refuge lake was packed with mallards.I Got some gadwalls monday from a pond. Then Pat and I went this morning on her day off. Two geese and two mallards. Some rather large flocks of ducks high heading South. Marty

Congrads Matt and Blake. What a neat deal. I am still looking fo my first duck band. Got a couple from geese. Last year the one I took had made the trip clear from Winnapeg Mannatoba. Marty

Nice! This is the only reason I check out the Beaver thread, to see what you have done feathers, Marty

Good to hear you guys are into birds. As I am out and about still seeing big flocks flying south. Still froze up here except for the roost ponds. I will not disturb them and loose what I have. Waiting for a thaw or geese starting to hit fields. I know the colder it is on smaller waters the better it gts for you all though. Good shooting to you fellows, Marty

No Ross goose there but one goofy looking domestic goose. Very vew mallards but a couple dozen gadwall. The bulk of the canadas fly back and forth to another pond just East of town. I need a thaw around here or some to start landing in fields, Marty

Yesterday Pat and I went for a ride. Hit a lake in Nevada that always has waterfowl stay most of the Winter. Hoping the swans had arrived. We were not dissapointed. Actually suprised there was some white fronted geese there also. this was the first time I have got a good look at them as I have never taken one, hope to someday. Did not have the camera along. Then we drove up to four rivers to take a gander at seeing what we could see. Reservior was at least half drawn down anf half frozen. Geese and ducks in the middle. Looking to the South East could see some vehicles near the parking lots for pool 3 and 4. Headed to Rich Hill and then East on B to check out Schell Osage. Got to Schell on the main road between The North and South Lakes. Lots of Snows on the North Lake about half frozen. Stopped to see them and low and behold there is a place you can see the levee on the North side of the North lake. The place we were looking was about the East disabled blind. We could see four mojo type decoys a spinning away. This from over a half mile away. Amazed how visable they were. The South lake is thawed and it is packed, I mean packed with ducks and geese with most being mallards. Checked out the ponds I hunt closer to home with most being ice covered. Inch thick in places. Another pond I have not hunted because it is a roost pond was very much thawed with a coupple hundred Canadas and thirty or more ducks. I hate to go there and mess the area up. Hopefully after tonight's cold the warm up and rain they are calling for will open things back up. Got out the camera this morning and went to town to photograph the swans. They were there with just a hand full of canadas. Farther away from shore as ice had formed over alot of the lake. Just one so far has shown up with a neck band, Marty

I told you all we would send some your way. Pat and I seen lots of high flying ducks heading South. Large flocks with the North wind blowing up there rears. We managed a gadwall and three more geese. Goose fajitas yesterday and comfort food today of chicken fried goose with mashed taters and gravy, side of green beans. Good luck to you hunters in the morning. I will have to see what the weather says before I make a decision. Marty