BilletHead

Had a ringer buzz Pat and I this morning. I have taken redheads on ponds but have never seen a canvasback. Marty

Way to go Mrs. Ducky. It is great to take out your best friend isn't it Dewayne? Pat back at work today and I went solo. Just took the duck decoys. One green wing drake and a drake and hen mallard. Snows were flying at four-thirty when I got up. Canadas started flying around eight. Marty

Ha! I have witnessed the goose rain before. I used to bowhunt Schell Osage many, many moons ago. When they got up off of the reserve and flew over the timber after a long nights roost you dare not look up. Thinking back at my set up I wonder if I should set up at the far South end instead of the middle. I read that sitting up in the middle made the birds coming in feel more relaxed. At the South end was where they have been lounging and feeding in the yellowed dead grass and this is where they wanted to land. The pond lays North South length wise. Wind this morning was South, south East. We were on the West side. Ducky we made some rather large goose poppers this afternoon. Fist size. I cut the breast length wise a quarter inch thick like I do my jerky. It left me a big slab to which Pat rolled up with cheese and a pepper. Wanted to seal the ends to keep the cheese captured so we used the two bacon pieces length wise. Rolled them around on the gas grill. Prefer the charcoal but these were so big I wanted to cook them slower. Really good but still tough. I know on my plate was a rather large helping of peas but had to offset the bacon and fried taters. Still nothing comes close to the rare seared duck from last night. I do need to try feathers recipie though, Marty

Bird watcher I will keep my eyes open for the right conditions and maybe we can get together. I imagine I might know of know of the farmer you speak of. I have lived here for almost 37 years. Pat and I made our hunt this morning. We had a good time. Had some mallards work and two landed, way far away. I may be killing geese but I think my duck hunting is lacking. Anyway two bunches of geese dropped in and four hit the water. I messed up I think a bit with the way we had the layout blinds pointed. Plus I should of strung my six floaters farther out. Maybe blocking part of the pond where they wanted to land. Birds I think are still mostly locals. I have been watching this pond and they have been lounging there every day. A couple of photos. One of the set up and one of the take. The other floaters were behind me. Looking like it is going to ice part of the ponds again first part of the week.

I will try that, thanks a bunch. I know of flight lake but never hunted there. Marty

East of Nevada 8 miles. On another note I did the gadwall breasts exactly by this guys method. http://honest-food.net/2009/01/04/how-to-sear-a-duck-breast/ It was wonderful. Like rare prime rib. I could not imagine it would be so good. Marty

Holy crap! B. Watcher that is real neat! Last four days of last season there was a group of ducks working fields where no one was allowed. I sat in awe at the side of the road watching the ducks tornado down. If it happens to you this year let me know. I want to learn. Goose jerky is done.Four pounds worth finishes out at one and three quarters of a pound. Have another four pounds going into the smoker at five AM before I hit the pond with Pat. Would like to meet some of you guys and share some jerky. Heck I would even mail you some, Marty

Nice picture Dewayne. you sure have the duck duster covered! Marty

Thanks for the comments guys, I am a small operation here. Some of your posts get me real excited. Bird watcher your talk and photos of field hunting ducks is neat. Someday I will get the chance in a field I hope. Feathers and duckys hunting open water when I am froze up. I did a spin around the block early and the small ponds had a sheet of ice on them this morning. The bigger ones are ok and with the warm day today and big South wind tomorrow will help. On a good note I have picked a place to take my Bride in the morning. Checked the jerky and it is looking goooooood! I will send birds your way fellows, I forgot to say it was 19 here this morning, checked a weather map and it was warmer in places in Minnesota. Marty

Leaving them alone today, 19 degrees here in Vernon County. My shallow ponds will be icy and besides this is jerky day. Pat and I will be out in the morning on her day off. I left the geese alone yesterday but did get set up early enough for the daylight duck flight. Managed three gadwall and two ringneck. should of had my sixth bird, no excuses I missed. I remember now why I dislike ringers. Hard to get the skin off the breast. I did leave the skin on the gadwall as I want to try to sear them and would like the crispy skin. wish me luck. A photo of yesterdays birds and the jerky starting to work, Marty

Strange season this year for sure. Last year at this time I was into wood ducks big time for the first two weeks. Zero in the timber ponds so far. Suppose a lack of good acorns this year around here? Got off to a bad start this morning, while sitting up I had a bad tangle of decoy lines on the duck decoys. Day light happened with me in a mess and at least fifteen ducks of three varietys in three vollys tried to land on me. This in thirty minutes. By the time I got in the lay out on the pond bank the early duck flight was over. All was not lost as I just waited for the canadas to start flying. Single in and down then a short time later a trio and two more hit the water. Thought a good morning and started picking up and three gadwall tried to land, go figure. Lots of canadas around mostly still locals gathering in larger groups. Some from north showing up also but not many yet. Wednesday morning I will load up the Bradley smoker with a load of goose for jerky. Had pounded/ tenderized goose fried up with mashed taters and goose gravy the other day and General Taos duck on rice yesterday. I am beginning to sprout feathers and for some reason I am flapping my arms Marty

Nice pictures all, thanks for sharing. There has been four swans that have wintered at Katy Allen lake in Nevada near the Elks Lodge for the last few years. One of them has a neck band. Have not seen them so far still too warm I think. Marty

We stayed in the house and out of the rain yesterday. Out for a while this morning checking out ponds. Well we found some to stir up and some to bother another day. Managed to down these. The cold front is going to help out if it doesn't manage to freeze the small ponds and lakes Marty

Well our Missouri South opener has happened. All of our farm ponds and lakes are low and with the warm weather not many ducks around the places we hunt. Pat and I managed one lone canada goose. We double tapped him and the poor fellow did not have a chance. Missed one teal at day break which surprised us big time. Buzzed by a pair of hooded mergansers too. Came home and checked some timber ponds for woodies but the places were empty. Hope everyone had a good outing and hunt, Marty

Welcome to my neck of the woods JD. Good luck and let us know how you all do. If you do four rivers do you actually hunt out of the kayaks of put up a blind? Marty

Way back when I went there were boats supplied but some of the fellows in the camp today had boats so I am not sure. Can find out if you need me to. Kayaks would work well. Water filled ditches to blinds are well marked and easy to find. the times I hunted up there was with my father who had polio and we were able to use the ADA handicap blinds which had a parking place and a board walk into the blind, Marty

JD most of the blinds are flooded fields but there are some tucked in close to the timber. I would of liked to have driven into the hunting area closer for a look see but if not a hunting participant not allowed. I live about fifteen miles from Schell and go up there messing around all the time. Last time duck hunted up there was more than 25 years ago. While driving through the campground this morning it was pretty full, about half bow hunters and the other half duck hunters, Marty

Thanks for the all invite Dewayne. I hope you have a good report fo all of us when you get back. Went on a road trip this morning to take a look at Four rivers. They ran a bit of water out of the lake for a couple of pools but the rest is dry and the intake at the Bates County dranige ditch is on dry bank so they cannot get water from there. So dry. Then went bu Schell osage where they ran water from the two lakes and did get some to flood there for the hunters. Not many ducks around there I could see. Not sure how the hunters are doing. In the South zone wheere I am still waiting and as soon as I am done bowhunting this week and firearms the next is out of the way I can get ready for some birds. Have a couple of small timber ponds where the woodies are bobbing for acorns. Day after Thanksgiving I will be after them. Come on rain and more cool fronts. BilletHead

Yep here in Vernon County MO also. We sleep on the screened in porch when weather allows (at sixteen degrees last Winter) and could hear geese all night. Like Ducky said some really low. BilletHead

That is about as cool as it can get.

Thanks guys, Brother Dave I really enjoy the cast and blast reports. Mostly late in the season when my little places are froze up tight and the ducks are gone. Then I get to hear how you all are dropping them, BilletHead

One more hunt to share and then I will leave you all alone. Early season anyway. When you ask your wife what she wants to do on her day off and she says goose hunt thats what you do! Hit the same field I went to Tuesday morning. Got set up and shortly afterword heard the geese lift off the roost ponds. Here came the first flock. We should of shot better as only one fell, second bunch three down, third wave two more hit the dirt and we were done. Picking up decoys at seven-thirty. Did a batch of jerky yesterday and will do another Saturday. Thanks everyone for letting me share our early goose season with you. Photos of the set up and the results, BilletHead

Went stag this morning to a cut and tilled corn field. I knew of two ponds where geese have been roosting and the field they were using. Waste corn had sprouted and they had been feeding mornings there. Very quiet and I could hear the geese on the ponds takling over a mile away. Heard them change pitch and get louder and knew they had become airborn. First bunch rounded the tree row and started pitching in behind my spread. I had to sit up and turn around to shoot, three shots, three geese. I walked back to my ATV and my little trailer. Going back to my spread more geese landing in the field about a hundred yards from my decoys. I picked up and made a count of what had landed in the field, 88 birds. Nervous and feeding to the far side of the field. I got out of there without them spooking. Got to love young of the year local geese. Makes up for the smart ones late in genral season when they have been shot at from Canada and the way down which wises them up to not so good looking decoy spreads. Back home by eight-thirty AM. Goose jerky in the smoker tomorrow. If no one gets into these birds will take The Mrs. Thursday Morning. Photo descriptions. Two of the layout and one of the results, BilletHead

Thanks chief and Archer, She is now 5 years, five months and four days out of diagnosis. Mastectomy, reconstruction, six chemos three weeks apart and then 38 daily radiation trips to Springfield which is a 180 miles round trip from our home. Get this after the surgery recovery she worked during chemo and when we got back each day after radiation back to work also. Something like this jerks a not in your tail in life and you look at things differently. We now do things instead of talking about them saying some day? No more. Summer before this one we went to Wyoming for two weeks and caught our cuttslam on fly rods. We went back out there again and fished some of the same and different waters. Sometime I will do a trip report on that. Here is a shot of us a little over five years back after a couple of rounds of Pat's chemo. I will tell all to cherish the time they have with loved ones. A side note is that Pat went to casting for recovery in 2007 and it secured me a flyfishing partner for life. We both now volunteer for CFR and I got to be a river buddy in the first Reel Recovery this Spring. For what CFR did for Pat I have to help out now. I know it is for the participants who have had cancer but it is for my well being too. Get involved with these programs if anyone can it will do your heart good thanks Ducky also. i am the one who bought your tabletol lathe, Marty

Not quite the cast and blast some of you have at Tanycomo but a fishing rod was used. I have goose and duck hunted for the last couple of years but this is Pat's first time. She had kept her chemo port for five years from a bout with breast cancer. Finally got it removed last Winter so she could shoulder her shotgun again. I got her her two Spring turkeys called in after that. Now she wanted to waterfowl some. So I thought early season would be a good time to break her in. What a hoot we had. Here are some pictures from the morning. A couple of our set up, Here is where the fishing pole comes in. Poor mans retrieve. Pat peeking out of the layout blind, Her first goose and our mornings harvest. Ladies and Gentlemen I am a lucky guy to have a lady like this. Looking forward to everyones reports, Marty