BilletHead

Finishing the early teal season this morning. Last three hunts. Thursday morning I tried to get back to where I was Wednesday morning. No dice as I got beat to the place. When I Arrived there was a canoe loaded sitting there ready to launch. The guy leaped out of his truck. No telling how long he had been waiting? I asked if he was going out to "The spot" Yes it was. I was hoping to get there as I had spied some nice bull frogs there on Wednesday. I grabbed two that day but had no where to put them that day so I turned them loose. I had a tote sack on Thursday for them. So on that day I was forced to try another place. I did grab one frog, bagged him and one teal. No hunt Friday and we zeroed on Saturday. So to today. We will call this day frog and fowl . Really wanting Wednesdays spot bad we were up at 3AM. Hey no one said we were too smart. We arrived at the launch at 4:15 AM and got ready. As I pushed off the Mrs. In the kayak I seen a truck round the corner and pause. Beat him today! HA . He then headed to a spot West of us on another blind hump. When we got close I grabbed the rechargeable spot lite and grabbed four frogs! While this was going on we heard teal in the marsh calling. We than made coffee and just listened and watched the full moon set in the West, The Moon setting in the West! As the sun started to creep up in the East before LST we witnessed over a thousand teal lift off all around us and head off to the North East of course not many flyers after LST but we managed two and never heard another shot all morning . I know where all these birds were going now but that will be another hunt to hopefully report next teal season. So todays menu will be frog legs and grilled teal! BilletHead

Marcus, Young man. It is a good investment at fifty bucks. What is your life worth? Like a lifejacket get what you can afford. Good luck with your season, BilletHead I may have some extra ones that came with tree stands if you don't find one. I will look in the next day or two. If I find any I will send you a PM

Looking good there chief! We have done it with some of the heart cut out of the whole head and replace divot with butter, S&P, wrap the head in foil and cook on the grill. We need to do the quarters like this. Have you tried a whole onion with divot cut out and replace with minced garlic, S&P, Wrap with foil and grill package until soft? Amazing! BilletHead

Oh yes the dreaded killdeers! I have been put on alert by them many times. Nice reports by you and thanks John P. I took the day off and we are planning to try this weekend. But we all know how plans go sometimes. If we make it, I bet it will be slim pickings for us too. We like you know it is not always the taking of game but the process of how we try to do it. Then it is time to start figuring out resident goose. That I know is sparse in the neighborhood right now. BilletHead

Great pictures John P. The contrasting colors in that last one especially! BilletHead

Thank you for your prayers friends, http://www.fohnfuneralhome.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=3315729&fh_id=10698 BilletHead

Again out this morning at a different duck park. This place has draw duck blinds on earth humps. I am sure most of you all know where it is. Paddled in this morning for a hunt. Managed four and lost one, my fault as it was down but swimming in the decoys. I got greedy as the group wanted back in so I took my eye off the downed bird and it swam into the nearest smartweed. I looked all over but no cigar the bird had vanished. Will not be doing that again. Now a bit of a rant. Why can't people clean up after themselves? I police my hunting areas well. Find my empties loosing very few and generally come home with more than I use because I pick up after others but today took the cake so to say. This place has been hunted hard this teal season. I was there early just to get the place this morning. I could see trash in my headlight setting up. There was so many empties I could not believe it. Candy and thermacell pad wrappers. When cleaning up my six empties I picked up THIRTY-TWO other spent shells. I cold see others in the giant ragweed that I did not wade in to get. Signs all over saying empty shells are trash pick them up. I cannot blame just the young new hunters doing this. There was even 28 gauge high priced bismuth empties. I don't know of many young shooters changeling themselves with a 28 gauge on ducks. I am sure my OA friends pick up after themselves and if you don't why? We all have seen where fisher people leave their lure packages on the bank, worm containers etc. Why? Those that kill what fish they don't like by throwing them on the bank, why? I once fished along side a guy crappie fishing. A small spot and he crowded right in on the other side of a tree. This spot was filled with gar and every other flip out letting your jig drift back towards yourself a gar would be snagged. He would fight them in, cuss, pull them on the bank, stab them with a knife and throw it on the bank. After the forth fish I asked him why he was doing this. His response was I want to and do you know me? (I knew of him) I did not respond and then he said I have killed a man once and said what his name was. I instantly got sick to my stomach and proceeded to leave which I am sure he enjoyed seeing. Yes I was packing at the time but I did not need to be there and I left dodging cigarette smoke and dead stinking gar from other days. This fellow is no longer around as cancer got him. But why oh why do people trash places? Ok this was more than a bit of rant but rant over now A couple of photos from this morning. I need to do a John P. and video a hunt sometime, BilletHead

Well done again John P. BilletHead

The mornings teal hunt netted one bird. Head shot with one pellet so this is a nice critter for cooking. I told the Mrs. I was going to pluck the little sucker whole and this I did, So I said how about deep frying the thing. So a light dusting with flour, salt and pepper and into the grease it went! Did the breast side first. The oil was deep enough it did the body cavity completely inside. Turned once and turned again then removed when browned well, Let the darling bird rest and fed the gizzard pieces and heart to Sadie. Then sliced into one side of the breast and removed a leg to see pure awesomeness! Steaming hot and pink inside. How did I time this? Didn't just got lucky I suppose. I gave a bit to Pat and then proceeded to demolish the bird leaving a clean carcass, We than grabbed the ends of the wish bone and I won! BilletHead

Went again this morning with the Mrs. Pretty slow for sure. A double and single fly by before LST. Many wood ducks buzzed us all morning. Around seven thirty a mass exodus of teal in a big long mass headed out of the marsh? Crazy amount way off. Really neat to see but leaving like that was a bummer for sure. Then a group of six shot in and I got one with the Mrs. Missing. That was it. The bird was one pellet in the head, You will have to find out what I did with the dancing bird in the food thread here on OA, BilletHead

I will let Mrs. BilletHead choose!

Well I want one just to have if I ever get to fish with the Fishinwrench BilletHead

He spoke of you Ronnie after meeting you. Yes interesting fellow for sure. He told me what I was doing wrong at things too .

Vernon County is the place Well not always it can be just the opposite at times. And You Ron where is your hideout? BilletHead

I was way slower for us today too John. Visited with a young man that had hunted yesterday. Three of them had got their limits. He hunted today and got four. I would say we lost birds too. Who knows what will be here for the rest of the season? BilletHead

It is with great regret I bring this post to you all. We lost a OA member and long time friend of Pat and I today. rvconrad lost his battle with cancer. We met Ralph many moons ago long before I even heard of this place OA forums. He and his wife have shared many meals with us here and stayed with us. We have done the same with he and his wife. Ralph and I made trips to Texas chasing feral hogs, we spent time fishing together also. He spent many days each year fishing Roaring River. We were not close the last few years but talked off and on. He ended up with lung cancer and they removed a partial of one lung. He made it three years before it spread and ended up in his brain. I talked to him about a month ago and he told me the doctors gave him six months to a year. He had made peace with the cards he had been dealt. Ralph was not a smoker but did serve in Viet Nam, worked in construction too and who knows what his lungs were subjected too in those years. I learned many things from Ralph and he always questioned why I did the things I do. I would explain and he would critique me and even sometimes accept what I did and incorporate it in his hobbies This was a large complement to me from him. All I have now is memories of our time together and I will cherish them. He is survived by his wife Vicki, their two daughters and their families. I ask you to please say a prayer for them. BilletHead Here is a photo of Ralph and I with a doe I had shot with a stone point out of my self bow. This friend and I have been on many blood trails together and this was one of those in November 2008.

Another day another teal, We managed eight this morning. Should of shot better! Last group that came in the Mrs. Spotted them. Right on a bee line to us and right in our faces, actually too close and I took two shots and the Mrs. emptied her gun. All birds flew away very safe. Pat said if we are going to shoot like that we might as well go home. Soooo we picked up and did just that but eight went home with us anyway, BilletHead

I will make this short and sweet. Sometimes I talk too much . I paddled in the dark to spot and the Mrs. walked the road in, we shot some birds and the Mrs. paddled the rig out. A good time. BilletHead BilletHead

Way to go John P !

The last three days reports, I know one thing I am tired, very tired and not standing too straight right now. Getting out of bed was a chore this morning for sure but I am not too smart some days . So Tuesday the Mrs. had her week day off so we invited the Cajun to the pond we did well opening weekend. I did not fire a shot but the other two did and they took out five. I just enjoyed watching the other two and the dog work. Cajun suggested resting this place after this hunt a few days so more birds will gather with what is there. He said it might get real stupid then. HA he is funny and very smart. It is fun picking his brain for tricks and tips. After that hunt he stayed and had a meal with us and had goose fajitas. He remarked he had never had any goose that tasted this good. Well my friend you have now! Here is a shot of two well grown men on the four wheeler. I wish the Mrs. would of got the shot of us on that bike with that dog behind me and in front of him. Yes the three of us were on there at one time. Now that was a load, He invited me on his hunt that next morning and so what did I do? Go of course but not much flying and again I did not fire my gun but the Cajun did and got one. He was going back home that day so we parted ways at the boat ramp until another day I hope. This is a true gentleman that had befriended me and I feel blessed to add him to my list of friends. Now I just have to try again but this time to another part of the local duck park. So a not so quick rise out of bed and off I went for a stab in the dark. Slid the kayak kind of slow out of the truck bed to the edge of the water and dropped in some decoys and gear. Did ok here in the past once but in the dark as I paddled off I took a wrong turn and it caused me some time finding where I was wanting to go. Not to worry still plenty of time I thought. Well finally finding my spot as I sat up I had already seen more teal than I had so far this season. Called the Mrs. and asked her to give my cell a ring at seven the LST for this morning. Waiting I had seven land in front of me so close I could see their eyes blinking. They started feeding and then up and off they go like teal do before you can shoot. I look at the phone and have two minutes left. Then at seven it rang and nothing there I answered and thanked my bride for the call. Soon I seen birds flying. Teal woodies and a couple of spoonies. A couple of blue wing singles were taken and then a single green wing. I was hoping for singles because of all the grass and not wanting to loose any. Then a rather large group came by and I did a double thanking my lucky stars both fell dead in the water! Off in the distance I could see many, many birds in one place going in and out. Nothing close I took a gamble and slowly walked that way flushing birds. On each flush I got as low as I cold in the grass and soon one must of thought I was a bush or maybe just an idiot standing in the marsh and he came too close to see and down he went for my last bird. Idiot or not I was happy. Would like to repeat this again in the morning but don't think my body will let me? So a couple shots from this morning, BilletHead

Pretty talented to be letting it flow and take pictures at the same time . You are right about it being hot this morning. Birds were there for me too, BilletHead

Could you be seeing a type of Buffalo? BilletHead

Dumb one right here. Hey the worst ones get deleted right off the bat! At least the BilletHead admits to be quite goofy at times, BilletHead

Man I like that dog! Some day I will have one, BilletHead

Well done!