BilletHead

Day three a trip with a wanted man, Well not exactly wanted but targeted? Talked to my friend I have hunted with last two seasons. If you have seen previous posts he is a great guy and glad to have him as a friend. We planed a hunt for this morning but we will start back from Saturday. He and his group went to the duck park Saturday morning. There are some new signs at the launch that say over ten HP idle speed. There has always been a coupe in the channel to the marsh as a no wake zone. Ok To the day. He had been warned about this. First time ever enforced in his huge place. I know one in the group he hunted with. My Mailman. So I found out when he got back to the ramp he had been accused of going too fast. He said no not him, you shot too early, no I did not. After this they asked if they could search his boat? Go right ahead and while he was talking to the GW the other fellow(S) searched his boat, every nook and cranny. I have had many conversations hunting with this guy and the first thing he told me the first day we hunted was the rules. He goes by the rules and hunts this way because he would not purposely jeopardize the right to do so. They found nothing of course. He thinks because of his boat and motor he will be a target and heard this rule, never endorsed before would enforced now. I knew of this before going to our local DU chapter dinner that night a "teal opener dinner". So I ask the GW I know there hey did you write many tickets this morning, he responded a few. Did you tell my friend he needed to slow down? Who he asked. A big nice guy, white beard? Oh yea that guy, yes I asked him to be sure and slow down. What's the deal I asked. He said it is a rule we need to enforce. Good enough reply. Then I had another friend a sweet lady that works at the department the same question, what's up? She asked me to remember when I first started fishing Schell Osage many years ago when there was a limit of ten HP period on CA areas? Yes I remember. Then she said you also know that they started allowing any HP on the CA lakes as long as it was idle only no wake, yes I remember. Well that is the rules all over the CA's and that it is now enforced. Good enough answer again. Now to today meet friend at 5:30 AM at ramp. Load up and go. IDLE all the way churning mud in places. Rev up in those places but no wake made. Took us almost 30 minutes to the place he wanted to hunt. After parking and throwing out the decoys we hear another boat getting with it. Buddy says you won't see me doing that I have been told once and that is all it takes. we hunt and take four each, fun times with a friend. I take out the first two singles that came in and then a triple appeared. Me another and friend two. Another bunch me one again and he did another double. That was it and we picked up and idled out, 30 min back to the ramp. At home I met my mailman at the box and asked about Saturday morning and the hunt. About the search and the speed question. The Mailman we have is a classmate of my wife. A honest man and truth teller. He was in another boat even though all hunted together and said both boats idled in and out no wake. No one shot early although there was some shots behind them fifteen minutes early. He said both parties came in together and they were not searched but questioned and he said also they had really searched my friends boat. So take this to heart and slow down if you have over ten HP. Get this also. They don't enforce light requirements in the marsh. My Buddy asked the GW that too. He said everyone's slow enough we do not worry about that. Go figure? One photo from this morning, BilletHead

That there is groceries sitting on the water. You wouldn't let that loaf of bread sitting on the shelf if you wanted it. Besides it helps you shell to bird ratio once and a while. Ooops , With those triples like John P. does he doesn't really need the help. I need shooting lessons, BilletHead

Good reports fellows. That is the way teal are. Feast or famine. We just got to eat one day well and one day less of the feast. Not complaining at all it is getting out and getting another sunrise in our life. Up early and getting ready for a duck park run with a wanted man That story will be elaborated on later. BilletHead

Going to shoot them, going to eat them. Sides of fried taters (in goose fat) with onions and cheese and slaw, BilletHead

Same place as day one. Not much flying right off but did another walk around the edge in the smartweed and flushed a big group. I took out four and the Mrs. Took two out that worked the decoys. Done and out of there. We were sitting out in the smartweed looking towards shore, BilletHead

Well it has begun. I was not sure how this morning was going to be. I have made two trips to the local duck park scouting. Birds there for sure but I am not going to compete with the experts on the weekend. Just not going to do it . Got the local ponds / irrigation lakes at full pool for the first time in years. Then have been pumping some last two weeks but not enough to make any difference in pool level. Watching them too and finally yesterday seen some birds in a corner next to the road. Except for the dam there is ten to twenty yards of smartweed out into the water. In an opening in the smartweed next to the road is where they were. A good place to start this morning. Scared three off this spot and yes they came back before LST. Then left soon a small group swung in a and landed at LST and I told the Mrs. Let them have it and she got her first scotch double. Then a single and I got it. Then nothing, I mean nothing, nadda, zilch! An Hour later I thought well lets pick up three better than none. As I stood up I see across the pond one get up and fly a ways and drop back down. I told Pat I will take a slow walk and try to get him up and maybe he would give you a fly by. This pond is 8 to 10 acres at the most and if I stayed to the outer part the smart weed would not give me too many problems. So off for a stroll I go to start flushing singles and doubles out of pockets in the smartweed no bigger than a 55 gallon drum. I take two like this. Kind of like a flushing quail. Pretty hard not to loose one in this smartweed jungle so it was one shot and go to the point where they crashed. I kept flushing birds looking for the downed ones. Got them both and almost went back the way I came but decided I had went past half way might as well go on around. As I got by a corner up came thirty or forty birds in a cloud I hollered across the pond here they come and sure enough they head to pat where she downed two more as they came back I see some land back down into a place and more headed back to Pat where she finished her limit. I then headed to where I seen birds go back into the smartweed and snuck over to flush them and take my remaining three. Lots of food there and they may stick around ? Funny they way we finished up but we will take what we get. Smile says it all. And for the fifteenth billion time have I told you how lucky I am ?

Billetheads got there limits. Will post later with photo.

Wrench you got one of them there selfie sticks in your garage? illetHead

Neat deal and will be waiting for the trip report, BilletHead

Well done Kayser, BilletHead

Looking good there buddy! I was beginning to worry about you. Thought that your still might of blown up and you with it or that meat counter lady had you all tied up like in the movie Misery I bet the cider is good, well done brewoligist Ness, BilletHead

Looking good there RPS! I would like to try that someday, Nothing new here same old good stuff. Stuffed peppers finished off in the smoker. Some Pigeon we shot, Redneck for fancy squab!. Grilled goose fajitas today of course with peppers from the garden. Man they are still doing well. Going to be giant tostados tomorrow using ground deer for the meat. A nice lasagna will also be made tomorrow using again ground deer for eating during the week. A layer of garden fresh basil will be in it. Food is not just good for nourishment it is good for the soul too, BilletHead

Thanks guys, It was a scratch this morning. A few flying but not like the last few days. I wonder if the impending front could be effecting them? I know with the size of this field it was not pressure running them off. The swallows were flying at eye level past few days but this morning they were very high and not feeding along their way back South. BilletHead

Right back at ya Moodyfour, If it rains tomorrow may have to take a drive to the local duck park early to see if there is anything flying. Have not seen one while dove hunting flying around. Not sure how it will be the first week but here is to hoping they will show up and it will happen! The BilletHeads

Like a spider on meth right Wrench? They just keep on working! Relentless for their next fix whether it is for a buzz of the mind or a fix of a bug for the next meal. BilletHead

Good stuff right here people and how I can relate. Hope the link works, https://vimeo.com/138324120 Even though We have been in the North entrance to the Park and out the North East entrance many times I am still in awe at what we see. Then heading into the Beartooth mountains to explore, oh how miss it, BilletHead

I love reports that have some flair to them! Well done and thanks, BilletHead

Marcus, I bet you shoot less with that single shot! John P., Yes I an very thankful the pigeons are around. Helps with the slow times. So far they have been in their own groups. Two to fifteen. Just like doves when they come in a group I get all messed up and have a problem picking out one bird. It is like my eyes try to go in opposite directions trying to see every bird at once! We made a short hunt yesterday morning with not too much to report. Three more pigeons and six dove. First trip for the Mrs. She did well, We seen quite a few in a different part of the field. Later on we cooked the pigeons and had quite the feast. Since they are so lean and wanting to keep them moist we bacon wrapped the breast side fillets. A quick sear on each side and man o man they were good. You HAVE to eat them rare to medium rare inside. Really tender, moist and more mild than dove. For those of you that think you have to cook the heck out of things don't be squeamish. I take care of what goes inside of me and these birds are cleaner than whatever you buy at the store from being commercially done. And while I am ranting I get a bit bent out of shape when people think they have to soak wild game and fish in water or even worse salt water. I know a guy who even soaks crappie in water. Good grief people you wouldn't buy a steak, bring it home and soak it in water would you? I may marinate meat before cooking but water? Come on? Rant over So yesterday the feast. Baked tater and salad, This brings up to this mornings hunt. Set up where we had seen birds working yesterday with better results. We did pretty well with the Mrs. Having a three shell average and I got a little over two shell each average. Not too shabby. I would of done better if it wasn't for one bird. A first for me I bagged a Eurasian collard dove. A pair came by pretty far out and high. I knew what they were right off. Three shots later I hit one and he sailed into a fence row. Thick with ragweed. So a walk over there and he flushed I shot through the ragweed as he skimmed across the field over another fence row up into a persimmon tree trying to land. He tumbled out into more weeds. Oh boy as I crossed the first fence the ragweed pollen made a cloud, repeat at the second fence cloud and all. Through the weeds to the persimmon tree I seen him still alive but I got him. Six shots for one bird, really? Worth the shells and walk for my first collard dove? You bet. Todays harvest, So I mentioned taking care of my game cleaning them? Not just then but in the field too. We have a couple of small ice chests. Just right for sitting on too. They were painted a few years back and they hold paint well. If you know anybody that works at a clinic or doctors office they get their immunizations mailed to them in cold packaging. So the Mrs. keeps the ice packs (hard cased). We keep them froze and before hot weather hunts grab four per chest. Drinks keep cold, bag our birds as we get them, they stay cold. Everything we need is right under our rear ends, Good day today BilletHead

Wrench and his arachnids. This time of the year into early October it can be a pain walking around in the woods. Orb weaver spiders take over every trail stretching their webs from bush to bush and tree to tree. Pretty neat as I have seen them make a strand many feet across a span so they can start their orb. Yesterday morning I found this one BEFORE I walked through it between the a bush by the house and the garage. This spider had to make a ten foot span to do this. If it was torn down he would rebuild it the next night. Talk about dedication ! BilletHead

I'll add three goats and a chicken! 7wt. rods are one of those in-between things. I really like mine.

How many BilletHead poppers or goose jerky would this be worth (Laughing at Wrench and being a bit serious too). BilletHead just sayin' too.

Thanks Clay this was good for an extra big smile this afternoon!

Tweaking your rig/kayak is fun but you may not have to over think this process too much. Go minimal and just cover up your kayak. Here are a few pictures from past seasons. Had more but must of deleted them. I use a camo cover that just stuffs behind my seat. Guns on top of that in a case. Mojo doves for teal season in small plastic ammo type cans. Poles for them built and in their places too. Decoys in a crate. A wet extendable duck seat to rest my rear. I cannot stand too long. There would be a different storage deal for your kayak pictured. Remember less is more when paddling. I have paddled mine a ways with my and the Mrs. stuff while she walked back a levee road to our destination during teal season. You don't need blind material hanging off the sides. The older you get the more you body breaks down. This equals learning to do it a bit easier. Believe me I know. As far as painting your rig. Can be done but most kayak hulls are hard to get paint to stick on. Some of these photos my kayak is not painted and in some it is. You can scratch it off easy. Now you can see these are teal and they are not a very smart bird but I have went to the big open area duck parks for later big birds and done pretty well. Let the big dogs blast off and head for the farthest points to hunt, paddle your little unit to a close spot where they have little access hide and get some birds, BilletHead

Well finally got out this morning. There has not been much cut around here but I did find a silage field that had been drilled with wheat. Wheat had sprouted but ground so hard that where there had been no coverage on the wheat seed not sprouted and just laying in the planter furrows. This and corn scattered from the silage process made a smorgasbord for the birds. Got set up in a pretty good spot and deployed the dove spinners. Sun began to make a showing, First one of the season, Soon a couple of piles began and empties became scattered, I can hear it from here. Pigeon? What the heck you all say flying rats? Yes my friends those are pigeon with the doves. One usually thinks of these birds as city nasty dwellers but oh contraire. These are wild country birds who do not live in there filth. These birds are hated by farmers as they tend to roost in their large buildings storing their large farm equipment. Crapping on the implements. I have been called upon times to please get rid of the pests. These birds eat the same things their little brothers the dove eat and are very tasty. Twice the meat too per bird. I ended up with a dozen pigeon and ten doves. Pigeon breast meat separated from the breast bone. Dove bone in. Funny the pigeons were memorized with the dove spinners and would circle in some large groups before one would roll out and down to there demise. One thing to share with some of you that have never tried this. Use a bamboo kabob skewer when cleaning your birds. Instead of slicing the meat for clearing out a shot or a feather use the blunt end if the skewer to clean the hole out. Works great! BilletHead

Kayser Done it with the kayak last three years. Mostly during early teal season. Sit inside but with an open cockpit type. A native kayak. I think of you go back in the waterfowl posts I have posted some hunts with it. Always just use it for transportation to and from spots. Just park it and hide it. Sometimes right beside me and I can use it for laying my gear, gun etc. right at hand. I wear my chest waders and a life jacket if in deep water. It gets me to where some boats cannot go and away from walk in hunters. At my local private lakes and ponds I can drive to it goes with me for retrieves . A five accessory to the duck hunting arsenal, BilletHead