I Suppose The Billetheads Should Start Reporting

[BilletHead]

A stab in the dark pays off,

Thanks for the reply's guys. I hope it does break loose for you all and us too. Todays hunt was at a pond a little over and acre in size. Geese roost here a lot. It is a half mile off the road and surrounded by brush, small trees and some cedars. North end some broom sedge, briars and then into a bean field. BirdWatcher made a hunt with me in the field last day of goose season last year when this pond was a mega roost the birds kept from freezing. When it is a mega roost I try to leave them alone and work the outskirts trying to keep them in the area. When we have a lack of birds all is fair in using the place. I had drove back a couple of times to take a peek to see if there was any birds using the place. Nothing but I knew maybe a chance at a goose if it was hunted. There has been about thirty geese pond hopping daily in the area. Still have not seen any in fields. Too mild of weather. Three miles from home so up at five and leave by six. Shooting time approx. six fifty five. Cold north west wind changing to north a bit later in the morning. Decided to put the layout on north side in the broom sedge grass. Enough wind hitting the water to make the decoys move so I scatter 20 assorted teal to the left, a dozen mixed mallard/gadwall to the right. A half dozen goose floaters in front and eighteen bigfoot geese along the bank and around the blind. Shooting time had arrived but still pretty dark to shoot so I settle down and wait. (forgot to mention scared off a bunch of geese pulling in to pond) So about five after out of the clouds drop three mallards. Two hens and a drake. Dropped a hen and a drake. Hummmm I thought ? While out picking up the two birds five more made a pass. Back into the layout three more mallards dump in and again did not even touch the call. Dropped two drakes. Got them picked up and back into the layout when a single gadwall comes in and down he went. Then another gadwall and down he goes! Got them picked up both drakes. I'm done with ducks in twenty minutes. Stab in the dark pays off. Wind is howling now out of the north and with the humidity I am getting cold. I decide not to keep on my greedy hat and leave the geese alone for the morning. Get ATV and trailer. Pick up the big duck decoys, then the teal. About half way through the teal I hear honking and over the treetops are fifteen cupped and falling. Crap I am caught basically with my pants down. Two passes and they are gone. On goes my greedy hat and I load up the duck decoys and again hide the hauling rig. Back into the layout for a spell. Cold wind going down my neck I get up and start begin to pace up and down shore trying to warm up. I then hear crunch, crunch I look down and there is ice forming on my wet waders. I thought no wonder I'm cold it is cold out here and then I hear more honking. Back into the layout and here come four locked up and dropping fast. Oh I thought this is going to be a sure thing. You know what they say about sure things? Well I let the first one touch the water and gun went to a blazing and three shots and one dropped. ONE Single uno . Boy I thought you messed up a SURE thing. I lay back down waiting for my bird to float to the other side. About the time it hit the bank off went the greedy hat and I got the haul rig back and started picking up, sure enough a pair came sailing in. I am QUITTING this time. Back across the bean field I went back to the truck and my fingers are getting numb. I don't know why but I got extra cold this morning. The stab in the dark worked, a good lucky guess works this time. Happy with my duck shooting but not so much on the geese.

BilletHead

[JohnP]

Congrats and way to get it done again. Take that stab in the dark over my stab this morning. Ran late getting to hole I wanted to hit that had about 40 gads sitting on it last week due to waiting on a fresh pot of Joe at the gas station. Not knowing if they'd been hunted decided to give it ago anyways. Throwing out dekes had 6 gads try land on me right at shooting time. Thought alright might just be good after all. Nope sat for 3 hours and nothing else but 2 mergansers that gave me a flyby and a bunch of seagulls. Didn't have high hopes but expected a few more than that.

[BilletHead]

John we know if we stab once and a while sooner or later we might connect. My miss stabs make this one a bit sweeter though

BilletHead

[luckycraft]

Looks like you gave that goose a headache. Great going. I am looking at getting out Sunday if I get the chance. I have a 6 year old nephew that is dying to go.... The best is yet to come...I hope

[BilletHead]

Well have not went since the stab in the dark pond hunt until today. Mrs. BilletHead has five off in a row stating today so I abused her again this morning. Well kind of as she takes this in stride. We got up early like usual expecting snow like they had been calling for. We did hear rain last night but awoke to no particapation. We decided to just hunt the closest big pond/lake close to the house. Hooked the four wheeler to the trailer and down the road a half mile to the place. This is where there was a large roost last season that I posted photos of. Set up and then drizzle started which turned to wet snow showers. Ten minutes after LST Mrs. says geese! Huh I thought she can't be seeing them this early as I peered into the cloudy dark sky. Where ? Right there close to the ground. Then I seen them gliding low right at us. As low as they were I really don't think they seen us as I had the decoys close to shore in the stiller water like they were hunkered down in the hard north west wind. They pitched in the middle and we let loose. One dropped and the others hit the north wind and went straight up and faded out quickly out of range. I am still puzzled at how early they flew like teal do? Then wizzzzzzz went a duck by our heads. My first thought was a diver and as soon as it had appeared is vanished. Then it came back and before i could react in landed eight yards away in the middle of the teal decoys. On my side so I popped up and so did it and I flat mised, wiffed big time and it hit the wind and gone it was. I thought dumb butt as Pat giggled. Soon a single mallard drake came in cupped and comitted, no calling needed and it hit the waater in one shot. Yowza. Made up for the wiff. A bit later a single gadwall did the same and the mrs. took it out. Seen a bunch of geese in the distance going to where we can't, well maybe could just don't want to ask some folks. That was all as we started getting pretty wet even in the lay outs,

BilletHead

[BilletHead]

Mrs. Claws goes duckhunting.

After the weather report and thoughts of a sunny sunrise for a change we decided to make a Christmas hunt. No sugar plums were in our dreams last night just thoughts of waterfowl dropping from the sky. Big South wind and hit the same pond as yesterday morning. Did not have great expectations just the sunny morning would make it a good day. Set up on the opposite side from yeaterday. A few teal to the right, big ducks in front. To the left strung out goose floaters and a few more teal, and then land geese going up out of the water into pasture. (kind of a cove or cut) Plans for ducks to commit in front and geese if any sail by to there family of floaters. About seven thirty a pass of three gadwall and as I try to call them back a single mallard drake trys to join them. Crud I thought he would get with them an as goofy as gadwall can be leave out. Well he disconnected from them and began to work us. I told Pat he is first on the hit list as he circles dropping down. Then from behind the gadwall come back and drop onto the water int he cove to our left on Pat's side and at the same time the mallard puts the brakes on and drops intio the wind right in front hovering. I figured I would call the shot on the mallard for her to shoot but before I did she says shoot that bird. I do as she tries to shoot the gadwall which have now decided to get the heck out of Dodge. She misses and off they go. Not much happened after that except for the rather large gaggle of geese doing what they did yesterday heading to the same pond. Called it good s we got to wittness another sunrise together. Hom many times have I topld you I am a lucky man? Well I just did again. Snapped some of Mrs. Claws before the pick up. A far one of the set up. You can see her head in the middle, one a little closer and then a ho, ho, ho Merry Christmas one,

BilletHead

[JohnP]

Love the pink hat . Not that it's related but I've seemingly jokingly told a buddy I'm going to start using flamingo dekes in the spread to mix it up .

[BilletHead]

Good one John,

Pat will want one now! That would make one neat picture too. Could you imagine someone coming over a hill, around a bend to see a pink flamingo in a decoy spread. One of all of us on here needs to take some ducks with one. I'll tell you if anyone does this I will carve and paint them up one of my poppers.

BilletHead

[JohnP]

Will do next hunt, don't think the neighbor will notice their flamingos missing .

[bs1827]

Really enjoy all of your hunting and fishing post BilletHead. I envy you!