I Suppose The Billetheads Should Start Reporting

[BilletHead]

Fourth annual after Christmas hunt,

My friend and his wife came down for the fourth annual hunt we do right after Christmas. Second time his Bride has partaken too. They arrived the day after Christmas just after noon. Mrs. BilletHead was off too so we all had a feast of goose fajitas and headed off for an afternoon hunt. We are not much of afternoon water hunts and as a matter of a fact this was my first one this way. Needed to try this as my field hunting has been non exisisnt this year. We arrive and spook off a couple of small groups of canadas. Set up the decoys and layouts and as we do a couple of singles want in. This was a dark cloudy day with drizzle. As the afternoon starts to vanish we have a double of canadas come and not leave, then a tripple and they go down too. Four shooters and five geese, not too bad I thought as it got darker and darker. I call it as I did not check last shooting time. When picking up five nice groups and some singles try to come in and come to find out we had fifteen minutes more to hunt that day. No pictures taken on day one. A good evening of visiting and deciding what to to thenext morning. Girls say we are not going in the morning!

Day two alarm goes off at five fifteen. I suggested the place where I had gone a week or so ago and managed a duck limit and a goose. Drizzle again damp and dreary. Temp around freezing, north west wind. Put out duck floaters, goose floaters and some big foot geese. Five minutes to spare and it began to spit snow. LST arrived and noting. It took fifteen minutes and two ducks shot by and circled for another pass. When they did we lit them up. Brad took the one to the right and I took the left one. As I pulled the trigger I seen the spoon bill. As mine went down I said shoveler. Turns out two smilies. Oh well. A bit later it began to snow harder. Big white wet globs of snow. A trio of canadas came in and again we lit them up and all three dropped. Some larger groups took a look see and veered off. I think they were seeing snow on the field decoys backs. Floaters looked fine as the warmer water kept the snow melted. A pair dumped in and we had too more. Then a single and we were done with geese as the snow got even more heavy. Seen a few ducks more but none interested. Good morning some photos. Sorry for the quality of the pictures as I just took the point and shoot during the crappy weather,

Got that batch cleaned and another rather large mid day meal was consumed. Discussion followed for another hunt. We had made up our minds what we were going to do and let the girls in on the plan. Afternoon hunt would be just for geese and since we were done the gals would have to do all the shooting. We picked a spot, snow had stopped and most had melted off. Colder north wind. A hard place to hide as irragation lake low with pretty bare bank backed by fescue. Tried to blend in best we could, girls in the middle with us on the outside doing the calling. Lots of geese flying with big groups ignoring us either going other places or picking out something they did not like. A single then dumped in and The Mrs. took him out. Then a double and each of the ladies tagged one. Ten minutes later LST had arrived and we got up to three groups of twenty or more trying to come in. MAYBE this is why I don't hunt evenings? So three more down. More photos of the spread and hide,

Cleaned birds and again discussed the next morning. Going to be a low of nineteen this night. Girls say no way in the morning again!

Up again next morning back to same place as night before to ice, ice baby around the bank where we had been hiding the day before. Wind was now out of the south west so we changed banks and set up. We both got pretty cold and all we seen was long distance flights and a big goose egg for the hunters. Mid day rest and another meal again big and tasty. Now where to go? Back to Fridays spot and this time I know quitting time. All four of us again. Just goose decoys again. We see distance flights and a few closer ones but nothing commits. All of the suden I hear a roar which is a single gadwall coming straight down to the decoys. It flared and circled three times looking at us as we called to it. There were four ruddy ducks in the middle swimming around and everytime it tried to land we gave it a come bck call. I thought this bird got confused hearing a duck calling to it but no ducks there to land with. Well third time was the last time when it got a bit too close and Brad took it out. So one duck down and again when picking up geese fogging in. Now i am beginning to dispise afternoon water hunts. No pictures. Home to discuss tomorrow.

Tomorrow rrives to seventeen degerees and and again the Mrs. had to go to work and Mrs. Brad says no way she is going. We guys look at each other and neither one of us were smart enough to agree to not go so as Brad says you have to be tough when you are stupid and we head out. This time just for a ducky looking place where we had seen a few day before. As we drive that way my truck read fourteen. Are you kidding me I thought. Why am I doing this? Well misery loves company and yes we were pretty misreable yesterday morning. First thing where we wanted to get it was froze out thirty yards from the bank. We did flush birds out. and did set up near the dam where there was deeper water. We got buzzed by a couple of green wings but all we got was cold so home we went. We went to town and ate at the local greasy spoon for a great burger and suzie q's. Back home for the last hunt. Decided to head to the best goose place where we had got our limit one morning. Got set up with goose and a half dozen duck decoys. Did manage seven mallards to my suprise. No geese in before LST ends but a bunch while picking up. Again now I really know why I am not hunting ponds unless forced to in the afternoon until we have to quit. So the bag for the last hunt with friend,

Home for cleaning ducks and a feast of leftovers. A good visit and as the hours got later and more talking. I see Brad's eyes go closed right in the middle of a conversation. he nodded off in the middle of me talking. I did not want to admit of being tired and hurting and neither did he. Today all is quiet and I will be taking a break,

BilletHead

[JohnP]

Great pics and awsome report as usual BH.