The BilletHead's 2015/2016 season

[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 ?

[JohnP]

Way to get it done BH.   

[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

 

[BilletHead]

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

BilletHead

[JohnP]

Alot better than my second day.  Had a shot on 4 that gave us fly by but caught us off guard and didn't give us a second shot.  Sat till 0930 and the fog gave us fits most of the morning thick rolling fog and think that might of played a roll in the birds not flying.  Hoping that's it and the cold front hasn't already pushed em out.

  Heard one volley of shots right at lst  and another volley in the opposite direction about 0800 and that was it.  Enjoyed every moment of it as I got to spend it with one of my sons who was in town with a buddy of his from the AFB he's stationed at.  Did manage to let the boys shoot up  a tennis ball pretty good that we found laying on the bank to get the dog some work in ;).  Brought memories when he was 8 and had slow morning of no birds flying.  The field had just been disc I'd throw up dirt clods and they'd bust em.

[luckycraft]

Wood duck galore.  I saw 30 wood duck and had 4 sit down in the decoys before my woofer had enough of me not shooting and blew them off.   I swear she looked at me as if I was crazy not shooting.  didn't see a teal today and by far way less shots heard  I think I am done teal hunting.  Heading to Montana in October for the opener.  Can't wait.

[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

[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 

[BilletHead]

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

[JohnP]

Congrats and awsome report as usual BH.