Still some around

[BilletHead]

             Monday through this morning,

The BilletHead went with his Cajun friend. Hit the duck park. We have big water with the low lying areas around the river flooded. Not real sure if birds are spread out or we lost a bunch but there was not much going on. Three of us took out six. Then yesterday The Mrs. and I went again with the Cajun. More exploring than anything. Did see a few birds here and there but did not even set up. Fun boat ride none the less. In the Afternoon the Mrs. and I scouted one place and the Cajun another. He called about a place he had never hunted but I had before in low water. It isn't low now he said lets give it a try in the AM.  Meeting him at the ramp we had lightning, thunder and a hard rain. We visited until it stopped then launched the boat. Puttered out there flushing birds out of the flooded mixed grasses. Picked a spot and got set up way after LST. Birds buzzed us as we were doing that set up. Hid the boat and hunkered down on either side of a button brush bush. I would say our first shot was close to seven thirty and the last just after eight.  It was good, real good. All I had today was the phone camera. So not a good photo but there are a dozen here. One green wing and the rest bluewings. Good day and good company!   Public ground,

BilletHead

[Johnsfolly]

Great hunting BH and friends! Looks like some fine meals coming up. I really like duck, but my better half needs convincing. Enjoy the fruits (birds) of your labor.

[JohnP]

Awesome Marty.  Skipped Monday and went dove hunting with a buddy from work west of Mt Vernon.  No pics but managed to scratch out 10 after shooting 2 boxes of shells.  After the first box I realized I had my waterfowl choke tube in.  Changed out tubes and miraculously started dropping birds ;).   Tuesday teal hunted and not a single one.  Ton of woodies tho.  

[BilletHead]

   And again today.

  Actually seen quite a few big ducks. Pintail,shovler and mallards. No joke. If it is raining in the morning I will not be going but bet the Cajun will.

BilletHead

[Johnsfolly]

BH 

Are they any teal left where you hunt?  Great job! If you ever get tired of teal, I'll PM you my address.

[Nitro 750]

18 hours ago, JohnP said:

   Tuesday teal hunted and not a single one.  Ton of woodies tho.  

Don't fell bad John, I also went Tuesday morning and I only seen 2, I had 1 buzz the decoys and seen 1 at a distance.  Hope to try again this weekend.

[Boobie]

Great job BH. Nothing like Teal.Yummy.

[BilletHead]

   Couldn't resist and it wasn't raining when I got started,

Ok I said I wasn't going if it was raining this morning. Woke up a couple times last night to see flashes of lightning out the window. Alarm was set for four AM. Three AM arrived and I was fully awake. Flipped on the computer to see nothing in the area. Mrs. BilletHead got up and made me a pot of coffee bless her heart I love that gal even if she doesn't get to go and retrieve. See she has a job and must go to work four days a week. Decision was made and I was flying/paddling solo today. I knew where I wanted to go. There was two places where the Cajun and I seen birds working other than where we had hunted yesterday. I knew he had his Son and four of his son's friends going today. He picked a spot and I made the choice of the other. It was a long paddle to my place, over a half mile I would guess. So I loaded the kayak and my gear and hit the road. To the North was lightning, big lightning but between the clouds I seen stars and the moon off and on. Public ground again and I knew I should gt there early. Filled out my daily report card and slid one part into the drop box, other half into my pants pocket. Soon all the stars disappeared. Checked the radar on the phone, still good to go everything tracking to the North East. Kayak loaded another party showed up. They were launching a rather large sea ark with big outboard. Humm I thought? As I paddled by in my tiny rig I gave him the heads up where I would be. I knew he would not be able to go where I was going but He would be running through some grass on his way and I did not want to be run over . I do not have a light on my rig but do use my headlamp while paddling in the dark. As I went out I seen more rigs coming down the road including the Cajun. Got turned around once going out but got back on track. My destination was a field that had a disc run over it. River being out there was sheet water on this field. I took a deep channel to it and then through a short brush row into the field. I knew there would be some dragging of the kayak. I can't carry a load but can drag some. Well I had to stop several times to take a break. Not from loosing my breath but just hurting in the lumbar region. Humid and I was wringing wet from sweat. At my set up I took my time as I had 45 minuted to LST. I could hear other boats with mud motors moving about. Before LST I had close to a hundred birds come in and land all over my mud sheet water field. More buzzing over going to other places. Then thunder and lightning closer to the North and some to the West. Now what the heck am I going to do over here if it hits. I get back onto the phone radar. Still not showing anything? Well I know for sure it is doing something not too far away. Then the phone rings and it is my bride checking on me. TV shows small cells West and North. Well I am already wet from sweat I guess I will sit it out. If it hits as fast as it was moving I would not make it out anyway. I had a rain jacket and could put it on so as to not fill my waders. Light enough now to see a squall line in the distance getting closer. I did hear one boat fire up and roar back to the launch to beat the impending weather. That is a no no as it is no wake idle speed only there unless you have a ten Hp or under. This was no small craft I herd.  When it hit a sprinkle or two but the cells split and one went south of me and the other tracked north and East. I was out of the woods for now. In the distance I heard first shots fired. Looked at the phone, yep good to go and just then I had twenty of so come from behind over me and before I could react they were gone and landed out of range. A group circled and swung by one shot I took one down. The little field I was in erupted in flushing birds. I knew there was a bunch out there but not that many. I had pretty constant groups swing by and I shot good. I would only shoot at one bird. Drop him and go right to the place he crashed to pick him up. I hate to loose a bird. If I take a life I am going to utilize it. No dog can make it hard. Enough flying I am not going to be greedy. I shot four for four, the fifth bird I hit but had to follow up with two more to put him down for good. Everyone was shooting and I could see giant flocks in the distance. I could tell when the Cajun group fired. That group of six did some shooting for sure. I knew they were having some fun. My last bird came out of a group of twenty incoming tight I waited until one peeled off and I let him have it. DONE by 7:45. . I was the first shooter in and the first rig out. Seen more greenwings today and two of my birds were that variety. It sprinkled as I picked up. Loaded everything up and paddled my way back to the truck. As I hit more open water I could see mojo spinners all over. Paddled by two parties. I was very glad to see the truck when I got there. Getting black in the West, really black. Rained again as I loaded up. Four rigs with trailers and two other trucks besides mine. I drove to the lot where the Cajun was parked. Scanned the distance until I could see them standing in the grass and brush. They too were hunting another sheet water field. It was raining pretty hard then. He called my phone and we compared notes. They lacked seven birds. I could hear on the phone laughing, hooting and hollering. Seems as one of the boys chairs had collapsed and he ended up in the mud. Then Cajun said I got to go as I seen a group swing in on them. Shots fired and I counted five crash down. I could see they were working two dogs today. Quit raining I got out into the bed of the truck to watch pointing directions and heard whistles for guidance. Some day I may have a working dog I thought to myself. Rain again and back into the truck I got. Seen four more birds go over them with two going down. They picked up and idled back to the ramp. Laughing all the way. See the Cajun is my age and the boys were all his sons age. The Cajun's son is getting married soon and this hunt was his bachelor party. The group had six stringers with six birds each, add my six and that is 42 that was taken this morning. Not sure if the others out there had any luck but there was other shooting going on.

   There will be some grilling going on here in BilletHeadville this weekend. My six,

 The BilletHead beat himself up pretty bad this morning and right now cannot stand up very straight. As one of my good friends tells me "You got to be tough when you are stupid" I am not very tough for sure but a bit dumb at times. Not sure If I would paddle that far again, well maybe? I will pay for this in the next few days. The Mrs will not be too happy if I don't try to get her out tomorrow. If so it will be a pond hunt close to home.

[JohnP]

20 hours ago, Nitro 750 said:

 

 

2 hours ago, BilletHead said:

   Couldn't resist and it wasn't raining when I got started,

Ok I said I wasn't going if it was raining this morning. Woke up a couple times last night to see flashes of lightning out the window. Alarm was set for four AM. Three AM arrived and I was fully awake. Flipped on the computer to see nothing in the area. Mrs. BilletHead got up and made me a pot of coffee bless her heart I love that gal even if she doesn't get to go and retrieve. See she has a job and must go to work four days a week. Decision was made and I was flying/paddling solo today. I knew where I wanted to go. There was two places where the Cajun and I seen birds working other than where we had hunted yesterday. I knew he had his Son and four of his son's friends going today. He picked a spot and I made the choice of the other. It was a long paddle to my place, over a half mile I would guess. So I loaded the kayak and my gear and hit the road. To the North was lightning, big lightning but between the clouds I seen stars and the moon off and on. Public ground again and I knew I should gt there early. Filled out my daily report card and slid one part into the drop box, other half into my pants pocket. Soon all the stars disappeared. Checked the radar on the phone, still good to go everything tracking to the North East. Kayak loaded another party showed up. They were launching a rather large sea ark with big outboard. Humm I thought? As I paddled by in my tiny rig I gave him the heads up where I would be. I knew he would not be able to go where I was going but He would be running through some grass on his way and I did not want to be run over . I do not have a light on my rig but do use my headlamp while paddling in the dark. As I went out I seen more rigs coming down the road including the Cajun. Got turned around once going out but got back on track. My destination was a field that had a disc run over it. River being out there was sheet water on this field. I took a deep channel to it and then through a short brush row into the field. I knew there would be some dragging of the kayak. I can't carry a load but can drag some. Well I had to stop several times to take a break. Not from loosing my breath but just hurting in the lumbar region. Humid and I was wringing wet from sweat. At my set up I took my time as I had 45 minuted to LST. I could hear other boats with mud motors moving about. Before LST I had close to a hundred birds come in and land all over my mud sheet water field. More buzzing over going to other places. Then thunder and lightning closer to the North and some to the West. Now what the heck am I going to do over here if it hits. I get back onto the phone radar. Still not showing anything? Well I know for sure it is doing something not too far away. Then the phone rings and it is my bride checking on me. TV shows small cells West and North. Well I am already wet from sweat I guess I will sit it out. If it hits as fast as it was moving I would not make it out anyway. I had a rain jacket and could put it on so as to not fill my waders. Light enough now to see a squall line in the distance getting closer. I did hear one boat fire up and roar back to the launch to beat the impending weather. That is a no no as it is no wake idle speed only there unless you have a ten Hp or under. This was no small craft I herd.  When it hit a sprinkle or two but the cells split and one went south of me and the other tracked north and East. I was out of the woods for now. In the distance I heard first shots fired. Looked at the phone, yep good to go and just then I had twenty of so come from behind over me and before I could react they were gone and landed out of range. A group circled and swung by one shot I took one down. The little field I was in erupted in flushing birds. I knew there was a bunch out there but not that many. I had pretty constant groups swing by and I shot good. I would only shoot at one bird. Drop him and go right to the place he crashed to pick him up. I hate to loose a bird. If I take a life I am going to utilize it. No dog can make it hard. Enough flying I am not going to be greedy. I shot four for four, the fifth bird I hit but had to follow up with two more to put him down for good. Everyone was shooting and I could see giant flocks in the distance. I could tell when the Cajun group fired. That group of six did some shooting for sure. I knew they were having some fun. My last bird came out of a group of twenty incoming tight I waited until one peeled off and I let him have it. DONE by 7:45. . I was the first shooter in and the first rig out. Seen more greenwings today and two of my birds were that variety. It sprinkled as I picked up. Loaded everything up and paddled my way back to the truck. As I hit more open water I could see mojo spinners all over. Paddled by two parties. I was very glad to see the truck when I got there. Getting black in the West, really black. Rained again as I loaded up. Four rigs with trailers and two other trucks besides mine. I drove to the lot where the Cajun was parked. Scanned the distance until I could see them standing in the grass and brush. They too were hunting another sheet water field. It was raining pretty hard then. He called my phone and we compared notes. They lacked seven birds. I could hear on the phone laughing, hooting and hollering. Seems as one of the boys chairs had collapsed and he ended up in the mud. Then Cajun said I got to go as I seen a group swing in on them. Shots fired and I counted five crash down. I could see they were working two dogs today. Quit raining I got out into the bed of the truck to watch pointing directions and heard whistles for guidance. Some day I may have a working dog I thought to myself. Rain again and back into the truck I got. Seen four more birds go over them with two going down. They picked up and idled back to the ramp. Laughing all the way. See the Cajun is my age and the boys were all his sons age. The Cajun's son is getting married soon and this hunt was his bachelor party. The group had six stringers with six birds each, add my six and that is 42 that was taken this morning. Not sure if the others out there had any luck but there was other shooting going on.

   There will be some grilling going on here in BilletHeadville this weekend. My six,

 The BilletHead beat himself up pretty bad this morning and right now cannot stand up very straight. As one of my good friends tells me "You got to be tough when you are stupid" I am not very tough for sure but a bit dumb at times. Not sure If I would paddle that far again, well maybe? I will pay for this in the next few days. The Mrs will not be too happy if I don't try to get her out tomorrow. If so it will be a pond hunt close to home.

We'll be more than happy to take the pressure off of you Marty if you'll push them birds down here ;).   What a awesome hunt and I may know someone with a dawg if you need some help shooting and retrieving ;).

[BilletHead]

    Got the Mrs. out this morning,

From the last three days I had my possession limit so she was the shooter today. No way for us to hunt where I have been going so we picked a pond and rolled the dice. Two groups showed up. Six in the first and she dropped two and then four more and two of them down.  I walked and the Mrs. Paddled the gear in and out,

    Got to do some teal eating. Our favorite way is to pluck the breast and singe the fine feathers with a propane torch,

   Fillet off the breast sides keeping the precious skin. You can see we keep the skin beyond and forward of the breast too. Try this you will thank me later,

   For heavens sake people don't soak your duck in water, you wouldn't soak a pork chop or steak would you? Fish soaking is another pet peeve with us too. Just clean out the blood under some running water. Pat dry. Vacuum seal is the best way to freeze but we will be eating ours fresh. Filling the grill basket and some sea salt on both sides of the breast. A nice charcoal fire and the flames are from some peach wood chunks with duck fat dripping off the searing breasts,

    Crisp up the skin and if too much flare up throw the lid on. Do the same to the other side,

  Finished and resting,

    Plated up and sliced. Remember just a sear. You want it red/pink and juicy,

  Tomorrow it will be teal fajitas. Again on the charcoal grill. Now if there is still any around maybe there will be a bit more killing? Another note in the unit and pool I had been in the past three days there was twenty parties hunting. My friend and the boys that limited out yesterday only took five before giving it up. 

BilletHead