Pat's first whitefront

[BilletHead]

              Pat and I did a field hunt this morning for geese, duck too if they happened to fly by. We have been watching a field that geese have been using with a few ducks mixed in. This is a wheat field and hard to hide in with some fescue waterways going through it. there is a roost pond the birds have kept open the birds are flying to and from. We set up in layout blinds in one of these waterways.  32 full body canada decoys put out. There is only one problem with this set up. There are so many birds using this spot and they are coming in in huge flights if they want in another part of the field you are screwed. 

   Best part of the morning was another sunrise afield with my favorite hunting partner. 

             Birds started coming off the roost and heading towards us. Those first birds were whitefronts. Pat calls them special bellies. For those of you that are not familiar you will soon know why. Behind these first birds were waves of other whitefronts and canadas and ducks mixed in.  I called with the call and my speck call is junk plus I suck at this call, but the specks came in to take a look meanwhile the bulk of the birds were honed into another spot in the field. The first few specks were close, and Pat was excited. I told her take the shot and she did. Her first speck hit the frozen field. She was pretty pumped. She has shot at one before and missed, this turned into crying  .  The rest of the birds coming off the roost went with the others. We continued to hunt with a small group of canadas coming close, but none would commit but just go to the others. As long as that group was there nothing will come to the 32 decoys we had out as opposed to the three to four hundred in the field a quarter mile away. Pat decided to walk over and get those birds up. She did and the birds went back to the roost. Finally, the birds started trickling out but flew North away from us and the field. Later on a few remaining geese lifted off and checked us out. They were still more interested in where the big wad was making pass after passing around us just looking. This is when I decided non committing birds if they were close enough would be targets for pass shooting. This became a game will they get closer or not.  We took two canadas and I got a speck. 

           Beautiful birds, tasty birds. 

One set of speck breasts are in the sous vide ready to take out and sear. Gotta take care of that as Pat fixes sides. 

[Ryan Miloshewski]

Best tasting waterfowl in the world, IMO. Awesomely tarred up, too! 

[luckycraft]

Ever have chicken fried goose.    Specks are good for breakfast this way.   

[BilletHead]

7 hours ago, luckycraft said:

Ever have chicken fried goose.    Specks are good for breakfast this way.   

              You are right chicken fried goose is great, anytime. Smother it with gravy or treat it like a beat up and breaded tenderloin and put on a sammich. 

[Terrierman]

22 hours ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

Best tasting waterfowl in the world, IMO. Awesomely tarred up, too! 

100% agree on both counts.  Never had any crane though and I hear it's up there too when it comes to table fare.

[Ryan Miloshewski]

50 minutes ago, Terrierman said:

100% agree on both counts.  Never had any crane though and I hear it's up there too when it comes to table fare.

Crane is great but I still say specks are the best because of the fat content. Crane doesn't have any fat. 

[snagged in outlet 3]

2 hours ago, Ryan Miloshewski said:

Crane is great but I still say specks are the best because of the fat content. Crane doesn't have any fat. 

It was cool when driving around Wisconsin and see them in people’s yard.  My wife thought they were decorative plastic cranes 😆

[Johnsfolly]

1 hour ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

It was cool when driving around Wisconsin and see them in people’s yard.  My wife thought they were decorative plastic cranes 😆

We would see a bunch every year when we lived in FL. I saw a bunch last time I was in central FL. Apparently it is a FL subspecies of the sandhill crane. Weirdest sounding call.

[BilletHead]

Love seeing and hearing sandhill crane out west. My phone ringtone is a sandhill crane. You should see the looks I get in public. Someday maybe get to eat and hunt one.

[snagged in outlet 3]

1 hour ago, BilletHead said:

Love seeing and hearing sandhill crane out west. My phone ringtone is a sandhill crane. You should see the looks I get in public. Someday maybe get to eat and hunt one.

I put the smackdown on a bunch or starlings over the weekend.  Does that count?  We didn't eat them though...😆