Buckling Down for the Grind.

23 down, 37 to go. This is it -- the last break we'll get until the end of the big dance. Thus far, I've hunted 22 of those 23, and I don't intend to stop until the ducks do.

Once again, low clouds, overcast skies, and ducks in the Home Field. Today, we were soggy, but we saw lots of weary mallards on South winds and 50 degree temps. They didn't exactly work to our liking, but they did fly close enough to the blind for us to carve out 25 birds. Looks like some fairly nasty weather is setting in in the Dakotas and the Mid-West, so we'll be looking for those stupid birds any day now.

J-Hawk, Special Fred, Casey, the Don, Matthew, Gipper, and Cannon Ball (singular). 25 Birds, including 10 Mallards, 3 GWT, 1 Wigeon, 1 Gadwall, 10 Shovelers.







Total for Regular Season: 413
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009: 473
Birds Per Hunt: 18.7
Birds Per Day of Season: 17.96
245 Shovelers (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
96 Mallards
24 Specks
20 Green Wing
14 Pintails
6 Gadwall
2 Blue Wing
4 Wigeon
1 Red Head
1 Snow

Home Field: 321 (on 18 hunts = 17.83/day)
GW's: 56 (on 2 Hunts = 28/day)
Butterworth: 23 (on 1 Hunt)
Charles (East): 13 (on 1 Hunt)

History Repeats Itself.

No, really . . . it DOES. Exhausted, but not broken, I returned to the Home Field Blind with the Don, J-Hawk, and our Mystery Guest this morning. Once again, the Mystery Guest had to leave within 15 minutes of shooting light, but he took his two shovelers with him when he left. I was late, 'cause I was tired. That notwithstanding, I wasn't gonna let the chance to bring those numbers back up pass me by.

As per the norm, we came out with limits, and those limits were comprised of mostly shovelers. 20 Ducks, including 2 Mallards, 1 Wigeon, 1 GWT, and 16 Boot-lipped Shovelers.



Total for Regular Season: 388
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009: 448
Birds Per Hunt: 18.4
Birds Per Day of Season: 17.64
235 Shovelers (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
86 Mallards
24 Specks
17 Green Wing
14 Pintails
5 Gadwall
2 Blue Wing
3 Wigeon
1 Red Head
1 Snow

Home Field: 296 (on 17 hunts = 17.41/day)
GW's: 56 (on 2 Hunts = 28/day)
Butterworth: 23 (on 1 Hunt)
Charles (East): 13 (on 1 Hunt)

Georgia Hands

On Sunday, December 20, 2009, we were graced by the arrival of Ray Tew and his sons, who hail from the Atlanta, GA area. I'll be the first to admit that I'd been sweating bullets because, as of Saturday, every duck in Northeast Arkansas was sitting smack dab in the middle of a field directly North of Rick's reservoir, and they didn't look as if they had any intentions of altering their pattern.

Nonetheless, God loves me, and he apparently don't hate them GA boys either. The winds gave us fits, and I cursed the weatherman on more than one occasion, but the end result was a fairly nice gut-pile.

On Sunday, the headcount was 21, including 3 Pintail, 1 Mallard, and 17 Shovelers.




On Sunday evening, as I was scouting Charles' Field in search of Monday's prey, I heard something curious. In the distance I could hear the sound of mallards feeding to the East. Following said curiosity, I drove around the ditch to discover a large raft of birds on the Butterworth field, which would be a first in the history of our farm. Appropriately, we set up on them on Monday, and the results were good, I must say. 23 Birds, Including 2 Mallards, 1 Wigeon, and 20 Shovelers.

In the afternoon, we moved the blind to Charles' East and hunted again, where we killed another 13 birds, including 2 Mallards and 11 Shovelers.



Total for Regular Season: 368
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009: 428
Birds Per Hunt: 18.4
Birds Per Day of Season: 17.52
219 Shovelers (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
84 Mallards
24 Specks
16 Green Wing
14 Pintails
5 Gadwall
2 Blue Wing
2 Wigeon
1 Red Head
1 Snow

Catching Up.

Alrighty, then. Looks like we've got some catching up to do.

December 17, 2009, a leaner, crafty crew showed up at Gibson Farms just in time to watch the ice thaw and the birds not flying. We never even left the shop, determining instead to check some water, patch up some levees, and catch an afternoon at work. No hunting = no dux.

December 18, 2009, the Don & I gave 'er the old college try on the Home field, only to leave skunked and demoralized for a second time this season.

Saturday, December 19, 2009, Jake, Blake, Meredith, the Don, and I headed south to give things a look on the river. What we saw when we got there was low water and empty skies. Four days in a row with no ducks. Things are NOT pretty.

There Will Be Blood.

Well, it had to happen eventually . . . and today it did. SKUNK!!!! Ouch. December 16, 2009, the 16th day of the 2009 Arkansas Waterfowl Season, is the day we left the blind empty-handed. Light wind, 20 degree temperatures, lots of ice, NO DUCKS!

We'll not be venturing out tomorrow morning, opting instead for the afternoon sneak-attack. Wish us luck. For the record, I'm mad at 'em now. There will be blood.

. . . and Smiling . . . and Smiling!

Well, we're officially 15 days deep in the 2009-2010 season, and of those 15 days, we've spent 13 in the old Home Field. She's been good to us, and despite the fact that we keep trying to bury her, she just won't die. I should also mention that the Home Field is exactly 27 birds short of an all-time record for total number of birds harvested in a single blind over an entire season. If the scenario doesn't change, we'll break that record tomorrow.

Yesterday's exit from GW's field yielded high expectations as we watched the swarm of birds encircling the Home Field. Unfortunately, the winds shifted out of the North at about 20 m.p.h. over night, creating a scenario wherein we were forced to face the sun this morning. For the record, it didn't matter. Neither the sunrise stare-down nor the mass of birds congregated in the top two paddies of the field would thwart our efforts today. J-Hawk, Papa, Gibby, Cannon, and a mystery guest who requested that he remain anonymous. Our mystery guest was forced to leave the blind after 10 minutes of hunting, but carried out his 3 shovelers as he left. That left only myself, J-Hawk, and Blind Dog to finish out the morning, but we did it with style. 21 Birds, including 12 Mallards, 3 Pins, 2 Gadwall, 4 Shovelers.






Total for Regular Season: 311
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009: 371
Birds Per Day: 20.73
171 Shovelers (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
79 Mallards
24 Specks
16 Green Wing
11 Pintails
5 Gadwall
2 Blue Wing
1 Wigeon
1 Red Head
1 Snow

Home Field: 255 -- avg. 19.61
GW's: 56 -- avg. 28

He's Still Smiling . . .

. . . and I like it. Again, a lean crew for the morning activities. Again, low clouds and moderate winds from the Southwest made hiding impossible. Ahh, but again, dumb ducks -- my favorite kind -- were the rule, not the exception. Blind Dog Willie, the Don, Fleabag, Gipper, and Cannonball (singular) emerged at 8:30 with full bags. Total: 26; 16 Mallards, 1 Pin, 1 GWT, 6 Shovelers, 2 Specks.





Total for Regular Season: 290
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009: 350
Birds Per Day: 20.71
167 Shovelers (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
67 Mallards
24 Specks
16 Green Wing
8 Pintails
3 Gadwall
2 Blue Wing
1 Wigeon
1 Red Head
1 Snow

Home Field: 234 -- avg. 19.5
GW's: 56 -- avg. 28

Sometimes God Just Smiles On You

Boy Howdy, He sho-nuff did on us today. This was our first excursion on the farm outside the Home Field, which has been the go-to hole this season. Fortunately, having done a bit of scouting yesterday, we discovered a large concentration of mallards on GW's. After a quick team meeting, we set our sights on big ducks for Sunday morning.

Given the Sunday morning time slot, we had a fairly lean crew, consisting of the Fleabag, the Kid, J-Hawk, Meredith, and of course, ole Gibby -- a highly trained team of professional assassins.

Temps hovered in the lower 40's, but the gray skies and drizzling rain couldn't quench their desire for breakfast this morning. A quick blind set and a few dek's later, we plopped down on a levee and commenced to shooting at precisely 6:35 a.m. At 7:15, bags were full, limits were tapped, and we quickly realized that it had all passed before we really got the chance to enjoy it. We'd hoped that the mallards would show, and they exceeded our expectations with rare form. By far, it was the best hunt this season, and at 7:20 we walked out with 30 birds, including 20 Mallards and 10 Shovelers.







Total for Regular Season: 257
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009: 317
Birds Per Day: 19.77
160 Shovelers (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
22 Specks
51 Mallards
15 Green Wing
3 Gadwall
7 Pintails
2 Blue Wing
1 Wigeon
1 Red Head
1 Snow

Obscene . . . Simply Obscene

Wulp, we've found our groove. That's not to say that we've got the game figured out, but we've finally fallen into the rut, and this season its coming early.

Friday, December 11, 2009, Tom Waleszonia joined Donnie, the Kid, and I for an afternoon shoot over the ice. Continuing the tradition, we smoked those wide-bills like there was no tomorrow. 4-man limits in about an hour -- 24 total. 2 Pintail, 22 SHOVELERS!!!!!




On Saturday, Tasha, J-Hawk, Jake, the Don, the Kid, Meredith, ole Gibby, and Cannonball (singular) made another trip to the fabled Home Field blind, the 12th such trip out of 12 hunts this season (that'd be 100%, for you math majors). Took us till noon, but we finally emerged with 39 birds, including 23 shovelers, 9 Mallards, 6 GW Teal, and 1 Speck.





Total for Regular Season: 234
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009: 294
Birds Per Day: 19.5
151 Shovelers (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
22 Specks
31 Mallards
15 Green Wing
3 Gadwall
7 Pintails
2 Blue Wing
1 Wigeon
1 Red Head
1 Snow

FINALLY!

Well, yesterday started out a bust.  The second split of season was supposed to start out with blinding swarms of Mallards on the only open water available.  Unfortunately, it didn't quite end up that way.

Despite the Don's admonition not to do so, I made the executive decision that he, Special Fred, Meredith, & I would head South in search of open water on the Thursday re-opening.  Since we were en route to public spaces, we decided to leave J-town at 2:00 a.m. -- that's right, TWO IN THE MORNING.  Doing so ensured that we'd be first in line to get our honey hole, and we left town in the wee hours with high expectations.

Unfortunately, our camping excursion remained private less than one hour, as company showed up by 3:45 a.m.  What started as a party of four quickly turned to a party of eight, including two lads from South Carolina.  Being Gentlemen, we welcomed them and ensured that there would be no hard feelings regarding their tagging along.

Fortunately, they didn't screw us up.  By "didn't screw us up," what I mean is that there were no birds to be found, i.e., it sucked.  Furthermore, we found that what sucks doesn't suck anymore with eight people than it does with four people.  Sucks is as sucks does, and we finally left empty-handed at 9:30.

Demoralized, we returned to the farm for an afternoon skunk saver.  At first, we gave them 30 minutes of our attention on the Lost 20.  However, when that didn't happen, we shifted to the Home Field, and boy howdy, were we glad we did.

Seeing our first decent groups of mallards for the season, we promptly cut seven out of the first flock.  And then another two out of the next flock, and then another three out of the next flock, etc.  Just that quickly, we doubled our mallard count for the season.  When the smoke cleared, our pile included 12 Mallards, 12 Shovelers, 2 Pins, 4 Greenwings, and 1 Mystery Bird.  31 for the day!!!

We set two records yesterday:

1.   We have now actually surpassed the most ducks we have EVER killed in the Home Field in an entire season.  Our previous high was in the 130's, and we have now killed 170, and in 10 days of hunting.

2.  We have now actually surpassed the highest number of Northern Shovelers we have ever killed in a single season (ouch!). 





Total for the day: 31 birds.
Total for Regular Season: 170
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009: 230
Birds Per Day: 17.00
106 Shovelers (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
21 Specks
22 Mallards
9 Green Wing
3 Gadwall
5 Pintails
1 Blue Wing
1 Wigeon
1 Red Head
1 Snow

Youth Weekend

YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!

 



Uhh, that'd be my 8-year old, with her first confirmed kill.  Yeah, its a shoveler, but she's 8 and carrying a pink & purple camo .410 bore, and its a dead duck, so we'll call it a win That dude's goin to the taxidermist.  For the record,  she did it at the same age, in the same field, and with the same gauge as her daddy.  Nothing to sneeze at!

It gets better!  Sunday afternoon I took the kids out to the ole Home Field and Garrett took his first bird on the wing.  A fine day, indeed.

Burrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Almost everything was frozen at the farm this morning.  The almost part, on the other hand, is where things get good.  Birds stayed overnight in the Lost 20 and Jones, and as a result, there was no ice on those fields.  I would estimate 3,000 ducks on the Lost 20, and maybe half as many on Jones.  Unfortunately, the ducks were mixed with a LARGE number of snow geese, and those geese are doing their signature damage to the fields.

Most encouraging of all is the fact that the birds, which I ran off the fields, left those two roosts and flew southwest, which means they aren't the same flocks we've been hunting that roost on Coleman's Reservoir.  That's a good thing, because Coleman's is brimming with birds, and if the birds on the 20 and Jones are not part of that roost, there's a LOT of birds in town. 

Yippeeeeeee!!!!!!!!

New birds on the ole home court as of yesterday.  J-Hawk called in a very encouraging report, and I confirmed it this morning.  Looks like mallards & pins, which is a welcomed diversion from all the spoon-bill swatting we've been doing.  Birds on Amy's, GW's, Jones, Lost 20, & Home fields.  This should make for one more FINE weekend for the youth hunters. 

Perspective

Alright, here's some interesting perspective on the Home Field and the way it stacks up on this particular year, as compared to those in the past.  You might find this interesting.

As of yesterday, we've hunted the Home Field 9 occasions this season, for a total of 136 birds, averaging 15.11 birds per day of hunting.  Here's how it compares to past seasons:

Last year, it seemed like we hunted the Home Field every day for the first half of season.  Kicker is, we killed a total of 89 ducks there, and that was out of a total of 463.

During 2007-2008's season, we hunted the Home Field a total of 19 times, and our total harvest was exactly 136 birds for the ENTIRE season, averaging 7.16 birds per hunt.

In 2006-2007, we didn't hunt the Home field.

In 2005-2006, we killed a total of 107 off the Home Field.  Ironically, we killed 37 opening morning that year.

In 2004-2005, we killed a total of 9 birds in the Home Field.

In 2003-2004, we killed 36 in the Home Field.

In 2002-2003, we didn't hunt the Home Field

In 2001-2002, we killed 58 in the Home Field.

In 2000-2001, we didn't hunt the Home Field.

In 1999-2000, we killed 68 in the Home Field.

AND AS FOR OLE MR. HOLLYWOOD . . . 




Now, here's where it gets a tad less interesting, but a bit more laborious:  This season we've killed a grand total of 92 Shovelers, which accounts for 68% of our harvest, thus far.  Ouch!

Last season, we killed a grand total of 76 shovelers out of 463 birds, accounting for 16% of our total harvest.  Mallards, Wigeon, Gadwall, Teal, Pintails, and Woodies made up 60% of last year's harvest. 

In 2000-2001, 37 of 403 harvested birds were shovelers, or 9%. For the record, 60.3% of our harvested birds were mallards, and we killed a grand total of 1 Speck and NO Snows that year. 

In 2001-2002, 40 of 487 birds, or 8.2% of our harvest, were shovelers.  57% were Mallards. 

In 2002-2003, 98 of 456 birds, or 21.5% of our harvest, were shovelers.  231, or 51% of the harvest was Mallards. 

In 2003-2004, 48 of 435 harvested birds, or 11%, were shovelers.  246 of our 435 were Mallards. 

During 2008-2009, we killed a grand total of 131 mallards, out of 463 birds harvested. 

Things are obviously different than they used to be. 

Ahhhh, the End of Round I

AND so it goes, round one is over.  We are 1/6th of the way through duck season, and the mallard harvest has been less than spectacular.  On the other hand, last season we made it to Christmas before we killed our 10th, so I suppose it could be worse. 

On Sunday, the Kid, Meredith, and Gibby took our 9th trip to the Home Field blind in a row.  Appropriately, we finished it with 9 shovelers, 1 Speck, for a total of 10 Birds on Sunday.

Total for the day:  10 birds.
Total for Regular Season: 136
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009:  196
Birds Per Day:  15.11
92 Shovelers  (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
19 Specks
10  Mallards
5  Green Wing
3  Gadwall
3  Pintails
1  Blue Wing
1  Wigeon
1  Red Head
1  Snow

Grinding to a Halt

It just keeps getting slower, little-by-little, every day.  Today was no exception.  Tasha, the Kid, Jake, Meredith, Donnie, J-Hawk, & Gibby left with 6, including 2 shovelers, 3 GWT's, and 1 Speck. 

Glad there's a break on the way!

Total for the day:  6 birds.
Total for Regular Season: 126
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009:  186
83 Shovelers  (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
10  Mallards
3  Gadwall
5  Green Wing
1  Blue Wing
1  Wigeon
1  Red Head
3  Pintails
18 Specks
1  Snow

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

Not much to report.  Conditions continue to be similar to what they have been over the last few days:  lows in the 30's and highs in the upper 50's to lower 60's, clear skies, and not enough wind.

Thanksgiving day we had a nice crew, including J-Hawk, Meredith, Jake, Red, Blake, the Kid, the Don, & yes, ole Gibby.  16 ducks, and the writing is on the wall for things starting to slow WAY down.   2 Specks, 1 Mallard, 13 Shovelers.





Today, November 27, 2009, the Don, Dead-Eye, Meredith & myself went for our 7th trip to the Home Field in a row.  7 birds, and things things aren't looking so good.  3 Mallards, 1 GWT, 1 Snow, 2 Gadwall.





Total for the day:  16 birds. (11-26-2009)
                            14 birds (11-27-2009)
Total for Regular Season: 120
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009:  180
Birds Per Day:  17.14
81 Shovelers  (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
10  Mallards
3  Gadwall
2  Green Wing
1  Blue Wing
1  Wigeon
1  Red Head
3  Pintails
17 Specks
1  Snow
Total for Regular Season: 120

You Can't Fix Stupid.

Seriously, you just can't.  Today I personally witnessed the very apex of stupidity, and was all at once demoralized over the fact that it just can't be fixed.

Brotheren, a significant percentage of our population is stupid.  A significant portion of that percentage is of the female persuasion.  

Oh well.  Not a bad morning.  I had Olivia, Garrett, Blind Dog Willie, Meredith, and the Don alongside at the Home Field, once again.  14 Birds.  No pictures today . . . I'll post 'em tomorrow.






Total for the day:  14 birds.
Total for Regular Season: 97
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009:  157
Birds Per Day:  19.40
Birds Per Day Per Hunter:  3.73
68 Shovelers  (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
6  Mallards
1  Gadwall
1  Green Wing
1  Blue Wing
1  Wigeon
1  Red Head
3  Pintails
15 Specks

I Never Cease to Be Amazed . . .

 . . . at how low expectations can yield high returns.  Today, I was mildly excited 'bout the possibility of some wind, which has been notably absent on hunts thus far this season.  On the other hand, I predicted a harvest of 3-5, so I wasn't really expecting a great deal of shooting.  Not deterred, however, and having no place better to go, J-Hawk, Fleabag, Special Fred, the Don, & I made a nostalgic return to our blind on the home field this morning.  Low skies, southeast winds at 10 m.p.h., and temps in the mid-50's created ducky looking environs, but not so much the ducky feel.  Nonetheless, Fred brought a new gadget with him to the blind, and we gave her a try.

This Product Review segment of the Trigger Happy Hunting Club daily blog is brought to you by . . . oh, never mind.  The Reel Wings flying decoy is an interesting contraption -- half spinner and half kite.  The concept is awesome, and the prospect of birds diving from heights untold created an energetic sense of anticipation in our blind this morning.  For the record, the thing looked good during its initial 30-second maiden voyage.  Unfortunately, after that initial flight, it stopped off for a drink and never really made it back in the game.  Three Gadwalls did take a liking the thing, but only until it plummeted back into the icy waters of the Home Field.  The jury's out, but I think the Reel Wings may suck.

Decent shots were the rule this morning, and while it was anything but easy shooting, the crew made it look somewhat easy.  I should also note that young Cannon Ball (singular) performed flawlessly on a super long-distance blind retrieve and made his handler look fairly capable.  When the smoke cleared, there were 3 dead Specks, 3 dead Mallards, and 18 dead shovelers.  Not a bad day!



Total for the day:  24 birds.
Total for Regular Season: 83
Combined Teal & Regular for 2009:  143
Birds Per Day:  20.75
Birds Per Day Per Hunter:  4.15
60 Shovelers  (Arrrrrrrrgh!)
4  Mallards
1  Gadwall
1  Green Wing
1  Wigeon
3  Pintails
13 Specks

 
   

The Good . . . The Bad . . . and the UGLY . . .

The Good . . . At this point, we've had a pretty good run.

We've harvested 59 ducks in 3 days, and while the opener wasn't quite what I'd hoped for, Sunday and today were better than expected.  On Saturday, Tasha, Nat, Papa, the Don, the Kid, Dave, J-Hawk, Meredith, ole Gibby, and Cannonball crammed ourselves into the Home field blind, and 39 birds later, we emerged having expected things to be a little better than was actually the case.  On Sunday, the Kid, J-Hawk, Meredith, the Don, & yours truly gave 'em another try, this time bringing out only 9.  Finally, today, the Don & I fought hard, but had to leave one bird shy of a limit.  That's an average of 19.67 birds per hunt (3.93 birds/hunter/day), and I don't look for that number to hold up very well from here on out.




The Bad . . . Whilst the opportunities were there, the ducks didn't decoy well, to say the least.

As a result, we just didn't get that limit opening day.  I, for one, was disappointed.  I had fairly high expectations, and I had every intention of exiting the blind with full limits on Saturday.  Unfortunately, the birds (and boy-oh-boy, there were plenty of 'em) had a different idea.  Crossing shots, no wind, and birds that were already blind shy resulted in very, very difficult shooting.  Sunday and today were better, and we actually had a few birds work with intention of stopping in for a drink.  Unfortunately, the volume just isn't there anymore.  Thus the fate of a blind sitting 150 yards from the main roost for the area. 




The UGLY . . . Well, lets face it; Not exactly the desired species.

Out of 59 birds, we've harvested exactly 1 mallard, 1 Green Wing, 1 Gadwall, 1 Wigeon, 3 Pins, 10 Specks, and, YOU GUESSED IT, 42 shovelers. OUCH! Maybe I should change the name of this blog to the Wall-O-Shame, rather than the Trigger Happy Hunting Club. Oh well, it could have been worse.





To see all the pics in their shameless glory, go here: http://s249.photobucket.com/albums/gg211/triggerhappyhuntingclub/2009-2010/

The Perfect Recipe . . . For Disappointment

There will be blood! Well, at least that's what it looks like right now. I'd estimate 2,000 ducks and 10,000 geese are inhabiting the Home field presently. Moreover, they're flying in early in the mornings, feeding until mid-morning, and then flying out. I'd say that God himself has blessed us with exceptional conditions for the beginning of the season. Its terribly exciting.

So what's the down side? Well, historically, anytime it looks this good the day before, I'm setting myself up for a huge letdown the day of. In my mind, we've already reduced 48 ducks and 52 geese to possession -- actually shooting them is a mere formality. Of course, even in my optimistic mind, the 48 ducks are 90% shovelers, so I guess reality could surpass my imagination -- doubtful, though. Obviously, it rarely works out that way. Suffice it to say that I anticipate a decent shoot opening morning. We'll hope for the best and take what we get. As for now, Gibby's forecast call for snow, and lots of it.

STUPID SKYCARP!

Well, until yesterday morning, everything was moving along the lines of my evil plan. That is, until the stupid sky-carp started showing up and carpeting the field in a blanket of white. Like always, it started out with a couple of light geese, mixing in with specks and ducks and mulling around. Then, a few more, and a few more, and a few more. Then the avalanche. Snow City.

Now were inundated with 'em. I'll be running 'em out after dark for the sole purpose of saving my levees. By daylight, they'll have stomped down 100% of the stubble left around the blind and squashed the levees flat as pancakes.

Stupid skycarp.

The King Returns . . .

Well folks, Elvis may have left the building, but he rolled back in yesterday in rare form. It ain't exactly a "sea of green", but we'll take what we can get for the opener. I couldn't tell you the ratio, but I'm betting its 50% or more shovelers. So be it, shovelers it is!



I spoke to Dead Eye this morning, who has opted out of the opener, and given that Jake & Red are out as well, I am impressed that the line-up will be as follows: the Kid, Meredith, Danger Dave, J-Hawk, Tasha, Blind Dog Willie, the Don, yours truly, and, of course, Cannon Ball (singular). That's 8, and the Home Field blind should be sufficient to hold us all. Three days and counting!

On a personal note, having made it through 3 rounds of the H1N1 virus confirmed in my household and come out unscathed, it is only appropriate that I have now developed the worst upper-respiratory infection of my life, and 4 days before opening day, to boot. For my efforts, I've been rewarded with a mind-numbing headache and one whizbang of a nasty cough. Oh and speaking of WHIZBANG, check out the video below (and when your done, tell me that wasn't one of the nicest segue's you've ever had the privilege of reading). It WILL be mine . . . Oh yes, it will be mine.

A Cold Day in Hell

Alright, so not exactly a cold day in Hell, but a cooler day in Northeast Arkansas. Will she bring ducks? I dunno, but I can say without reservation that ANYTHING is a welcomed change over the warm, sunny weather that we've been graced with over the last couple of weeks. I can at least find plausible hope in the prospect of a change in bird behavior as a result of a different weather pattern.

This year has been marked by the greatest accumulated rainfall of any in my lifetime in and around Jonesboro, Arkansas. I never thought I say it, but I'm glad to see a little more at this point.

Elvis Has Left the Building

So here we are: 7 days prior to the opening of the official season of glee, and thus far, things have been fairly exciting -- until today, that is. Ahh, and now they've gone and done it . . . the age old disappearing act.

Its a fairly routine phenomenon in our part of the country. Birds appear out of nowhere in October and loaf carelessly for 3 weeks in rice fields with no apparent fear of molestation. Then, for whatever reason, I show up and they're gone. Many have moved South and will not return. The remaining flock is smarter, more savvy, and well-educated. They have calenders too. And somehow, they understand the time of year, the changes of the season, and the meaning of the hustle and bustle of SUV's pulling trailers brimming with decoys and ATV's. Now they're restless, and they leave with a sense of urgency at the first hint of human interaction. They're night feeders, and 10 years of roosting in a safe zone has taught them that sleeping while its light and feeding while its dark will ensure the vitality of their families.

So, as far as options go, I always think it appropriate to exhaust obvious remedies first: I cry, curse, and run around helplessly with my hands thrown towards the heavens screaming "Why God!". Experience tells me that I'll do so to no avail, but it always seems to make me feel better. Next, the more time consuming: a little more water, a little scouting, and a little more thought regarding exactly what I should do for the opener. Eventually, I'll start the nightly routine of offing the birds that are dark-feeding. I'll start checking other roosts and watching the late-evening fly-out. And I'll hope for a little luck.

Opening week is always a gut-check. After that, things settle down and I establish the routine of simply searching them out. I just wish that, for once, they'd stay put until after the opener.

10 Days and Counting

Only 10 shopping days left to get ready for the big dance. It dawned on me yesterday that I've got a week and a half left before everything else shuts down. PANIC! Oh well, here's some video from last season -- I guess I'm as ready as I'm gonna be.

Introducing the Trigger Happy Hunting Club

As always, the boys in the band scheduled the first weekend of November for our annual prep-day -- the time we spend brushing blinds, checking gear, cleaning decoys, and otherwise screw'n around. You know the drill.


Northeast Arkansas is an anomaly: we don't see "flight" birds . . . or at least not often. Rather, we expect to (and generally do) see our first birds in late October. That early migration of ducks will settle in and will usually stick around until early December, and they're the birds we'll be hunting until a second wave hits in mid-December.

Last season, we experienced exceptionally dry conditions prior to mid-season, and as a result, we saw very few of these early migratory birds rafting up in our area. Those pockets that did hold birds held them well and produced phenomenal harvests. Unfortunately, we weren't in one of those pockets.

This season, at least insofar as what we saw during our annual work-day, the birds seem to have returned to their normal behavioral pattern, which is a welcomed change from last season's grind. God knows we've had plenty of rain in the area to provide ample feeding and roosting habitat. Here's to a good start to the 2009 season.

While labor-intensive, the work is typically social in nature. That being so, me thinks it only appropriate to formally introduce the motley crew of misfits that make each season a true comedy of errors.

"Dead-eye" Haun. I'll tell ya, folks, he's a fairly dangerous man. You simply don't want to be on the business end of a 10-bore in the hands of this man.

They call him Jake, and he's all business. He is to the art of waterfowling what Prettyboy Floyd is to billiards. Money man and social director, this guy keeps the wrecking crew on the straight-and-narrow.

Johnny the Kid. Pushing 40, he's got the profile of an adolescent alter boy. Don't kid yourself folks, he sports the patternmaster and I've seen him kill stuff just to watch it die. Don't turn your back on this guy.

Danger Dave. A true trigger-man. Dave's his name, and poachin's his game. He's gutsy, and from bald eagles to black momba's he's the king of smokin' illegal stuff. He's too fast for hair, and anything moving at that speed must be taken seriously.

J-Hawk. An elite, highly-trained assassin, and a fine substitute for a Labrador Retriever. Nimble as a cat that never floats its hat, this is the last guy you'll see float'n in the Bayou. Never misses.

Wild Man Meredith. He's certifiable, and you just can't fix that with a hammer. Best known for regularly raising the veritable curtain of steel, this guy slings more hulls than a rice mill on a deadline.

Tasha the Smasha. She's poison, boys. If you decide to nab her purse, you'd better bring kryptonite and a kevlar vest. She's killed more stuff than smallpox.

The Don. You know, like the Godfather . . . well sorta. He dusts ducks like plate glass in a hailstorm. Like a native american, he can hear 'em coming from miles away.

Special Fred. The man with the eternal green light. He's mentally challenged, and thus, unaccountable for his actions. That means he can spit in your face, and never has to say he's sorry. Any guesses on how it feels to sit down next to a guy like this when he's holding a loaded weapon?

Hunting on Lake St. Clair, Michigan

Okay, so to describe me as an international man of mystery would be a bit of a stretch. Truth is, I've traveled very little and I'm not the most well-cultured person on the planet. In fact, save the occasional trips through the Southeast and into Texas, I've never traveled anywhere. So, to say that I was stepping out on a limb to travel 850 miles North from Gibby's Place to Lake St. Clair, Michigan, is a bit of an understatement.

A New Era for the Trigger Happy Hunting Club

For years I've kept a hunting journal, describing not only our wildfowl harvest, but also the emotion and environment that preceded and created those kodak moments. Each day of waterfowl season, I document what we've seen and my assumptions as to why we saw it. Fortunately, the volume of information I've stored over the last 20 years has been quite useful in understanding what to expect as I leave the house each morning. Today, via an exceptionally wild butt-hair, I've decided that I will display my remarks for the 2009-2010 Arkansas waterfowl season for all the world to see. A new era, if you would, where our daily struggle can be instantaneously published for the masses via the marvels of modern technology.

Stick with me . . . it might get interesting. Oh, and click on some of those ads in the side-bar. I'm interested in seeing whether I'll actually get a check.




--Gibby