Sometimes Life Gives Ya Lemons . . .

. . . whatcha do with those lemons is entirely dependent upon the whims of the end user.  As for me and mine, I prefer to make em into dove kabobs.

No ducks huntable on Trigger Happy Farms on this, the day after Christmas.  In the absence of those, our intended targets, we opted to put the resident dove population in our crosshairs.  Whilst we didn't have dove loads, we found that an ounce and a quarter of steel number ones does the job just fine.

Limits in an instant.  Add 52 dove to the season's talley.



On Sunday, Reece, John, Blake & I tried it again.  Chucks.  Night feeders.  No love.

5 ducks.
All mallards.



On Saturday, December 22, I found myself coaching 4 separate 6th grad basketball games.  Reece, Haun, Blake, and John, however, slipped in on cChuck's and managed to eek out a mallard and 2 gadwalls.

3 Birds
1 Mallard
2 Gadwalls

Mayans . . . Pranksters!

Wow!  It was only after I had been awakened from my slumber by the alarm clock and made tracks to the duck blind that I realized that I'd slept right through the end of the world.  I would have expected to have been shaken from my sleep or something.  Hmmm . . . aparently the Mayans had a good sense of humor.   

We expected to get 'em today.  We really did.  The birds were there, and there was more than enough of 'em.  It just didn't happen. I was joined by the Baker Boys, John, Grant, Casey Brown, and another gentlemen for what we expected to be a revival in Chuck's.  Unfortunately, the weatherman botched it yet again, and the conditions just got in our way.

Temps were forecasted for mid-30's.  Actual temps were in the mid-20's, which is a world apart from the mid-30's, because 30's means chilly, whereas 20's equals quarter-inch ice, which is exactly what we fought.  Add to that a 15 m.p.h. wind dead out of the West and the most crystal clear day imaginable, and you're starting to form a mental picture.  Lookin' dead at the sun, fighting birds that wanted to feed 400 yards from our spread, we had to plead our case all morning.  We popped a mess, but it wasn't what we hoped for.

16 Birds
10 Mallards
03 Gadwalls
02 Pintails
01 Speck



I took the mornings of Tuesday, December 18, and Thursday, December 20 off.  I was tired, and the birds just weren't cooperating.  Casey Brown and I tried it on the Lost 20 on Wednesday, December 19, but came out empty-handed. 

Still Grinding.

Back to chuck's.  6 man crew.  Weatherman screwed it up, and I was stupid enough to listen.  As a result, we set up bass-ackwards and it took us three times as long as it should have.  We got em, though.

Gray, Hailey, Baker, Taylor, Elder, and Ole Gibby.  31 Ducks

31 Birds
24 Mallards
4 Gadwall
2 Shovelers
1 Pin

If Ya Can't Find 'Em, Grind 'Em.

Ssunday's take:  we had a short crew and very littl time to do anything with it.  Cloudy skies and über-warm temps, but we won.  We left outta the blind at 8:15 with 11 birds.  Then, on the way back, Johnny spotted snows on Marvin's.  Stupid birds.  We smoked another 8.  Call it 19 for the morning.  That's a win.

19 Birds
7 Snows
6 Mallards
5 Gadwals
1 Speck



On Saturday, Reece, Tasha, Blake, John, Franks, Garrett, Meredith and I went back to Charles.  It was slow, but we eventually ground out 26 birds and our 2nd Banded Mallard of the season!

26 Birds
12 Mallards
05 Gadwall
04 Speck
03 Shovelers
02 Snows

Night Feeders . . .

Geez, Coleman's pond is brimming with birds.  It just ain't happening in the a.m., though.  We drive into the field, run the ducks out, and they glue down on the pond until 4:00 in the afternoon.  It's a rough go right now.  What should be easy limits turns into a grind and a few birds picked off before we head off to work.

John, Blake, Papa, and your's truly.  Jones.  Tough huntin'.

10 Birds
4 Mallards
3 Gadwalls
2 Speck's
1 Pintail

Jonesy

All by me onesy.  Weather was cool.  Ice everywhere but where I set the blind.  Decent little shoot for a loner. Scotch double on my last Gaddie put me out at 7 birds.

7 Birds
5 Gadwall
1 Mallard
1 Pintail



On-Farm Season Total:  255
Total On & Off Farm:  329

Down South . . .

Franks, Fred and I received the gracious invite from Cason and the fine folks down at Byers Farm earlier this week.  Because we're not idiots, we jumped at the chance.  Always a fine time.  Darn good duckin', too.  Limits for all by 8:00.

35 Birds
18 Green Wings
4 Mallards
4 Shovelers
1 Gadwall
4 Scaup/Ringneck/some sort of divers
2 Specks
2 Snows

Uggggh!

Ice.  It's a love hate relationship.  Sure, when its good its simply spectacular.  When it's bad, it kills ya.  Last night, temps dropped into the low 20's.  we tried it on chuck's anyway.  No dice.  Olivia, Gray, Elder, Baker, John, & Papa.  Left with one speck.  Because we were still mad at em, John, Franks and I called in reserves (Casey Brown & two gents from SC).  Back to Chuck's.  better this time.

28 Birds
5 specks
15 Mallards
7 Gadwall
1 Shoveler

Yessssss!

Chuck's.  cold front. Northwest winds.  Temps in the low 40's.  Clouds.  Ducks.

Baker, Gray, Elder, Papa, and the Gipper.

31 Birds
21 Mallards
04 shovelers
02 Pins
02 gadwall
01 Wigeon
01 Speck

Chuck's . . . Gotta Love It!

Back to Charles' Field with a skeleton crew.  John, Blake and lonesome me.  We expected five in the party but wound up with only three.  Kinda stunk, cause it took longer to get the 'coys out than it did to smoke our limit of mallards.  Outta the blind by 7:05. At this point, the harvest is more being limited by a lack if warm bodies than a lack of cooperative birds.

14 ducks
12 Mallards
02 Pins


Season total to date:  188
15.67 Birds Per Hunt.
14.46 Birds Per Day of Season.

Consistently Inconsistent

Today, Gates, Blake, Johnny & I jumped back into Chuck's. LOTS-O-MALLARDS.  No wind, heavy clouds, hot.  Then again, we left at 8:15 will mallard limits.  Not too shabby.

19 Birds.
16 Mallards
2 GWT
1 Wigeon




On Friday, Dec. 7, John, Meredith & I tried again on Jones in hopes of giving Charles' a rest.  Poor choice, but we did bag the season's first jewelry.

2 Birds
1 Mallard
1 Shoveler

Annnnnnnnnnd . . . We're Back!

It was good.  Chuck's:  Rick Huffman, Dan Maddox, Papa, Baker, Johnny, and yours truly.  Light southeast winds and cloudy skies.  Never flapped up. Didn't matter.  Dumb, hungry mallards.  In and out before 7:30.  Limits, all mallards and a bonus speck.

26 Birds.
25 Mallards
01 speck.

Humble Beginnings

Well, assuming that things go in accordance with my evil genius plan, construction of the compound shall commence at daybreak, tomorrow.  The shell should pop up like a greyhound coming out of the gate.  Interior design, on the other hand, isn't something that'll take shape within a week or two.  When I say I'm new to this, I mean green as a gourd.  Wish me luck.

Before . . .















Saturday, December 1, Johnny and I went on a mission to eradicate the snow geese that were molesting the Lost 20.  We didn't get the snows, but did leave with 3 specks.

Season total:  127 Birds.   We'll get there.