Images. MLK weekend 2011.

Last day of the '10 -'11 season.....

Today was the day I finally put away all my hunting gear for the season. Yep, the end. All the waders, extra shells, gloves and hats that had piled up in the garage had to go back into the shed, into the chest that holds all my gear for the summer. It's sad really, to know that I no longer will look forward to early mornings in the blind. No more dark drives to Anderson Lake. No more whistling wings in the pre-dawn darkness. The thrill of the hunt and the joy of a well placed shot. The End.

Last week I traveled to Portland for the last few days of the hunting season. I was able to spend some time with Co-Founder of the HOY7 Hunting Team and former "Expert" Fred G. Although the water was up well over the optimal levels for late season hunting we were able to have a great 3 days near our old spots on the banks of the mighty Columbia River. We walked great distances to find good spots to hunt and marveled at the ways our old spot has changed over the years. When it first began we were out in jeans and cotton layers, hoping for a shot at the elusive mallard. Now we are clad in comfy wool and camo gore-tex. Before the only ones busting through the brambles and fighting the shoreline were Mitch and the two of us. Now a gravel path leading out and a battle with others for the best spots awaits. Still, the basic reason we hunt has not changed.

So it was with great sadness that I put up all my gear today, knowing that a long 8 months of spring and summer stand between now and the time I buy my first box of shells for next year. Yet already the anticipation of next year looms large in my mind. Does it hold the first banded bird for the H7HT? Will we find newer and better places to hunt? Is this the year we take a trip to 'Limit Lake' or 58th & Federal? Who knows. That's the joy of being part of the HOy7 Hunting Team, the anticipation and the camaraderie of friends. That, and of course, shooting that French Canadian bastard Greenie.

GBCH

Cliffy Update

Hello all! Here´s a quick update. I made it 17,500 ft. when we noticed Maggie wasn´t looking so hot. She was very ill. While Blain and Steve pushed to camp 3, we descended down all the way to camp 1. It was very hard, and a long day. The next morning, Maggie still was very ill and I packed us up as we went to basecamp. She recovered well 2 days later and was able to make the 3 day hike out. I was very worried for her safe recovery, but she trooped through it. We are currently in Mendoza having a blast and taking in the sites as we wait for Steve and Blain to make their summit descent. Have to go, lots of people waiting for me to get off the computer. Talk to you all soon!

Find Waldo

Idaho: Day.... The end?

7 Degrees above zero when I left the house this morning to head out to Anderson Lake and as I drove I had no idea what to expect. Holiday work season and a protracted road closure prevented me from hunting for the last few weeks, bummer. I considered some factors while I drove through starry skies. The main one being weather or not there would be any open water to hunt. It's been cold here, real cold. Nothing to do but find out for myself.

After leaving the parking lot with my full pack (I briefly considered leaving most of my decoys in the truck) I could see the CdA river was covered in ice but looked clear by the inlet to Anderson. Being careful to avoid the cougar on the way I made it to the point to find a perfect water set up. The levels had dropped significantly from the last time I was out and the beaver dam had even tried to sneak back to its original spot. Light clouds were starting to move in as I set up in the pre-dawn darkness. My decoys looked great in the light breeze and had a nice swimming motion from the water leaving the lake trough the channel.

It's a good thing the decoys looked great, they would be the only thing I had to monitor. A couple divers swam by my spread, not even bothering to fly in, but that was it. No ducks anywhere at all. By the time my fingers started to freeze I packed up and headed home. A beautiful morning but it seems all the ducks have gone elsewhere. I'm guessing they all went to Portland, so that's where I'm going too. Stay tuned for the adventures of the HOY7 Hunting Team over MLK weekend. Yep, that's right. Killin' for the King is back and Bob D. would never let the team down for what has proven to be some of the best hunting PDX has to offer.
GBCH.

0.0

As my hunting season is officially over, I can now say that I averaged 0.0 birds per Cliffy. You want to know the embarrassing part......last year I averaged 0.0 birds per Cliffy. Unlike last year, this year I didn't even have to clean my gun because out of the 9 or so times I got to go out, I didn't even get a shot off. Not one. I think I have to blame it on the whickey consumption. I didn't even kill a bottle. Therefore, the only thing I'm left to believe is 'number of bottles killed=number of birds killed'. The hope of contributing in bringing the 'expert' title back Oregon is done. Sorry Fred, but this former 'expert' is on a downward spiral and I hope this doesn't roll into my next adventure.....climbing Aconcagua (22,841 ft.) in Argentina. I leave for the airport in an hour and will be back after the hunting season is over, so somebody, just somebody out there, please........kill one for me. GBCH, and may you watch over my flock of two other hunters as they finish out their season.

Look at my new Puppy!

Is what I would be saying right now if I had gone with Willy to get his puppy. This one is Pete, he belongs to Willy. There were 10 lab puppies found under a house here in Kellogg and brought to the animal shelter last week. I told Willy about them and convinced him it would be a good idea for him to get one and teach him to be a duck dog. Of course I was half kidding at the time and I knew full well that I am allergic to every Lab I come in contact with. Seems that I am not wheezy with long hair dogs of some varieties, but Labs, yep. I went to visit him today and brought Willy the latest issue of Gundog magazine. Puppy warming gift. Hopefully Pete will be able to accompany me in the future to retrieve all the Greenies I shoot. And when I shoot them, they don't fly away.
GBCH

Denied!

I left this morning at 4:30 am to go to my old spot at Anderson Lake.
The road was closed due to a massive sinkhole on Rt 3.
It happened about 3 weeks ago.
WTF?
It seems things happen slower here.
I drove home and went back to sleep.
GBCH.