Bob DaFolders New Whikey Cabinet

Top 7 Ways To Insure Ducks

1. Fuel Up
2. Stare at the back of your eye lids
3. Shake hands with Mr. Johnson
4. Grab a mosquito repellent
5. Wrap your lips around a sippy cup
6. Capture the moment in time
7. Have a long distant relations with your fingers

(#3 and #5 are not to be confused with each other)

Time To Brush Up

Idaho: Day 6

What a start and what a finish on day 6. And in between there was a little slaying going on too. Here's how it all went down.
I didn't really look at the forecast the night before I just was going to go hunting anyway. The rain has brought with it warmer temperatures and less ducks but I woke at 4:00am and loaded up the truck. I was just ready to jump in and pull out of the driveway when I remembered my waders were still hanging in the garage. Smart. When I pulled into Anderson lake I stopped the truck, threw the key on the dash, locked my door, jumped out and went to the passenger side to get my gear and looked at a locked door. Smart. Fortunately I had my headlamp on at the time and was able to find some metal pieces on the ground nearby. Who says littering is bad for the earth? Without that litter I would have had to break my window, buy a new one and throw the old glass in a landfill. See, littering is good.

10 minutes of B&E later I was off to my spot. It was cold and windy at the blind. I threw out my usual set and waited for the opening bell. Of course ducks were flying about before shooting hours and I could barely make out some Greenies in the fray. Light broke the horizon and ducks flew around. Nothing worth shooting came near and shortly after the sun came up the wind died and temps rose by 10-15 degrees. All the ducks settled down and went into feeding mode. An hour in and I was thinking that the day would be a waste when some mallards landed about 100 yards off to my left. They slowly made their way into the bay and settled into a routine of eating and staying away from me. Feeding chatter and light calling made no difference to them, they were perfectly content to hang out in the bay (see picture). I figured that they would at least be good decoys for any other ducks flying by but there were none to be seen so finally I had to make my own luck. I got low and crept around as close to the bay as the thick brush would allow and when the time was right I jumped them. All 12 or 15 of them burst into flight and I put the bead on a nice fat Greenie, pulled the trigger and BAM.

Now as we all know from last week that my gun is bent from the gravitational pull of the metal while laying on my lap. Or maybe from that time I layed it down on the ground without a cushion underneath it. Anyway I was aiming for the Drake but I shot the Hen. A nice fat Hen. Well, the action was nill after that and I packed up and headed for home. On the way back I was accosted by a gang of hooligan farm animals that stood in the road and refused to move. The sheep were content to get to the side of the road after I nudged the truck forward but the goats required persuasion that only a good ole' American truck horn can provide. Punks. The duck was tasty with a nice marinade and fresh off the grill. I took some fresh picked Golden Delicious apples from Lori's garden and using some of the techniques learned from Fred G's 'peaches and scallops' video made a nice warm apple side, an all natural and local dinner for Bob D, Co-Expert.

GBCH

Never Forget

It Almost Killed Us

YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT!

It was just over three years now that this amazing feat occurred, and I'm stating right now that it shall never happen again.  So in light of that I'm purposing another "once in a lifetime bet".  The first to bag the limit of ducks in one day.  Three of the ducks must be greenies and two must be hen mallards.  The rest could be shit ducks for all I care, you shoot'em you clean'em you eat'em is what I say, unless you have two hungry Mexicans like I do.  $50.00 Bucks.  In or out?

FYI

$203,000,000.00

Aconcagua 2011

Hey guys Andy here, sorry it's been so long since I've posted it's been a long year.  I don't know if you guys even remember this but last January of this year I attempted to climb Aconcagua in Argentina.  I set out from Portland with my buddy Steve and along the way there we hooked up with two other climbers that we met on the net who also wanted to climb Aconcagua.  While we were there we were robbed by the police, ate a lot of steak, drank a lot of beer, climbed some mountain and did some other stuff.  Sorry I wish I remembered more of stuff we did but it was along time ago, I wish I wrote this all down after it happened instead of waiting 10 months.

Oregon Chapter Day Three

So far this year, and I know it's early, there have been no miss-steps.  No times have been confused, no getting lost in the dark looking for blinds, having the proper documentation on us at all times, and come last Sunday we knew before hand that it was bring a little children to Sauvies and get a blind day.  Sundays are bad enough but children's day is the worst.  Being the first day for  new prospect Ed Knill it was also a good choice to take him out to the Columbia and avoid Sauvies.  The team gathered at my house at 5:30 ready to go, weather mans forecast had called for pain, a perfectly cool, dry morning with a waning crescent moon in the sky.  We jump in the Slay mobile and make our way out.  After the 40 minute wall we set up, the whole time The Prospect watching  soaking in our expertise skills of setting the blocks and blind making.  We were hoping the day would bring many looks, but it brought the same as usual out there in Troutdale.  Nothing.  Until I mentioned the fact that a good sammy brings them out.  Sure enough half way in about 10 pinnys fly in to our spread, no one ready of course.  We sat and finished prospects sammys of  meatloaf with 31 flavours, must admit the flavours were going round and round.  We waited a few more, finished some whikey and headed home.  All in all a good learn day for the prospect.

Anybody Notice?

$173,000.000.00

Brief Interlude,

Just a couple quick photos showing the majestic beauty of my winter employ. First day up on the hill and although there is no snow yet, it sure is good to be back. Just like the Mallards returning to Capistrano.

Pop Quiz

While Fast and Furious was changing his choke tube he?

1. Had safety on and chamber cleared of all shells
2. He was loaded and so was his gun
3. His safety was off and the gun loaded
4. His safety was on but gun still loaded

Oregon Chapter Day Two Part 1

The day actually started on Tuesday afternoon as I was sitting in the office doing real important stuff.  The phone rang and it was Cliffy, inquiring as to what I was doing tomorrow morning. (knowing damn well what I was doing, he was just setting me up for a surprise)  He drops on me that he's taking the day off and suggest we slay together, but of course!  We decide to meet at the parking lot on Sauvies at 5:15 which in my mind really meant 5:00 and in Cliffys mind meant 4:45.  A little side note, on the ride out Lisa was a champ!.  We make it to the non-reservation line right at about the shitter, remember a good spot for two reasons.  We get to the shack and we are rewarded with Mud Hen 11, a super sweet little spot at the end of the slough.  We throw out our blocks settle into the highly revamped blinds with corn. grasses and camo cloth, only thing missing was Esparanza.  You all by now from reading the Blog what it's like in the mornings at Sauvies.  Before Cil time all birds, ducks and geese, are whistling by makinfg your finger pretty itchy and with a rose colored sunrise to boot.  Well needles to say at Cil time, Cliffy on my left, starts to go off.  Bam..Bam..Bam! Over and over, in the first few minutes Cliffy shot his gun 777% more than he did all of last year!  It's then I came up with with his new AKA.  "Fast and Furious like a 7 year old Chinese kid in a spelling Bee."  Cliffy was dropping a lot of "knowledge" on me, "should have shot at that man" I heard a lot, not my style or my teams and I had to remind Fast and Furious who we are and how we hunt.  My last bit of "advice" was "do you really want to take that shit duck home peel it and eat all 4 oz. of meat?"  It only quited him down a fraction, but it was awesome seeing him work his way through a half box of ammo.  We had some lunch, an awesome sandwich of pastrami and egg salad, and the sky turned blue and it got quiet.  After some time I turn to Fast and recommend that we call it, he replys with a "hell dude I took today off I'm out here all day!"  That's the end of day two part 1.  12:15pm.

Oregon Chapter Day Two Part 2

Since we are staying we discuss the option of maybe moving to see some new looksies.  Fast notes that the clouds are moving in pretty fast which is going to make hunting that much better.  We check out and check back in again into Hunt 9.  I've never been and Fast has only been there once and he enjoyed it.  It's a short walk to your own pond dug into cornfield, it looks awesome your birds are your birds to work!  The sky's are darkening and it's now about 1pm.  Fast now announces 2:30 it's going to go off.  Where does he get this?  He has not been the Expert for many years.  We sit and wait, a few quick fly bys and 1 or 2 committed. It's now 2:00, he announces it again, this time I say it "better cause we are out of here at 2:31 if not".  2:31 I say that's it, Fast pleads for more time I say if we get a flurry like earlier I will stay for 15 more minutes.  Wouldn't you know it, it goes off!  Fast is at it again!  I'm even in the game!  All day long I've been mentioning to Fast the importance of NOT shooting over my head.  So I'm working on calling, gun nowhere near me, a bird flys into the spread feet down and Fast screams "TAKE IT FRED TAKE IT!!"  I'm like what?  My gun is nowhere near me I'm not the one standing with my gun drawn.  Fast pleads with me I grab my gun put a a shot over it, it turns and I hit it with second shot, (I saw red) just at that moment Fast puts a shot over my shoulder, I'm like "DUDE!"  Fast said "I thought you needed some help."  I head out to retrieve my Wigeon and with the walk out I watch and listen to many ducks circling the blind wanting us, "damn I'm in the wrong place!" I think to myself. I make it back and another 30 minutes of some good flying we call it.  What a great full day on Sauvies.  Have not done that in a long time, and to top it off there were very respectable hunters out today which made it so much better, and the fact that I'm an Expert for a day feels pretty good too.

This guy is a Goddamn Scumbag!

READ: Charges and plea agreements

Fallin’ Skies video star Jeffrey Foiles will serve 13 months in jail and pay $100,000 in fines after pleading guilty in U.S. District Court on Thursday to two misdemeanor charges related to violation of federal wildlife laws.
Foiles, 54, a professional waterfowl hunter and call maker from Pleasant Hill, in Pike County, was facing a 23-count indictment.
Foiles said little in court Thursday afternoon except to answer, “Yes, sir” when U.S. Magistrate Byron Cudmore asked him if he did the things listed in the plea agreement.
Foiles also agreed to serve a year of supervised release and to give up his hunting and guiding privileges for two years following his release from jail, and to make public service announcements admitting wrongdoing and encouraging others to observe wildlife laws.
In addition, his business, the Fallin’ Skies Strait Meat Duck Club LLC, entered guilty pleas to two felony charges through Foiles’ attorney, Steven Beckett of Urbana.
Beckett acknowledged that the club unlawfully sold wildlife through illegal guided hunts and that it falsified records.
Foiles pleaded guilty to unlawful sale of wildlife in violation of the Lacey Act and unlawful taking of migratory game birds in violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.
The illegal acts he admitted to include:
* Participating or guiding hunts where participants routinely shot more than their limit of ducks 15 times between 2003 and 2007.
* On Dec. 7, 2007, he hunted both during the morning and afternoon with a group of hunters who killed 39 ducks, nine in excess of the sum of the hunters’ individual daily bag limits.
* On Nov. 24, 2007, Foiles and two others killed at least 22 mallards, 10 in excess of their combined daily bag limits. The practice, known as “party hunting,” is illegal.
* During the hunt, Foiles is heard on videotape talking about shooting the bag limit of a person who was present but not hunting.
* The plea agreement states that false records were kept and that Foiles knew the behavior was wrong.
“The defendant contacted hunters and obtained their name and license information, which he then recorded (or instructed others to record) in the Club’s records as if those hunters had killed birds on that day when in fact they had not,” the agreement says.
Formal sentencing for Foiles is set for Sept. 21, but he still has to answer to wildlife charges in Canada as well.
In the U.S. plea agreement, Foiles also agreed to similar violations of wildlife laws in Canada, including a hunt in October 2004 where he exceeded his own personal bag limit by 16 ducks.

Illegal hunts often were included in Foiles’ Fallin’ Skies video series.

Idaho: Day 4 & 5

Yep, I'm going to lump these two days together because they were very much the same kind of days. The weather was different but the process and outcome were the same. On day four I headed out to Anderson, the same spot you have come to know as mine. There was a good wind and it was cold. See your breath kind of cold. I brought along the rotisserie duck and put it in a good spot on the right of my blind where it can be seen from ducks passing behind me and in front. My mallards were out in front with the resting blocks in the lillypad/algee/floating stuff and two sentry types making their way towards the roto. A few teal by the banks finished the look. Being that this was a Saturday, there was another hunter with a boat blind about 300 yards down the shoreline. I would have liked to have been further away but I only have one option after all, he's got the boat for Hestons sake. I waited.

Plenty of ducks were flying in the predawn darkness. A few landed in my decoys and many buzzed my blocks just before the legal shooting hours. I could tell from the profile that some were smaller ducks but plenty were mallards too. I have been hearing that there are lots of Woodies hanging around these parts and I sure would take a shot at them but mostly I'm looking for Greenie. Well, it doesn't take long for the first set of mallards to come in after the 6:36am bell. I'm caught looking and don't get a shot off. The next few are divers and then more mallards, flying high but attracted to the roto. They drop down and I pull the trigger, miss. Again and again this scenario repeats itself as the boat hunter down the way drops two ducks in his first two shots. I suck!

Well by now I'm sure my gun has become bent from leaning against the wall all summer and the sun has broken through the clouds. All the activity from the other side of the river (the wildlife management refuge) has died down and the ducks aren't flying. I call it a day, frustrated that with all the good looks I've gotten today I have nothing to show for it. Surely Fred G & Cliffy will have opening day success and school me. For Hestons sake, my season is 16 days old!


So here I am again on Anderson. It's Wed and I took the day off from my grueling schedule to hunt. This morning is cold, windy and foggy, real foggy. Lots of calling is in line for foggy days like this and I set my decoy spread just the same way as before. I know the roto may not have the same impact but it just looks so darn good, I got to. Nobody around anywhere but me. I will slay. On the way in this morning I get a text from Fred G. He too is hunting today with Cliffy again, about 300 miles away. Sunrise gets to me first.

Ducks appear like magic out of the fog. Reaction time is paramount and I'm just the guy to react. Two from my left, miss. Five from the right, miss. A while later a low pass from the right again, didn't even shoot. Greenies land just outside my spread and taunt me for having ethics, no I won't shoot you on the water, and they know this. They swim outside my range and fly off. The fog clears some and another two shots miss the group of three coming right at me. What the Heston? Oh yea, I forgot my gun is bent from that time I layed it down on the pillow. I really got to get this thing fixed.

So the sunshine breaks through and the day clears and once again all is quiet. I take a picture and pack it up. I mean, you tell me. The set looks good right? I'm calling my gunsmith Stevearino today to figure this thing out. Maybe it's bent from riding in the truck on the way out. Who can say?

GBCH

The Forecast

Tomorrows forecast is FOWL

Day One Oregon Chapter

It felt like no other opening day when I awoke.  My head was clear and I slept through the night.  I was fresh!  It was a new first day in almost every way, first like I said I was fresh, also we walked to a new first day hunting area, and the water was perfect and we actually saw more than 2 ducks. Did I forget to mention that shots were taken...ON DAY ONE! We walk out to a spot we scoped out a few weeks ago, when we saw it a few weeks ago the water was very disappointingly low.  But much to our surprise when we emerged from the woods the water was way up, not way up bad but way up good.  We had the perfect spot, a very small peninsula and we were able to throw blocks out around us.  They looked good.  I put together some shrubbery to conceal us, and we looked good.  After a few hours of high fly-bys Cliffy decided it was time for the first warm up walk of the year.  I'm thinking to myself this is it, I got the house to myself!  PARTY!  Cliffys gone not 5 minutes and a Merganser fly's into the spread at mach speed just out side the spread, all leery and shit, giving me the "what you looking at" eye.  I'm trying to tell him the party is over here in every language I know.  Nothing.  Sure enough Cliffy is walking back up the slough and scares the merganser up and she flys away.  "Cliffy did ya see that merganser out there?" I ask, "No where?" he replies.  Cliffy sits down we dig into a  few delish sandwiches of grilled pork tenderloin, with homemade wild plum BBQ sauce and a brussels sprout slaw.  Must say the flavors were going round and round in the mouth.  Well would you not believe it, that merganser wanted a bite too!  It flew in again looking for a free meal, free meal of steel that is.  Cliffy take him I said, we both jump up to entice this bird to fly away, it does.  Two shots are taked, two tuff flying away shots,  Merganse-1/ H7HT-0.  A short time later it is announced "I thought this flask held more?!"The international phrase that means "time to pack it up".

Good Ole Lore

Journal of 2005 - 2006 Duck season.

Day 1.

4:00 am. Woke up this morning with the promise of a wonderfull begining to
the new season. Overcast and a little chilly, not a bad day for this early.

5:00 am. Picked up Fred with enough time to get to Sauvies Island and get
in line for the lottery to pick the best blinds for the day. Fred does a
great job of picking a low number and we go to the warden to try a new spot.

5:35 am. Warden informs us that Fred has brought the wrong licence.
Although he's already purchaced the correct one, it's back at his house. (25
min away)

6:30 am. After a visit to the lacal 7-11 to try to buy another licence,
(the machine was broken) we're back at Freds to get the right licence.
Resist urge to leave him there as we are a team after all.

7:25 am. We are now all set up at the old shitty Lewis and Clark spot of
previous years. Conversation resumes.

7:30 am to 2:30 pm. Wait for ducks.

2:31 pm. Go home.

Well there you have it. The first day of the season and we are off to a
roiusing start. Fortunately for us lessons were learned and today (wed) was
much better. Fred shot the first Greenie of the year and made a cool $10 in
the process. I missed 8 ducks 5 times because I'm sure my gun is bent or
something, not to worry, I'll be getting a new gun soon and all my problems
will be solved. Remember it's allways the arrow, not the Indian.
Speaking of new guns I've been lusting over the new Benelli nova pump
shotgun for almost a year now. Finally I've got the many layers of approval
I need to get one and I'm very excited. I should be able to pick it up next
Sunday. Then, this morning, my best pal shows up with the Benelli Super
Black Eagle semi auto full crumbler. He even let me hold it. Hey, what are
best friends for.That's it for this installment of the new season of hunting. Maybe in
the future we will have some photos to go with the text. Hope you enjoyed it.

God bless Charlton Heston.

Days Before Hunting Season Opens

Max and I were eradicating a squirrel from my house.  Max saw the said varmint vacate the premises it was then I decided to get a bunched up ball of stainless steel and stick fresh cayenne peppers in it (that Kathy grew right here at our house) and stick it in the hole the varmint was coming and going through.  Well would you not know it but there was a second varmint still in there.  So not being able to just keep the thing locked in there to die and smell up my house I had to eradicate it.  I knew I would have to meet it face to face.  As you could see I was wearing proper squirrel eradicating equipment.  To properly protect my face and my hands in case the rabid bugger decided to make a run at me for destroying his and hers house.  I actually had to open the side of the house up and when I did I found a huge nest and a pair of blue blockers in the nest.  I guess my squirrels thought their future looked bright, that's until I stepped into their lives.  The whole time the other tenet  was circling the house over and over wanting me out of it's shit.  Max drove to the place where you buy Fox Urine tablet dust while I removed the nest and stuff.  We boarded up the house, put some fox urine in the eves and waited.  The last bugger finally moved out a few days later, the scratching inside my walls has stopped.

Where Am I?

Where Am I?

We Call Him Mad Max

We all Know the guy named Max.  Max on his route back to   Taipei   stopped here in Portland to revisit some old friends.  While here Andy and I took him to the Clackamas river for a float and a little fly fishing.  Max never had fly fished  before,   his fishing background was mostly off a dock in Old Lyme catching blue gills.  Remembering back to those days I don't recall Max ever touching a fish so I was much inquisitive as to what would happen if he actually landed a fish.  As we began our journey Max in the rear of the boat sat and starred at nature in all it's glory.  He wasn't in the big city anymore, he was in a boat floating down a river or standing in the middle of a river surrounded by nature. To see him in the boat and fish was just as much a joy for both Andy and myself, to see the peaceful look of solitude that overcame him.    I'm sure if there wasn't a fly on the end of his line, it would not have mattered. Andy the master fly man that he is spent a few moments with Max and showed him the way.  Within minutes he was on his own and in his own zen moment.  The day was perfect, not too cold, slight overcast and no wind.  We made our way down the river guided by Andy stopping at his favorite riffles along the way.  The day ended as it started, Max with a smile on his face.

Close.....

While the other members of the H7HT went hunting today I took a day off. I did however, fold this tree. The limbed one in the background is next. At least I'm folding something eh?

Idaho: Day 3

Or as I refer to it, 'Day of Many Ducks'. Or maybe, 'Looking for Columbus'. Or perhaps, 'Should I have shot?'
So here I am in my third day of hunting in the great state of Idaho. I set out knowing that the colder weather is starting to drop into the area. Rain and colder temps were in the forecast but after the last couple days of weather I didn't know who to believe. After all, Al Roker is still fat even after he got skinny. When I walked out to start the truck in the pre-dawn darkness I saw stars overhead. Forget the rain gear. Then on the drive out I had downpours of rain. Should have brought the rain gear. Then as I arrived, the stars again. Genius. I collected my gear and took the walk out to Anderson with an extra shell in my pocket for the Cougar.

Set up was a breeze and this time I brought along the motorized decoy because the wind, although in the forecast, is never a guarantee. My blocks looked good but there was barely any action before the opening bell. Usually I can count on at least a couple ducks flying overhead before sunrise. The whistle of wings is a good omen for ducks flying later in the day. Hmmm.
A light rain started to fall as the darkness broke and soon the wind picked up to a nice healthy whip.

It didn't take long for the ducks to fly. Mostly they were divers and I'm not prepared to have my first duck of the year be a bottom feeder. After all I only shoot Greenies. Some hen Mallards droped into the fray and I honestly thought I should have taken a shot at them as they circled around into my zone. I let them drop right into the decoys and act as live bait for the real prize waiting around the corner. Six unknowns came from the right and I almost shot again before I realized they too were divers. Where is Greenie for Heston's sake? The hens left and 20 geese passed left to right with some ducks mixed in. I called them with a higball call and to my surprise three more hens dropped right in without me knowing. "Okay", I think to myself "where is Greenie?" My motorized decoy is working great and the ducks that do pass by are looking my way but it was still not for another hour that the first Drake came my way. Of course when he did I was going for a second layer of clothing and I looked like a big moving bush with flailing arms and a bad haircut. Damn. It took another 20 minutes and more divers before greenie came circling from the left. One pass over the spread and, with my safety off and my trigger finger ready, he dropped into the water just outside my range. Bastard!

About this time the sun came out and the wind died down. All the sounds of the morning quit and the flying soon stopped just as quickly as it started. All in all I still thought it was a great morning what with all the birds flying and the shots I could have taken. Should I have taken the first bird of the season? It is worth $5 after all but I really want the first duck to be a Greenie. A $10 Greenie no less. I hope the the Portland chapter has the chance to make the big money with first duck being that their season is only days away and I have yet to even shoot my Benelli.
Only time will tell.....

GBCH

Idaho: Day 2

The forecast called for rain and colder temps. I was ready. Taking all my learning from last time out I arrived 15 minutes earlier to my spot on Anderson lake with time to spare. I did not remember to have a shell ready for the Cougar on the walk out but still somehow made it to the point OK. I set my blocks and with a light rain falling, waited for the bell to ring.

It didn't take long before the first ducks flew over my head in the pre-dawn darkness. My decoys were further out and I brought along the wind powered spinning wing decoy that Dallas had left at my house from last year. The damn thing was a hindrance more than a help due to the low wind conditions but I adjusted it the best I could. I waited. I called. I waited. Ducks have started to fill the wetland sanctuary just on the other side of my hunting spot. I can now hear them greeting the morning about 200 yards away but they are in a protected area and nobody can hunt there. I think they know this.

About 20 minutes in a couple of Teal or Buffleheads made a swooping pass over my spread and got the old heart beating pretty good. I thought about taking a shot just to get the first $5 of the year for first duck but soon realized that I was not prepared for cleaning and eating 1/2 oz of not so tasty duck breasts. I'm waiting for Greenie. The morning progressed and the rain stopped and the only ducks I saw were high flyers and some ducks that landed in the protected area to my left. I thought about pulling up and leaving.

Just then 3 or 4 mallards flew in a beautiful arc around my blocks and started quacking like they wanted in. I called and pretended to be a bush that in no way threatened their well being but they made a quick pass and headed for the north end of the lake. Heston! After another uneventful hour, the rain and cold gone, I pulled my blocks and left for home. Happy to be hunting but sad not to be cil'n, I still feel good about the day. A day of beautiful scenery and good spirits. Next time is going to be great. Monday is Columbus Day. Maybe killin' for Columbus is order. We will see, stay tuned.
GBCH

Fred G. Dropping Some

"No Me In Team"

You walk into a 7-11 only to be stared at

Wearing your camo and your floppy hat

Buying a red bull and a Dew for the ride
Everyone still thinks you're a terrorist
Confused as to why you are dressed the way you are
Brush you off with merely a thought
"Another one of those crazy hunters"

Why do we do this?
The late nights and the early mornings
The cold wind and rain
The complaining girlfriend

The loss of sleep and the long weeks at work

The constant threat of equipment failure
The worries of blue bird skies
And not enough wind

Why do we do this?
Because the lure of a morning spent in a duck blind
Among friends is just to strong, and with a
A bottle of Whikey

And pack of Chokes,

What could go wrong?

H7HT sits still as the mornings sun starts to warm
All around you the world suddenly seems alive
Full of possibilities for the day
As the minutes tick by, the opening bell rings
You grip on your death stick ready to slay.

Shooting time
Why do we do this?
The moment all becomes clear
As a team we act in unison
And in this moment we are defined
The lure of being a duck hunter
In purist of the ultimate game bird
Is just to great.

All the time and effort that is put into this adventure
With buddies and Lisa on the drive

I am a duck hunter and this is my moment  

Die Greenie die. 

The People Have Spoken

Days from opening season determine first duck, green, yadda yadda yadda, good luck to all.

Molting, I've Seen It

A duck's feathers don't last forever. In fact, ducks shed, or molt,their feathers twice each year. New feathers grow in and push out the old ones. Ducks molt very quickly. In just a few weeks, they lose all their feathers and grow a whole new set, or plumage. Ducks go through their first molt of the year in early summer. Male ducks, or drakes, molt first. Females, or hens, molt later, when their ducklings are older. Many times, drakes get together in large groups to molt. They pick a safe place to stay, usually a large wetland. Molting is a dangerous time for ducks. They can't fly while their new wing feathers are growing in. So, molting ducks spend most of their time hiding in tall grass or floating out in deeper waters. Ducks lose all their feathers during the first molt of the year. For drakes, this means dropping their brightly colored feathers, or breeding plumage. The drakes wear bright colors during fall and winter, when they pair up with hens to mate. The best-looking drakes have the best chance of being picked by hens. By July, drakes' feathers look pretty shabby. They're about nine months old and have been through two migrations. That's okay, though. Drakes and hens have already mated and nested. In fact, their ducklings have hatched, and the hen and her young are on their own.

During the first part of the molt, a duck's body feathers fall out. New feathers grow in, and they're dull brown and a bit scraggly. The feathers don't look flashy, but blend in with the landscape instead. This is important, because the wing feathers are about to fall out. For the next three to four weeks, ducks will not be able to fly. They must stay hidden. As new wing feathers grow, they're filled with blood and are actually heavy. They grow fast. In one day, a wing feather may grow about the length of your pinkie nail, or even more! Once feathers stop growing, blood no longer flows to them. They become hollow and light. Ducks wear their summer feathers for just a few short months. Around September, they molt again. During this molt, only the body feathers fall out. Drakes grow bright breeding feathers again. When it's time for fall migration, ducks will be flying high in their fine new feathers.

Click on this picture

How cool is this?

Idaho: Day 1

Finally! After months of waiting the 2011 season has started. Here's how it went.

I didn't sleep well, for openers, constantly waking up to look at the clock and see if it was time yet. I had all my gear lined out and ready to go so when I did get to wake, it would all be ready. As you know the H7HT is always prepared and nothing ever goes wrong on opening day*. I left the house at 4:15 and made it to Anderson with just enough time to set up and settle in. Two minutes extra to be exact. The bell went off and immediately 20 Drake Mallards flew right over my head and turned into the wind to touch down in the middle of my spread. I put my gun to my cheek and...

I can't lie. None of that happened, at least not right away. It's almost 50 degrees for Heston's sake and here in Idaho we have had only one frost so far. One. Those ducks were perfectly content to stay in Canada where they have no morals. The local ducks did make an appearance but only to fly by a few times. Still, even with the minimal number of ducks I did have a moment of greatness. About 1 hour into a beautiful morning a set of 5 bombed my decoys from behind and turned for another look. They cruised by a second time but saw me moving from one spot to another and bolted. Totally my mistake. A few sets were high flyers off in the distance and a lone Hen Mallard landed about 60 yards away and commenced to make a racquet while enjoying a nice meal. Geese flew by on a regular basis, I had a long necked diver for company for about an hour and 8 Brandt flew in a graceful path right in front of me.

Some days this would be disappointing but today it was great. Just being back in the blind again watching and waiting for the right moment when it all comes together, well, it was enough to wash away the stress of 2 weeks of work. (Screw you Old Men in Goofy Pants.) I also look at today as a chance to learn from my mistakes;
Leave the house 15 min earlier
Don't sit in the sun
When reconsidering the chair, bring the chair every time
Remove the wire that shorts out your headlights on rough dirt roads at 5am.
Bring a warm hat
And finally, would it kill you to bring a snack for the ride home?

There you have it. Day 1
GBCH


*(does not include every other opening day ever.)

And now, a message from Jenny X.

Duck,Deer season OPEN as of this week in the NH chapter. I have off from the rigors of work mid- week to do some slaying. And a duck hunting Kayak that we won at a conservation event. Do I use the canoe or the kayak to get to the blind? The Cadoo or the Porsche?

Be safe & keep the flask FULL.
EDX

Twenty four hours from now.......

I will not be sleeping well
I will have my waders ready
I will double check my gas tank
I will pack my decoys again
For the third time
I will buy a new pack of smokes
I will make sure my waders are dry,,, again
I will pack my license
I will put some jerky in the bag
I will reconsider the chair
I will think about decoy placement
I will put my calling CD in the radio for a listening
I will put the Benelli by the door
I will double check my shell situation
I will not sleep well
I will wake up too early
I will not have Cheerios
I will buy a Mountain Dew
And a fresh pack of Camels, again
I will drive for 1 hour and 15 minutes
I will hike out to the same spot on Anderson Lake as before
(paying attention for cougars)
I will set my blocks
I will will try to be invisible
I will wait patiently
I will text the H7HT members
And then


I WILL CIL
GBCH

Tradition

"Time To Kill"
by
Bob DaFolder

*
*
You packed up and left the truck over an hour ago.
Sometimes if the moon is still bright you don't even
need a headlamp to make your way out to the area
where you want to set up. It's cold out but the long
walk with the pack on makes you sweat inside your
waders and under all the layers. As you set your
decoys in the still water surrounding your blind, your
body cools and you can feel the chill in the air again.
Finally, with everything complete, it's time to wait
for sunrise.Just before the first light of day you can
hear the whistle of ducks flying near you. Wondering
what they are is almost torture. Are they the fat
greenies you hope to see again at first light, or are
they another brand, something you have never seen
before? Not long now till you start to make out shapes
and can see a little bit better as the sun comes closer
to the horizon. Now, as the other creatures of the woods
wake up and start to move around, you know that the
time is here. Time to kill.

*