Idaho: Day 13

Long days of Christmas work behind us, Clider and I went out to Anderson to see what the ducks are up to.  We planned to get there early because other hunters have been targeting the point due to the high water levels and the preponderance of ducks and geese loading into the spot.  Remember how Fred G and Cliffy have been getting mucho pressure on their spots?  Well, we have too.  People I've never seen before are gathering on the point at Anderson for their chance to slay our ducks.  I hate them.  We showed up just after some guys with a boat were unloading to go there.  Did I mention I hate them?

Well, not today.  We thought about The Blind but Clider went there a few days before (yet no post?) and the water levels were way down, 65 feet back from the shore.  Since Clider is a master of information, and has been talking and making phone calls, we knew that here in Idaho you can shoot things right from the roadside.  Yep, right from the side of the road.  Holy Heston!  So we drove to the other side of the lake and set up at a spot where we saw people having a picnic weeks earlier.  Turns out it was a good call.  Just off the road we put out a spread of swimmers, feeders, sleepers, dry landers and the roto. (Clider has been busy buying decoys don't ya know) and settled back into the scrub along the roadside.  Not long after the bell things started to happen.

My lone Greenie

No morning fly was there but the first set of ducks to fly in was a group of 12 to 15  and we took out 2 of them.  Bob D. with a greenie and Clider with a henny.  Team Slay! Peat was on his game and retrieved them both.  Good dog!.  Not long after we had good flying groups of 20+ but only small groups wanted in.  After a few missed shots I think it was me to fold next, a greenie, that came from the right.  I just winged him and even after 10 shots from our guns at him on the water he was still doing the Phelps and swam away.

Did I mention the new snow camo?

At this time I have to tell you that I made 2 mistakes.  The first was not folding the greenie properly and the second was not letting Peat go after him.  See, Clider and I know that a wounded duck will swim away if you go after him.  And letting him sit in the decoys and die peacefully is the way.  This duck was spry and the whole time Peat wanted in on the job.  He was sitting right behind me whining just begging me to go after him.  I should have let him do his job, even though I didn't do mine.  I'm not sure that he would have brought back the 'Phelps duck' but after we tried to finish him, and he swam past our effective range, Peat still wanted to bring him in.  I waited.  And with that waiting I think I screwed up.  A No Retrieve haunted me for the rest of the day.  Grandpa Clyde is mad yet again.

Peat.  Good Dog!

Clider folded another henny on a group that wanted in bringing his total to 2 that day and securing his spot as 'Expert' in the annals of H7HT lore, the first time ever for a new guy to the team.  Let's face it, last year he was just a guy with a gun and 6 decoys and a borrowed set of waders.  Now he is the 'Expert' with a retriever, all kinds of decoys, knowledge that surpasses me and a gun that knocks birds from the sky at an alarming rate.  I now defer to Cliders knowledge, preparation and judgement as he is the H7HT leader in slaying.  I wonder where he will take us next week?
GBCH.