Lore

Day One and Two 2006

Fred G Here Yo all welcome back, hope you all had a great summer, I heard Andy B and his girl yo saved a small country in Africa from thirstation by learning how to rain dance from a small tribe in CT, now they are about to embark on adopting a small children from that same country, way to go Andy as if savin the Catrina peoples was not good enough to make us all look bad. I heard The Brother got another DUI, did a stint in rehab and is resting comfortably at his grannies. I heard Ned made another million. (F***ER) Jenny X is a champion at his club. Curious....well I only heard from him when he was faced. God bless Corey Lidel. Steve O dug himself out of a hole and threatens to come back to PDX to kill, and the Bean just threatens. Day One Monday 16. With classic mis information from our team member Andy, who we will call Cliff Clavin from now on, we awoke at a bright and shine 3 am. Thats early people. Bubba picks me up, talk of lack of sleep, anticipation and what a great season it's gonna be ensues. We arrive at the check in gate at a crisp 4:15, second car in line. It seems early, because it is, we don't have to be here until 5:30, another classic H7HT blunder. Remember the mis info from Cliff. We hang with four guys in a Tercel. Finally gates open chips are pulled, Bubba pulls no. 141 ouch, Fred G pulls no. 20 which is good for 4th pick for blinds. Were off to a great start. We get to our blind do a little blind decorating, deeks out, sun up, bottle of So Co down. A little action, a few shots are takin and had, a few too many. My buddy passes out, I cleaned, pull the deeks out, wrap up the rotto, it's bluebird sky now and I get "what the fuck are you doing? did anybody ask me if it is over?" No Shmubba I just thought you would be more comfortable at home sleeping on you couch with Opra, besides half your face is beet red from passing out in the sun I say. "It's not Opra fucker it's Ellen! I got more booze and smokes." So my hunting bud "convinces" me we should throw the deeks back out. Two hours later no shots off no nothing we pack up and go home. Great tacos on the way home though, would have made Jiggity proud. Day Two Wednesday 18. See were the "best ever" cause we learn people. If we go back in time here are some things we have learned; you need a new license at the begging of the year, sometime certian ducks are out of season even though it is hunting season, and the ever popular salt will make your food taste better. Well gosh darn it if we didn't learn something today, you only have to be at the check in station a hour and a half before shoot time. So if shoot time is 7am you have to be there at? ............................ that's right 530am! We don't have to leave at 3:45 but we could leave at 4:45, thats an extra hour for Shmubba to sleep! Picks me up, were on our way, (note: remember when your mom used to or still does drink TAB? Well Bubba greeted me with a TAB energy drink this morning, I think it's for women going throught the change, anyway it SUCKS! If you should visit him and he offers you one, say no thank you you cause it SUCKS!) it's Wednesday so it's the day we talk about POWERBALL people,  let the dreams begin! Get to the check in station, small wait, we get a new blind we never had before, throw our deeks and it's like JFK at Christmas, the ducks are going off. 7 am hits, it sounds like Nam. I'm shooting at everything, I mean everything! But I'm not knocking nothing down until I fold two thats correct two with one shot and in the same volley another for a total of 3. I am now the new and improved expert. I need respect. A glorious morning folks. You will find a recipe for duck in a mole sauce and a picture of the 3 ducks I murdered today, if you notice the middle one I just wasted, damn I'm good. Anyway that's pretty much it for now, until next week. And thanks for coming back.

What Ever Happened To Tradition?

"Time To Kill"

by Bob Da Folder

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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.

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Circa 2006

Oregon Day One

The sun broke today

Well I could just cut and paste last years first day and the year before that.  I  could just "phone" it in.  But what else do I have to do?  

Forecast called for rain and they were not lying.  Cliffy picks me up at 5:30 and we head out to the Columbia.  Waylon decided to sleep in today.  We arrive at the lot and there are three trucks already vacated.  We unload and another pulls up and a young man jumps out of his truck eager to chat.  He's dropping on us what it was like to hunt there two years ago and how it's changed.  Asking questions as to where we were headed.  We didn't really have time to answer all of the young whipper snappers questions, we wished him luck and were on our way.  We make it to where the water is supped to be.  There is a large river now flowing past the original Old spot, impossible to hunt now due to the swift deep water , not to mention the debris floating by.  The water level was at 5.2 which in the past meant some decent water, but no more.

Old Old spot many years ago

We walk out on all I describe as a beach.  We walk around the point and find some decent water, a peninsula with a little growth on it, "I can build here" I thought.  Cliffy threw out the blocks and I built a pretty good blind if I do say so myself.  We settle in with 10 minutes left before cilling time.  Morning rituals ensue.  Rain picks up.  We see some ducks, actually more than usual which gives us some hope.  Well after a few hours, lunch and some rain breaks we decide to call it, we know the are by now we've hunting there more than two years.  

Wallowa River to the Grande Ronde Wild and Scenic

Cliffy and I set out at 5 am to head to the north east corner of the great state of Oregon.  We arrive in Minam at about 11 am, by 12 the boat is loaded and we are on the Wallowa river the beginning of our 80 mile journey.  The first leg of the journey we are just trying to get to our first camp site 12 miles on the Grande Ronde, approximately 5 hours.  Once we reach the camp there will be no way in or out, other words no turning back.  We run into some cold rain the first 3 miles which turns into blue skies.  Cliffy put me on the oars for the first time which seemed to be a gentle section of the river, it scared the shit out of me and I proceeded to hit every rock he pointed out for me to miss.  We make camp at 5 just as the sun is staring to set.  After some whiskey, a couple of beers and a warm dinner of vodka sauce we turn in.  The first night is cold, the skies are clear and full of stars.

The next morning we are greeted by clear skies after some warm coffee we load up the raft and hit the river.  Water is very low this time of year, river running at 690, so we are getting stuck on rocks a lot making Cliffys job not so easy and me the push and pull man. After some stops along the way swinging flies in a few holes, with some success, we complete our 8 miles.  Set camp, tonight we bust out a new piece of equipment.  Fire pan - grill.  Tonight yellow fin tuna loins on the grill are on the menu along with a grilled veggie salad.  After dinner we have our first fire and we relax with some Jefferson bourbon and cribbage.  Cliffy wins first game me the second, the last game of trip I'll win, can you see how the rest of this trip is going?

Day three brings a head tickle to some.  Were back in the boat.  A low thick fog envelopes the canyon walls.  After a few hours it burns off and nothing but blue skies.  More fishing today with little success.  We arrive at our next camp which were planning to use as a rest day, so we set the whole camp up.  After chores I gather the wood for a fire Cliffy sets up a BB gun course.  I light the fire with one match.  Cliffy slays the course, the same course he set up.  Then dinner, pork carnitas.  Did I mention we are eating really well?  We then do some prep for the next nights dinner, we prep the coq au vin that we will be cooking in a dutch oven over and open fire. 

The next day is a rest day so that means no moving of the camp.  You are on your own schedule, do what you want when you want.  Wake up to an amazing morning.  I stoke the fire from the night before coals, my greatest accomplishment keeping the fire going three days straight with just using that first match.  We fish, I gather wood and fish some more, play some crib..…  It's a beautiful day.  We sit and hit the BB course again,  Cliffy kills me again, but I do introduce the new skill challenge, the Crusher.  Shoot the stick out and crush the can.  Yes only Cliffy was able to do it.  We bust out the dutch oven and start dinner.  A whole chicken broken into quarters marinated with red wine and mirepoix.  Then browned and simmered with more red wine, chicken stock and more veggies.  Slow cooked for an hour then liquid reduced and served over pasta.  Right?!  

We decide to stick around another day.  Another rest day.  Same day as last.  The sky is blue and the winds are warm.  Today Cliffy caught a 18 inch bull trout.  The first he's ever caught.  It was the ugliest and meanest looking thing I have ever seen with rows of teeth.  More of everything, dinner of smoked ham hock stew with fresh cranberry beans and root vegetables.  Relaxation ensues by the fire.  We sit by the fire enjoy some libations and stare at the star filled sky.  Cliffy hits the sack I stay up to read by the fire.  After a while I hear what could only be described as a dinosaur walking through the woods snorting and everything.  I shine the light into the woods and see the eyes of a bear.  Gulp.  I pour myself another glass of wine and tuck in close to the fire.

The next two days are beautiful.  Lots of fishing, enjoying cold beers on the river enjoying great food at night.  Cliffy catches his second ever bull trout not as big but just as ugly.  I fall out of the boat and  the boat runs me over, making for a wet day, luckily it was about 75 degrees and sunny.  We camp the final night with 6 miles left.   Dinner of peanuts and chips and salsa.  Kill the last bottle of whiskey and get my ass kicked royally in crib.

Six days on a river.  Next up The Founders Tour.  

GBCH

All Hail the New "Expert"

It's me, Bob D.  I shotten a duck yesterday morning and now I will decide everything there is to decide, and I'm great at that. 


Clider and I headed out to Anderson Lake bright and early for morning number 2 of the hunting season.  The Oregon chapters season has also started but Fred G and Cliffy are off to float some river for 6 days so they have little chance of matching my "Expertness".  I even gave Clider a chance to retain his expert title by letting him use my .410 over under to shoot.  (It's got the recoil of a BB gun so it won't even hurt his shattered clavicle if he shoots lefty).  I can only assume that by the time I get back from my vacation I will no longer be the "Expert" but for the time being, it's all me!

Overcast skies greeted us and there were all kinds of ducks and geese out on the lake talking their talk as we set up and waited for the first sunlight of the day to greet us.  We were also surprised at the number of ducks flying this early in the season.  I had a couple greenies land outside my spread and finally a lone duck came in for a landing to my right.  My first shot thankfully missed.  My slow reaction time this early in the season caused me to almost shoot the duck after it had landed, a cardinal sin in the H7HT, but it headed off and the second shot was true.  Peat's reaction times are slow too and as he sauntered out to retrieve, bunches of ducks that were scared up by our first shot of the day swarmed around and thought about landing.  He brought me this fine Henny.  As Mitch would say with a disappointed lilt to his voice "Oh, just a hen mallard."

Clider was able to sneak up on some mallards along the lakeshore but missed with 2 shots from the diminutive .410.  I believe his good eye, bad shoulder and incorrect trigger finger had some kind of effect on his shooting.  Perhaps when Cliffy shows up he can be of some help.  As you remember, Cliffy is this years BB gun champ and displayed amazing skills shooting left handed.  We shall see.

A good way to start the season but now I'm off to spend some time with my family back in the great state of Connecticut.  I hope they remember what I look like when I get off the plane even with my inflated sense of "Expertness" and my huge brain.  Stay tuned to see what Clider has up his sleeve while I'm gone, he may surprise everyone, especially his surgeon who recommended a few more weeks before shooting a shotgun.  GBCH.

Opening Day 2014

All week long Clider called me and suggested we go out on opening morning, who am I to oppose 'The Expert'?  So off we went, not to Mudhole, not to Hidden lake, not even in the boat.  All those plans went out the window when Clider decided to take a casual bike ride down a trail at Silver Mountain called, I believe, powder puff.  We went to The Point.

Opening day seems to be the same every year.  It's warm and sunny and you don't see any ducks anywhere.  I was happy to see Clider and Peat out in the road waiting for me at 4:30 and we traveled the familiar commute to Anderson lake.  I set a small spread of decoys and cleaned out the grasses on the floor of the blind and waited for shooting time.  This year was different though, we saw ducks. And not one or two, we saw quite a few of all varieties. There were even a couple greenies that landed 50 yards outside the blind and eventually flew off in the wrong direction.  The weather was chilly and some rain fell and I had a good feeling that soon the team would all be together when the hunting got better.

After a while Clider and Peat got sick of me not shooting at small ducks and requested I just take a shot or three at some kind of duck.  The guys behind us were shooting boxes of shells, why not me?  Soon after we packed up and headed back home for chores and to give Clider a chance to ice his shoulder.  Of course on the way home my truck blew a radiator hose and is now waiting in the driveway for a transplant.  Every time Peat rides with me he breaks something.  Bad dog!  More to come.
GBCH

Expert Pre-Season Check Up

Well the season starts in just a week and it looks like you get a head start for the Expert title.  I decided to fall over on my bicycle last weekend and turn my collarbone into collarbones.  These are usually six week recoveries, however in true Expert fashion I broke mine bad enough to require 4 months of healing time.  That's about one month longer than duck season lasts.

Because $1.68 Is All I had.

Today was a good day to head out to Anderson and build up 'The Blind' in preparation for the fast approaching season.  Clider was unable to join me due to an unexpected trip to CdA so I was all alone in my bid to spend $1.68 on a new blind.

If you remember, last time at 'The Point' all the blind needed was a nice spruce up and some room for more hunters.  Things were different today.  Only one gnawed down stake was all that was left of the old blind, that and some dead branches forming the old backdrop.  I brought plenty of stakes and banged in 10 new posts which I then wrapped with twine.  The water level is still up and the current set up is a good 8 to 10 inches underwater right now but soon enough it will be high and dry.  I then cut some large shrubbery branches which were sunk into the soft shoreline to form a backdrop to keep us invisible from behind.  After that lots of scrub brush branches were cut and woven into the twine to form the basis for the camo cover.  I tied off more twine and left room for fresh cut grasses to cover the lower layers of the front of the blind.  Those will be cut and inserted on the spot to match the color and texture of whatever is there at the time.

In the pictures you will notice the sheer size of 'The Blind' this year.  It now has enough room to seat 4 hunters and 2 dogs should the need arise.  Both ends are open for easy ingress/egress and dogs to be able to quickly retrieve massive quantities of Green headed monsters.

It won't be long now.
GBCH