Cillin For the Donald Oregon Chapter

Cliffy and I get to the lot a little early because of the competition we have been encountering.  Well, we are greeted by three trucks.  Everyone is busy loading their packs and blowing up float tubes, Cliffy and I Scooby Doo right out of there in front of them, if it's one thing we know is "Be Prepared."  We make it to the field and we are talking aboot how cool we are because we just Scooby Doo'd everyone in the parking lot and we are going to have the choice spot with the water way up.

I give a spy back to see where the Mallakas are.  Wouldn't you know one set is right behind us, and gaining!  What the hell!  It's not like Cliffy and I are lolly gagging, we're walking a  good clip.  They pass us.  In all my years I have never been passed on the walk in, or the walk out.  Cliffy explains to me that it is because we are getting old.  No I say, No!  One Mallaka is only caring a gun, the second Mallaka has a small backpack and the third Mallaka has a bag of blocks with like 8 small bodies.  Meanwhile I have 16 FULL sized blocks, chair, bag of clothes, ammo bag and wiki.  We get to the water, we caught them, they are confused aboot the water, they don't know where to go.  As soon as they see us they get moving, moving in no direction. I know where I am going.  I B-Line to my spot and claim it ours.  These 3 Mallakas are not going to take our spot.  

It's raining pretty good but considerably warmer than last week, we're talking 34 degrees.  I set the blocks as Cliffy builds the blind, I know that sounds crazy but with the Blind of the Year already under my belt I decided to let Cliffy enjoy the puzzle.  Wind and rain.  A quiet morning fly.  The fourth Mallaka walks in front of the blind just caring his gun joining his buddies.  Cliffy and I scratch our heads, he must have won a bet that he can show up at cillin time with just his gun and hunt.  There are the 4 Mallakas to our right, 2 different Mallakas across the river from us and then there is the guy on the island with a dog.  Oh, how do I know he has a dog?  A few opportunities to pull the trigger were lost due to not looking in the right direction.  With the fooseball waiting for us on the television we decide to call it.  Cliffy stated that next week we are going to stay out there all day.  What ever it takes Cliffy, guess I'm packing a big boy bottle.  GBCH

CFTK 2017 Oregon Chapter

 After disappointing news this year that the Idaho chapter would be sitting this years CFTK out due to trials and tribulations and with Bob DaFolder, deucey champion, illin from being sick, Cliffy and I set a 5:30 pick up time.  In case y'all been living under a snowball, PDX was hit with 10 inches of snow a week ago, which in turn makes for icy everything because we don't plow or put down salt here.  The ride out still was a little sketch, with fresh memories of spinning the Tacoma on highway 26 many years ago, Cliffy and I crawl to the lot to meet Alex.  We are the only ones there. It is butt ass cold, 24 degrees, winds ripping down the gorge at 20-30 mph with high gusts in the 50's, probably the reason that we are the only ones there. Who else would drive such conditions?  We load up Alex with his own pack so that I can carry 18 blocks and with Clffys 8 that would give a great armada.  We head out and we break out of the comfort off the woods into open fields, where every breath you take freezes to your face.  I can't believe that we are looking forward to the comfort a spot out on the Columbia not facing the wind.  

We reach the mighty Columbia only to find ice.  We try hiking out to the point in order to find some open water breaking through 12 inch ice crush the whole way.  Struggling with every step, what looked like open water was only smooth frozen ice when we got to it.  Maybe the reason no one else is here? It seemed to be forever. We decide to head back, hunt from the corner throw some blocks on the ice and pass shoot the morning fly then head home.  It almost looks really promising.  We put some blocks on the ice by the bank, hunker down and wait.  3 sets of mallards fly through our spread before cillin time.  Hey not so bad everyone thinks, maybe we are not total idiots. 2 other sets of hunters head out to the point, idiots we think. One had a little red wagon with his 8 small blocks in it and was carrying it  because of all the ice.  Idiot. 

Baby it's cold out side.  The team is pretty spread out due to lack of cover.  Pre-morning turns into morning and the light is better.  I spy that just beyond the ice we are sitting in front of is open water, and due to my scouting last week with Bonz' its shallow enough to walk in.  I move the blocks into moving water and BAM! we are legit.  We are set, we are looking great!  The feeling of not being the smartest turns into feelings of Einsteintudeness.  We see lots of ducks and geese, did I mention that Alex actually has his goose license? Nothing is committing, the wind is ripping pretty good.  Cliffy comes over to chat and have a sip of wikki.  We are chatting for awhile and Alex comes over to join us for some chat and some wiki.  Did I forget to mention that the wiki Alex drinks is actually made by his wife? Maybe a sponsor for next season?  www.clearcreekdistillery.com

A ton of geese are flying and you know what fly in geese.  We are standing there and clouds of mallards are swarming us.  The sky was literally filled with black.  Honestly there were three clouds of ducks holding at least 100 each. I'm yelling "SHOOT SHOOT!"  Well this takes me back to the day that I witnessed a mass migration down at the Old New Spot.  When I was paralyzed by seeing so many ducks that I could not lift my gun.  I could not do it and Cliffy too was paralyzed, but Alex was not.  He literally just had to point his gun into the air and pull the trigger.  He did and it went thump on the ice.  We sat in awe, speechless for minutes.  The only disappointment besides not raising the Benelli, was that Alex didn't shoot his limit with one pull of the trigger.  We sat in hopes that all those bastards would be back.  A few warm up walks.  Wiki now dry.  We call it around 11.  Cliffy mentioned that it was his best CFTK ever, I would have to disagree 2015 was the best so far for me.  2015 we had three guys vying for Experts status, saw more birds committing and was beautiful, maybe not as beautiful as this year.  It was a great day though, sorry the Idaho chapter missed it, they too would have appreciated what we saw today.  Two more weeks left in the season, expecting very high water next week with all this melt off and 12 inches of rain expected.

2016...

2016 The slowest posting year ever.

Yellowstone at Christmas

Oregon Chapter VII

Remember the days when we always say "get a license and we'd be happy to take you hunting with us"? Well for a couple of years now Alex has been inquiring about the H7HT and their ways.  Well you see Alex is already an outdoor enthusiast.  He is an avid upland game hunter, waterfowl hunter and fisherman, which means he already has everything he needs.  We get our schedules straight and Cliffy and I take Alex out to the best hunting spot there is to put him on some ducks.  We meet him at the gate at 6 a.m. to begin our adventure.  Low and behold there are already two trucks there before us.  No problem we think, plenty of room out there for all of us to hunt.  It's a chilly 26 degrees with a stiffy in the fay walk out.  We make it to the point where we are greeted by another hunter who informs us that there are 3 more parties around the corner.  We head back and find a grand spot to build a blind for 3 people and a dog.  Alex and Cliffy throw the blocks out and I construct the blind of the year.  With a strong east wind the guys throw out a backwards "C" for the many ducks to land in.  Morning rolls by and I'm dropping lore on the new guy.  "Used to be like this, the water was never this high, Mitch, blah blah blah."  A score of birds flew by a couple times even wanting us, but like I said the lore was rolling and nobody was paying no tension to what we were there for.  We get smart and focus on what is before us.  Sure enough a green head bastard flies through our spread, turns back into the wind and lands in our spread with his gear down.  Alex says with his full choke that he could take him if somebody would boogly whoo him.  I did my best and he jumped, Alex put 3 inches of very cold steel into him, but not enough.  Alex jumps out of the blind like a champ and is in the water not wanting an NR.  He puts 4 more shots over his head as the bastard is getting away.  Soon Alex was at wader limit and the pursue was over.  Green head bastard one, Alex minus one.  The cold got to us and after a few warm up walks we decide to call it.  We pack up and head back.  Surprising enough Alex said that he'd like to join us again, couldn't be for the amount of ducks, must have been the great stories.  Oh yeah since Cliffy isn't going to tell you how he put his jacket on Waylon because he though he was cold, and then Waylon decided to retrieve a block wearing his jacket, soaking it, I will.  Good Dog.

Blind of the Year

Yep.

Here I am. Here I am looking angry. Here I am having a beverage. Here I am after not seeing a duck.  Here I am after not seeing any open water to hunt. Here I am.














Maybe next time.
GBCH