Post Traumatic Founders Tour

After the awesome Founders tour it really is hard to strap a 70 pound pack on and shlep a mile and a half each way just to see nothing.  Being we were all Experts once we all know our physics.  

70 lbs.x~(1.5)<65+500ml>nopato<=0=:(

But last night I remembered something the Cali Klan mentioned to me.  "Hunt the Weather."  Todays forecast was cold, freezing rain from the south and winds out of the East.  It seemed logical that I should do just that, strap the pack on and hunt the weather.  

On the road by 5:45, stop and get some go go juice and make it to the lot solely by myself.  Make it out to the water, it's way up.  With no true coverage I decide to hunt the north shore of the point.  I throw my blocks out and hunker down in some old leafless bushes, I look good alright.  Before cill time 3 mallards fly right over my head and then a pack of pinny's buzz me, this might be a great day I think.  Well by 7:45 I'm wondering what time should I call it, it seems to have turned into the typical Old Old Spot kinda day.  Just then a henny flies in and with one pull of the trigger she's down.  (Remember when hunting out there you take what the good lord Heston gives)  But there's more, 12 of her friends want in too.  I pull the trigger to launch another 3 1/2 inch missile and the gun goes click.  They flew right toward me over my head.  Again more time and I'm thinking that thought again.  Then another henny with her man decide to stop by, I bypass the hen and put my bead on the green bastard, bang then click!  What the hell!  Frustration once again.  10 minutes later another good set of mallards want in, gear down.  This time the Benelli does not fail me but my lack of aiming does, three shots wasted.  

Damn I just took 5 legit shots at ducks, mallards, at the Point!!  Wait a little longer and now it's the cold I'm fighting and it wins. Every time.  I leave feeling pretty good, the bag a little heavier, should have been heavier but what the hell!  On the way out a gentleman with a dog of all things is walking out, dog walkers right?  Well this guy asks if he could help me carry anything!

Maybe Sunday if the weather looks right, cause I "Hunt the Weather."

GBCH

Idaho: 11/30/14

Today was an unexpected day off from work and I tried to make the best of it.  Clider had been off scouting, and we all know how that works to our advantage, but I had different ideas.  I needed a day to hunt by myself even though I do so enjoy hunting with friends.  But sometimes I just need a day to sort my thoughts and enjoy my personal space.  Like I say, Clider had been scouting, and he saw a bunch of geese and ducks sitting alone on the bay inside one of the lakes on the way to Anderson.  He called me to say we should go there but I headed to 'The Point' anyway.

I stopped by Clider's to borrow a jerk rig and a couple blocks to attach to them and made my way to Anderson.  It was cold and clear and I had to break out a layer of skim ice before I set the few blocks I had.  Strangely, the clear skies made me think that I had missed the morning fly but by the time I was set there was still 20 minutes until shooting time.  A few ducks flew in the burgeoning light and I toasted the morning and missing friends.  Some buffleheads landed in the decoys and made the moving spread look even better.

A while in I was thinking that maybe the clear cold skies would not bring me ducks in the ultra-traditional spot I had chosen.  I wondered if I should have gone with Clider to the spot he had scouted the night before.  Then I got his text message.  "I think I'm a day late here. I did get a look from some mallards though"  It was 7:32.  I was getting ready to read that message as the Greenie came in from the left, of course I was looking right.  He landed on the ice to my left and as I stood to give him the ole' Booggely Booggely Boo, he jumped up and peeled away to the left.  One shot brought him down and T.J. and I made the retrieve in the ice that had built up in the bay.

My text back to Clider read "Did they look like this one?  Or not quite as dead?" (see pic I sent at the left)  To be fair nothing at all flew by after that lone greeneie but I waited for a while before calling it and headed back home to make more duck bites from the stuff I still had left over from the 'Tour of Champions'.  They are in the fridge right now waiting for a hot skillet tonight. 

I stopped by the spot Clider was hunting on the way home.  He saw stuff. He may have shotten stuff.  It is up to him to tell you about it but I will say I left him a chicken salad Sammy that I figured I would eat in his blind when I lucked out at Anderson.  I was fully planning on edging in on his action after I got skunked at The Point, but......

GBCH.

My Best Moment, by Bob D.

Where to start?  With so many moments of greatness it's tough to narrow it down to just one.  Could it be the way I push pieces of ice out into the channel to sail off down river?  Is it the time I cut down perfect amounts of grass to refurbish the Point?  Or how about the way I meld old bacon and new bacon technologies together to make exceptional Duck Bites?

All of these pale in comparison to my greatest moment of the trip.  It was the 3rd day of the Tour of Champions and Cliffy and I were sharing a blind at The Point.  The morning had been perfect with all 4 of us being completely set and ready to go at shooting time and a few extra minutes of listening to ducks flying over the blind before the magical time of 6:26  I don't remember who shot first or who shot the most ducks that day, but I do remember who shot best.  It was Bob D.

With the other boys using the left side blind that gave Cliffy and I the right side blind with the better water and best shot on incoming ducks.  Because I hunt The Point all the time I let Cliffy have the right side of our blind and the first shot at anything from that direction.  Imagine my surprise as I watched the lone greenie come in from the right heading our way with his feet down.  Now contemplate my further surprise as I realized Cliffy was either unaware or otherwise unable to take the shot. Then, I did the only thing a superhuman folder and former "Expert" could do.  With lightning speed I shouldered the Benelli and squeezed off a single shot that took that greenie from the sky. 

Greenie had been coming in feet down and, noticing us, had tried to make a hasty getaway.  My shot got him on the upswing and his momentum carried him through the blind and landed him at Cliffy's feet.  I had just landed a bird in the blind at some ones feet!  He reached down and handed over my prize.  No retrieve needed.  My best moment of the trip.
GBCH

T.O.C. Day one.

The 'Tour of Champions' has begun and the first day was more like the 'Founders Tour' as it was just Fred G and I heading out on to Anderson.  Team member Clider was hunting another area with a bloke named Otis, who has only recently started hunting, and just shot a 7 year old banded greenie from Alberta Canada.  We currently don't like Otis.

The weather here has been nothing short of arctic. Much of the country is also in the grip of a Canadian cold front which we hoped would bring down ducks from the north.  Temperatures in the low teens and mostly frozen water greeted us at The Point.  We set about breaking up ice and had our decoys set as the shooting hour arrived.  The picture above shows the battle we fought with the ice filling in the slough that runs behind The Point.  Only a few ducks were flying in the early morning hours and I had lost the ability to take the first shot of the day in a spirited game of ducey the night before.  Finally we were able to make a couple geese turn and come to see us rather than the big raft of birds sitting on the open water way out in the middle of the lake.  They set up perfectly and flew in low and slow with the sun lighting up their fat bellies.  They looked to me like a couple of big B52's coming in for a landing and I watched as Fred lined up to take the first shot of the day.  He took 3.  No geese fell.

Founder: Fred G.

After that no other perfect opportunities happened our way and we did some more improvement to the waters in front of The Blind.  I took a walk and tried to get some birds to get off the water in the middle of the lake but still nothing wanted in.  Even after the walk out we felt good about the chances to shoot there again next time.  The temperatures are rising and the ice will have a hard time making a return to that spot.  Next time I'm sure many hundreds of fat greenies will make their way to the perfect spot we have created.  Stay tuned.
GBCH

PAIN!

SatNov 15

31°

14°

Sunny

CHANCE OF PRECIP:

0%

 

WIND:

NE at 7 mph

Details

SunNov 16

35°

16°

Sunny

CHANCE OF PRECIP:

0%

 

WIND:

S at 4 mph

Details

MonNov 17

40°

20°

Mostly Sunny

CHANCE OF RAIN:

0%

 

WIND:

E at 6 mph

Details

TueNov 18

42°

27°

Partly Cloudy

CHANCE OF RAIN:

10%

 

WIND:

SE at 6 mph

Details

WedNov 19

39°

31°

PM Showers

CHANCE OF RAIN:

40%

 

WIND:

SE at 6 mph

Details

ThuNov 20

39°

32°

Partly Cloudy

CHANCE OF PRECIP:

20%

 

WIND:

SE at 8 mph

Details

FriNov 21

38°

30°

Showers

CHANCE OF RAIN:

50%

 

WIND:

SSE at 8 mph

Details

SatNov 22

38°

33°

Rain

CHANCE OF RAIN:

60%

 

WIND:

SSE at 10 mph

Details

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It Won't Be Long Now.....

Since nobody else will make a post I guess it's up to me.
Today, mere days away from 'The Tour Of Champions', Clider and I made a run in the boat out to Killarney Lake.  We had two reasons to make the trip.  The first was to do some investigative boating to see just how well Clider can build a boat motor out of spare parts, gumption and endless streams of money.  I will leave it to him to report on the outcome.  The second and more important reason was to shoot some greenies.

Another boat trailer was in the lot and we figured that he had taken the only spot at Hidden Lake so we motored out to the west side of Killarney.  Clider had earlier seen some guys hunting from a spot on the shore and we set up in the same area. A mass of decoys were set and we waited for the ducks to come piling in.  We waited long enough for the sun to come up and warm us and to warm the ducks that had, as yet, not shown up.  Soon after one of the decoys had made a break for open water. While Clider took a short walk out to wrangle him in, and right as he waded into the water 3 mallards spun in in perfect formation towards the blind.  I watched the henny land in front of the spot Clider had been in a minute before and the 2 greenies fly off, scared off by the big dog and bigger human in the water. This pattern would repeat itself twice more during the day.

Sadly, no ducks were shotten today but we learned something about the boat and we did see ducks.  I'm convinced that having the big spread, with lots of variety, made all the ducks that did come by take a good look and want to land.  Thankfully we will have thousands of decoys, and time to set them out, this coming week.  Tempatures are dropping and the fronts are moving in.  It's all setting up for a perfect week of slaying action.  Stay tuned.....

GBCH

If Only It Counted.....



 Today it rained and I shot a Greenie.


I left the house today in the pouring rain and I thought of all my days hunting in the state of Oregon and how being prepared was the best defense against the elements.  I packed at least two of everything that I could find and took my truck, just back from the doctors, out to Anderson and another shot at The Point.  The rain settled into a steady soaking kind of rain for my walk out and I set up just in time for the morning fly, but there was none.  Birds trickled in by ones and twos as the rain slowly trickled into my sleeves and drenched my elbows.  Three shots at the first Greenie of the day went off course and other birds came and went, just like dry gloves and hats.

Just about the time my third pair of gloves was soaking through a lone greenie came in from the right and fell with my second shot.  Reaching down into the chilly waters to retrieve him was no problem because everything from my elbow down was already saturated.  You know what wasn't saturated?  My spirits. First Greenie of the year and Co-Expert title in hand I decided that there was plenty of time for yet another fresh pair of gloves and toasty warm hat.  The next 15 dry minutes were great and even the increasingly sideways rain felt good.  I packed up when the rain backed down to a heavy drizzle and my pack felt great with all the extra moisture and duck meat weighing me down.  Here's some pictures and now I'm off to help Clider paint decoys and remind him that his Doctor recommended him to not shoot for 6 weeks.  Bring on the H7HT "Week Of Death" it's going to be great!
GBCH

FTP Ready

My people we don't know defeat

We crush the strong and percolate the weak daily

We make our moves to improve our grooves

Because we love to rule where we lay

Work and play we started at the bottom

Now were leading the way

I'm havin a fit kickin it at the the top

Because I'm too LEGIT to Quit!

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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

*

*

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.

*

*

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

Offical Confidence Cow of the H7HT

What a nice piece of Veal you would be!

Preparation

Today I spent part of my day off with some preparation.  I pulled all my gear out of the shed and sorted and cleaned everything I need.  I was going to go back to Anderson and build up 'The Blind' but Clider says he will make time in his busy schedule to go on Monday and do that very thing.  So today I hung all my waders and jackets, took stock of all my gear, washed and checked my decoys and posted my last years duck stamp on the wall with the others.  Here are some pictures to get you ready to prepare your stuff.
GBCH

Training for duck season is really ramping up.

$26.50 Well Spent.

It's the beginning of Fall and hunting time is just around the corner.  It's time to start thinking about building new blinds and rebuilding old favorites.  Normally we would spend thousands and thousands of dollars getting our blinds perfect and inviting to that green headed bastard Greenie, but it's Fall, and we're all poor.  I've been spending money on deposits for the H7HT home away from home and Clider has been spending every last cent on improvements to his deadly boat.

Here's what $26.50 gets us:
$0 for wooden stakes I liberated from the golf course pile of unused and slowly rotting wooden stakes.
$6.50 for twine and staples.
$20 in gas to fill the rest of my tank in the truck.  It's now empty.

I planned on stopping at the bike path parking lot down by Killarney and riding my bike south to see if there were any spots to hunt that were within easy access to that parking area but I woke up late.  I drove right by and continued to Harrison.  During my drive I thought to myself how much easier it will be to have a house merely minutes from The Point, The Blind, Mud Hole and The Other Side. Drive time will be significantly reduced, much like when Fred G drove in the old days, saving me 1/2 hour of sleep.  When I got there I powered up with a banana and grabbed 6 stakes from the truck along with my pack of supplies.

Minutes later I found that The Point blind had been so well constructed 2 years back that it needed no reinforcement whatsoever.  In addition the grasses and scrub brush had grown up around the blind so nicely that all it really needs is for the grass to be cut inside the blind and to plop down your chair, it's perfect.  The plan behind bringing the other stakes was to increase the size of the blind to sufficiently hide 4 hunters and 2 dogs.  Instead I decided to make another blind right next to it that can be removed after the H7HT Charter Tour if we see fit.  I cut brush and filled the twine knowing that a month from now it will be totally dead and out of place but I figure that it will make a nice base for whatever other camouflage we choose at the time.

After constructing that blind and cutting some brush to be used later I took a minute to look around at my favorite view from October to February, it was good to be back.

When I showed up at Clider's he was unwrapping his new drive shaft and propeller.  I would love to tell you about the interesting things that happened in Clider's basement getting it installed but that would ruin his fun when he decides to start telling stories again.  I will tell you though that the sheer number of decoys in his basement is appalling.  I can't wait.

GBCH