Thanksgiving Day Massacre

With Cliffy taking the reins of cooking Thanksgiving Day dinner I thought I may contribute something to stick inside that there bird.  With Lisa back from the doctors and a full tank of go-go juice confidence was high.  Load the truck up and "We are the Champions" is streaming out my speakers, perfect.  Make it to the gate at 5:40 and there are two trucks already in the parking lot.  One person gone and two Mallakas loading up their wagons to pull out with them and a dog.  Before you know it this 48 old man with a 50 pound pack on his back Scooby Doos right past them they have no idea what hit them.  Make it to the water, down a little, and head over to the New New spot.  Set up is a snap with the $1,000,000 million dollar blind (higher properly values here in PDX) already to roll.  The moon is full no need for a headlamp thank goodness since mine died at the house.  I have 20 minutes to settle in and even enough time to sacrifice a pair of wool gloves to the spicy Thai food I enjoyed the night before.  Not even cilling time yet but it's so bright out that people are pulling the trigger 10 minutes before the 6:43 cil time.

Just as the bell went off two mallards fly in and I send one doing cartwheels to the other side of the cove. With the morning fly going off I decided to just leave it and pick it up later.  Many birds flying through, just amazing considering where and when I'm hunting.  Another set of birds come in and I raise the gun and pull the trigger, CLICK! I've been "Willied!"  Meanwhile two Mallakas out on the point on the island are getting more looks than me and pulling the trigger at everything.  Geese way out of range, shit ducks, winging stuff, what a scene.  Every duck that came in was welcomed by 6 shots.  Another set of mallards fly through all hens, nothing to see here, I respectfully let them pass.  A set of tankards come through low on the deck, what better than a duck stuffed in a gooses ass?  CLICK!  "Willied" again.  I may have to take the fire stick to go see Warren, he'll know what to do.  A beautiful morning accompanied by a nice fly.  Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

P.S.  Got that hen home and started cleaning her and the pasting I envoked on her promoted poop to come out her breast meat.  I have pictures but I'm sure you all are eating a fine dinner. 

Fred 14:28-7

Give Man Sauce and Feed Him for a Night

Teach a Man how to Make Sauce

and You Feed Him for a Night

• 1/2  onion chopped and sweated in 4 tablespoons unsalted butter 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 cans San Marzano tomatoes, crushed with potato masher
• 1 tablespoon chili flake
• 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste
• 6 oz. tomato paste mixed with one cup heavy cream
• 6 sausages poached until just firm
• 2 large Jack and Cokes

Oregon Chapter Day One

$500,000 blind
Can't even see chairs or Greenie

Cliffy texted me the night before inquiring about the potential of us hunting together on Sunday.  I responded with a yes, it would be possible.  Cliffy said he'd pick me up at 5:30 but showed up early and we made it to the gate at 5:40,  to our surprise it was open which would give us an extra 20 minutes to get out to the point and set up by 6:40 shooting time.  We arrive at the water and it is up, up to a perfect level.  The wind is blowing north at a good clip.  We went around the point to the cove around the corner and set up with the wind at our backs.  We threw the blocks out to the other side of the cove to help induce the green head bastard land in front of us and hunkered down into the brush.  4 green head bastards floated into our spread just before shooting time, our setup seemed to be just what they wanted.  A little while in a green head bastard floated in and Cliffy with no hesitation pasted him.  Waylon naturally leapt into action.  Only needing a splash to locate for a perfect retrieve.  The morning fly was quite spectacular rivaling things that I've seen in Idaho.  Just before the sun lit up our spread 5 Greenies floated in and I did my best Bob DaFolder impersonation, 5 left just as fast as they flew in.  Some Widgeon flew through and seemed to flare, maybe the sun isn't only lighting our blocks up but us as well.  I was chilled so I decided to build a $500,000 blind just behind us.   We were set and looking good.  After awhile in our new digs we decide to call it, just some high fliers, nothing to see here.  We pack up and have a peaceful walk back to the truck, Cliffy's bag a little heavier.

So Much For 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.

Guest Editor.

HA!

HA!  it is I, Greenie. And I rule!


I have to post today to your weak attempt at literacy.
I saw you today Bob D.  You made your way to Anderson lake and the spot you like to call The Point.  I call it sanctuary.

Sure you set a nice spread of mallard statues and a string of zombies that move when you pull on an incredibly visible string.  You even thought you could hide by sitting behind some windblown debris. First thing in the morning all my diver friends flew around and sat in your statues and me and my friends went to the place you call The Tip.  We made happy noise and flapped our wings to distract you from the minute I made my approach. That's right, it was me.  I flew right into your 'cil zone', sat down and waited for you to try to see me.  Finally you gave me the old Booglie booglie boo and I made a hasty retreat while you fired off 3 whole shots and missed me every time.  Every time!  What a chump.  At least you swore and checked your gun for straightness.  It makes me laugh which I'm sure you heard as I flew away.

After those fat bastard geese finally stopped flying right over your head repeatedly, (they know full well that you are too pussy to shoot at them cause I told them) I waited for a bit then made my move.  Yep, me again.  This time I came in from the left with one of my many many girlfriends.  You couldn't even hit me then.  My fat belly was way to big for your stupid Itrallian gun.  It's bent anyway. I flew off to join all my buddies out on the lake.  I think all the diver friends are on to you because they kept landing and flying around while you kept looking for me.  I'm way to smart for that.

I saw you take that nap and pull up all those weak looking plastic fakes.  I sent some fat geese over to smite you and then as you put your pack on and started walking out I knew it was the right time to bring all 50 or 60 of us over your head.  Go home loser!

Ha! It is I Greenie, and I RULE!

Three Days of Hunting.

Or, "Two of Three Days We Thought Clider Had Surely Died."

Anticipation

The week long hunting trip this year was canceled due to my redirected vacation time, but that did not stop Fred G from traveling out to the great state of Idaho this year.  After all, he does most of his Greenie shooting out here and wanted to leave with a comfortable lead in the 'Expert' title department.  I picked him up at the airport with more than enough daylight for an easy trip to Anderson for an afternoon hunt.  He arrived wearing all his layers and stone sober from the flight.  Instead I took him to Cabellas, the wikki store and the grocery store and then home to sort decoys and find our guns from their summer hibernation.  Clider came over after a bike ride and we made plans for the following day. I didn't even have ice!

The Point was in order for the first day of my season and we left early so that we could set up and rebuild the blind.  Other hunters have been using our hides because water is low in other parts of the Chain Lakes so needless to say, changes had to be made.  We spent $14,680 and put out a fine spread.  The pre-shooting hour flyovers and the sheer number of ducks and geese making a racket out on the water made it seem to be a promising day. The first shooting opportunity waited until Clider took a walk to distract Peat from the fact he had nothing to retrieve.  We seem to feel it was a canvasback simply from the majestic way if floated into our spread and refused to jump up and fly away after repeatedly giving him the ole' Boogilie boogilie boo.  He swam off before Clider returned so he was skeptical.  I went like that for pretty much the rest of the day.  Clider takes a walk and scares up some ducks. Nobody shoots anything.  Peat takes a nap. Etc.

Day 2 found us going to The Blind and bringing with us the Armada of duck and goose decoys that Clider has had littering his basement for the past couple years.  He traveled in the boat with decoys while Fred, Peat and I walked out light as a feather and without a moose shell in our chambers.  We all set blocks in a random but planned fashion and then went to work on The Blind, which needed some work to blend in with the current surroundings. The most notable new thing at The Blind was the incredible volume of wet mud inside the perimeter.  It ate chair legs and boots with equal disdain. I was in the middle and sank at least 4 inches in with every sit.  It's almost amazing that shortly after shooting time I was able to jump up and blast a hen widgeon so spot on that Peat was reluctant to even retrieve it.  Less suprising is that when the first greenie came in Clider missed and Fred forgot that your safety needs to be off in order to shoot.  They then both fired at the same time and team slayed the first greenie of the year.  I owe them each $5 which I somehow forgot to pay Fred before he left.  What a dick!

Another duck was shotten but I forget by who.  I was too busy sinking into the mud while my blind mates had learned how to reline into the brush and become comfortable.  I took a walk and found an old barge that gave up some 2X8 lumber to make a bench, and then another to make a footrest. Our feet were warm for the first time all day. It cost a cool 10K for each board but it was totally worth it. The sun shone and the ducks settled into somewhere other than where we were so it was time for Clider to take a walk.  He disappeared for hours.  We decided he was dead so we called it and started to pull up blocks.  Turns out he had walked to The Point and back to randomly shoot at nothing.  We had a sammy and headed home.

Day 3 started with 2 inches of snow on the Jeep and spirits were positive for a great day just like the one years ago when the snow and wind had brought mucho patos from the sky to the grill.  The plan was to go to an all together new area but we returned to The Blind knowing full well that that was where all the birds would be going.  Less decoys and better seating greeted us at The Blind but strangely few shooting opportunities presented themselves.  It wasn't until Clider sped off in the boat that the wind picked up to gale force.  He was gone so long the only possible outcome was that he had capsized and drown so, once again, we started spinning up all the decoys and packed the blind in time for his improbable return.  A sammy in Harrison on the way home and sadly it was all over.

That night Fred G. attempted to "teach me how to fish" by learning me in the ways of making my favorite meal ever, the Sauce.  We also prepared for this lesson by drinking a bottle of Jack so it's clear that I have forgotten the process but what I won't forget it the giant winds that knocked out the power and let us finish the cooking by candle light.  Dinner and delicious wine that night with a fire blazing in the fireplace and candle light lighting the cabin was my personal favorite part of yet another great trip.  Praise Heston!

Cilling Time

Wed
Nov 11

45°F

Thu
Nov 12

41°F

Fri
Nov 13

46°F

Sat
Nov 14

48°F

Sun
Nov 15

45°F

Mon
Nov 16

41°F

Tue
Nov 17

43°F

28°F

36°F

41°F

36°F

36°F

36°F

28°F

WSW 17 MPH
Precip 90%

S 7 MPH
 

S 16 MPH
Precip 60%

SSW 16 MPH
Precip 50%

SW 11 MPH
Precip 30%

S 7 MPH
Precip 20%

S 15 MPH
Precip 20%

Averages
44°F/31°F

Averages
44°F/31°F

Averages
43°F/30°F

Averages
43°F/30°F

Averages
42°F/30°F

Averages
42°F/30°F

Averages
41°F/29°F

I'm Back in the Game.

This is Clyde, having a smoke and getting ready to slay with his dog Copper.  Much like him I too am getting ready to slay after a long off season.  I'm writing to you today from the massive air terminal of Bradley International Airport as I sit waiting for my flight home.  I have been here in the great state of Connecticut helping my Mother with things as she recovers from chemotherapy.  You will be happy to know she is doing well and should be cancer free after only one more dose of Chernobyl Chowder.

Over the past weeks I have been a carpenter, stone mason, plumber, painter, roofer, auto detailer and most importantly, a landscaper.  I have seen enough maple leaves to last me for quite some time.  The pile I have created, the best one of three, is easily the size of an Escalade and might be visible from space.  I was very happy to be able to help and get her set for the winter months that are quickly approaching the Eastern seaboard.  But now I'm coming home.  It's time to Cil.

The 'Expert' title seems to be up for grabs even after my absence.  I thought for sure that I would be playing catch up because all the other Western chapter members have had weeks to go hunt and pad their duck totals before I even had a chance to dig my waders out of storage,  I don't even have a license yet.  But it turns out that nobody wants to shoot a Greenie.  I spoke with Clider and it seems he's more interested in riding bicycles than shooting.  Fred G claims that there is no water and Cliffy is too busy having birthdays to hunt.  Well watch out suckers,  Bob D. is back!

Look at my Grandfather standing there, gloves on, boots all laced up, license on his cap and ready to slay.  I'm sure if picture resolution had been invented yet we would be able to see a glint of anticipation in his eyes.  The knowledge that today might be the best day of hunting ever.  That's me right now, knowing that in a few short days I too will be out hunting and having possibly the best day I can, reclaiming what is rightfully mine, the title of 'Expert'.

GBCH

Day One PDX a Comedy

I really thought that I was prepared for this day.  I checked to see if it was a cilling day because usually right after the opening they close it down for about 4 days or so to let the smoke clear I guess.  It was.  Today was the first day right after the closing and if I was to go hunting on Monday like I planned I would have been poaching.

Running around my house like a chicken with its head cut off. I packed my blocks the night before, check, got my headlamp out and made sure it worked, check. Shells, check.  Waders and boots ready, check.  Next morning. Couldn't find my headlamp in the morning, found another one but batteries are dead, find new batteries.  Wikki bottle not filled, only had 1/3 of a bottle.  Start the truck all nice and early to defrost  pull it up to the end of the driveway so that I don't disturb the neighbors with Lisa's big voice.  Jump into truck ready to hit the road and I'm doing that mental checklist thing.  Check, check, check, gun? damn! almost took off without the Benelli.  Opening bell sounds off at a respectable 6:30 but the gate at the park doesn't open until 6:00.  So I'm on the road at 5:35 should get me to the gate on time.  I'm four exits away from the turn off and Lisa's headlights start blinking, not in a steady way but on and off like people in front of me must be wondering why am I flashing my headlights on and off.  Do I turn around and go back home I think?  I figure that I'm closer to the hunting spot than I am to home, so I go on.  Get to the exit and the lights turn off for good, luckily it's close to 6:00 and visibility is okay.  Pull into the spot and of course I am the only one there.  I park and I smell something burning, oh great I just drove all the way there  with the parking brake on!

Cilling time is in a half hour which is aboot how long it takes to get out there.  I haul ass out there and find that the water level has not gone up any but there are more standing water pools due to the recent deluge.  Find some huntable water but there is not really any time to build a blind.  I find a nice size bush with some tall grass around it and hunker down next to it and I have to admit I was looking pretty good.

My negative outlook of the day was not helping my mindset.  No water equals no ducks.  Right?  It's the Old New Spot Beginning of the year it can't be good.  After an hour or so a merganser flies through, then through again.  Hen mallard wants me badly, but I'm not there for her.  She too tries to die again but I'm not falling for it.  Overcast skies and a slight wind.  Three greenies fly in wanting me, right through my meek spread of 6 blocks.  Maybe I chalk it up to first day jitters but I give them the ole "come back" call while they are coming in.  Makes them flare and they are gone.  They did make another fly by but high up.  So what do I take from this?  Nothing.  Hunting season starts next week in Idaho.  Me and Clider are going to cill it.  Then I'll die in the boat, probably.

Scouting the Old Old Spot and More

At the Old Spot blind looking towards King Day Cillin Spot

At the Point looking towards the Old New Spot

Today I packed up and decided to go scout the hunting spots before hunting season starts.  After having a really dry summer I knew there would not be too much water and that is exactly what I found.  As you can see from the pictures water is nonexistent.  I hiked all the way around the point and down to the Old New Spot.  To tell you the truth I was pretty excited to make my way down there haven't being down there in several years.  Water all along the way was scarce, no water close enough to shore to build a blind, or because the water was so low that what their was got really deep really fast.  I made it down to the Old New Spot and it has grown into possibly fantastic hunting spot depending the time of the year.  After scouting there I make my way back and cut up through the berm towards the "hatch" area.  Would you believe it! they removed the "hatch" and now the is a potential river, that is now dry, maybe being huntable.  I time the walk back to the truck and from the Old New Spot it was 40 minutes.   Not too bad? (don't forget that would be after partaking in some wikki and such)

Looking back at the Old Old Spot

"Hatch" area

Happy Birthday Cliffy

40 and So Much Wiser.

Idaho Check In

Every time I go hunting I learn something, or I should have learned something but am too stupid to realize what the lesson was.  

Opening day was going to be glorious, I did my due diligence and scouted the day before.  I had a boat blind and could head out on Round Lake, which was flooded with wigeon and hunt where the others couldn't or wouldn't.  I scouted all of the lakes but Round was by far the most promising.

I woke up a 3am and was at the ramp two hours before shooting, with a ten minute boat ride it left me with plenty of time to set up in the rice.  I did not however bank on all of the parking being full, apparently Rocky showed up at 1:30 and there were already four boats out.    I cut my loses and headed to Anderson, I saw a few mallards and geese there the day before.  

Only one truck in the lot, it was a good omen.  There were however headlamps that would turn on only as I closed in on each spot.  The Point, Full, The Blind, Full, the reeds way down at the end, also full.  I resorted to the only other place that I had seen ducks on my scouting trip, the little cove on the south side of the lake.  I set out my spread and still had a cozy 20 minutes before shooting.  The blind was up and I was ready to slay.  In the early light I had a few very small divers come in but I was waiting for greenie, things were looking great..

This is where the lesson part should have happened, Bob D would have picked it out immediately.  The sun was up now and I could finally see a little.  While my blind completely hid Peat and I inside, it didn't actually look like anything around it.  After seeing a few pictures of people shooting limits behind some of the most obvious looking blinds in history, I had convinced myself that simply being out of sight was enough.  That being said, I spent all of opening morning watching mallards, wigeon and geese land short of shootable range.  

I fired off two shots throughout the day and left empty handed, for it is better to have shotten and missed than to have never shotten at all.  I saw on facebook that a few locals shot 35 birds in 35 minutes on Round, well they didn't get to sit in a badass boat blind and I did.

Nothing to see here.

Peat has his own door, the only one on the boat.

I headed out again on Monday, no scouting, but I could finally hunt that rice area at Round Lake because everyone would be at work.  My buddy Nick came out with me, you may remember him from a post last year.  Maybe I didn't post, but rest assured that he did go out.  We motored out and set up in the thick stuff, the blind was up and the flight was on.  Piles of birds headed out, but nobody gave us a look.  We spent the rest of the morning experimenting and moving around, but to no avail.  

Two fools.

With the front of the blind down and the motor up, it still looks awesome.

Slow day.

So my experiences thus far had led me to one conclusion.  The local ducks wanted nothing to do with decoys, and were sticking to open water.  Everyone else must be sky blasting and my blind was still awesome.  I headed out on Anderson and nestled the boat against some pilings near the east end.  I had a great looking spread, wind at my back, motion in the decoys.  Things were looking up.  I didn't see nearly as many ducks, but the result was 100% the same.  Nothing would fly by, nothing would flare, nothing would get close enough to flare.

So after another very slow, cold morning, I pulled my blocks and headed to the shore.  I set up in some cat tails and put out a small spread of about a dozen blocks.  It was clear skies and warm now, but there was a little wind.  The ducks had stopped flying, except for very occasionally.  I settled in for what was going to be a good nap.  Suddenly I had trio of wigeon blowing through my spread and using the sun as cover as they dodged my misplaced shots.   The first decoying birds of the season!

After a few looks from mallards, a drake wigeon dive bombed the spread, I used my fully automatic duck gun and dropped him stone cold with a single shot.  Peat made the retrieve and I realized a lesson that was part of my original introduction to duck hunting.  Make your blind look like everything around it.... Bob D.

I hung around for another hour and had a single large greenie land just to the left of my spread and swim off.  A few minutes later a huge float plane landed in front of my spread and skimmed along the lake for awhile before heading off again..  My spread was really working now, man nor beast could tell I was there.

Peat, wishing that was a tennis ball.

Pile Em' High

"Well, this is the .44 Magnum Auto-Mag and it hold a 300-grain cartridge. And, if properly used, it can remove the fingerprints."

I got myself an auto loading duck murdering machine, and a new shotgun.  You haven't lived until you've bought a firearm from a stranger on Facebook.  $300 and some vigorous cleaning= living large.

Well Over a Quarter Million Already Spent This Year.

A couple days ago I had an extra $2 in my pocket.  Rather than save it for a rainy day I did the only sensible thing I could, I bought a Power-ball Ticket.  Fast forward to yesterday. Secure in the knowledge that I must have won the 236 million dollar jackpot Clider and I headed out to build some blinds.

The first stop was at 'The Blind' on Anderson.  Water levels here are down quite a bit in our neighborhood but only slightly lower as you get closer to the lake.  All the old stakes and blind cover had been blown away from 'The Blind' but I was happy to see that water levels are good enough to support a new hide being built.  Clider spent a lot of time creating a path towards the bike trail and in the process cut down tons of cover material. I strung the new stakes and sank backdrop cover into the ground.  We then did a preliminary camo on the new shape of the new 'The Blind' and made it ready for an opening day grassing and cat-tailing.  While we were busy sweating and spending $187,692 on this part of the lake Peat did absolutely nothing, no wonder he's such a fat slob.

At this time I must mention that as Clider and I cruised by boat to the pylons, and over to 'The Other Side' to get a look around at possibilities, I was not wearing a life jacket.  I did not die.

We docked at 'The Point' and I was amazed by what I saw.  Normally it's all grown in with grasses and cover and all you need to do until the first hard freeze is cut out a nice spot and make room for chairs.  This year our lack of rain and high heat meant that nothing really grew on land.  What did grow was tons of new marsh grass in the bay to the left.  If I was a duck that's where I'd want to be.  In fact the only Greenies we saw were back in the reeds near a spot that Clider has been itching to boat hunt in. Again we spruced up 'The Point' to the tune of $76,268 and made it ready to go.  Peat did some fine retrieving drills and we made it back in time for me to fall asleep in my chair watching the Giants beat up on the hapless Redskins.

 GBCH

Now with More Power and Mucho Camo

Well There It Is!

Regular readers of this blog will remember many years ago when the whole 'Betty' series of vehicles started with the Ole' Black Betty.  A 1986 Ford Bronco II that I traded a ham sandwich and a 12 pack of Budweiser for.  She was a good old truck that brought us to Sauvies Island in the middle of Arctic Blast 08 (?) despite her 2wd capabilities and lack of power or functioning transmission. She started a long line of Betty's.  Black, White, Red, Red again, Camo Green & white and finally Brown.  As you know Brown Betty has gone on to do great things at 8MPG without me.  So, with money in my pocket it was time to spend, and spend big. May I introduce to you......... New Black Betty!

For years I have been attempting to get Fred G to buy the perfect vehicle that could replace Lisa.  Not that Lisa needs to be replaced but I grow tired of hearing about how he never drives her, worries about getting home after hunting and can not use her as a daily driver due to her thirst at the pump.  "Fred G, I say, buy a Jeep Grand Cherokee. It is perfect for your stylie life as a city duck hunter.  Easy to park, luxurious, nice stereo, comfortable and good lookin' just like you"  He never does.

So I did.
Fresh with dollars from the sale of Brown Betty I immediately turned and burned into this. A 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with the ultra reliable I6 engine and full-time all wheel drive. It only took me 15 minutes to make the decision, and 8 days at my mechanic to get her ready to go.  I spent today 'Biffing the crumbler' and this is what you see.  Despite the convict spotter headlight, non working sunroof, half a heated drivers seat, noisy aftermarket exhaust and a rip or two in the interior she is good to go.  Even got a thumbs up from my Sweetie. She likes it so much she decided that it may be hers.  Awesome!

Now before you go saying "Bob D, doesn't Clider already have an all black SUV with a boat hitch and a Ducks Unlimited sticker on the back window?" let me remind you that this is a Jeep.  Merican! Made by Merican's and driven by a once and former 'Expert' unlike Clider.  Nothing personal but he is sure to die soon.  Have you seen those pods on his boat?

GBCH

Whoa.... I was Just Getting Warmed Up!

Being that Clider refuses to post any information relating to the pods he has installed on his boat, I will be forced to do it for him.  It goes like this....

"Hello better duck hunters than me!  I recently got me some new pods for the boat that I keep trying to get Bob D. to perish in.  He's a huge pansy when it comes to riding exceptionally close to the water line in the frigid and deadly waters of the Idaho rivers and lakes we hunt.  Also, knowing full well that I want to bring along way more decoys and gear than necessary, and my fat bloated dog, I knew that some pods were in order.

Well here they are.  I had them welded up by a guy who has never done this before and after a couple trips to the lake and then back to the welder I have to believe that they are watertight.  After all what could possible go wrong?  They hold the weight of my sandwhich and a paper plate with ease..........

It seems as I was composing this post that Clider was composing his.  A day late and $70,000 short.  I have to apologize for my miscalculation.

I'm sorry.

Please disregard this post and read the one below for the correct information about the upcoming way that Clider will drown.

GBCH

Pre-Season

The Idaho Chapter is hard at work preparing for the impending onslaught of rapey green headed mallards.  Peat has been on a ration controled diet to deal with his morbid obesity, and has been honing his retrieving and swimming skills with frequent backyard and lake training sessions.  Otis managed to knock a forest grouse out of the air with his single shot .410 the other day, Peat went out for the retrieve with the most enthusiasm he has ever exhibited for a non tennis ball target.

Best looking member of the Idaho Chapter

 The boat floats a little higher in the water with the new addition of pods.  These probably won't break off in the middle of winter leaving massive holes in the back of the boat, sending it's occupants to certain death.  The two wires I have been rubbing together to start the engine have been replaced with a waterproof, hard mounted switch.  New battery cables, front grab handles, blind mounts, waterproof light quick connections, grass mats for the blind, and a little paint are all in the works in the upcoming weeks.

Peat gets the ladies with his good looks.

The boat is registered, the hunting license is in hand, and the Duck Stamp is paid for and on the way. 

It Must Be Time For Another.

Goodbye to the Ole' Brown Betty!

Hello next money pit vehicle!

Today I sold off my old truck to some kid from Pinehurst that needed a truck to go to work.  Hope he makes lots of money to afford the gas that he is sure to buy at a stunning 8mpg.  Sure, the old truck ran well, always started, hauled anything I put in it, was yet another custom H7HT creation and brought me to The Point multiple times with the capacity to bring home the hundreds, if not thousands of Greenies I shotten. But times have changed.

Do I have the 'Crazy Eye'?

Many of you know I will not be hunting for the first month of duck season so I can go back East and help my Mother through some tough times.  The gutters need cleaning and the yard needs to be raked. She also is getting some chemotherapy. The good news is that we are all positive that she will come through this well and be her old self in no time.  And that means with me out of the picture the competition for 'The Expert' title is up for grabs by anyone with access to a truck, boat and a gun.

Hey, that could be you!

But it's not me.  Not yet anyway.  Now that I am flush with tons of cash there is only one thing to do, and that's to find another hunting rig.  I'm thinking Jeep. And I start the search tomorrow. Rest assured that you will hear aboot it first right here in this very blog.  If past experience is any indication of how long it takes me to make a harebrained decision on another bad vehicular conveyance then stay tuned.......
It may be tomorrow.
GBCH