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.