Wedding Update.......

Gentle readers of the HOY7 hunting team Blog may I introduce to you Mr & Mrs William Henry Hopf.
It all happened out on Block Island, a small landing pad of earth off the coast of Rhode Island on the eastern seaboard. (Kind of like being in a tiny duck blind in the middle of a puddle.) Weather not withstanding, a good time was had by all and this couple is now working on producing ten to fifteen offspring to make the world safe for democracy and freedom. Heston bless you Brother and Kira.


P.S. To your left you will notice Al. I think he had one beer that night.

As seen on the ferry returning from Block Island.

Don't Forget To.....................

VOTE!

Less than a month away.

Three golfers are killed in a car crash and, having mostly behaved themselves in life, they go straight to heaven.

When they arrive, St. Peter greets them at the gate and says, "We only have one rule here in heaven: Don't hit the ducks."

So they enter heaven, and, to their great joy, discover that it is one enormous golf course -- but there are ducks all over the place. It is almost impossible to play without hitting one. Sure enough, though they do their best to avoid it, one of the men eventually hits a duck. Poof! St. Peter, who doesn't miss a thing, appears with the ugliest woman the men have ever seen. St. Peter handcuffs this woman to the unfortunate golfer and says, "Your punishment is to spend eternity chained to this ugly woman."

The very next day, the second man accidentally hits a duck. Poof! St. Peter arrives, and with him is another unbelievably ugly woman. He handcuffs the two together and sentences the man to remain chained to her for all eternity.

The third man is determined not to end up like his buddies, so he is extremely careful. He manages to golf for months without mishap. And one day, Poof! St. Peter appears with an absolutely gorgeous woman. He chains the two together without a word and vanishes. The man stares at this goddess, this vision of perfection with whom he will now spend eternity, and says, "Whatever did I do to deserve you?" The woman says, "I don't know about you, but I hit a duck."

Still in the 'Brother Zone'

Many would say this is a big air.
Some would say this is a huge air.
I say "Check out those pants".

More from the 'Brother Zone'

Style.
Finesse.
Control.
How is it that this guy can't break 100?
Perhaps he should look down.

The smartest men EVER?

Behold two of the smartest men ever.
Good looks, style and good ole fashioned book learnin'. Can you doubt the level of sophistication here?
Join me for an exploration into the what I like to call....
"The Brother Zone".

Intellect?

I'll be happy to see one of them.
Guess.

More defamation coming soon.

Still the champs!

Playing as visitors for the first time this season, the Giants continued their remarkable success away from Giants Stadium with a resounding 41-13 rout of the St. Louis Rams Sunday in the Edward Jones Dome. The Giants scored 21 unanswered points in the final 7:18 to break open a close game and secure their most one-sided road victory in a dozen years (35-7 at Detroit on Oct. 27, 1996).

Pop Quiz

Back in 1986 I, Robert DaFolder, met some very unsavory characters. All of the people pictured here are attendees of the Institution of Less than Higher Learning of Green Mountain College. They all share many things in common but the one that draws them all together in a week or so is that they all know the man known as "The Brother".

Now some of you have heard of the Brother. Some of you may even know the Brother personally. But one thing that should come as a shock to everyone is that the Brother is getting married. Yes, married.

If you were to ask all the men pictured here about the Brother I'm sure they all would have a story or two to tell. Some of them touching, some of them funny, some of them debaucherous, and perhaps most of them downright scary. But the one thing that would tie them together is the Brother always stood by them, and we all stood by the Brother.

Shortly I will be flying out to the tiny hamlet of Block Island to witness the marriage of the Brother to a potentially un-suspecting young lady named Kira. She seems like a fine woman and I'm sure she comes equipped with a big heart and healthy appreciation for good times. And while the goal of the Brother is to make an honest woman of this lady, mine is somewhat different.

This brings us to today's pop quiz.

Picture #1
Jenny X. Many of you have read about the Legend of Jenny X right here in the pages of this very Blog. The marksman, the trap champ, the inventor of the polo shirt, the bass fishing champ and the first skier to be classified as 'extreme'.

Picture #2
Ned 'Hocker Lock' Flemke. Ned has the dubious distinction of TWICE semi-committing to come out and hunt with the world renown HOY7 hunting team, and never followed through. Newly free from an oppressive marriage and the owner of a pair of skis that makes him able to ski powder without having the skills, Ned is a force not only on the golf course but also the pool table.

Picture # 3
Bubba 'Bubstien' Quehl. As we all know from the pages of this Blog, Don't be like Bubba Quehl.

Picture #4
Al 'Jalikakick' Stewart. Al and I have been separated for far too long so the only thing I have to say is....... "Shut Up, No;... Shut Up, Shut the fuck Up" followed by a loud whistle. The last words I coherently remember Al saying before I passed out in the ditch.

So anyway,
Today's Pop Quiz.

How many of these losers will I crush next week?

Please answer in the comment section below along with your name. Remember there will be a prize for the correct answer. It will be substantial.

GBCH

Know thy enemy

Latin: Anas carolinensis & Anas crecca

Average length: M 14.7", F 14"

Average weight: M 0.7 lbs., F 0.6 lbs.
Description: Green-winged teal are the smallest of our North American ducks with a short neck and small bill. Male green-winged teal have a chestnut head with an iridescent green to purple patch extending from the eyes to the nape of the neck. The chest is pinkish-brown with black speckles, and the back, sides, and flanks are vermiculated gray, separated from the chest by a white bar. The wing coverts are brownish-gray with a green speculum. The bill is dark slate and the legs and feet are dark gray. Male has a distinctive high-pitched "preep-preep." Female green-winged teal are mottled brown with a dark brown line that extends from the bill through the eye. The bill is dark gray and the legs and feet are olive-gray to brownish-gray. Relatively silent but has a sharp, high "quack" when flushed.

Good advice

y Wade Bourne, from Ducks Unlimited Magazine July / August 2003 Issue

The overgrown boat trail led to who-knows-where, but I was determined to find out.

I nosed my boat into the small opening in the reeds. It was barely wide enough to slide through. The ditch ran straight into the cover some 30 yards, then it took a curving bend to the right. I jockeyed the throttle on my Go-Devil motor, powering over the shallow muck and decaying vegetation. Sawgrass fronds grew over the trail and brushed at my face and cap as I ran beneath them.

I plowed deeper into the cover—a hundred yards, then two hundred. The farther I went, the greater my anxiety became. If the trail dead-ended, I'd be in a jam. I'd have to push-pole my boat out backwards. There had been no place to turn it around. Still, I was resolute to motor as far as I could to see where the trail led.

Suddenly it opened into a pothole about a half-acre in size, and there was no blind on it. I was elated. This spot was open to whichever hunter got here first. I'd watched ducks work this area for several seasons. Now, when opening day arrived, I'd have another option for tossing out some decoys and trying to pull in a few birds.

I love scouting for new spots. It's almost as much fun as actually hunting (but not quite). Scouting is like looking for treasure and anticipating the pleasures it could bring.

More to the point, I scout both before the season for new places and during the season to learn where ducks are working. I call this long-term and short-term scouting, and this reconnaissance is crucial to my hunting success. If the duck supply dries up in a given area, I can usually find a fresh one somewhere else and move there in short order.

Hunters who would enjoy some new scenery, who are tired of empty skies, or who are frustrated by competition on crowded public areas should take matters into their own hands. They should resolve to uncover several new spots before the season opens. By changing their landscape, they might change their luck. They should also scout continuously while hunting is going on to stay in the action. Hunters who move when the birds do enjoy more consistent gunning.

Don't forget

Regular season starts this Thursday

The best Dog ever.
I will miss her terribly.
Goodbye Abigail.

Remember when?

Know thy enemy.

The American Widgeon is often found feeding with diving ducks such as the Redhead, Scaup, and Canvasback, who are adept at rooting up vegetation from deep in the water. The American Widgeon often feeds by snatching these underwater greens away from the diving ducks as they surface. The American Widgeon is more restless than most ducks, and is quick to sense trouble and will launch itself into the air with a flurry of alarm calls and beating wings, thus alerting the less suspicious diving ducks around it of the existing danger.

Are we ready?

Many of you remember the famous Jiggitty Jeff from his emissary work on golf courses nationwide. The current rumor is that Jiggitty will be here for a visit in the near future and will bring his message of harmony and peace to our little neck of the woods. We can only wonder what kind of new phrases and people skills we will learn this time around.
GBCH

Why isn't this on TV?

Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network)- Unlike 1900 when actual live pigeons were executed for the thrill of sport and competition, clay pigeons are again on the menu when marksmen and markswomen compete in 15 events in shooting in the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

The events are split into three different areas (rifle, pistol and shotgun), with men having one additional event in each discipline. Both men and women will compete in 50m rifle 3-position and 10m air rifle events, with the men adding 50m rifle prone to their plate. In pistol shooting both sexes take aim in 10m air pistol, while women add 25m pistol to their slate. The men contend in 50m pistol and 25m rapid fire pistol as well.

Men and women try to remain steady in the shotgun which includes trap and skeet, with the males getting more adventurous with a double trap as well. The shotgun events are the ones that include the clay targets, which are sent flying at the shooter's command.

In both the rifle and pistol events 10-ring targets are utilized, with a number of the individual rounds having their own unique set of rules which shooters must follow in order to score points.

It should come as little surprise that the United States has had the most success in shooting over the years, the nation's 49 gold medals alone almost as many as the total number of medals (57) logged by the Soviet Union/USSR.

U.S. Women have more gold medals (six) than any other nation, but are still second behind this year's host country in terms of overall medals, with China laying claim to 13.

Rarely does an Olympic competitor have trouble getting his/her equipment over to the host country, but it wasn't until the end of June that U.S. marksmen learned they'd be permitted to bring their own firearms with them to Beijing. President Bush cleared the way for shooters to bring their own guns over to the Olympics with barely a month remaining before departure.

who is the pretty one born August 10th ?

Also born August 10th 1967

Riddick Bowe, former heavyweight champ.
Not Co-founder of the HOY7 hunting team.

Old Friends

Is this possible?

Could it be? Can it be true?

For the first time this season Fred G. has beat Bob at the game of golf.

He also took $5 in skins too, WTF.

Did I mention I have a new ride?

Remember when.......

News Break

BY CHRIS YOUNG
Those without a duck hunter in the family might think of the phrase “wait until next year” as the sole property of fans who follow struggling sports teams.

But hope springs eternal for diehard waterfowl hunters, too. No matter how disappointing the hunting may have been in the past, a new year is cause for hope and optimism.

Helping fan a hunter’s enthusiasm — or worry — are the numbers published by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service each summer concerning duck populations and habitat conditions.
During May and early June, biologists fly over the primary duck breeding grounds in the north-central United States and Canada to estimate the number of wetlands available. They also estimate the number of ducks using these areas. They’ll take those numbers into account later this summer, when meetings are held to establish season lengths and bag limits.

The Fish and Wildlife Service estimates total duck populations at 37.3 million breeding ducks, down 9 percent from last year’s estimate of 41.2 million. But this year’s number still is 11 percent above the long-term average taken from 1955 to 2007.

Ducks that improved in abundance over last year:
Green-winged teal improved slightly from 2.890 million last year to 2.980 million in 2008, an increase of 3 percent and 57 percent above the long-term average.
Redheads increased 5 percent from 1.009 to 1.056 million. That’s 66 percent above the long-term average.
Scaup, always of concern to biologists because of precipitous drops in numbers over the years, increased 8 percent from 3.452 to 3.738 million. Scaup numbers remain 27 percent below the long-term average.

How about a nice campfire?

George W. Bushisms

" For every fatal shooting, there were roughly three non-fatal shootings.

And, folks. this is unacceptable in America. It's just unacceptable.

And we're going to do something about it."

-Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; May 14 2001

Know thy enemy

The Pintail or Northern Pintail (Anas acuta) is a widely-occurring duck which breeds in the northern areas of Europe, Asia and North America. It is strongly migratory and winters south of its breeding range to the equator. Unusually for a bird with such a large range, it has no geographical subspecies if the possibly conspecific Eaton's Pintail is considered to be a separate species.
This is a fairly large duck, with a long pointed tail that gives rise to the species' English and scientific names. The male has a very distinctive brown, grey and white appearance, whereas the female has mainly light brown plumage and a shorter tail. The male's call is a mellow whistle, whereas the female quacks like a Mallard.
The Northern Pintail is a bird of open wetlands which nests on the ground, often some distance from water. It feeds by dabbling for plant food and adds small invertebrates to its diet during the nesting season. It is highly gregarious when not breeding, forming large mixed flocks with other species of duck.
This duck's population is affected by predators, parasites and avian diseases. Human activities, such as agriculture, hunting and fishing, have also had a significant impact on numbers. Nevertheless, this species' huge range and large population mean that it is not threatened globally.

My new whip.

Today the kids call it a "whip".

I guess a "car" is not that hip.

The top goes down and it is "steezin".

That means "cool" if it's pleasing.

There's nothing like a good truck.

Unfortunately this wasn't one. It's sold now so stay tuned for the "next great vehicle."

goodbye old paint!

Revisited...

with so much more meaning now.

George W. Bushisms

"I don't know whether I'm going to win or not.

I think I am.

I do know that I'm ready for the job.

And, if not, that's just the way it goes"

Des Moines, Iowa; August 21, 2000

Know thy enemy

Latin: Anas cyanoptera

Average length: M 16", F 15"

Average weight: M 0.7 lbs., F 0.8 lbs.

Description: Male cinnamon teal have a cinnamon-red head, neck, breast, and belly. They have an iridescent green speculum, which is separated from a bluish shoulder patch by a white stripe. The back, rump, uppertail coverts, and tail are a dull brown and the undertail coverts are black. They have a distinctive red eye, a black bill and yellow legs and feet. The male gives a thin whistled "peep" or "peer." Female cinnamon teal are often confused with female blue-winged teal. They have a duller blue shoulder patch, an overall rustier color, and are more heavily streaked. Female Cinnamon teal have a somewhat more guttural quacking than female blue-winged teal.

Breeding: The majority of cinnamon teal breed in the western USA near the Great Salt Lake, Malheur Basin, San Luis Valley, and Cariboo-Chilcotin parklands. They prefer small, shallow alkaline wetlands surrounded by low herbaceous cover. Nests are often located in grassy areas and island nesting is common. Female cinnamon teal lay an average of 8 to 10 eggs.

Migrating and Wintering: Nearly all cinnamon teal winter in Mexico and Central America. During migration the Great Salt Lake marshes and the Central Valley of California are important staging areas. Cinnamon teal are commonly sighted in the midwestern and eastern USA, and are often associated with a flock of blue-winged teal, most likely attaching themselves to the flock on their mutual breeding grounds. Cinnamon teal are common winter visitors to Central America; resident (two endemic subspecies) and occasional winter visitor in Colombia and Venezuela. They are common and widespread in the Andes from central Peru southwards, and in southern Chile and most of Argentina. (Scott and Carbonell, 1986)

Population: A. c. cyanoptera (SE Neotropics) 25,000-100,000; A. c. orinomus (SW Neotropics) 10,000-100,000; A. c. septentrianalium (Central America) 300,000; A.c. tropica (Low Colombia) <10,000;>

Food habits: Cinnamon teal dabble on aquatic plants in shallow water areas, especially rush seeds, pondweed seeds and leaves, and salt grass seeds. They also feed on animal food, especially aquatic insects and mollusks.

A call for caution.

Let's say you were painting the garage on the neighbors side of the house. Now, your sides of the garage would be free of all debris and obstructions because that's the way a yard should be. But your neighbor may have things like piles of concrete and fencing piled up next to your garage, not the way things should be. When climbing a ladder to get up to the highest point of which to paint you should be aware of unseen debris under the legs of that ladder, because if they move under the leg of the ladder it's gong to fall.

This picture illustrates what could happen if the ladder becomes unstable and you fall about 5 feet into a pile of concrete. In my case this lovely bruise took about three days to show up completely. The bigger pain comes from the giant hematoma on my shin and the scratch running the length of my arm. Don't worry, I'm going to be just fine.

So remember, for Heston's sake be careful when painting in your neighbors yard.

Is it time?

Almost cut my hair

It happened just the other day

It's gettin' kind of long

I could've said it was in my way

But I didn't and I wonder why

I feel like letting my freak flag fly

And I feel like I owe it, to someone

Must be because I had the flu for Christmas

And I'm not feeling up to par

It increases my paranoia

Like looking in my mirror and seeing a police car

Well I'm not giving in an inch to fear

cause I've promised myself this year

I feel like I owe it, to someone

When I finally get myself together

I'm gonna get down in that sunny southern weather

And I'm goin' to find a space inside to laugh,

Separate the wheat from the chaffI feel

...Like I owe it, to someone, yeah

Stay tuned.....

This is Chucker.

Chucker is going to be playing golf tomorrow.

Will he have the low score?

Will he wear the Yellow Vest?

These are questions we can't know the answer to yet but there is one thing we know.

"*&%$#@+(&" will be muttered several times.

Fishin'

The mighty Deschutes was the setting for the first ever fishing trip for the three most active members of the HOY7 hunting team. It started with a 8am pickup and a 3 hour drive to the Warm Springs Indian Reservation in North-Central Oregon. We put in and floated the river while stopping along the way to fish different spots. Andy "10 for 10" V. was patient and helpful in teaching me the basics of nymphing with my left handed fly rod. Fred G. (pictured here) was already an expert.

Later in the afternoon we set up camp along the river and settled in for some fine wikki and a rousing game of shooting the cans with the BB gun, a perennial favorite. After a few issues with modern technology we dined on a fine dinner prepared over an open, one match fire. More BB gun action revealed that three headlamps are required to shoot in the dark and only Andy shot 10 for 10. (as far as he knows)

The next morning we set out on the remaining float of our 9 mile trip. I was feeling particularly special and really enjoyed my breakfast of small bites of day old bread. We fished a few more spots and Andy caught 2 fish of which I was unable to get a picture to show here. All in all a great way to spend a couple of days.

Stay tuned.....

H7HT members will compete for the biggest fish this weekend. Tom Foolery will be in attendance so don't forget to check back and see who wins.

Lore Day Nine 2007

Ever wake up in the morning and say "It's Going To Be A GREAT Day!'? That was day nine. Lisa is sick and so was I. You see my folks were out visiting from Connecticut for the holidays, they come out to visit at least 2-3 times a year that makes me feel pretty special. Anyway today is a Wednesday hunt, so last night I took the night off from work and spent it with my Dad and a man named Chucker at the local Eagles club playing Texas No-Limit Poker. What a glorious night it was, knowing that Lisa was in the hospital and that Bob would be driving us in the Volvo I decided to part take in a little holiday cheer should I say, I was hanging with Mr. Jack Daniels until about 1:30 in the a.m. I won 420 dollars by the way. Being a Sauvies day Bob will be picking me up at 4 a.m which means I would have to wake up at 3:30, you do the math. Needles to say I felt pretty special. After a few instances with "a greasy pork sandwich served in a dirty ash tray" we pull up to the non-reservation line. Did I mention that last week was turkey day? I cooked a lovely braised rabbit served over fresh egg noodles. Well as we pull around the corner we noticed there are not a lot of cars in line, as a matter of fact there are no cars in line, because of the holiday the hunt days were upped by one day. Remember how special I feel. Well we decide to drive out to Twin Falls which is a good hour away. We get to Twin Falls which has only one good aspect to it, the walk in is only 7 minutes. I think we have only seen I duck up to this point and I folded it, remember the beautiful wood duck last year? I nap. Wake up. Feel better. Scare off the only other two ducks we have ever seen there. Drink some. Pack up and decide for the unprecedented 3 stop hunting day, we decide to stop at the Old New Spot. We get out to a really nice blind out on the point of a small island, have some drink and some lunch. Big mistake. I take about a 2 mile hike down a slough and poke my head out the other side of a burm. About a dozen red heads and they are big. I raise my Benelli Super Black Eagle they take off, I lower my gun, not knowing whether or not I would be able to retrieve the three ducks I would have folded I decided not to pull the trigger. (That one was for you grampa Clyde) Besides they flew down the slough about 200 yards towards the blind we have set up, so I decide to keep pushing them towards the blind and I know Bob will fold one of them for sure. As I am pushing them I come across the biggest greenie I have ever seen, he was with his woman. I again jump them and I have the greenie in my bead. Again, grampa Clyde was with me, I was uncertain that I could retrieve. 10 dollars through my finger never felt so bad but so good at the same time. So remember we had lunch and some drink before my two mile adventure? I keep pressing these birds up the slough towards are blind, and finally over our blind. Nothing. Not even a call. Nothing. I get back to the blind and the man is asleep. .

Word Out From The Old Side.

Fred G.

Married?

Would You Trust This Man with Your Daughter?

God Bless.

See this movie, I did, it's a mind scrambler!

Farewell Old Friend.

Luminaries Attend Heston's Funeral
By BOB THOMAS – 4 days ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Charlton Heston, one of the last lions of Old Hollywood, was remembered at his funeral Saturday as devoutly religious and patriotic — a man who was an imposing figure both in his politics and on the big screen.
Heston died April 5 at age 84 in his Beverly Hills home with his wife, Lydia, at his side following a battle with Alzheimer's disease. The service was held at the Episcopal Parish of St. Matthews, a church in a wooded canyon above Pacific Palisades.
"Charlton sat every Sunday morning right there," said Rev. Michael Scott Seiler, pointing to a front pew in the modernist wooden church shaped with seats arranged in a half moon.
About 300 people attended the funeral, including family members, politicians and actors.
A frail Nancy Reagan entered the church on the arm of Tom Selleck. Following the nearly two-hour ceremony, Reagan left with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Other notables from Heston's Hollywood history included Olivia DeHavilland, Keith Carradine, Pat Boone, Oliver Stone and Rob Reiner.
The first part of the ceremony was devoted to memories of Heston. His daughter, Holly Heston Rochell, recalled her father's love of poetry and recited the words of Shakespeare and Tennyson. Her brother, Fraser Clarke Heston, reminisced about his father's prowess on his tennis court, where he played every Sunday with friends.
He talked about his father's devotion to America and said he "loved his country."
"I never knew a finer man; I will never know a finer man," he said.
His father was cremated, and the family had a small ceremony before the funeral, he said.
Heston was one of the biggest box-office draws of the 1950s, '60s and '70s, often playing legendary leaders or ordinary men thrown into heroic struggles. Some of his notable roles included Marc Antony in "Julius Caesar" and "Antony and Cleopatra"; Michelangelo in "The Agony and the Ecstasy"; John the Baptist in "The Greatest Story Ever Told"; and an astronaut on a topsy-turvy world where simians rule in "Planet of the Apes."
In recent years, Heston became better known for his conservative politics and position on gun rights as head of the National Rifle Association. Heston also campaigned for Republican presidential and congressional candidates and against affirmative action.
Near the end of his five-year tenure as NRA president in 2002, Heston disclosed he had symptoms consistent with Alzheimer's disease. Heston told his fellow NRA members when he stepped down that his time in office was "quite a ride. ... I loved every minute of it."
Heston was born Charles Carter in a Chicago suburb on Oct. 4, 1923. He grew up in the Michigan wilderness and after serving in the Army during World War II began acting.
After acting in two independent films by a college classmate, Heston was put under contract by producer Hal B. Wallis ("Casablanca"). He was later cast as the circus manager in "The Greatest Show on Earth" and then as Moses in "The Ten Commandments."
Heston followed with several other films before "Ben-Hur" elevated him to the top of Hollywood's A-list.
Michael Levine, who was Heston's publicist for 20 years and attended the service, said he was struck by how many people attended from both sides of the political aisle. He attributed this to Heston's "virtue and character."
"It was a beautiful service," he said.

Saint Heston!

I'm too sad to comment at this time. Everyone please observe a moment of silence.

Pop Quiz

This is what awaits one member of the HOY7 hutning team. Can you guess which one?

I'll give you a hint or two.

#1 folder

#2 golfer

current weight loss leader

owner of supportive insoles

???????????

George W. Bushisms

"I think we ought to raise the age at which juveniles can have a gun"---

St. Louis, Missouri; October 18 2000

Welcome the new guy.

It looks like there is a new truck in town. This is the new Ford Ranger belonging to Mr. Bob DaFolder of the HOY7 hunting team. Pretty cool eh? Home projects can't be far away and Lisa is far too pristine for the mundane day to day chores this vehicle is used for. Bitchin'!