Pay Up Suckers

Strictly Ceremonial

With the first slay of the year and the first greenie

a well deserved 20 in his hand by 5am

(still awaiting your 20 Cliffy)

Day One OR. Chapter in ID.

Truck stuff aside on day one, it was a very majestic introduction to hunting in the HO. As Bob said we did have to cross the river Nile to reach this spot, after we crossed the river I then thought to myself, "we should really be wearing some blaze orange!" It was a good 15 minute trek through woods, and with the amount of poo on the ground it looked good enough to slay some elk in. We scared some diver birds up on the approach, find a nice spot and throw out some blocks. Not a lot really happened after that, not even some enjoying of some fine whikey or chokes on my behalf, with the crossing of the Bering Strait looming on the way out I was a little hesitant on the consumption. With some fine encouragement from my hunting buddy I make it across the grand Mississippi with out any problems make it back to the car and we enjoy some fine sammys with talk of how much we are going to slay this coming week.

Reunion 2010

For the last week the founding members of the HOY7 hunting team have been reunited in the great state of Idaho with one goal in mind, Slaying ducks. Rather than try to contain all the thrills and chills in just one post I will start at the beginning and work forward in a cohesive and potentially entertaining manner. Here's how it all started.

I'll begin with the story of Reccos Automotive here in my home town. Just as all H7HT members are fluent in folding ducks, we are also experts in our everyday jobs. Normally when you go to work in the morning you do your best to not only accomplish the basics of your job description but also strive to do that job well. Apparently at Reccos doing most of the job is good enough. Last week, at great cost, they replaced the slave cylinder and clutch in ole Big Betty. Trusting the job was done right I just drove home and parked, took the Volvo to Spokane and picked up Fred G at the airport. Drive home, have a good meal, maybe a beverage or two and get ready for what will surely be one of the best days of hunting ever.

4:00am. Although I never intentionally set out to create a special morning wake up for this trip I had no choice but to wake my friend with what can best be described as the Bronx Cheer. (He is a Yankee fan after all) I'm not sure it was appropriate but to me at least, it was hysterical. Breakfast and a quick packing of the truck and we are off to Anderson lake. The clutch felt a little out of sorts and by the time we got off the highway it was inoperable. I jammed the truck into gear and limped back to Reccos where we were able to coast into the middle of their parking lot and abandon not only the truck but also any chance of morning fly. The 30 min walk back to the house at 5:30 was quiet and uneventful.

We took the Volvo to Kingston and tried to hunt the river and small pond nearby to no avail. Even though the scenery was great the duck action was not. The best part of hunting that area was crossing a fairly good sized waist deep river with a swift current. Regular readers will know that at least one of us was not happy about that. After a couple hours of reassurance that this was not indicative of Idaho hunting we headed back to Reccos where they returned my truck with a statement of "yep, air in the lines". Not to be mistaken with "we're sorry, we forgot to bleed the lines before returning it to you" or maybe "sorry to F up your day of hunting", more of a statement than an apology for not being thorough. Bastards!

Well, that was day one. Stay tuned for more. GBCH

Lore Day Eight 2005

Like I said before stuff too good, enjoy.....

Day # 8 was only an hour old when the H7HTeam left the confines of smelly old Portland for the great open spaces of eastern Oregon. Leaving at 1:00 am for a hunting trip was new for us but thanks to the power of Boo-Koo (the mega energy drink sold exclusively at 7-11) sleep was not an issue. Amazingly, we arrived in time for the lottery and were rewarded with the only duck blind worth having, #7.

Fantasy: Following an amazing sunrise we folded ducks steadilly untill we
reached our bag limit with only the fattest Mallards.
Reality: Following an amazing sunrise we saw few ducks and fewer shots.
We left blind #7 before noon for the potentially shoulder crushing shooting
opportunities of blind #1.
Fantasy: Blind #1 filled with fat Mallards and we folded them faster than
Superman on laundry day.
Reality: Same as blind #1. Don't mess with the fantasy, we know the reality.

We learned somethig that day. Sometimes the best plannig and hard work don't always equal the end result you're looking for. That's okay because we spent the day in a terribly scenic and new place that few people are
willing to experience. (pics are from there) The comeraderie and thrill of new hunting opportunities are what drives the Team to distant parts of the state and our limits of Boo-Koo consumption. And, at the end of the day, it's all about the experience, not the death toll.

God Bless Charlton Heston.




P.S. All that stuff about the expierence is a bunch of crap. We wanted to
kill ducks.

It won't be long now....

Before the two founding members of the HOY7 Hunting Team are together again. Fred G is coming to Idaho, land of plenty, to slay ducks in an effort to regain his title as 'Expert' slayer. I promise to defend my status by folding many green headed ducks and possibly some other variety in my bid to remain the 'Expert' forever. Stay tuned to learn of our great adventures in the field. I'm sure wikki, simultaneous slaying arguments, car troubles, leaky waders and potentially heated political debates over which president would have been the best member of the H7HT will be on the menu. Not to mention many tasty ducks. Heston help us all.

While We Were Out

After the Mallard drakes abandon their mates to the job of raising the young, they fly to a secluded area and undergo their annual molt. The molting of their wing feathers leaves them temporarily flightless. They are no longer displaying their courtship plumage, but a drab "eclipse" plumage is similar to that of a female. It provides better camouflage against predators while their wing feathers grow back. The entire process takes 2 to 3 weeks. The hens go through a similar molt once their ducklings have fledged.

Mallards molt, a process in which their feathers are shed and replaced, twice a year. Juvenile males reach sexual maturity and begin molting into the bright plumage of the adult male as early as September. In June or July, adult male mallards lose their colorful breeding plumage and return to the brown coloring of the female. This is called the "eclipse plumage." Male mallards replace their head feathers first, which provides them with better camouflage. For about a month, when the birds' wing feathers are being replaced, they are unable to fly. By August or September, the males once again molt into their bright breeding plumage.

Idaho: Day Four

Today was a surprise of a day. Dallas called me and rather than going to Montana ('I would like to have seen Montana') he wanted to go hunting again. I was all too happy to oblige. We discussed the merits of both Anderson Lake and the new spot on Killarney and decided to try the morning fly on Killarney. Loading up the little jon boat we headed out before first light to set up on the little point from day 2. The rain fell consistently and there was no breeze.

I took a while but eventually ducks started flying. One large group circled in for a landing and Dallas was a little too excited and shot as they were over our heads. After apologizing many times the next group to come in went better. I had one wet hand halfway inside a wet glove when a group of small ducks came by. They circled once and made the final approach as I told Dallas to take them. He shot and dropped one of the birds while I was still wrestling my glove. The duck was winged and it was great fun to watch Dallas chase him down with the jon boat to the other side of the lake. Not soon after the constant rain and lack of flying ducks conspired to put an end to the day but not before one fat shoveler had been taken. Sweet.
GBCH

More Lore 2005

This stuff is just too good to forget, enjoy......

Welcome to day three of the HOY7 hunting team update.
First off I would like to welcome a new member to the team, Mr. Benelli Nova
pump. He comes outfitted with the Max 4 HD camo and the uncanny ability to
accept the larger and more powerfull 3&1/2 inch shells. They make for a
better bruise on the shoulder as well as improved duck folding power.

Today was an off day for the fantastic hunting at the permit areas of
Sauvies island. We decided, in our infinite wisdom, to go to the North Unit
of Sauvies instead of the regular old spot. (Remember that last week the
old spot had no action whatsoever.) Thinking that that is where the
birds are this early in the season we planed to get yet another early start so
that we would have time to find and set up a great new blind.

There are however, some things our infinite wisdom do not cover. Water.
After hiking to some private property, a dry lakebed, and through prickers
and brush we found the best of all possible spots, a puddle the size of a
duck, maybe two. Then we encountered another thing the wisdom didn't
expect. Mud. Bootsucking thick-ass mud. We found out that wearing a heavy
pack, waders and mud make for a fun excersize in being hopelessly stuck.
The next half hour or so we learned how to move two steps in the mud.

Much later, back at the car we congratulated ourselfs on being the best duck
hunters ever. Someday I may even load my new gun and see some ducks to shoot at, untill then, word.

God Bless Charlton Heston.


Hello Friends.

Being there I must interject just a little. It's a story of the mud and a boy named Tommy. Many years ago, myself and some guys named Curieye, Bubba L and Domino (sorry about those sunglasses by the way) decided to take to a day on the CT river. I myself being so large decided to hog all of the ski and knee board time myself, it must have been at least 6 hours straight on the water, I was wasted. Needless to say my massive pythons and thick thighs were k'd. Curieye decided to moor the boat about a half mile out from the beach and said "lets swim to shore" cause being from the east coast we call it the shore. Anyway to make a short story even longer, about a half mile into it, my pythons being as tiered as they were wanted to quit. I couldn't go any further, I decided my destiny was to die right there in the CT river. I was done, I was ready to meet my maker. My life flashed before my eyes. Then lo and behold a young lad out of nowhere said " yo Fred G with your pythons so large, jump into my blow up raft and I shall get you to shore safely". Not to let the young lad down I jumped in and he got me to the shore with some cold berf waiting, safely no less. Well today was a day that brought me back to the day that a young man named Tommy saved me from certain death. I was the man stuck in the quicksand like mud up to my waist today. My long time hunting buddy, companion, my bffe, came back to save his friend because we are a hunting team. HOY7HT is what we call ourselves. He risked his own life to save me from drowning in a mud puddle. After hours of risking uncertain death himself he and myself
were able to free myself from the python choking like mud, the more I struggled the more it sucked me down to certain death. After freeing myself we sat and tried to drink some whiskey, we couldn't even, thats how bad it was....you know the whole story now, I just wanted to make sure the MAN named BUBBA got his props, you too TOMMY. I LOVE YOU GUYS....I'm not afraid to say it, I love two men. I'm here because of you twos.

Thanks.
God Bless

Fred G

Idaho: Day three.

Good news and Bad news on the home front today. First the Good news.
Yesterday afternoon Dallas and I went to a new spot on Killarney Lake. We had scouted this area a couple days ago and had once been to the far side of the lake in an ill fated attempt to hunt the rice fields last year. We borrowed a small jon boat and rowed out to a point on the other side near to the launch. Without a motor exploring the far side of the lake would be nearly impossible so we settled on an area we had seen the day of our initial scout trip. The reeds were 8ft tall and made for good cover so we set up a few yards off shore and pulled the boat in.

It was warm and sunny, not a good forecast for ducks, as we waited for the hours around sunset. We did not see a single duck until one flew into the spread and landed with a splash. Dallas jump shot and missed and that was the extent of the action we saw. About 15 min after sunset we pulled up and started the row back to the dock. In typical fashion 5 or 6 flocks of ducks flew right over the area where we had been just minutes before. We watched from the boat as the last light of the day illuminated ducks and geese making their way to the shallows for the night. Next time we stay longer and come when the weather is bad.

Now the Bad news.
My Heston Damned clutch is shot. Not able to fix it until next week when the parts get here. This means no more solo hunting for 'The Expert' unless I get a ride or can figure out teletransportation in the mean time. Stupid Truck!

The Funny Pages

.

.

Three duck stew in the slow cooker. Mmmm.

Lore Day One and Two 2005

How things have changed and not, enjoy........

Day 1.

4:00 am. Woke up this morning with the promise of a wonderfull begining to
the new season. Overcast and a little chilly, not a bad day for this early.

5:00 am. Picked up Fred with enough time to get to Sauvies Island and get
in line for the lottery to pick the best blinds for the day. Fred does a
great job of picking a low number and we go to the warden to try a new spot.

5:35 am. Warden informs us that Fred has brought the wrong licence.
Although he's already purchaced the correct one, it's back at his house. (25
min away)

6:30 am. After a visit to the local 7-11 to try to buy another licence,
(the machine was broken) we're back at Freds to get the right licence.
Resist urge to leave him there as we are a team after all.

7:25 am. We are now all set up at the old shitty Lewis and Clark spot of
previous years. Conversation resumes.

7:30 am to 2:30 pm. Wait for ducks.

2:31 pm. Go home.

Well there you have it. The first day of the season and we are off to a
roiusing start.

Day 2.

Fortunately for us lessons were learned and today (wed) was
much better. Fred shot the first Greenie of the year and made a cool $10 in
the process. I missed 8 ducks 5 times because I'm sure my gun is bent or
something, not to worry, I'll be getting a new gun soon and all my problems
will be solved. Remember it's allways the arrow, not the Indian.
Speaking of new guns I've been lusting over the new Benelli nova pump
shotgun for almost a year now. Finally I've got the many layers of approval
I need to get one and I'm very excited. I should be able to pick it up next
Sunday. Then, this morning, my best pal shows up with the Benelli Super
Black Eagle semi auto full crumbler. He even let me hold it. Hey, what are
best friends for.

That's it for this installment of the new season of hunting. Maybe in the future
we will have some photos to go with the text. Hope you enjoyed it.

God bless Charlton Heston.

Idaho: Day two.

After a day of scouting other spots it was back to Anderson Lake. Dallas and I were supposed to go hunt this new spot he was talking about but it seems he forgot to go get his Duck Stamp from the post office. Instead we did some scouting in the Killarney Lake area and realized more than ever that we need a boat to access all the goods that the area has to offer. The Coeur de' Alene river splits many of the lakes and marshlands off from the roads. The river is only 20 yards across but there is no way to cross without a boat and bridges are nonexistant. Bummer. We did find a hikeable spot on Killarney but it didn't look too promising. We'll see.

Armed with that knnowledge I woke at 4:00 and made the trek back to Anderson Lake. Setting up in the same spot as last week I was once again careful to be on the alert for Cougar, lest one eat me before sunrise and my chance to see it first. Sounds stupid right? Well, I also think it's stupid but at 5:30am in complete silence and darkness in the tall grass by yourself the mind is a terrible thing. So I waited for shooting hours and the breeze picked up a little. Ducks were talking amongst themselves off in the distance and others flew over my head in the pre-dawn dark. A couple good opportunities came up and I missed a fat Greenie that buzzed my spread. Two shots and still he refused to fall to earth. Once again there were black divers everywhere and they made for nice live decoys just in front of me. As I waited some mallards landed just to my left and started having a little party just out of gunning range.

The light morning fog lifted and a duce flew into the spread. Bang! Folded the hen "like a cheap lawn chair" (thanks for that one Jiggitty). Then all the ducks in the general vicinity got up and bolted like a Kenny Chesney concert just started. They were flying everywhere and none of them wanted anything to do with 3" Black Cloud pellets coming from my hyper-accurate Benelli. Now that the sun was breaking through the fog and everyone had left I put out the spinning wing motor decoy, banned in OR & WA, but not here in the great state of ID. Then the fun started.

My decoys were shining and the motor deke was flashing bright and those mallards just wanted to come right on in. I was being careful now to try to pick out the drakes for three reasons. A. leave the hens alive to make more ducks. 2. There is a bag limit of two hens, and D. The big money on the line for 'first Greenie of the year'. The first group came in, 5 or 6 ducks, one flashing his big white belly at me. Folded. A few minutes later another group. Missed. Then another. Folded my second Greenie. After a while the action dried up as the sun warmed everything up and the ducks settled down to eat and lounge. My left wader boot was full at that point too and I pulled up and headed home. All in all a good trip. Stay tuned....
GBCH

Year to Year

A Late Spring Interlude

No Spilly

Starring Bob DaFolder

Day One Portland Chapter

Why should this first day be unlike all the rest? Set departure time was 4:30 in the a.m., have to get to the Old Spot early due to the closure of the Old New Spot. Cliffy picks me up this morning a little past 5:00. Load up the truck and we are on the way, a little trepidation as to the swarm of hunters we expect to greet us due to the again because of the closure of the Old New Spot. We arrive and to our astonishment we are the only ones there, this is where I get nervous because we are the H7HT we sometimes get things wrong, I'm thinking to myself "maybe hunting season has not started yet, or better yet maybe today is bring a small child into the woods, for hunting that is". As you can see if was foggy this morning so when we happened upon some water we took it. Andy threw the blocks out and I built a blind a little off shore, so we didn't stick out like a sore thumb I also "planted" some branches all around the blind so as no to stand out. After a few hours of a few gun shots from the distant hunters with boats I'm feeling a chill, expecting the sun to be out I did not plan accordingly with layers and need a walk to warm the trigger finger. I walk down towards The Old New Spot and find a place I think will be better for cover, and along the way scare up a few different sets of mallards. After getting the Expert on the line and get the OK to move we do so. We throw out a few blocks and hunker down in the brush. Well the fog burns off and few mallards fly over a few sammy were had, did I mention that Cliffy thought his whikey bottle would hold more? Well I'm dry now, me bottle it is, me feets are wet, and we decide to pack it up. One of our missions with the H7HT it is to make things easier, well there is Lewis and Clark and then there is Fred G. On the way out I decide to go a different way, usually this goes badly but today it was awesome! I discovered a way to get to the Old New Spot from the Old Spot parking lot! only a mere 15 minute more walk. Along this walk I learned two things no make that three. First, horses get spooked by people they don't know caring guns, dressed in camo and with big packs on, we were asked to stay still on the path and walk backwards. Second, some lesbians don't care for me caring guns in the woods. Went a little something like this: "Sir excuse me excuse me sir!" yes I replied, "I do not appreciate with you walking through the woods with a rifle." She says this to me as I just watched her dog take a shit on the path and not pick it up. So I channel a little Jiggity and in Jiggity voice I reply "listen lady I would never walk through the woods with a loaded gun and I do not APPRECIATE your dog shitting on the path and you just leaving it there." That was day one, a beautiful day with a side of knowledge.

Overdue Poetry.

Fall is upon us, you and I we know
First beautiful foliage, then cold and snow
The weather that we live for
The best time of year
Out to the duck blind, a hunting we will go

A cold and early morning, perfect for a walk
Building up the old blind, then the trash we'll talk
Setting out the decoys
A sip to warm you up
Sit low and work your call, the perfect way to stalk

The sun nears the horizon, the birds do start to fly
Now some greenie mallards, they try to pass on by
Your decoys look perfect
Your calling is sublime
The greenies fly on in, now it's time to die

Tradition

"Time To Kill"
by
Bob DaFolder

*
*
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

Over?

Hi Fred G.

My name is Mark Stevenson. I manage the Oregon State Parks in the Columbia River Gorge and I am also a duck hunter. The ruling for emergency parking in the Gorge along I-84 is one that has been posted for years but has often been overlooked by OSP (Oregon State Police) impart because they are so under staffed. The reason for the fencing has nothing to do with being allowed to hunt or not, this land is managed by US Forest Service. You are allowed to hunt in the area still, but when ODOT planned for the contract for the new fencing, it needed to go on the edge of their right of way.

It is not legal to park on I-84 from Portland to Cascade Locks, even though we have all seen it happen, or in our case have done so to hunt or fish. Though I understand your concern , ODOT, State Parks nor US Forest Service are going to be able to say it is ok, as it is a safety corridor and parking except for emergencies is not allowed.

I feel your pain and wish I could offer a close option for parking, besides the Thousand Acers Parking, which is around 1.5 to 2 miles from where you hunt.

Good luck this Saturday... please call if you would like to talk further.



Mark Stevenson
Columbia River Gorge
Oregon State Parks and Recreation Dept.
503-695-2261-224 or cell 503-969-8256

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A Letter to the Parks Department

Hello.

I am a duck hunter who has been duck hunting the slews at Lewis and Clark Park in Troutdale for about 16 years now. Recently the state ODOT has replaced old fencing along I84 west and blocked our entrance at about 2 miles past the Corbit on ramp making it impossible to park and hunt in that area. It is one of the most beautiful places in my opinion to hunt. I've contacted ODOT and received a prompt response saying they do not own the land beyond the fence that's why I'm writing you. I'm wondering if there is any way we could re-open the area to hunters? Thank you for any help and your time. I've also enclosed my corresponds with ODOT.

Thanks again.

Fred G.
Hoy 7 Hunting Team
www.H7Ht.Blogspot.com

A response within seconds:

I have forwarded your inquiry to District Park Manager, Mark Stevenson, at Rooster Rock State Park. You can also reach him directly at 503-695-2261.

Richard Wilde
Oregon Parks and Recreation Department
Information Center
800-551-6949
M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
park.info.@state.or.us
http://www.oregonstateparks.org/

Wow! A Response

I am the District Manager for this section of I-84 and will respond to
your question.

The new fence is part of a project required by Federal Highways. All
interstate freeways are access controlled and the original fencing had
been cut, taken down or otherwise in poor shape. The recent contract
restored the fencing and installed fence where it should have been. The
area you area asking about is perhaps one of those new areas.

Parking along I-84 is only allowed in emergencies. There are regulatory
signs in place that make this enforceable. I cannot say it's
permissible to hunt in the area you have done so in the past because I
don't know who owns that property. State Parks and the Forest Service
own property along I-84 as well as the railroad. There are some private
properties, but those are few. It could be ODOT's property but it's
unlikely since our R/W doesn't extend beyond the fence line.

You asked about installing a small gate. I believe our contract is
nearing completion. If you are accessing this area from a parking lot,
we may consider that. If it is from the freeway, we don't want to
encourage that access and likely would not want to do this. Call me if
you would like to discuss this. (503-665-4514)

Larry Olson

A Letter to the ODOT

Hello,

I'm not sure if this is the correct venue for this if not please point me in the right direction.

I'm a duck hunter and hunt the slew just past Corbitt.

Recently there was a fence installed at a pull out on 84 west just past Corbitt to the Lewis Clarke park just outside Troutdale. I was curious why.I stopped by and saw that there were no new signs stating "no parking" and "no hunting" so I'm assuming that it still is okay to hunt there. I know this is a far fetched request, but I'm assuming that the fence may have been installed for livestock or to prevent game for crossing the highway, here is the far fetched request, would it be possible to install a small gate?

Any help and information would be helpful.

Thank you very much.

Fred G.

Hoy 7 Hunting Team

www.h7ht.blogspot.com

America Rules!

Idaho: Day One

The real day one started with a plan for just one hunter, me. I had no choice but to go back to Anderson Lake because the attempt to meet with Dallas a couple days ago and see a new spot ended badly. The good news is that the cold has returned and I was greeted by a frosty windshield and my breath hanging in the air yesterday am. It's about 50 miles to the lake so I poped in some NRBQ and hoped that the trip would not be in vain, with no ducks flying.

It was a little scary on the walk out to set up for two reasons. I didn't hear a thing from the duck world on the way out. No quacking and milling around in the pre-dawn darkness. No whistling flyovers of ducks you can hear but not see. And for another reason, My Sweetie told me about her friends husband who had to shoot a cougar last year while duck hunting. Seems that the cougar was stalking him in his blind and he happened to see the big cat getting ready to jump. Bang. So I really don't think that the spot I go to at the lake has any kind of cougars nearby but I'll tell ya, at 5:30am in the total darkness walking through tall brush in complete silence with nothing but your small headlamp, this story was on my mind. I loaded a shell just in case.

To my great delight there were lots of ducks flying though. Right about the time I got set up small ducks starting strafing my position in the grasses. There were a couple mallards or so that flew in to take a look and I probably should have taken a shot at them but, like our title says, I wanted to "foldem with their feet down". I'm not sure but I think I saw a pinny too in the groups of ducks that came by and I worked some mallards with my call from the other side of the lake right in to my spread but for some reason they didn't like the set and off they went.

I've added some Teal decoys to my set up and let me tell you, it seems to have made a difference. All morning long Buffleheads and some kind of black looking diver ducks were everywhere. Today's picture shows some of the groups that came by for a visit. I didn't want to take them because they are not the best eating (although I hear Teal are extra tasty) so I was content to have some live decoys in my spread. Along about 10:00 or so the sun finally broke through the fog and low clouds and the action dried up. I packed it up and headed home for my 2:30 round of golf. I love America!

Not bad for the first day of the season. I hope to head out again on Thursday with Dallas to check out this new spot he found. I'll keep you posted. On a side note: My sincerest condolences to the Portland chapter of the HOY7 Hunting Team on the barricade of the Old New Spot. That kind of shit will not stand. Remember what these fine men said....

Dare to do things worthy of imprisonment if you mean to be of consequence. ~Juvenal

Laws control the lesser man. Right conduct controls the greater one. ~Chinese Proverb

Never do anything against conscience even if the state demands it. ~Albert Einstein

No radical change on the plane of history is possible without crime. ~Hermann Keyserling

When leaders act contrary to conscience, we must act contrary to leaders. ~Veterans Fast for Life

It is dangerous to be right in matters on which the established authorities are wrong. ~Voltaire

If... the machine of government... is of such a nature that it requires you to be the agent of injustice to another, then, I say, break the law. ~Henry David Thoreau, On the Duty of Civil Disobediance, 1849

Take your stinking paws off me, you damn dirty ape! -- You Know Who!

Maybe Heston Is Not Right!

Maybe Heston is wrong, maybe it is time to sell the guns,

maybe it's time to hang up the boots. What's next a dog run

at the Old Old Spot? Wait there is one there already. Hopefuly

some badass hunter will not put up with this, this thing they call

fence, and bring his badass snippers. Why?! A solid, meaning well built,

4 foot fence. Can't realy get a leg over safely with out tearing a sack.

And wait! Where would you park?

Maybe it's time to call it.

No signs say no hunting.

No signs say no parking.

You still can't dump.

WHY?!

Yet another Jiggitty Jeff update:

In response to my latest post about getting skunked on my first day of the season Jiggitty responded.....

That sucks. My first day of hunting went off with a bang. Only it wasn't a mallard getting shot and folding like a cheap lawn chair! Instead I ended up piss drunk with a lot of my "Suburban Neighbors" and decided it would be a good idea to discharge an AK-47 in my back yard 3 times. Needless to say my neighbors are pissed at this beaner! But not in a bad way, in a "Why so fucking crazy" way. Anyway, Jiggity-3 Neighbors-0.

Keep up the good work Jiggitty. We of the HOY7 Hunting Team are proud to have you as one of the Charter Members.
GBCH

Info.

http://www.ducks.org/migrationmap/

Day One ?

So here it is 7:08am on Thursday morning. I just got home from what was supposed to be my first day of the season. I had spoken to Dallas yesterday and we set a time to go to the new spot he had scouted out with my old boss from Dave Smith Motors, Tom. This new spot is much closer than Anderson Lake and had some ducks in it the other day when Dallas went fishing there. We agreed to meet up at 5:45 this morning and would rally out and see what we could find in this early season heat wave. It's been in the 70s and sunny so I don't expect much except maybe a morning fly, but still a possible slaying opportunity.

I waited at the designated spot. And waited. And called. No answer. And drove by Dallas' house, no lights and his truck in the driveway. Then I drove home to lament the fact that I have been blown off. Bummer.

So here I sit at the computer to share my first day of hunting, if you can call it that. Does this leave a bad taste in my mouth you ask? Nope. I know in an hour or two my phone will ring and Dallas will apologize for not knowing or showing or being abducted by aliens last night. Whatever the reason, I'm sure the hunt will go on. I'll keep you posted....

GBCH

Jiggitty Jeff Update:

Recently received an update from H7HT member and all around killing machine Jiggitty Jeff. It goes something like this....

OK. I failed on my bear hunt, but am going to crush a deer in rifle season! I will shoot out to 800 yards with the .300 Win Mag in the duffel bag! I will keep you posted!

The e-mail went on to say that he misses slaying with the HOY7 Hunting Team and wishes Fred G success in his shooting skills for this season. Thanks Jiggitty for keeping us in the loop!

Pre-season Report.

Just what in Heston's name is going on here? I spent the morning on the golf course and the afternoon working in the yard in 80 degree heat! I thought the beginning of fall meant colder temperatures and guaranteed inclement weather. Duck weather. Instead I'm sweating while I mow the lawn for the 50th time this summer.....errrr, fall.

last week, while it was only in the 70's, I did a little scouting in the area where I hunted all last year. If you look on the map you will see Anderson Lake on the left hand side. When I pulled up Google Earth I found an area just to the northeast that looked promising. Grain fields of some kind and marshy or flooded areas just on the other side of the gravel road. A gate and sign greeted me just before. ATTN: WATERFOWLERS you are hosed. What the hell?

So here's the good news. My new style hunting partner Dallas says he has a couple spots that were reccomended to him closer and more full of ducks. Of course two of them require a boat, but I figure this just gives us a reason to get a boat. Maybe one with a nice camo paint job and a spot for a Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retriever. Who knows.

My biggest problem is that according to this here blog I will be the only member of the HOY7 Hunting Team that is hunting this year. Obviously due to the lack of posting from my team members I can assume that I am the only one who has any desire to slay ducks this year. I guess that's okay. My expert title will be safe from competition. Prove me wrong bitches.......

GBCH

Construction Zone

So yesterday I decided to make my own custom wader drying rack. How about them apples? Less than 3 weeks to go.....

Then I felt the need to go shoot something so I went to the range and after a little fine tuning on the ole .22 I produced this group at 50 yds. Sweet!










GBCH

Time to get my ducks in a row....

The most popular theory suggests that "ducks in a row" came from the world of sports, specifically bowling. Early bowling pins were often shorter and thicker than modern pins, which lead to the nickname ducks. Before the advent of automatic resetting machines, these "duck pins" would be manually put back into place between bowling rounds. Therefore, having one's ducks in a row would be a metaphor for having all of the bowling pins organized and properly placed before sending the next ball down the lane. Many bowling alleys still offer "duck pin" lanes with smaller bowling balls and shorter pins.

Another theory comes from the world of nature. Mother ducks often corral their young offspring into manageable straight lines before traveling over land or water. Any stragglers or escapees would be noticed as long as the integrity of this line is maintained. The idea of getting all of one's ideas or ingredients or team members in one organized line would be similar to a mother duck getting all of her literal ducks in a row. One concern with this theory is the use of the word ducks, since baby ducks are more correctly identified as ducklings or even chicks. The common expression suggests adult ducks, not necessarily younger ducklings.

There are also sources which argue the "ducks in a row" element refers to a carnival game or two. One popular carnival game involves the player using a small caliber rifle or air gun to knock down moving targets. Quite often these targets are in the shape of ducks, and a conveyor belt system makes sure the duck targets are aligned in a consistent row. It is possible that the expression came from the benefit of having all of the targets (ducks) arrive in a predictable and organized order.

Getting ready

Today I finally got Ole' Big Betty fixed and took us a shakedown run to Post Falls and the Cabellas store. She ran like a top so I figured I would reward us with some new hunting gear. On the list for today was some Greenwing Teal decoys, a new pair of hunting socks, a teal whistle, a calling CD to hone my skills, some Black Cloud 3" shells and this cool little motor to attach to the bottom of a decoy that makes it swim around in circles. Pretty good haul. They did not have decoy paint or a replacement wing for my spinning wing decoy. Guess that will have to wait.

While there I checked out "Conservation Mountain" pictured below. I'm a big fan of irony so I took this picture and figured I'd share it with you. Only 30 days left until opening day! The trigger finger is sure gettin' itchy.

A sad, sad day. I'm on the verge of tears.

http://portland.craigslist.org/clk/cto/1932768232.html

He is always right. ALWAYS!

Paste this into your browser......
Watch it all.

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-august-19-2010/extremist-makeover---homeland-edition

GBCH

Things in my neighborhood

In this installment of the ongoing series, things in my neighborhood, I present to you the image of Coconut Joe. This was taken in my backyard as Coconut was pilfering water from my hose for his personal use. Seems that years ago Joe was a normal guy leading an average life. Then one day he happened to fall from the back of a pickup truck while traveling down the highway, in the process hitting his 'coconut' and giving him the 'Dain Brammage' he wears to this day. As backyard neighbors we have come to accept Coconut's .0004 MPH staggering around his backyard and his roommate, who we call 'Tamale Joe', wandering around wrangling his cats. This week however held a new development.

The other day Coconut came to my yard asking if I could fill his empty Sunny D jug with water. Not a big deal as they are working on the sewers on my street and have all the lines dug up. I figured every man needs water and gave him some high quality H2O from our tap. Next thing you know we come home to find him in the backyard decoupling my hose from the sprinkler. Turns out Coconut has not paid his water bill for months and they have shut it off, leaving me as the closest source of water. Now I'm not the type of guy to leave a man without water so I have agreed to leave my hose in the back yard so he can hydrate until he pays his bill and has water of his own. The unfortunate side effect is that I have this sight on a regular basis. As my girl plainly stated "I thought we moved out of the city to get away from crazy guys who smell like pee." Sweet!

GBCH

Lore

While perusing older post, which I often do cause our stuff is that good, I came across

this one which kinda has relevance to the past month or so. Enjoy, I did.

Day ten was a reminder why you need to keep pace with the HOY7 hunting team.

Today we were joined by founding member and resident 2nd place killing machine "Cliffy" V. We set out early on Thanksgiving day to secure our spot at the legendary twin falls location on the mighty Columbia river. We arrived to the parking lot alone and in sole possession of the best spot possible. After a harrowing 2 minute walk we made it to the water and started the decoy setting and blind building process. With those tasks complete we were able to enjoy some time to sit and reflect on the days folding potential as there was still 30 - 45 minutes before sunrise.

Not long into the days events the picture above was taken. It shows Cliffy in a sad display of what happens when you come ill prepared for a H7HT outing. Out of wikki and out of treats. Fortunately his teammates were able to keep the machine going with some smooth 12 year wikki and delicious smokes. The day was saved.

Although we saw few ducks today and were only able to take a shot at a rebel decoy trying to escape, Cliffy learned something. Hunting umbrellas are quite possibly the finest invention to come out of Fred Gs' massive head. I like to think he will also be better prepared for our next outing as well. There you have it, every day a new lesson.

GBCH

Name the Hunting Season Here!

Leave in the comment area your entry for

Name the Hunting Season

Last Day 0f Hunting Season 2010

No words could be spoken about this day, Cliffy with excess. There I said it, excess. The dictionary defines excess as: "having more than necessary, permitted or desirable". It also states that excess is "lack of moderation in an activity", such as drinking. It also states that excess is "the action of exceeding the permitted limit." Charlton bless you Cliffy you hit all three. May you always have an excess, and long may you slay.

August tenth, two thousand & ten

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRED G !!! How about a nice Rossini's Pizza for your special day?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRED G! How about a nice Fudgie the Whale for desert?

Heston, is that you?

So there I am the other night trying to deal with my 'fever' problem. I decided to take a quick look at the petfinder website and see what they may have available in the way of Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers when something catches my eye. Seems right here at the local kennel they have a young Flat Coated Retriever with the unfortunate name of Beauty. Good looking dog, nice temperament, right size and 1/2 mile away. So I decided to give a call and see if we could meet the dog and take her for a test drive.

Straight off this dog has some major hurdles to overcome. Not a Toller, not a puppy, trained by someone else and possessed of a stupid name. So we get to the shelter and the first thing the dog does is jump up on me, great. I try to take this as a sign that the dog likes me and not think about how long it takes to un-train a dog of bad habits. Off we go for a walk and things are going well. She pulls on the leash hard and she likes running the brush and seems to be searching for scent. Then we take her back to my place and introduce her to the neighbor dog Morgan, a 2 year old mastiff, and they get along swimmingly. Playing hard and drinking from the same bowl together, good stuff. Next it's up into the truck where she seems to understand 'in the back' and is very excited to be going on a trip, alright then. A short drive to the gun range and while we are walking around someone takes some big rifle shots that don't seem to phase her a bit, sweet. Down to the creek and right into the water she goes, things are looking good.

After that we drive back to my house and go into the neighbors fenced back yard. All this time I have had the dog on the leash and I completely understand that neither she or I know her name. Time for the most important test. I throw a ball, she chases, picks it up.... drops it. Dog does not seem to care about the ball. After several tries I realize that this retriever is not a retriever. What the hell? Also the whole time we are trying this she seems to be looking for a way to get out of the yard and pays no attention to me trying to engage her. I get the feeling if I ever let her off leash she would bolt and never return. I sit quietly and the dog never even looks at me, the whole time seeming to be searching for something else, what I don't know. Sorry, not my dog.

So there is the sad story of Beauty the Flat Coated Retriever who does not retrieve. If anyone is looking for a running partner I know a great dog.

"The Fever"

Well here it is still 2 1/2 months away from hunting season and the fever started in earnest this morning. After weeks of 80 & 90 degree temperatures and blazing sun I woke this morning to temps in the 50's and steady rain with overcast skies, kind of like a good hunting day without the cold. Now I know full well that I shouldn't be ready just yet but circumstances have been conspiring against me.

My first issue of Wildfowl, after months of haggling with the subscription people and changing my address, has finally showed up. I put it out of sight in the library under some other magazines and told myself not to read it until later in the summer. Then the Macks Prairie Wings catalog shows up. Certainly it's only a matter of time before the Cabellas Fall catalog arrives too. How am I supposed to resist them? Then yesterday Big Betty, my not so trusty Ford, went in for some service. It had been running poorly and all my attempts at fixing the problems myself had failed. Time to leave it to the experts. (The experts at fixing cars that is, we all know who the expert at folding Greenies is.) I only drive a couple miles to work each day and it runs well enough to get me around town but in the back of my mind I'm thinking about needing a truck to drive to Anderson Lake, maybe even towing a boat. What about a trip to Umatilla? How about even a trip to Portland? Montana? Got to have a good truck for that.

Then there is the people factor. Zach, who worked for me all last winter, called to tell me about his summer. He is a Hot Shot firefighter in Montana and has been without much work because of the wet spring and low fire danger. Talk naturally turned to our plans to do some upland hunting this fall in his home area in Montana. Turns out he bought a English Springer pup and is having it trained this summer to be somewhat ready this fall. Game on. Also, I have met a man named Grant Miller. He owns a property on the golf course where I work and we have been been forming a rapport. In talking with him the other day I found out he is a wheat farmer and owns thousands of acres of fields in eastern Oregon. He headed home last week for the harvest and will be back again to enjoy the late summer here in Idaho. I think I'll be in a position to ask him if he has any unruly ducks, geese or upland birds terrorizing his cropland, and if so I know just the guys to help him with his problem. I'll keep you updated.

Then the capper. On Wednesday my hunting buddy Dallas called. I thought he was gone for good after some kind of altercation at my old place of employment, Dave Smith Motors. Rumor had it the Dallas and another salesperson got in a fistfight in the back parking lot and both had been fired. I hadn't heard from him since. So I get a call and it turns out he is coming back to town next month to go back to work at DSM and wants to be sure that we are still hunting. Of course we are. Add all this to the fact that I keep meeting people that can't wait to slay ducks. Rocky, a bartender at the resort and recent transplant from California, is a duck hunter and is ready to go. Even my old boss at DSM, Tom, said he may be inclined to show me a secret spot or two.

Add all this together and how could I not be getting lost in the thought of the upcoming season. Only one thing about this season gives me pause. I won't be sharing every day in the blind with my H7HT co-founder Fred G. I would have to suspect that he too is starting to get the fever, a fever that only gets worse as the fall approaches. How could he not? For Heston's sake, the man was 'The Expert' for 8 years running. Fortunately for us Cliffy has started to contribute to the Blog and even though his main mission in life continues to be ridding the world of hatchery fish and keeping the rivers and streams safe from dangerous and unpredictable swimming varmints, I know he suffers the same affliction. Perhaps even Jenny X. is laying awake at night, trying to figure out what gun in his arsenal is best suited to bring down the East Coast plague of ducks. And how about Jiggitty? I'd bet money that he is just waiting for a chance to take out "One of God's green creatures" as he calls them.

All told this morning was the right time to break out the Wildfowl magazine from behind other reading material. I flipped through to an article entitled 'Three Colors: a Teal Trifecta' and was immediately transported back in time to sitting in the blind listening to Fred G's rousing rendition of the bastardized Neil Young tune, 'I want to live with a Cinnamon Teal'. How could I not have the fever now?

GBCH

The best cart in the fleet.

Good News.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – July 2, 2010 – The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released its preliminary report today on mid-continent breeding ducks and habitats, based on surveys conducted in May. The total duck population is nearly 41 million, which is similar to last year's estimate and 21 percent above the long-term average.

"These are encouraging numbers as we see most species are at or above their long-term averages," said Dale Humburg, Ducks Unlimited chief biologist. "The habitat conditions in many regions should support a good breeding effort."

Watch DU Chief Biologist Dale Humburg's video summary of the survey results.

Habitat conditions across the U.S. and Canadian prairies and parklands were generally good. However, further north, wetland conditions in boreal regions of Alaska and northern Canada were only fair at the time of the survey. During the survey and into early summer, many regions important to breeding ducks received significant precipitation, which could increase later breeding efforts and ensure brood survival. If these wet conditions continue, prospects going into the winter and possibly into spring 2011 could be favorable as well.

Mallards, gadwalls, green-winged teal, northern shovelers and redheads mirrored last year's numbers, and all remained above their long-term averages. Canvasback and American wigeon numbers were similar to last year's, as were pintail and scaup numbers, although populations of these two species remain below their long-term averages.

"It's great to hear the report of steady duck populations, but habitat loss continues to be a significant threat to North America's waterfowl," said Dale Hall, DU CEO. "For most species, this year's numbers are encouraging, but DU must remain dedicated to its mission of long-term, landscape-level habitat conservation if we are to meet the life-cycle needs of the continent's waterfowl."

"I would expect to see a fall flight similar to last year's," Humburg says. "But everyone must keep in mind that weather and habitat strongly influence the timing and distribution of ducks in the fall flight, and these factors are very dynamic. Although I'm optimistic about the 2010 fall flight, it's several months before the season opens, and a lot could happen to migration and wintering habitat before then."

WHO SAID SMOKIN' WAS BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH

Stupid hatchery fish.

Happy Birthday

So....
Last night just as I'm getting off work, it's about 5:30 pm on America's birthday and I'm looking out over the mountains. Green golf course behind me and the Silver Valley dropping away into the distance, sun setting and creating an early summer alpenglow. 3 ducks flying in perfect silence and formation fly over my head and off into the evening. Heston bless America!

Big Steel!

Hello all you glamorise followers of the H7HT blog. With hunting season only 4 months away and a day off, I woke up and felt the need to slay. With the 'accident' behind me and a new spey rod, I woke up at 0' dark thirty and headed out to my stomping grounds....the Clack. I love the Clack, I really love the Clack. Today was epic for me. While floating down in 'Old Cracka' (I can call her Old now), I saw two things I've never seen before on the river. First was a river otter, ya, a river otter. I've seen them before on other rivers, but I float the Clack more than anything else and I've never seen one there before. Second, a turkey vulture, ya, a turkey vulture. Bright red head, looks like a turkey vulture. Must have been one, right? Anyways, on to the good stuff. Brand new Echo DH 13 ft. spey rod, ross reel and scandi shooting head. It's cloudy and drizzly, perfect day for summer steelheading. I'm on my usual float, feeling out the new rod, and it's great. I mean it was turning the fly over with the ease of my old Anderson rod (tears, I miss you). Swinging flies all morning and picking up little native rainbows that are feisty and well fit. Already having a great day, I decide to switch to a bigger fly. A big ole nasty Freight Train, a Deschutes classic. As I'm starting my retrieve on my fifth cast, to start the sixth, the tug happened. It was like a hammer out of nowhere. At first, I was worried. I left my steelhead leaders at home and had to make one on the fly with 4x tippet (trout line). Ya man, here I got this 13-14 lb. fish on with 5 lb. test. After the fish made its first run and I got her in close enough to see if it was adipose clipped, I noticed it was a hatchery. SWEET, I decided to tire this fish out and net her to increase the odds of a native fish surviving. After a 25 min. battle, she was in the boat and had a rock taken to her head. Can you say Almondine!!!