Moosie, 'Gunner and BOB :) (Pictures & Movie)

[Moosie]

ALRIGHT .. ALRIGHT... It'a about 6 hours before I'm even Getting up on this hunt. But have you ever had the Feeling that "Tomorrow is the DAY" ? Well, I think it is...

Something about tomorrow will make for a Good story.... I just haven't figured it out yet

Gunner, Is the Story made yet ?!?!

 

[Moosie]

the DAY Didn't go as Good as My feeling was... The morning started out Bad with Snow Covering the roads making them Slippery. Saw a Few cars off the roads but Had to get to Gunners house So I wasn't Late..YOU can be LATE for anything but duck hunting MAybe "someone" should make a note of that...

Anyways, went to Walmart and Bough Gunner some Shells, found the Back way to his house and Pulled into the Drive. I won't say who was still ASLEEP !!!

Anyways..

... we got going and made it out a little brhind the First 100 Flights of Ducks Funnleing into the area. We were fortunate enough to get a few to come in. We actualyl had More but For some reason I wasn't all that "SHOOTY" today. The only shot I took was at one Gunner knocked down but he couldn't shoot again because of the Dog being in the way. Not to Say I didn't have birds in within 15-20 yards at times... I guess it was Me being cold or still asleep *WINK*

Here is a Short Chunked out vid clip or Gunners bird and the retrieve :

http://www.huntandlodge.com/albums/fallbirds/12_31.mpg

 

[Moosie]

What the Vid Doesn't show is this Setup :

Gunner dumps the Bird After 2 shots. It isn't all the way dead yet and starts Swimming :

We then "RELEASE BUSTER" !!! you can See the Duck on the Left side of the Page 'wake' that it's making :

Buster gets there, the Duck Dives... NOW Buster is looking but can't find it ?!?!

Ahhhhh there it is... TURN AROUND !!! look again !!! Just then Gunner Blasts at the duck again. In then goes back under and tries to hide again. It pops up in front of me and Buster is Between Gunner and the Bird so I finish it off. The current is taking the bird down but guess who is FASTER ?!?!?!

Here are a few other Birds that Cam in a Bit far out :

And Gunner with the Ski mask so my Camera don't break :

 

[Ovis]

Gunner

You are much better looking on the net than you are in person

Is that your dog Gunner? Congrats to you guys!

 

[Moosie]

Ovis.. Gunner left his pootch at homke. this was a friend of his's dog.

I disagree with ya Ovis !!! 'Gunner is Just as Ugly on the net

 

[JoseCuervo]

Hmmm, I guess I could fill in some details....

Actually, the Gunner was pretty bummed today, as Moosie threatend to kick me in the 'Nads if I tried to make another joke about "us" being late....

I will admidt to being late, but I think we could have recovered, but we were a bit slow in the loading/unloading/getting dressed, parking rigs, etc... so we weren't able to make up for the lost time.

But Moosie did give the ol' Chevy hell, as he raced across a 2 mile long dam (Water on the Left, 50 ft embankment on the Right) at 50 miles an hour, in 3" of snow...

And we would have been a bit earlier, if the guy who went to Wal-Mart would have bought the Dougnuts and Cokes there, instead of waiting until the lil' town we had to drive thru. I guess Wal-Mart doesn't make the same quality Frozen Burritos for breakfast as the little market we stopped at....

In any event, we roll into Bob's, and start unloading the pick-up, and un-load, and un-load... The back of the Short Box Chevy was completely full, and we carried it down to the River. And of course, Moosie takes the wrong trail, so we are bushwhacking with 800lbs of gear.

As we get to the place, we couldn't actually sit the decoys up, until we kicked the 500 ducks out of the eddy...

So, we get the decoys set up, and the ducks start diving.... And everybody hurries doing what they are doing, 'cept for the Gunner, as he just jacks a shell in, and drops the first drake he sees. (See Video above...

)

I am sure I was shooting BB, as I usually find it too much bother to change shells in my gun, and last time I hunted, I was Goose hunting. The Duck just has a badly broken wing, and starts swimming. Buster, the dog, comes running and heads out to make the retrieve, but the Mallard decides to be a Diving duck. Buster is confused.

Finally, Buster sees a greenhead decoy, and brings that to me... I tell him "good boy", and grab a rock to throw out at the now surfaced mallard, so he can go get the real bird. He doesn't see me throw it, and Moosie finally kills the bird, which Buster then sees, and makes a beautiful retrieve. Seeing a Lab fetch a duck and bring it back, made the whole day for me. An awesome sight.

Buster was kind of a wild card today, as we did not know how he would retrieve. My Buddy (see 350lb Bear in the Bear section for the Bear he killed in Idaho this May) had phesant hunted with him, and he had confidence, but he had never duck hunted him. Buster was adopted as an older dog, and so his history is a bit unknown, but he has a "smashed" left side of his lower jaw, so we think he might have been mis-treated. But now, he is a happy, healthy, and damn good retriever.

A little bit later, I was out of the blind area, and two ducks came blazing in, and I waited until they were right at me, shot the drake, and the damn thing about hit me as it fell like a rock. I probably could have caught it, if I tried.

I am not sure what else happened, as even though I was there, and there were ducks about 10 yards away, nobody else shot. I am not sure if they were afraid to look like bad shots after the Amazing display of shooting skills exhibited by the Gunner, or what.

Being the nice guy I am, I kept waiting for them to shoot the ducks right in front of them, as I remember Ovis suggesting that one should not shoot over the heads of one's hunting partners, in order to get them to duck.

Suffice it to say, more ducks could have been killed, if:

a. We were on time (my fault!) or
b. People would have shot their guns (not the Gunner's fault)

 

[mtmiller]

I think you guys may need to market your waterfowl hunt vids. I am getting a visual and just shaking my head.

I was going to give you crap for shooting the diving duck, until I read Gunners post.
<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> Buster, the dog, comes running and heads out to make the retrieve, but the Mallard decides to be a Diving duck. Buster is confused. Finally, Buster sees a greenhead decoy, and brings that to me... I tell him "good boy", and grab a rock to throw out at the now surfaced mallard, <HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
I love it when they dive and the dog is eyeballing the water waiting for the duck to resurface.

Keep up the duck hunting, but don't post if the hunt goes flawlessly. What fun would there be in that?

 

[JoseCuervo]

MT,

It will be a "Cold day in Hell" before everything goes flawlessly for Moosie and Gunner.

I think we kind of stack the odds against us, from the beginning....

Let's take tomorrow for an example.... We are going to try again, 'cept we both have things to do in the morning (although I bet Moosie skips on his, and stays and hunts.) Me, I have to be in Boise (about 50 miles from the Duck spot at 10:00 am to run a New Year's Day 5K in 4" of snow. Will I let that stop me from hunting? No.... But I am sure the haste will cause something to be forgotten....

And how's this for a sure-fire opportunity to have something go wrong. Moosie kept all my stuff in his pick up, and said he would take it home, so it would be ready tomorrow. So, my wading boots, gloves, hats, coats, camo pants, etc.. are all in Moosies garage (hopefully by the furnace), and I will rely on him to bring "2 of each" for the items we need.... I am guessing I will only have Left Hand gloves....

And now, I have to headout and buy a new license to hunt in the morning... Maybe I'll pick up the doughnuts tonight....

 

[Moosie]

Well.. Gunenr Was Correct, I forgot about his stuff in the back of the Truck., But I brought in the Most important stuff so He'd stay warm.. The gloves, the Face mask, Jacket, Etc.

I didn't know Gunner was Threatened byt he NADS threat.. I need to remember that for Future hunts with him

HAving Gunners Buddy Following us I was Driving slow. 50 MPH when You're late isn't very fast, Even if you're passing cars on the side of the Road that had Slidden off. Usually I'd help but there was Ducks to be kilt... Or watched at least

Gunner makes it sound like I had to Stop to GEt breakfast, What he left out was He was Still in His Pijama's and needed to Change. I went inside to by somethnig to Snack on and a coke for "HIM". and Came out as he was still getting dressed, but I'm jsut glad he didn't wear that pink Flannel to the Duck blind

I did take the wrong path, But Having good Traction I bushwacked and Gunner I think Needs some traction Because he was a sliding

I do have to Say Gunners a Good shot. that I can't deny, But when I'm holding a Camcorder and he's sitting next to me for me to shoot (Being nice and all) no matter how hard I try, I can't get them to fall

 

[Elkhunter]

Thanks for the laugh, the vid and the pics. These stories are great.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Yeah.... leaving the stuff in the back of the rig all night was a great idea. I couldn
t get the decoys out of one of the bags, as it was frozen shut.

Well, the part about the Nads that I was most worried about, was I afraid he would offer to kiss them to make 'em feel better.

I think Moosie subscribes to the theory that you are safer driving on slick roads at a higher speed, as you are actually spending less time on the roads....

But, we did make it their safely, and he tells me that it is no big deal to roll a pick-up. He's done it before, not to worry...

The only reason I was still in my Pajamas was because I HUNT in my Pajamas. Kinda like Dwight Schuh (the great Idaho bowhunter) and his sock/moccasin stalks, the Gunner just is more effective in his pajamas. And since they have the sewed in feet, they keep me nice and toasty.

The Gunner did go buy some new Wading Shoes... as the old boots were blowing out the seams.


<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR> I do have to Say Gunners a Good shot. that I can't deny <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Gunner's Rule Number 1 to being a good shot: Shoot the DAMN gun!!! It was kinda funny. There were three of us there, the Gunner gets a couple of ducks, makes some pass shots... Patterns his gun on the water... etc.. etc.. I think the other two only shot once each, and I used up a 1/2 box of shells.

 

[Moosie]

Today wass the Same thing.. Ducks would Come By And I'd say "Im shooting no matter what"... then I'd let the ducks fly off because they weren't exactly were I wanted them. I'm not the best shot but I've taken some Birds at Killer Distances, be it Luck or what ?!?! I'll have to follow that with I've missed some Ducks at Close ranges too ....

But at any rate, I've learned one thing though, You can't get anything if ya don't pull the trigger. And there's always Hope if there is BB's in the air