When a plan comes together....honker style.

Following the solo...soul cleansing hunt from earlier this season, it was time to hit the field with friends Carl and Dan for a hunt at a local farm pond co-owned by my friend Carl and his family members.  The location has a unique set of circumstances that allows for daily scouting reports from his in-laws that reside at the farm.  The daily report made for a long week as the birds not only continued to build during a cold week, but managed to keep an open hole in the pond.  With a classic January thaw occurring, the 40 degree morning felt almost "hot" after enduring the 26 degree temps and lower windchills on the last hunts.  The forecast was for high 40's and a SW wind. 

I was lost in reflection of the brief season that seemed to be coming to a close just as quick as the truck ride to Carl's house and then it was back on the road where old friends exchanged stories and Carl filled me in on the plan.  The birds appeared to be staying on the pond, and we were going to have to take a chance of bumping them off with the truck in the dark prior to the hunt...and hope they would come back and not find a neighbors pond to loaf on.

We picked up Dan and headed to the pond, pulling into the corn stubble bordering the pond, the headlights illuminated several "white butts" on the pond and it was now certain we would have to bump some birds to get set up.  Carl parked the truck and we quickly went to work unloading gear as the birds became restless, tormenting Carl's lab "Brew" as we continued quickly putting out decoys.  Approximately 10 minutes in the birds decided they had enough and began an eruption of wings and feet hitting water and honking of all kinds as approximately 200 Canada geese poured off the pond into the faint dawn breaking to the east.  Soon after a group of 8 swans started their take off, sounding more like a herd of wild horses than a group of waterfowl. 

We finished our decoy set up, hid the truck as the many random groups of honkers faded into the distant darkness in several different directions.  We slid into the blind and began the that dialogue that is so common in every blind I have ever enjoyed a sunrise in.  In the back of all of our minds I know it was stewing...would the birds come back, would they cooperate.  A few small bunches made appearances but they did not seem interested in coming back, and the anxiety rose slightly with the rising sun.  Finally at around 7:45 A.M. a single came to play.  The bird was no spring chicken and he spent several minutes looking over the spread, locking up and gliding by ever so close...tantalizingly close to being in range.  After circling several times, gliding directly over the blind and "rubber necking" our hide out, he made one last turn behind the blind and Carl made the call for Dan to kill him on the next pass.  Just like he read the script the bird cruised over the back of the blind and Dan made short work of him with one shot folding him to the water's edge.  Brew was happy to make a retrieve and the "skunk" was off.

We did not have much time to celebrate as another single came from the north and began a similar routine as the first one.  He was a little less leary and as he locked up and headed for the spread, Carl made the call for me to take him.  I peered through the willows on the side of the blind as he cupped his wings, and I tried to control my breathing as I knew it was about to happen, and then the shot was called, I stood up to a bird that had no idea we were there, swung through and folded him to the water with one shot....as the boys celebrated, I caught something on my swing and realized...there were five honkers we had not seen directly above the bird I shot that were on the way in when I shot.  They flared and headed to the west and we got on them aggressively with the calls.  Turning the flock they came back to investigate and began teasing us with pass after pass before breaking into a group of three and a pair.  We lost track of the pair as we worked on the three, which eventually faded off.  Carl sent Brew for my bird and just as he hit the water, Dan saw the pair returning once again.  As Carl worked on getting Brew back to the blind the birds seemed oblivious to the dog and came to the calls, working and working before eventually doing it right and falling to the guns once again...four down, two to go. 

Only minutes later, again with Brew cleaning up birds, we were alerted to honking...and suddenly we were covered up in birds from all directions.  A pair to the North, 11 to the west, five more above us.  Carl wrangled Brew who was shaking uncontrollably from excitement as Dan and I tried to work on the birds.  Knowing we only needed two birds we tried to communicate to make sure we could get two and be done, as a pair worked down the bankline from the North and split we were unable to call the shot and one landed in the decoys in front of the blind.  I felt like I was twisted up like a pretzel in the blind as I attempted to keep a bead on the many different bunches surrounding us.  A short time later, still working birds, the single on the water thought better of it and bailed out to join his friends in the air.  For what seemed like 15 minutes straight Dan and I called and called and called, aggressively turning small flocks back then subtly trying to finish them as they sailed over the blind peering down at the decoys and the blind checking for imposters, at one point another group came with a pair that seemed promising, but at the last moment just as we were about to stand and shoot they veered behind the blind and landed in the decoys.  Finally, as I was about to pass out from lack of air, I spotted a pair off my end of the blind and called them out, they cupped up and with geese flying, honking, flapping in all directions, I put the blinders on and concentrated on those two birds, as they sailed over the back corner of the blind, the shot was called and both birds hit the ground!!!  The standard war hoots and high fives followed and I pulled my phone out to check the time....8:32 A.M.  How's that for fast and furious 6 bird limit in less than an hour!

Carl, Dan, and Brew  with our 6 bird limit

A fowl mood and a time for a solo hunt.

January 12, 2013, met with myself, my dad and a friend hitting my favorite goose hunting spot, long over due, after limited birds in the area early in the season, the local farm pond had frozen solid for a good period of time when the geese finally arrived.  Finally, a recent string of warm weather thawed the pond and it was time to hunt.  The warm streak had peaked in the 50's and a massive cold front was on its way with a huge drop in temperature and snow/ice predicted after dark.

The day started out rough as I had to pass on the morning hunt for other duties and a quick scouting run showed several birds loafing on the pasture grass on the pond.  Luckily they were gone when we arrived to hunt at 1:00 P.M. and we set up quickly for the evening.  The hunt started out promising as a group of six honkers appeared from the east and locked up on the decoys.  Unfortunately we were caught with our blinds open, and though they locked up and gave us a couple looks, they decided to head for greener pastures.  The rest of the day we were entertained by several small groups of honkers but nothing that wanted to play.  With the temps dropping and the north wind howling, I figured the birds were more interested in corn than pasture grass.  We ended the night being buzzed by a flock of specks as we picked up decoys, and I growled under my breath as I have never had even a chance to shoot one.  I thought of my good friend and fowling partner Carl who has been at it for many more years than I, and also has not shot a speck.

Plans were in the works for day 2, but it all depended on the weather we were going to end up with.  Carl was out for day 2 and my dad was unsure.  I decided late that night that I would go at it alone if no one could make it due to the weather and I had reached that point that I am sure many of you get where time alone in nature is healing, and relaxing.  I did not set an alarm, and awakened to a light layer of ice on the ground and howling winds, 23 degree temperature.  Dad confirmed he was out, so I took time at home with the family, cooked a big breakfast, and then headed out.

I was questioning my judgment as the bitter north winds bit at any exposed skin, and I chuckled under my breath that I was piling out all these decoys for "my two geese."  I decided after getting the blind in place along the water's edge and the decoys set I would take a quick ride around and see where the birds were flying.  Typically my spot is a mid morning spot where the birds come after hitting the fields.  I was disappointed with what I saw, very few birds in the air anywhere, but I decided to suck it up and headed to the blind.

The first sign of anything alive was faint honks of a distant flock of Canada geese that I could barely hear through the strong winds....but it gave me a slight bit of hope that something might happen.  I eased back in my blind and reflected on all the special memories I had made in this spot.  My ole dawg Maggie that had passed last February, the hunts with friends, and the crazy things the honkers do.  While texting with my friend Carl who was under the weather, he jokingly made a comment about me shooting a speck for him, and it brought a smile to my face.  No way I will shoot a speck on a farm pond in the middle of nowhere, I thought.

I was snapped back to attention when a nice bunch of 30 birds appeared to the west, 10 birds broke off and locked up on the spread, but despite cruising directly over me, and my best attempts on the calls to convince em to come, they decided the corn was a better option and disappeared over the hillside.

Just seven minutes later, I was in the process of texting my wife, when I glanced to my right and saw 10 geese locked up on my decoy spread....they were only 100 yards out and locked up, wing tip to wing tip!!!  I never even touched the call, as they banked out in front of me and dipped into the wind, they began losing altitude...50 yards, 40, 30, 20 yards!!! I was thinking about letting them land and then all in a split second a bunch of things happened...1.  I noticed a barred chest a bird at the lead...2. my brain screamed HOLY CRAP ITS AS SPECK!!!, 3. the birds began to flare...4. I panicked and threw the doors open.  In the next split second I fired three shots blindly into the grey sky and watched "my speck" fly right back out of my life!  A quick text to the only guy that could truly understand and then I was left alone to wallow in my thoughts.

I literally had less than 10 minutes to kick myself around when a large group of 30+ birds mixed little geese and big geese came across the field and banked 300 yards out and began locking up!  As I was watching them a group of four cut between the big flock and my spread and turned and locked up.  Fighting the heavy wind the fell slowly before suddenly "maple leafing" and dumping air right into range and before I knew it they were 15 yards out, being a  little gun shy after the miss, I didn't throw the doors open and they picked up and flew behind me.  I gave them a few quick clucks and the next thing I hear is squeaking wings, followed shortly by four geese flying over my blind at 5 feet high!  They cupped into the water and I threw the doors open, killing the second bird, and as I tried for the double the empty shell did not eject cleanly and the remaining three escaped.

Just 5 minutes later, and I hear a honk to my west, shortly after a pair appears over the hill flying south of the pond.  I hit them with the call and they immediately turn and lock up, falling all the way to 15 yards, just off the water and I was able to finish my limit with one shot.  As I looked at the two geese floating with the wind...I got a little misty eyed, as I thought of how much Maggie would have loved to dive in and pick up my birds.  It was a bitter sweet day, but after a year that has been almost non existent in honker opportunities...I will take it.

The speck was not to be but the canadas did not disappoint!