Snowshoes For Late Season Hunting

It has taken me awhile to finally follow through on one of my ideas. Typically it doesn't take me nearly so long although this time I didn't want to have to buy several pairs in order to get it right the first time. So I asked my fellow bloggers for their expertise and wisdom. Fortunately I did get some very good information from The Maine Outdoorsman who has done a lot of snowshoeing. After several e-mails back and forth and more on line research I have chosen a company with over 100 years experience in the snowshoe manufacturing business. Tubbs Snowshoes and their Frontier model in 25" for my late season waterfowl hunting.

For years I have trudged through deep snow carrying big bags of goose decoys, and exhausting myself in doing so. Thinking to myself that by the second or third day it'll be so much easier because I'll have created a path and won't be breaking through the snow with each step. Until then it's like taking 2 steps for each step you do take. It it also referred to as "post holing" cause it's like stepping in post holes. It requires a lot of balance and can be quite tiring. Your quads ache from catching yourself with a heavy load as you breathe deeper and remind yourself to take it slowly and pace yourself. It's only 200 yards your going, yet carrying 30 to 50 pounds in a foot or more of snow it seems like a lot further. As I'm walking I continue to look around and ask myself if there isn't a better place to set up that is closer, unfortunately the answer is usually no.

So, even though for the time being most of the snow where I hunt has melted, I know that we still have several months of winter ahead of us still. There is a White Fronted and Snow Goose special hunt that starts in February and ends March 10. It takes place in Klamath County only and is a damage hunt. Since the inception of this hunt began, two years there has been a large amount of snow at that time. Last year it was un huntable until about three days before it closed due to the fact we had so much snow. There was no place for the geese to land except for where the ranchers and farmers were feeding their livestck or on the Klamath River. The geese wanted little green alfalfa shoots and didn't want to hang out on the snow. So I know better than to think that we're out of the woods just yet. In the meantime, I will be getting accustom to my new Tubbs Frontier Snowshoes and look forward to reviewing them in late February or early March.

I am also having some custom work done to one of my large Cabela's decoy bags for this type of hunting. I will let you know how that works out too and with any luck get most of the bugs figured out next week. I will spend the last few days of the 2008/09 season looking at the wide open spaces of Klamath County goose hunting. The forecast calls for some weather in the form of light rain and snow. I hope the weatherman is right. Otherwise I don't think the geese will feel the need to move around very much. A little storm is all I need, Uh umm, I did say little.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Wild Goose Chase

There has been a warm front here in Oregon for the past week and a half which is helping melt the the snow and ice. So I am becoming a little more optimistic that I can return to Lowlands for an attempt to hunt Canada Geese.

I don't know if there are many, if any in the area of where I hunt. Yet as the saying goes, "you won't know unless you go" means that I will venture south for a firsthand survey and at the very least go for some long walks with Jet. She is thoroughly bored with lounging around and I am missing being in the field. When I last departed Lowlands it was in early December after the first Arctic Blast had hit and everything froze up tighter than a drum. Including the cabin pipes and I am still a bit anxious about what I'll find when I get there.

The Klamath River has a ribbon of open water now, more so in the middle of the river with shelf ice extending out 20 or more yards from the banks. These are extremely dangerous conditions for all parties. I have hunted the river during these conditions although only with a hunting partner and not alone. Hunting in these conditions by myself requires me to be very selective in my shot choices. I have to have the bird land anywhere but on the river ice and it needs to be dead. If it is crippled and lands close enough to the river to get on the ice before I get to it, than I've lost that bird. I will not send Jet onto the ice, because the risk is just to great. Each year hunters lose their four legged companions when they break thorough ice or sieze up when swimming in icey waters. Nothing short of tragic.

Mostly it would be passing shots at Goldeneyes and other divers. Scaup is now closed for the season here. Anyhow, we all know how far those divers can carry after they've been shot. Seen them skip on the water and sail another 20 or 30 feet just from their momentum. I may get lucky and have a few flyovers that I can drop on the river dike. That would be great and Jet would be ecstatic! Often when there have been geese around the area I have set my G and H shells in the field just behind the river dike and then hunkered in the ditch 20 feet from the river's edge. Waiting for the geese to swing over the open water and take a look at the decoys. Usually the hunting pressure has eased a bit and the geese are less wary and in range. Even if the geese don't like my set or aren't interested in landing in the field they often will set in the river. It is between these two zones that presents a small window of opportunity.

I have spent many a chilly late season days laying in ditches listening for the distant call of wild geese and I miss being there. Often all it has yielded me was a cold backside and a long day of solitude. Watching Ravens, Magpies, Hawks, Eagles, Marsh Wrens and the occasional Vole scurrying about. Listening to the pack of dogs that lives across the river bark and the cows mooing when feeding time approaches. With my calls hanging around my neck I cusp my hand around my Iverson call and give it some wind making sure I haven't lost my touch. The call sounds good to me, just hope I get to do some calling for real. As I lay there reminiscing about past goose hunts I am still optimistic. It's all about putting your time in and being in the right place. Knowing this keeps my optimism up, cause eventually the odds will swing in my favor when the two line up. Being in the right place at the right time. Until those lines merge I am only paying my dues and it is with this knowledge I embark on another wild goose chase.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Going The Distance . . . Pt.3

Pt.1
Pt.2

Oh my aching body! I think to myself as I begin to wake up from a fitful slumber. The wind howled all night slamming into the west side of the cabin. Then we heard some rain, not good. Oh boy, this will be a doozey of a day. After about 10 minutes of rolling around in bed I began the process of trying to get to my feet. This was not pretty, nor was it a graceful sight. My hip flexors were screaming at me from being bent over, head down pushing the boat and having to high step the foot plus deep snow. O.K. lets take this slow, we are not in any rush. Larry is groaning too and agreed that we not be in a rush. The coffee tasted great and for a minute I forgot how much I was hurting. Jet and Oyster (Larry's Brittany) are eagerly awaiting their breakfasts. So we finally get moving after a hearty meal ourselves.

The weather is overcast with drizzle and a warm SW wind. Going to be a wet one today. We drive to the dike and start walking out to the river in a slow metered pace. I am looking forward to the snow melting as this will make walking less painful. We get the field shells set and because the wind is so strong we decide not to put out the floaters. The Klamath River has whitecaps and waves nearly 3 feet high. It was the right decision cause we only spent about 2 hours hunkered in and called it a day. Nothing was flying, absolutely nothing! No hawks, no Mergansers, Magpies or even Marsh Wrens. They knew long before us what was going on. We picked up the field shells before they blew away and headed back to the cabin. The wind was so strong I had to lean into Larry. We couldn't hear each over the wind. No doubt, we were a bit nuts to be out there. So we hung out in the cabin and took it easy, still hurting from yesterday's efforts. It was out of our hands that the birds were grounded for the day. We'll try it again tomorrow.

So it is day 3 and the pain upon waking is a little less than yesterday. The best news is that the warm wind and rain have melted much of the snow. We were able to drive closer to the river and less walking which is a big relief. The storm had passed and all was calm again in the basin. We began the usual routine; me setting out field shells and Larry putting out the floaters. Most of the river ice was gone. All that remained is the large shelf ice on some of the corners. There will still be work to keep decoys clear of ice chunks, but at least we have open water at the rivers edge on our side now.


There are geese across the river in the fields and even some Goldeneyes and Scaup on the river. We get comfy in the tules and are optimistic we'll get some shooting. We heard geese as we were setting out the decoys, glad they didn't all leave the Klamath Basin. I was doing some light goose calling when, out of nowhere came 4 geese right into our decoys on the river. They were in total stealth mode. We rolled around and eventually got to a position to shoot from, and as luck would have it we got all 4. This time we had a couple in the river to retrieve but they were dead and in open water, phew. We hunker back down and waited patiently for a couple hours before we had a few more geese come our way. We were 1 shy of a two possession limit and the last goose we shot was a cripple that landed in the river. We both got in the boat and began the wild goose chase. It took us rowing hard over a 1/4 mile before we got into range. That goose had us frothing in sweat before we finally got within shooting range and put it out of all our misery.

We headed back and began breaking down our set. The sun was coming out and we were tired and ready to call it a hunt! Fortunately we were able to drive to the river and load up all our gear, especially the boat. Otherwise I was going to leave it in the ditch til Spring. We agreed that we were indeed a bit nuts, as we chuckled about the great goose hunt boat drag of 2004. Wondering just how long that dike really is?




Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Going The Distance . . . pt. 2

pt.1

We have worked our tails off by the time we get our modest spread of goose decoys in the water. Now we keep our fingers crossed that the water will stay open for awhile. This is challenging hunting for sure and patience is important. Even more difficult is continuing to keep the ice chunks out of your open spot. The river is still flowing, so anything that gets a hold of decoy lines can be trouble. Thus making your decoys look more like cord wood than decoys.

Anyhow, we gave each other a big pat on the back and a, "I can't believe we did that" look then began to settle in. We were tired, and rightfully so. We'd just dragged a 10' Jon boat down a 1/4 mi. snow covered dike, with all the trimmings in it for a river goose hunt.

The sky was overcast and the air temp around freezing. Quite balmy for a January day on the Klamath River. We were comfortable laying in the tule's at the edge of the river. All we had to cover ourselves was some camo burlap. Just across the way in the fields the geese were really chatting it up, and I was getting that warm feeling all over anticipating the fruits of our efforts. It was about mid afternoon and we heard wing beats and before we knew it, the convention across the river was breaking up. It wasn't more than 20 minutes after we had our little patch of open water that we had geese trying to land in it.

We both had our faces covered making it tough to see what the geese were doing, and who was going to give the signal to shoot. Well, needless to say it all worked out just fine. The first small flock doing a fly by, made the mistake of swinging over the river dike for their final approach. We could hear their wing feathers cutting through the air and especially those that were a bit out of place or worn. We rolled, jumped up simultaneously and fired 5 shots and had 5 dead geese on the dike immediately behind us. Larry dropped them quicker than I could believe and and not a single cripple. WOW! I knew it would work, I just knew it! I was thrilled beyond belief and we were well on our way to our daily possession limit. It just about seemed to easy. Last thing you want to do is have to retrieve a goose out on the river ice somewhere. So, we timed our shots so as to attempt to drop them over the dike or fields immediately behind us. We kept our dogs at the cabin cause conditions were sketchy at best. I didn't do much calling, just enough to let them know which direction to get to open water. The next group came and we had our limits. It was the most economical hunt that I had had in a long time.

We were grinning from ear to ear and Larry had now experienced a goose hunt of a lifetime. Re invigorated from our success we began the careful process of retrieving the decoys. Getting the boat on the ice pointed in the right direction, with the rope tied between the boat and head gate in the ditch behind us. Larry carefully scooted the boat towards the open water then gets in it and continues to inch his way over the ice to the decoys. Using a combination of the oars and mall to get there while I keep a semi taught line from the bank. The ice is slicker now from the first time that the boat was pulled over it from the open water. Larry carefully slips the boat into the water and picks up the decoys. He gets to the edge of the ice and I give it the old heave ho and get'em on top and pull him on in. That was the easy part. Relieved that it went smoothly, we drag the boat over the dike top into the ditch behind us and stow the gear for the night.

Now the walk back to the truck. . . again. Only this time with 4 Canada Geese each. It was just about pitch black when we finally got to the truck, tired, hungry and even a bit amazed with our efforts. We grabbed a quick meal and some more coffee, then began plucking etc. It was 11 p.m. before we finished processing the 8 geese. I was starting to get more than a bit stoved up and was wishing I hadn't quit drinking the firewater. We were both exhausted, totally spent and I knew we'd be paying for it tomorrow. After all, this was only day one of our 3 day hunt. Larry was feeling it too. I guess Tylenol pm will have to do for now.

Don't go to far, Pt. 3 is on its way!

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Going The Distance . . . pt.1

The story I am going to share with you all is perhaps the most dedicated, die hard, insane and fruitful wild goose chases, I have ever had the pleasure of participating in.

The following events took place at a location known as Lowlands, in the Klamath Basin of southern Oregon. My good friend Larry and I set out on a cold morning to hunt geese in early January of 2004.

There was quite a bit of snow and the flooded fields, as well as most of the ditches were froze up. The local waterfowl population was long gone by now and only migrating Canada Geese were in the vicinity. We decided to take some goose shells with us for the field and we'd give it a try, in hopes the river might not be completely frozen. We broke trail through the foot deep snow for about a quarter mile or so before getting to the river. Well, there were geese across the river in the fields, although the entire Klamath River was frozen solid. Ummm, as we hunkered in after setting up our field shells I kept thinking to myself, "all we need is open water". Eventually I began repeating this out loud to Larry. The geese were pressured to find open water and need to drink on a daily basis. They can go days without food if they have to, but not water.

Because of all the snow we were unable to drive to the river and bring the Jon boat. So with much encouragement and enthusiasm I was able to convince Larry that what we had to do would be worth the effort. We headed back the same dike we came out and stepping in the" post holes" we'd made 2 hours earlier. We got back to the main road, jumped in the truck and headed up the hill to the cabin. We each grabbed a really strong cup of coffee, and began the checklist for our mission.

Life jackets? check
200' rope? check
8lb. splitting mall? check
Oars? check
Plug in boat? check
5 G and H floating goose decoys? check
Goggles/ eye protection? ? ?
Sanity? ? ?

We loaded the 10' Jon boat in the truck with all the gear and set off on our mission. Got back to the dike, parked and unloaded the boat with the gear in it when reality began to set in. "We're really going to do this, aren't we"? I was beginning to think I might have bit off more than I could chew this time. With the boat loaded, on the snow covered dike we commenced to drag it to the river. Larry was on point pulling and I was in the rear pushing with my head down hoping to stay in our tracks. We stopped a few times in order to keep shedding layers as we were really sweating buckets. The temperature was warming rapidly and the snow was sticking to the boat worse each time we stopped. It took us 40 min. to get there, but we made it! With a collective sigh we rested a few minutes, and listened to the geese chatting across the river. I was relieved they were still there.

Safety is always first when you do this sort of hunting. My mall has a whole drilled through the end of the handle just for the purpose of tethering it to the boat. (We've lost a few malls). The rope was our safety line between shore and the boat and always wear a life jacket when breaking ice on a river. It took awhile to get enough ice broke and cleared to set out our floating decoys. Larry did most of the ice busting and clearing, as it was about 4 inches thick and I was barely making a dent. Yes, these are the extremes to which a die hard dedicated huntress and hunter will go through for the opportunity to shoot a wild goose.

With a modest puddle of open water about 40 feet off the bank with 5 G and H floaters in it, I was feeling more optimistic by the minute. We had gone far and above the average hunters efforts, and I had a real strong hunch the pay off was just a field away.

Part 2 later this week.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Cabin Work

I am headed to Lowlands tomorrow with my good friend Dan. This is where I waterfowl hunt as well as some Pheasant hunting. It is in Southern Oregon in the Klamath basin, once a mecca for waterfowling. There is a modest cabin at this location that a few of us use. Being the resident woodworker, I typically do a few minor improvements during the off season. This trip Dan and I are replacing the sink counter and adding an extended counter next to it. The best part of this improvement is that the sink will now be at its proper 36"H. Another member did this counter originally and it has stood for some 20 years. Although it was built at 32"H. and needless to say gets to be a back breaker after awhile. So Dan dropped off donated materials yesterday at my shop and I have been busy cutting, ripping and figuring. Doing as much as I can before we get there tomorrow. We will also re-do the shelving in the mud room and dispose of any and all items which are no longer of use. When you have a small space, optimizing is critical. The cabin has 3 beds, a frig, wood stove and hot water tank. The thought of a shower has become part of the conversation of recent years. Maybe just do a small addition, it really wouldn't take to much. Oh and how good that would feel after a wet, cold day of hunting. Heck I may not want to come home . . . ever! Well I guess I'd eventually need to do some laundry and catch up on e-mail etc. Shucks, still sounds pretty darn good to me.

We are going to take our shotguns and shoot some skeet during our "work" breaks. Also taking our .22's and shoot some Sage rats (Belding's Ground Squirrels) and Marmots. Oh and lest we not forget, we will be in Skunk habitat. We will take our bins (binoculars) and go for some bird walks along the Klamath River. Typically there are White Pelicans, Western Grebes, Terns, Gulls, and a plethora of local waterfowl. We even have 1 to 2 pairs of nesting Sandhill Cranes on our property, very special indeed!

The top photo is from 2006 when my friend John and I replaced the old aluminum track windows with energy efficient vinyl windows. Wow what a difference that has made. The bottom photo is looking to the South with the Klamath River. off in the distance. I put in the fixed counters last year and we disposed of an oval table. Sure has made it easier to sweep the floors and come and go out the door without the table being in the way. The Fung Shway is far from perfect, yet isn't that what makes "hunting cabins" what they are? Gotta go get busy, have a great weekend everybody!

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Joe's Drake

I've been wanting to share this story with all of you. This is the story of my friend Joe, who is John's son. Anyhow it was several years ago now.

We were hunting in the Klamath Basin of S.W. Oregon early Nov. and the weather was unseasonably warm and mild. We had walked several miles jump shooting ducks and there just weren't many around. There were ditches with fairly tall dikes on both sides and so we decided to split up. Plus John had his dog Jenny (German Shorthair) and I had Jet and it was easier on all of us to walk separate, parallel dikes in hopes of jumping some ducks. So off we go and I can hear John talking to Joe and occasionally catch a glimpse of them through the tall cover. John is trying to keep Jenny in line and use the few "smart cells" she does have. I chuckle to myself listening to the running commentary and then it becomes quiet and I lose sight of them. Ah maybe there's some ducks in the ditch they're sneakin' on. I wait several minutes and then, BOOM BOOM and then I hear Joe exclaiming "I got it, I got it dad, did you see that? I got it". I can see Jenny bounding around like only a Pointer can and I hear John in the background saying "good job Joe"! I radio John and ask for the details and he says . . . "Well I could see some ducks up ahead in the ditch so I told Joe to get down and we'd make a sneak on them. As we got closer I asked Joe if he wanted to shoot, and he said yes. So I handed this little short guy with me my Winchester 20 Ga. O/U and told him what to do, and I'll be damned if he didn't shoot a duck". All the while I can hear Joe in the background all excited and amazed that he actually connected. I ask John what kind of duck and he says a "big buff Drake Mallard".

WOW, I am so happy for Joe and what a way to start your waterfowl career. I am anxious to see Joe's Drake and hear the story firsthand from him. I hurry my pace to get to the end of the dike a bit sooner and meet up with them. As I make the turn and get within eyesight I can see Joe beaming and grinning from ear to ear still in disbelief of his success. I see the drake and it is truly a beautiful mature Drake Mallard with curly tail feathers and all. The green iridescent head shimmering in the sunlight and Joe just as proud as he can be. We recounted the story over and over for the rest of the weekend and told Joe how proud we were and what a special day this is.

I will never forget that day, nor will John. Oh, by the way Joe's nickname is "Mud Dauber," although that was still yet to come.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Late Season Goose Hunt

There is goose hunting and then, there is Goose Hunting! This falls in the latter of the two. The storms had passed and gave way to clear skies and sub zero temperatures. The Klamath River was froze solid and the geese were hungry. Fortunately for us, we had some standing Barley to draw them in. It was in the mid 1980's and gas was a $1.20 a gallon and a dozen eggs only .80 cents. We could get pretty far on both in those years. We hunted hard and put in our time in the pit blind. A 4' by 8' steel box buried below ground level, and yes it was cold! Hunting with my best friend we would smoke Swisher Sweets and tell each stories and watch the smoke billow around us. Playing tic-tac-toe with spent shells on the walls of the pit, waiting for the faintest sounds of Geese off in the distant. We answered them with authority and invited them to our little patch of snow. They answered with urgency and dropped in with reckless abandon...cupped, committed and you'd better be ready! We had geese landing arms distance from our pit blind. We were happier than pigs in ....well, you know. With perma grins and flushed with adrenaline we were warm once again. There was about a week during this particular season when we (about 6 of us) would take turns in the pit shooting limits of geese. Big late season northern Canada Geese. I shot so many I got tired of plucking them. Although when I lay my head on that down pillow (from those very birds), all that remains are the warm memories of good friends and simpler times. Oh, and how I miss both.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Quail Flats Annual Wild Game Feed

This is an event that I have been doing for several years now and a great source of new game recipes. One of the experiences I enjoy about all types of hunting is being able to share wild game with my non hunting friends. I ask my hunting friends to bring a wild game dish of whatever they're inspired to make. My other friends who don't hunt are asked to bring the side dishes, salads and desserts etc. The types of wild meat vary due to the success or lack there of during the previous season. This is quite informative to those who don't hunt. They seem surprised when there aren't any Elk dishes or Venison, let alone Bighorn Sheep etc. Well I tell them it's not as easy as it sounds, being successful each year harvesting Deer , Elk, etc. Sometimes we don't draw a tag and sometimes even when we do draw a tag, we still get outsmarted. After all, it is called hunting for a reason. This year is a fine example. The main dishes will be waterfowl served in a variety of ways and venison thuringer. Types of waterfowl will be Canada Goose cooked Parmesan Style and several species of ducks marinated in rosemary, orange juice and seasonings then barbecued. All harvested from the Klamath Basin in Southern Oregon this past season. The formal recipes will follow in a day or two, so be sure to check back in. There won't be any waders, wet dogs or soggy clothes to dry....just a lot of good food and more stories than you can shake a stick at......second thought, maybe I best keep my waders on hand.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Field Journal: Lowlands Group

Here's a group photo with some of my friends after a morning "diver" hunt on the Klamath River in Southern Oregon. Next comes processing birds while a couple others get brunch underway. Waterfowl hunting can be fast and furious in the Klamath basin in Southern Oregon. Producing wonderful table fare and tired dogs as well as tired hunters.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt