Merry Christmas To All

While I have been away from writing here on Women's Hunting Journal I have been trying to find areas to hunt waterfowl. It has been a challenging season so far. With an early freeze down south followed by several weeks of my attention needed on a new machine I purchased for my woodworking business, I have had a somewhat dismal waterfowl season.

I just returned yesterday from the Klamath Basin after attempting to harvest a Christmas goose. I spent a few days dug in and laying on my back in my ground blind and never fired a shot, nor did I ever see or hear more than a hand full of geese. Just not many birds using the area in which I hunt. So Jet and I came home and stowed our gear in hopes of a better hunt the next time. The landscape was beautiful with 4 to 6 inches of snow and the water table very high as it didn't take me long to get to water while I dug in my ground blind. I have learned a few tricks in staying dry and warm while hunting in cold winter conditions. Some of which include laying a white vinyl shower curtain down first, followed by decoy bags that have the foam padding in the back area, this helps tremendously to insulate from the cold ground. After that I lay my ground blind down and add an old fashioned ensolite pad to the inside of it. With my three layers in place and provided I have worn the right layers I am as warm and dry as a bug in a rug. Only thing missing was the crackling from the wood stove.

I set out 6 full bodied GHG decoys, 18 standard G and H shells and 6 G and H 747 shells. I had cut and carried with me cover in which to brush in my ground blind. From where I laid looking out through the mesh head cover all systems looked good. The full bodied decoys were enticing as they moved with the slightest breeze. All that was missing were the real birds in hopes of giving me the opportunity for a Christmas goose. There's a reason why it's called a wild goose chase. Good thing I have a few from last year still in my freezer.

Jet and I wish you all a very Merry Christmas with lots of good cheer!

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

35 Years In The Making, A Goose Hunt Pt. 1

Little did I know who was coming my way via Facebook last summer. None other than a friend I had lost touch with during my teen years. It was wonderful to reconnect with Jackie after a lifetime of years and miles. We conversed and emailed often, eventually coming to find out she has property near my home. Although she resides and works in N.Cal. she makes frequent trips to my neck of the woods. Among our early conversations we found a common interest in firearms. She has been shooting on a skeet league for a few years now and was totally up for a hunt.

Ah, the stage was being set and I offered her an invite to go waterfowl hunting with me this year. She was excited at the idea and had all kinds of questions regarding gear, shells, etc. etc. I told her to make sure she had good rain gear and enough layers underneath for seriously cold temps and I'd take care of everything else. Not a problem she said and even though her clothing was not camo I told her not to worry, as she'd be in my Final Approach ground blind covered from head to toe and brushed in. She didn't fully understand the language I was speaking, yet she was game for learning.

So it was that we set some dates to hunt for late season geese in S.W. Oregon in the Klamath Basin specifically. The date she headed N. was also during one of the biggest storms of the year and it took her 12 hours including having to chain up to get to my home. Usually it's a 7 hour drive comfortably. It was clear to me that Jackie was still just as gritty and adventurous now, as in our youth. That's not to say that we still don't push the envelope a tad just for sake of doing so. It does keep life exciting that way. After a quick hello and relaxing for a bit we made plans for our morning departure and I gave her a brief overview of what I expected to find where we'll be hunting . It all sounded great to her even though the waterfowl numbers have been low this season. Jackie has spent a good deal of her life in the outdoors and is quite knowledgeable , so I knew a little rain or snow wasn't going to be a problem. The outdoors is where we both are most at ease and I was really looking forward to sharing my love of waterfowling with her.

We left early the next morning, excited and caffeine'd up. Once we got our gear stowed in the cabin we headed out for an afternoon hunt and some recon. The Klamath River was wide open with zero shelf ice and unfortunately no ducks in sight either. We did see some Canada geese on the upper Klamath Lake some 25 miles N.N.E. on our way to Lowlands. I kept the boat hooked up to my truck and backed it into the boat launch area and parked. We were going to hunt the field side of the river dike. This way if we did get a cripple that landed in the river we were ready to retrieve it aided by my boat and a 15 H.P. Mercury outboard. Geese are very fast paddlers and I have lost more than one by not getting to it before it reached a cut bank and hid. We began to shoulder decoy bags, shovels, ground blind and the usual gear. We walked about a 1/4 mile in stubble that was well worn from winter's wrath. As the temperatures warmed so did the ground and the clay in the soil began sticking to our boots. Just like it did when I was a kid hunting the pear orchards for Pheasants in the Rogue Valley. It made for awkward footing and an ongoing task of slinging it off whenever it got to heavy. None the less we made it to where we were going to hunt the next several days and began to dig in- Yes, really physically dig in our ground blinds with a shovel into the face of the dike. Then brush over ourselves so as to be flush with the face of the dike and disappear from the sharp & experienced eyes of late season honkers.

Jackie was fully engaged and having a ball. I wish I had given her the shovel sooner as she is a digger extraordinaire! As we began setting out the decoys Jackie was just beside herself with the landscape and hearing geese off in the distance. She watched as I began attaching heads to bodies (G & H 747) of the field shells and jumped right in. Then we set up the GHG full bodied Spec decoys too. In all we had a couple dozen deeks and with the light S.W. wind we had the Spec decoys had excellent movement. I helped her get situated in the Final Approach Eliminator ground blind then brushed her in. She was happy and ready for whatever and whoever to come flying into range. Not long after I got settled in she was asking "how do you shoot from here"? I said "you throw the top back and sit up and let them have it, just as quick as you can". I told her not to worry that it's much easier when it happens for real then trying to think out all the steps individually. Your reactions will take care of themselves, it's instinctual to a large degree.

Mmm she replied, O.K. and so we waited and talked about all sorts of things. Mostly hunting related and every now and then we'd hear a goose off in the distance, but nothing close. Although when you're with someone who has never hunted geese every goose they hear is exciting and it rubs off on you too. Made me remember back to my early years. A new hunter's enthusiasm is contagious and I was having a blast. The first afternoon came to an end all to quickly and as we broke our set and stashed the decoys, Jackie was giving me the run down of our evening dinner menu. Let's just say she cooked up some wonderful meals including homemade French Bread with fresh Rosemary and Cracked Pepper. It was well worth the wait.

With two more full days left of hunting our enthusiasm was still running high. These were the last days of the 2009/10 waterfowl season and patience was a pre requisite for late season goose hunting. Good things come to those who wait, or at least that's what my mom used to tell me.
I'll let you know how it all turned out and if Jackie got her first goose or not.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Fall Decoy Tune Up

This is the time to get your decoys spruced up if you haven't done so yet. Even though I have been out in the field with bow in hand chasing elk recently, I have been reminded that waterfowl season is less than a month away. Already I have heard and seen the first flights of White Fronted and Canada Geese heading for milder climates to the south. Sometimes I think I grabbed the wrong weapon before heading out the door. None the less I am giving the elk and myself a rest for a few days.

While I try not to go crazy worrying about missing a day of elk season I will look over all my decoys to check lines, weights and if they need a splash of paint. There are several retailers from which you can buy decoy paints and even kits per waterfowl species. Years ago I made a dozen wooden Canvasback decoys. I ordered glass eyes and paint from Cabela's and have really enjoyed being able to hunt over them. I use weighted keels secured to the bottom of the decoy to get them to float properly and not list to one side or the other. This was primarily due to the fact that they were hollow bodies. So if there wasn't the same amount of wood on either side than they had a tendency to lean to the heavier side. The lead keels solved this problem. The keels go way back to the days when all their were were wooden decoys. It was also important for the decoy to have the correct waterline, so to speak. Generally diving ducks sit lower in the water as compared to their dabbler relatives. Plastics had not been developed yet. If anyone is interested in making your own, send me an email and I'll be happy to get you started. There are few things in the waterfowl world as satisfying as watching your own handmade decoys bobbing in the waves, drawing in late season Divers. What a thrill!

Back to the tune up now. I set out all the decoys either on the lawn or in my living room depending on weather and how long I am going to spend doing this. If you haven't washed them off from last season then now is the time, best set'em outside for this. I use a soft plastic bristled brush to help remove marsh mud and muck without harming the paint. Then I let them dry and separate them into 3 groups:

1. A.O.K.
2. Light tough up
3. Major touch up

Also check the decoy lines for any fraying, poor knots, to many knots or lack of anchors. This is also the time to make changes to the lenght of lines and the weights. If hunting large open bodies of water longer lines and heavier weights are needed. Where as just the opposite is true for shallow marshes and flooded fields. I have been using large snap swivels on my decoy lines so I can make this switch depending on where the ducks are. I also have dedicated decoys for hunting the Klamath River as those are predominately diving ducks. Requiring long lines 15 to 20 feet and heavy weights. When hunting the flooded fields I have puddle duck decoys with short lines about 3 to 4 foot long and light weights.

All the above is also true for goose decoys. If you use shells it's important not to stack to many together and also to make sure they are sitting either upright or on their backs. This way the plastic will not become ill shaped from being stored improperly. I have seen it more than once and it's an expensive lesson to learn. With the goose decoys there are lots of new options to choose from. Such as to flock or not to flock? I have used both and as much as I like the realistic head flocking it is not easy to maintain. It does get bumped and brushed off eventually. I start with them flocked and realize that by the end of the season they will need some touching up. No big deal and it's just part of my fall prep anymore. Again you can get head flocking materials from Cabela's and most major waterfowl catalog companies.

When you finish getting your decoys all dialed in then it's time to go through your gear bag and make sure your waders don't leak and sew up any holes in your hunting vest. Buy new reeds for your calls if needed or maybe splurge and get that call that you've been dreaming of since last season. Just give all your gear a good once over. I bet you'll be checking the calendar again for how long til the opener and reminiscing about past hunts. Enjoy the entire experience. After all hunting season is short.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Overlapping Passions

Well I thought I'd take a few minutes and tell you a bit more about myself and how I spend my time. If you've looked at my Gunning Boxes and read some of my blog than you are beginning to understand my preoccupation with attention to detail and the little things. Having invested a great portion of my life in hand built furniture (which I design) I know something about "those little things". Otherwise why spend the time and energy doing such work? Just as I spend countless hours laying in the field looking at my decoys and trying to figure out how to outwit the real birds. I am asking myself if my "set" looks realistic?...that is to whatever type of waterfowl I am trying to lull in. Maybe there's one, or a few decoys that aren't quite right and that can make all the difference. To some extent this is a judgement call that not will hold true 100% of the time. I look at them(the decoys) from several angles and try to determine if they look "natural" and not to orderly. Often it's best to not mix Canada and Spec decoys, but to keep them in like groupings for optimal results. Just as there are some basic "do's and don'ts" when it comes to woodworking and furniture design. The same is true in setting decoys, be it goose shells, floating geese and the likes for ducks. Not to mention dabblers and divers and their tendencies, and weather too. Learning to make those adjustments with your decoys may be just the trick to getting them cupped and committed. So the next time you see a group of live birds in a field, take some mental pictures of them and put that to use the next time you make your decoy set.
We all put alot of time and energy into our hunting(not to mention cost) so why not try to maximize your efforts. Don't be afraid to try something new, you might just be pleasantly surprised!

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt

Decoys

If you hunt Canada Geese with shell decoys you no doubt have noticed their big bright white cheek patches diminish with use. This is par for the course, considering the harsh weather, rough handling and just bouncing around in their respective bags. There is no time like summer time to get yourself a can of white exterior latex paint and a couple of small brushes and spruce up their white cheek patches. It doesn't take very long and the payoff is well worth it. I did this with my G and H 747 shells and wow what a difference. The other thing I do for my decoy heads is to put them in old socks, this really saves on wear and tear. I found all I needed at my local Goodwill store. I like the big heavy winter socks best. They offer a bit of padding and will last for many years. May seem like a bit much, although all that bouncing around is just paint rubbing off and that's not good. Stay tuned for more tips and tactics.

Women's Hunting Journal Integrity For The Hunt