4 replies to this topic

[CaseyU]

Well I know opening of the 09 season was a long time ago but i just got this picture from my cousin. So i missed out on the opening weekend which has never happened before I got held on work for an extra week ( we broke a couple fires in our jurisdiction) So after hearing about how my two brothers and two cousins got their fill of limits. I was happy for them but could have done bad things too. I finally talked my brother into bringing me all my decoys and hunting gear to my station cuz i was getting off work the next day ( an hour and a half drive, he really owed me for some past experiences) So it was hard to sleep, but i did it. three thirty rolled around and i was ok to leave my station. I met my cousin at his property up in big valley. Holy dog poop it was windy. So we set up on a point of a grain field where some specks were going in. I did not even care if we did not kill anything it just felt so good to lay down in my lay down blind and look at the ducks fly by. well started off pounding some mallards. called em right into the honker decoys (early season) Honkers are both of our passions. Pretty soon we hear a flock and spot them heading our way. after my excitement settled a little, we started calling. Honk, clucks, clucks, moans. Sure as dog poop they fly right by. I'm terribly pissed off thinking what the hell is wrong. After picking up about three dozen decoys that fell over in the wind and set them back up, the next flock rolls in. These guys were hooked. I swear to you cuz its never happened before my hands were tired from blowing my short reed. they hung like kites what seemed to be about five minutes on a realistic guess. as soon as you slowed down on the call they started gliding off. Get on the call and they swung right back. Then right over our heads the flock from early is in the wind and goes by about mach ten. does a swing and quickly leafs right into the other flock. then another minute or two went by until we had the first five just about hit the ground ( there was about sixty birds) we called the fifteen to twenty yard shot. we shot five times and had our four birds on the ground. What a hunt. and as if that was not enough we had some bling on the ground*** ( for the non waterfowler, this is a banded bird, which is a huge trophy) we had two banded honkers. it made up for missing the opening weekend.

[BullsEye]

Congrats on the hunt!!! Why is it that the bands are so special?

[Moe]

All serious waterfowl hunters collect bands. I know I sure do. One day a few years ago when my dog was still alive I killed 3 cacklers with bands. The very next duck hunt I went on I got a banded mallard. Kinda cool.

[CoyoteHuntress]

Grats!! A double band loot!! Im not into waterfowl hunting but I know the bands are highly prized

[Pogo]

Cool. Collecting bands was a big deal when I was in high school. I never got very many but several guys I know had a huge chain of the things. I should see if I can find mine, I've even got a couple of neck bands.