[Branta]

Well, we know what CC did (spewing jealous envy!)

Here's how I spent it...

That "little" piece is a good 4" thick and about 2 ft in width!! that was Saturday morning.

Here's Saturday afternoon at the other spot... (notice the aerators)

Thank God for Chain Saws!!

and the end result...

probably a 30 x60 yd hole. the blind is just to the left of the bush out of view.

needless to say, I was in bed shortly after 8:00 Saturday night and I'm still feeling the effects today! I could "take the pain" if I didn't screw it up though. on the way home, I found a field that I could hunt where the geese were just bombing in. now the delema... stick to the plan or hunt this new find? talked myself out of the water hole and to the field. Only shot 8 birds as most of the flock came at the same time to the field. we were cooked in 10 minutes.

the kicker? That hole needed to be attended to, so I gave that to my partner. Yup, you guessed it. He Nextels while I'm out in the field and says "We can't hunt that hole for while or at least until it snows." Why? I ask. Cuz there's BLOOD all over it!! 6 guys - 27 birds. B'TARD!!!

You know where I'll be in about 3-4 days!!

 

[Branta]

here's the field hunt.

my layout, part of the rig (lots of motion dekes) and the take.

and what I was watching the day before (probably 6-700 birds on the ground already.

 

[just ducky]

Thatta boy Branta! Keep chasin those stinking "trash chickens".....er, I mean geese. I give you a ton of credit for going to all of that work for geese (you know how I love 'em). After all, somebody's gotta kill the suckers!

 

[stacemo]

If nothing else, we have to keep them out of just ducky's decoys so he see the greenheads!

 

[Branta]

In JustDucky's eyes, the only good in all that work was that I caught a couple nice perch after spudding that hole!

(yeah right..., when pigs fly! smelly, slimy little b'tards!!)

I'll burn that coop down if you put one over me hole!

 

[just ducky]

Hey there's an idea Branta....if you keep choppin', I can get my boat out and go after the perch! Just kidding. I applaud your committment to goose hunting to go to that extreme. I can remember a time a few years ago at Shiawassee running the boat around in the crop field in the pre-dawn breaking up 3/4" of ice just to get an opening big enough to hunt. It sounded like we were grounded on something with all of the noise. Anyway, you guys keep shooting those birds, and I'll keep chasin' the perch.

 

[stacemo]

One question. How do you keep those aerators running?

 

[Branta]

200 yds of that heavy duty construction grade extention cord! (that stuff's heeeeeavy! )

Run it right from the house out to the lake and the other hole we have electric hook up on private property.

 

[just ducky]

Hey Branta,
You go to all of that trouble of running power out there for geese, I have an easier idea.....Dynamite! That would open you a he!! of a hole for those big trash chickens. Sorry....couldn't resist.

 

[Branta]

Hey... I'm a firm believer in "You get out of it, what you put into it" . I just hope this snow dump we just got hasn't killed the rest of this late season for me (we'll go from 2000 to 200 birds overnight). I might just be joining you on a "fish hunt"

the "dynamite" idea? I like it!
That's the old DNR trick to make "holes" in Cattail choked marsh areas. They did that once up at Grass Lake many moons ago - with all the city folk now moving up there... don't think that cheap/easy mngmt technique would fly anymore!


Got some? I could also use some heavy duty bottle rockets if you have any!

 

[Chasin]

Looks like we had the same idea Branta. We had a decent shoot.
Pic taken by local C.O.



And him checking our birds.

 

[Chasin]

I'mm sorry I cant get both pics to show. I must be doing something wrong.

 

[Branta]

I just love pics - can't see enough of them!

Looks like you did well. (and I see the GHG's - were you the guy that cleaned out Waterford GMtn after I came through? we want'd to get more and couldn't find any.)

can't really tell, but did you go with a cover or the sno-spray for your power hunter?

(looks like you have a short neck in there too.)

how was the CO experience? have had good n bad. One cool one was that the guy hopped right into the pit with us when some birds were coming in... gave him a flag (did pretty good too!)

the other time, this jack (in the box) tore through the field at good speed, then hit the brakes like he was "starsky and hutch" plowing through the rig and stopping 10-15 ft from the edge of the pit. stepped out of the truck right onto a mag carry-lite shell like a stepping stool. (guess looking up at the grill of a Green dodge PU was suppose to Intimidate us.) what a...

 

[just ducky]

Actually, the DNR used to blow holes open in the marsh on Harsen's Island with dynamite or something similar. between that and burning they did manage to get some potholes open....Geez that marsh is thick there, and about 12 feet tall too.

Yep the CO experience you had sucks. I think we've all had good ones and bad ones, and I guess that's true in any group whether it's CO's, cops, fast food employees, waitresses, etc. Overall though I appreciate the job the CO's do. It's a lot tougher than people think, and with the budget situation, we're lucky there are any left.

 

[Branta]

agree completely. (should've said that so it wasn't taken the wrong way)

Most experiences have been fine", those two just kinda lept out for me. thought it was pretty cool to have this guy floppin a flag next me - did make me a tad uncomfortable though! and then the other guy was such a .... I'll can never forget it.

saw some newbies up in the fish point area this year - good to see the young blood out there in all their "zeal".

funny/not funny experience with CO's - Manitoba.
guided hunt, this blue pick up comes charging, I mean charging diagonally across this field we're hunting and two guys leap out of the cab, a guy jumps out of the bed with a lab. total gustapo moves! it appears that our guide didn't have permission for this spot/ was a known poacher and because of earlier conflicts with the land owner, was told never to return to this area. they saw his pick up from the road and beat it out to us! we're all standing there wide eyed as these guys tore through everything, i mean everything and then walked the dog around the whole perimeter of the field and around the pickup looking for birds we mayhave tried to hide. - just one snap shot instance from my "worst hunting trip ever." If I told you everything that went wrong, you'd swear I was lying, that it could never get that bad. Well, I've got 7 other SCI hunters/ a documented complaint to national/ and ANOTHER e-mail complaint from a party after us that used the same guy that says it did and then some. The CO actually felt bad for us and suggested we part company with this yahoo immediately. When I think of it now, it kinda makes me laugh at least. unreal.

 

[Chasin]

The C.O. was a nice guy never gave us any trouble at all just checking things out. I didnt buy out the waterford store of GHG's. I bought out the Port huron store. (even got the last doz they had on hold for someone else in the back). The hunting was pretty good we called in 5 flocks ended up shooting at 3 of them and took 8 birds. (one sailer that fell in a woodlot that we never found) Hoping to get out this weekend. Quetsion for ya. How much snow will these birds take before bugging out? this foot of snow has me worried the birds cant eat and if they cant my season is over. I camoed my powerhunter myself with a drop cloth from a paint store. I sprayed some snow on just the mesh. Got it at Big lots for 25 cents a can. ( bought 20 cans) The drop cloth works very well. I have to put a little more work into it to make it perfect but you never know what you need until you get out and use it. That was my first hunt with the blind I got it for christmas.

 

[Branta]

.25/can? Man, and I thought I was getting a deal at .65!!

nice work!

on the snow, my feeling is that the true "locals" will hang on as long as it doesn't ice over/crust up on top where they can't feed. if not, they'll root right down throught 6" of snow to get waste corn.

edit- which reminds me of another little tip. place your dekes and then dig up the snow to the ground in front of your dekes. Make it look like the flock is really rooting around in the field lookin' for a feed.

sometimes, this opens up new possibilities for you too. look for fields with beaten/still standing corn. geese maybe able to reach the cobs with this new height advantage. last year, I drove by one of my fields where we left some standing corn in the middle to hide a standup blind. I saw some "dekes" and immediately hit the brakes so I could chew someone's arse only to have the dekes fly off when the truck stopped at the edge of the field. they were not OUT in the field... they were right in the standing corn with a few birds on the perimeter.

So as long as they can get to the feed and they've got a place to drink/roost we may still have a chance this weekend. (scouting tomorrow afternoon - so we'll see what happens).

 

[Chasin]

Same here I'll be scouting sat to hunt sunday. If you ever need an extra gun sometime let me know. I pull my own weight, with spots to hunt, scouting for birds, decoy spread, and every thing else involved.