I think it's 3, maybe 4-5 years since we had a hard freeze like this one so put on your fleecies lads and make the best of it. Got out Saturday to the outer marsh for day 1 in the afternoon on a pre-snow N'easter as the front started to move in. Anchored the tow boat in the ditch with the marsh punt hanging off the stern under a sno-laden sky.
First bird down was a really nice bull sprig after a bit of a tough swing over the r. shoulder--had to dip backwards and drop the r. shoulder low to get him.
Next bird was also a pintail drake and then the mallards started pouring into the decoys. Jake nailed them all.
By the time a limit was in the beside the punt the sky was darkening over the decoys as the sun went down.
By the time I pulled the set and punt poled back up the marsh and down the ditch against the N'east and got the tow hooked up it was pitch black and the old man was about spent. Radiation, chemo, and surgery 3 years ago left me with less than 1/2 of what I used to be able to do but the other 1/2 is still here and it's all still as sweet as it gets when the weather goes like this and the birds are flying.
Back at the shack for a few "look at me pics".
This may well have been Jake,s last freeze up hunt as he was awful stiff and sore in the hips that night and yesterday morning. He's been the best friend and hunter a person could ever want and don't want to take a chance on wrecking him for the years we've got left. I took Jesse out yesterday for her first freeze hunt and she brought home a limit too but I forgot the camera so no pics. I had a call this am. from a pal who's two black lab females are both in heat and he's thinking of breeding them to Jake. I sure hope so---it would be mighty sweet to get a puppy of his out of one of these gals, both of whom are Ace hunters too. Wish I'd bred him to Jesse before getting her spayed but stupidly, I didn't. Chores today (why do freezes always have to happen at xmas when the "honeydo" list is so long) but the rest of the week should be as good as it gets.
And yes, I finally figured out how to embed the pics in the post.
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Originally Posted by Qwa-honn
