Dinsdale opener Dec 2010

[naes]

Today was opening day at Dinsdale Farm. I was up early and met everyone at the Field. It was a good turn out Duckbuster, Field Marshal, Marc, Chessie Guy and son as well as two others from Victoria (Didn't get there HBC names). Nice to meet some new guys out there. Not everyone was shooting I heard Marc and Chessie had someone on the video camera and Field Marshall was helping me out in the blind.

We set up the decoys and blinds it was quite an arrangement to accomidate all the hunters. Duckbuster and Field Marshal had been scouting a couple of days before and had it all figured out for us today. Even if the Swans through us for a bit of a loop.

It was windy and wet for awhile. Field Marshal kept checking his watch the first geese didn't show up until after 9:00 and they were two Speckle bellies. Can't shoot those!
Not long afterward the geese started to show up and as usual the good shooting was mixed in with bad. Duckbuster and I managed 5 between us and I heard Marc and Chessie did alright too. I won't spoil there report but let you here it from them. Great day on the field.
Thanks everyone!

[kyleklassen]

good shoot, congrats.

[Marc]

Friday was my last day of work until the 5th of January, I took off from work and headed straight to Buckerfield's to try and find some ground cover for the layouts as Chessie guy and his son where on the way down with their layout blinds as well. I asked the lady behind the counter what she had that had the deepest green colour. Got what I needed and went home to meet up with Chessie Guy and his son who drove all the ways down from Campbell River to do a goose hunt. We covered up the blinds and were quite amazed at how well they blended in on the fields.

We had a great morning, man was it windy. Several times we had to go out and pick up decoys that had gotten blown over. First time I've seen the Dakota's tip over in the wind. I was amazed at how sheltered we were in the layouts. I could see the deer blind set up in the briar patch from a couple of guys from Victoria, it looked like it was going to come off the ground a few times as it flapped in the wind.

I had Marshall in his dog blind with his back to the wind protected from the wind and cold, he was tentatively watching in anticipation of a retrieve as the swans and ducks flew only feet above us and dumped in the corn field just behind our layouts. You could hear the swans swashing away in the water and the ducks making feeding chuckles not 20 yards behind us. We were getting a bit concerned they might come over and eat the grass off of the blinds. I was getting some pretty disgusted looks from the dog. The only birds we're allowed to shoot on that property are Canada geese but try and explain that to a dog who's used to retrieving limits of ducks. Chessie Guy's son didn't have the 2 million liability so he was the designated camera man for the morning hunt.

The first flock of geese to come in had about 8 big Canada's and another 10 specks in the flock, I warn Chessie guy as they were getting closer to be careful not to shoot the smaller birds and shoot to the left of the flock as they are coming in, the speckle bellies were all on the right. Just as they were getting ready to put the landing gear down, they came in really nice into the pocket we set up around the 20 yards mark. We push through the blind doors and take aim as the geese start to back peddle and try to gain altitude, I notice a lesser in the bunch and target him first. When the dust settles Chessie guy and I ended up folding 4 out of that flock, one lesser and 3 Giant Canada's. The dog runs out and sees 4 birds on the ground and tries to figure out which one to retrieve first. At this point we had high expectations and I figured we're going to get our limit in no time.

Then it began, flocks were holding just out of range and hanging in the air like kites it was blowing so hard. We must have had a dozen or so flock look us over but it was hard pickings from there on in. We managed to scratch another two birds by noon.

The last bird was a sailer, I managed to get the dog lined up for a blind retrieve as he didn't see the bird go down. I casted him out and he went out a good 75 yards into the corn field before the bird tried to pick up again. Then the chase was on, Marshall was running full out and didn't let up even though he was slowly loosing ground, that goose flew another 200 yards before there was no more gas in the tank and the goose tumbled to the ground. The dog makes up the 50 yards or so and pounces on the goose as it attempts to take off again, the dog takes 30 seconds to catch his breath, picks up the bird and runs with it all the ways back to me and delivers it to hand. I've never been more proud of that dog and that would have been a lost bird hadn't it been for the dog as we never would have gotten close enough to finish it off. I wish I would have had the camera rolling when it was all unfolding but the last bird was taken in the process of packing everything up for the haul out so it will be a memory only 3 people will ever remember or see unfortunately.

I do have some video footage of the hunt and will try and post some of it when I get the chance to edit out all the misses.

[BigfishCanada]

Nice pic, Nice day for sure!!!!!!!

[lorneparker1]

Saweet!!! Layouts hey??

[Chessieguy]

Great replay of the day Marc...And we had a great time especially wathcing a Chessie at work...a thing of beauty!!!

Thanks for bring a fine host Andrew and I greatly appreciated it

[Tanya]

Sounds like a great outing Marc, congrats. We "ducked" on Sat, although we did see quite a number of Canadas, freezer space is getting tight.

[Marc]

Great replay of the day Marc...And we had a great time especially watching a Chessie at work...a thing of beauty!!!

Thanks for being a fine host Andrew and I greatly appreciated it

Glad to have you and Andrew down for the weekend for some good old East Coast hospitality. Man was that goose ever good, spent the better half of an hour picking up beer bottles and sweeping the grass off the floor before my wife gets home this afternoon.

[TheProvider]

Nice shoot guys