Dec. 4 Pitt Polder
Well, after missing a week on the Polder due to ice, we got out this morning bright and early. It was about -3 C when we got to the launch, and as we got ready to go, we watched Dano's boat crunching along for the first 40 yards or so of the channel. Funny, the worst ice was in the channel by the boat launch.
We got set up and ready to go prior to legal time, and there seemed to be quite a few birds in the air. There were a bunch of early flights, but due to poor shooting by both Gregg and I, we only bagged a couple early on.
Since we were in the shadow of the mountain until 9:30, ice was still forming out in the channel in front of us. There was no ice when we got there, so it seemed odd that ice would form as the morning went on. There was no wind to speak of, but he fog on the river tried its best to move in. Had to send Gregg out in the boat to make a few runs in and around the decoys to break up the ice to create some open water to entice the birds in.
Angus did his best impersonation of an ice breaker on his first retrieve of the day across the channel. It's the first time he's retrieved birds in icy conditions, so needless to say, I was pretty proud of him and surprised that he just plowed through the ice to get the bird.
We ended up with only 7 birds: mallard hens and a couple gadwalls.
The day finished with some more work on the blind and christening it with a frosty home-brew. What a beautiful day out there.
Here's a few shots of the day:
Gregg setting the decoys:
Angus the ice-breaker
Gregg making a couple of passes to bust up the ice
Angus packing one low in the water
Drinking rum before 10 a.m. does not mean you are an alcoholic, it means you are a pirate.