1st day of the best freeze in years

[branthunter]

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.
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/D1freeze08/IMGP3311.jpg
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/D1freeze08/IMGP3314.jpg
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.
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/D1freeze08/IMGP3319.jpg
Next bird was also a pintail drake and then the mallards started pouring into the decoys. Jake nailed them all.
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/D1freeze08/IMGP3322.jpg
By the time a limit was in the beside the punt the sky was darkening over the decoys as the sun went down.
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/D1freeze08/IMGP3328.jpg
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/D1freeze08/IMGP3330.jpg
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.
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/D1freeze08/IMGP3336.jpg
Back at the shack for a few "look at me pics".
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/D1freeze08/IMGP3337.jpg
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/D1freeze08/IMGP3339.jpgThis 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.

[Dannybuoy]

WoW ! You have got a great set-up for waterfowl hunting ... esp the dogs ! Great photo's !

[870]

Nice photos,
thats a great looking pintail there.
Hopefully I will be back before the freeze is over.
nice shooting.

870

[Qwa-honn]

Looks like we both had a really good weekend.
congrats. I got a spoonbill this weekend. That is the first one that I have ever shot in my area

[branthunter]

Looks like we both had a really good weekend.
congrats. I got a spoonbill this weekend. That is the first one that I have ever shot in my area

TY, it looks like you had a really good shoot too and a nice mixed bag. We don't get any divers on the marsh down here at the mouth but I'm sure if a guy laid out on the flats he could do well---I've been telling myself I was going to do it "this year" for years and if I thought I'd get another go at cans I would---guess I'll never know unless I try.. I know cans will decoy to a mallard spread 'cause I used to shoot 1 or 2 a year on the outer edge of the outer marsh.

[sneg]

nice set up you got there.thanks for sharing pics.

[zaconb]

Great pictures, when it gets cold, I mean really cold that’s my favorite time to hunt.
As for your "best friend" and hip soreness talk to your vet about Metacam, it will allow your pal to hunt a little longer and in comfort in the years to come.
Cheers
Rick

[branthunter]

Thanks for the advice Rick, I'll get some tomorrow. I did give him an anti-inflammatory that I've used personally for many years with much success plus one of my painkillers and they did seem to help---I just wonder if any progressive damage is being done by the repeated exposure to that kind of stress. You have to expect this to happen with a dog as he ages but he's only 9 in May and I thought he'd last a bit longer than this before the onset of old age.

[BlacktailStalker]

Nice pics, looks like fun.
Nothing better than a day "working" with your best friend.

[Qwa-honn]

hey what happend to the pics?

[Marc]

As for your "best friend" and hip soreness talk to your vet about Metacam, it will allow your pal to hunt a little longer and in comfort in the years to come.
Cheers
Rick


Good suggestion, it works like a hot dam but unfortunately my male lab can't stomach it at all. He's got bad hips and had an episode where he couldn't even stand up. Gave him some metacam and within an hour he was back on his feet. The poor dog was vomiting and shaking to the point it was more painful to medicate him then not. Ended up putting him on aspirin for a month or so before I was able to ween him off. He's back to walking a round but doesn't get taken on long walks anymore. He just turned 12 and now is pretty much a house dog with the odd walk to the shore.

[f350ps]

Hey Bob, looks like ya had some fun. I was out Sun.aft on the inside on the rise and it was very good. Plan was to only take greenheads until I tripled on the first flock and two were hens,oh well, next time. Who's dogs you looking at breeding with, I may be in the market. Gonna head out at first light tomorrow and giver a go as they're calling for snow. Keep up the good work. K

[branthunter]

"I think it's 3, maybe 4-5 years since we had a hard freeze like this one"

Going back through some old pics, it was 2004.
http://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/freeze%2004/freez04.jpghttp://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/freeze%2004/freeze04.jpghttp://i368.photobucket.com/albums/oo126/branthunter/freeze%2004/IMG_0165.jpg
All the earlier pics got deleted because I re-organized my photobucket albums and that screwed up the embedded URL---I've reinserted the pics.

[branthunter]

Hey Bob, looks like ya had some fun. I was out Sun.aft on the inside on the rise and it was very good. Plan was to only take greenheads until I tripled on the first flock and two were hens,oh well, next time. Who's dogs you looking at breeding with, I may be in the market. Gonna head out at first light tomorrow and giver a go as they're calling for snow. Keep up the good work. K

My friend hasn't made a decision yet to go ahead with the idea so this is all just wishful thinking on my part at the moment but if he does I'll let you know Kelly--if it goes ahead the pups should be deadly hunters because his females and Jake are deadly on every thing they do---long retrieves (both open water and field), marking birds (even the fly away and die kind), swimming in circles searching for diving cripples, following a scent trail on water or field, finding pheasants--and they all have top notch papers.

[shotgunjohn]

Much better story with the pics in. Nice haul as well. I'm hoping to get out this week but the cold makes farming tough. We will also be looking for a lab pup sometime in the not too distant future so be sure and let us know if it happens.

Good hunting;
John

[Dirty]

That looks like the estuary by Reifel Bird Sanctuary, is it?

[f350ps]

Don't matter, too far for you anyways! It's been very good the last few days, ask yer Dad if he wants to get out. I'm goin again in the morn. but he can also come on the weekend iffin he wants. K

[branthunter]

That looks like the estuary by Reifel Bird Sanctuary, is it?

It's in that area.