Crazy_Farmer
12-20-2008, 10:34 AM
Well everythings been frozen up here for a week and a bit now and havent seen alot of ducks and since canadas arent open yet we figured we'd try our luck on our first snow goose hunt. We have no season in our area, or snow geese for that matter, we mainly just target canadas but its great to finally get out there and help with this snow goose problem I'm always hearing about.
We knew it was gonna be cold and icy and a bit windy, and it was all of those things. The waters werent that bad really. A few spots had ice chunks, hit a couple going but all was okay. Hunting out of a punt is definitely something we field boys dont do enough of but we absolutely love it becuase its a different style of hunting we rarely get to do.
http://members.shaw.ca/stevensml/hunting/dec%2019th_640x480.jpg
Coming back in after the morning we had a nice layer of ice build up, a boat weighed down with snow geese and some great memories from a great hunt.
http://members.shaw.ca/stevensml/hunting/dec%2019th2_640x480.jpg
I had joked when we pulled out onto the water in the morning that I wanted to shoot some russian bands. I have never gone out wanting or expecting bands, its not what I or we hunt for. But it sure is icing on the cake once you have a great hunt. And both me and matt have never even shot a banded duck or goose, theres been a lot of birds taken in the last few years but I guess luck and odds finally payed out.
Well wouldnt you know it we get back to the launch, all rigged up and we pulled it out. We were just standing around in the cold when we picked up some birds for some photos and there it was a very old looking band on one of the snows. We all busted out in laughter and cheers, unbeliveable how we didnt catch it at first.
With no idea of who shot it or when, I first thought of drawing straws as the universal fairness of who gets the group band. Instead our friend says nah you guys can have it, so then its between me and my brother(mattchu_19). Me being the more humble ones I guess ;) offer it to my brother and say there you go your first band on your first snow hunt. We're all still excited and even after that I joked around saying, I'll get a russian one.
http://members.shaw.ca/stevensml/hunting/dec%2019th4_640x480.jpg
We finished taking some photos back at the shop of our 3 man limit. What an outstanding hunt to be our first snow goose hunt, almost spoiled in the numbers for our first time out.
http://members.shaw.ca/stevensml/hunting/dec%2019th5_640x480.jpg
Then wouldnt you know it. We drive an hour back home throw the birds in the basement to clean tomorrow, Matts gone, everything asleep, there I am moving birds and what do I see another band.
Wow, now I'm just grinning ear to ear, I cant believe we missed another one after we shot them. So I get on the banding site and enter in both bands. They're both wore down quite good, you can still see the numbers but the metal is very thin and rubbed down.
Turns out we got some Russian Wrangel Iron. Matt's bird was banded in 1996, and mine in 1998. 12 and 10 yards old, probably a couple years old when they got banded too but we'll get that info back in a couple weeks on the certificate.
I cant think of a better way to to take friday off from work and have a hunt like that. Truely a remarkable hunt, one we wont forget for a long time. Who would of thought on your first snow goose hunt, both of us would both get our first bands.
We knew it was gonna be cold and icy and a bit windy, and it was all of those things. The waters werent that bad really. A few spots had ice chunks, hit a couple going but all was okay. Hunting out of a punt is definitely something we field boys dont do enough of but we absolutely love it becuase its a different style of hunting we rarely get to do.
http://members.shaw.ca/stevensml/hunting/dec%2019th_640x480.jpg
Coming back in after the morning we had a nice layer of ice build up, a boat weighed down with snow geese and some great memories from a great hunt.
http://members.shaw.ca/stevensml/hunting/dec%2019th2_640x480.jpg
I had joked when we pulled out onto the water in the morning that I wanted to shoot some russian bands. I have never gone out wanting or expecting bands, its not what I or we hunt for. But it sure is icing on the cake once you have a great hunt. And both me and matt have never even shot a banded duck or goose, theres been a lot of birds taken in the last few years but I guess luck and odds finally payed out.
Well wouldnt you know it we get back to the launch, all rigged up and we pulled it out. We were just standing around in the cold when we picked up some birds for some photos and there it was a very old looking band on one of the snows. We all busted out in laughter and cheers, unbeliveable how we didnt catch it at first.
With no idea of who shot it or when, I first thought of drawing straws as the universal fairness of who gets the group band. Instead our friend says nah you guys can have it, so then its between me and my brother(mattchu_19). Me being the more humble ones I guess ;) offer it to my brother and say there you go your first band on your first snow hunt. We're all still excited and even after that I joked around saying, I'll get a russian one.
http://members.shaw.ca/stevensml/hunting/dec%2019th4_640x480.jpg
We finished taking some photos back at the shop of our 3 man limit. What an outstanding hunt to be our first snow goose hunt, almost spoiled in the numbers for our first time out.
http://members.shaw.ca/stevensml/hunting/dec%2019th5_640x480.jpg
Then wouldnt you know it. We drive an hour back home throw the birds in the basement to clean tomorrow, Matts gone, everything asleep, there I am moving birds and what do I see another band.
Wow, now I'm just grinning ear to ear, I cant believe we missed another one after we shot them. So I get on the banding site and enter in both bands. They're both wore down quite good, you can still see the numbers but the metal is very thin and rubbed down.
Turns out we got some Russian Wrangel Iron. Matt's bird was banded in 1996, and mine in 1998. 12 and 10 yards old, probably a couple years old when they got banded too but we'll get that info back in a couple weeks on the certificate.
I cant think of a better way to to take friday off from work and have a hunt like that. Truely a remarkable hunt, one we wont forget for a long time. Who would of thought on your first snow goose hunt, both of us would both get our first bands.