fowlweather
03-25-2011, 10:09 PM
after a long year of nagging my dad finally gave in and the family took a "MANCATION" to relieve some post season blues.
So we set off to south dakota... and here this, my brother was kicked off the flight from Denver to Sioux Falls south dakota because there were an overcapacity of bags, the worst part was that his seat was taken by ONE checked bag that had to be brought into the plane or else the bag wouldnt make it.... long story short is that he was bumped back to the flight an hour later because of ONE bag that was strapped to the seat with the seatbelt
Now that we are done with the drama i can move on to the hunting part
First day:
Morning:
its cold and REEAAALLY windy, winds were around 75mph, a little much. but it didnt stop the birds. within the first hour we had 10 birds on the ground and everyone was having fun. every hour after it got slower, the flocks were smaller and got more resistant oto decoying. my favorite part of that morning was watching a flock that was only 100yds away try to keep up with the wind to be able to land, for you water fowlers out there you know what i mean, the last pass when they complete their final 100yds, the funny part was that with the wind it took the birds at least a minute to go the last 100yds, it was almost impossible waiting for the guide to call the shot, and then, the second they flare they get caught in the wind and kite away moving like fighter jets. the worst part was retrieving them because they would cripple and with no wind they would drop dead straight down but with the wind they would be 50yds away by the time they hit the ground, lets just say it wasnt fun retrieving... especially the ones that sailed.
Evening:
Its lightly raining and still windy but not as much. within the first hour a flock of four blue geese come in and they all get rolled, and then waiting... for about two hours we all hid from the rain and wind in the ground blinds and then i do my little peek out and see a lone juvy snow setting his wings 20yds away... unsurprisingly the guide and the other hunters are asleep snoring away in their blinds. i call to my brother "KILL IT!" and we go loud we wake up everyone one of the other hunters looks like he is having a seizure and yells "HOLY SH#T!" the other one said he almost crapped his pants, and what do you know. my dad is STILL SLEEPING! we are laughing at him as he wakes up about a minute after the action and what do you hear?, you might have guessed it thunder! and along with that comes his best bud lightning. the guide starts tells us to pack up in a very serious tone, we ask him and say, "why are we packing up? back in vancouver the storms are good for hunting." he then replies, "well you can stay out in the middle of 1200 stainless steel rods when there is lightning, but i sure as hell wont!" we all look at eachother and decide we better start packing up.
here are some highlights from all three days,
flock of three Ross geese
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11121.jpg
Second flock of three ross' geese
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11123.jpg
"SMALL" FLOCK!? (look close bottom right)
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11125.jpg
Another view at one of the black clouds of birds
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11126.jpg
The only sunny part of the hunt
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11142.jpg
So we set off to south dakota... and here this, my brother was kicked off the flight from Denver to Sioux Falls south dakota because there were an overcapacity of bags, the worst part was that his seat was taken by ONE checked bag that had to be brought into the plane or else the bag wouldnt make it.... long story short is that he was bumped back to the flight an hour later because of ONE bag that was strapped to the seat with the seatbelt
Now that we are done with the drama i can move on to the hunting part
First day:
Morning:
its cold and REEAAALLY windy, winds were around 75mph, a little much. but it didnt stop the birds. within the first hour we had 10 birds on the ground and everyone was having fun. every hour after it got slower, the flocks were smaller and got more resistant oto decoying. my favorite part of that morning was watching a flock that was only 100yds away try to keep up with the wind to be able to land, for you water fowlers out there you know what i mean, the last pass when they complete their final 100yds, the funny part was that with the wind it took the birds at least a minute to go the last 100yds, it was almost impossible waiting for the guide to call the shot, and then, the second they flare they get caught in the wind and kite away moving like fighter jets. the worst part was retrieving them because they would cripple and with no wind they would drop dead straight down but with the wind they would be 50yds away by the time they hit the ground, lets just say it wasnt fun retrieving... especially the ones that sailed.
Evening:
Its lightly raining and still windy but not as much. within the first hour a flock of four blue geese come in and they all get rolled, and then waiting... for about two hours we all hid from the rain and wind in the ground blinds and then i do my little peek out and see a lone juvy snow setting his wings 20yds away... unsurprisingly the guide and the other hunters are asleep snoring away in their blinds. i call to my brother "KILL IT!" and we go loud we wake up everyone one of the other hunters looks like he is having a seizure and yells "HOLY SH#T!" the other one said he almost crapped his pants, and what do you know. my dad is STILL SLEEPING! we are laughing at him as he wakes up about a minute after the action and what do you hear?, you might have guessed it thunder! and along with that comes his best bud lightning. the guide starts tells us to pack up in a very serious tone, we ask him and say, "why are we packing up? back in vancouver the storms are good for hunting." he then replies, "well you can stay out in the middle of 1200 stainless steel rods when there is lightning, but i sure as hell wont!" we all look at eachother and decide we better start packing up.
here are some highlights from all three days,
flock of three Ross geese
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11121.jpg
Second flock of three ross' geese
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11123.jpg
"SMALL" FLOCK!? (look close bottom right)
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11125.jpg
Another view at one of the black clouds of birds
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11126.jpg
The only sunny part of the hunt
http://i1127.photobucket.com/albums/l626/fowlweather1/SDC11142.jpg