Catch and release ??

[yamadirt 426]

Todays hunt was uneventful but great to get out. I usually start off by getting a starbucks coffee. I can feel the eyes on me everytime i'm in there. I'm wearing black rubber boot (slightly muddy from the last hunt) camo fleece pants, black and white checkered fleece mac jacket and my camo hat. Not your typical starbucks gear. So i was chuckling to myself about my fashion sense when I look over to the line up of people and see an old timer in black rubber boots ,sweat pants, black and white fleece mac jacket and camo touque. I commend him on his fashion sense and he says, Wear did you get the material for those pants ? LOL He just had his touque made recently.

So I get to the field on this sunny day. Way too nice out but whatever. I think us duck hunters are the only guys who prefer alittle wind, overcast and some rain over sun. Besides shooting the ground to scare up some birds near the end of legal not another round was fired. And as usual the birds came flocking in around us while we pack up. I always leave the robo up until last just for fun. 2's 3's 8's 12's the birds came in pretty thick and its fun to watch them land a few feet away. There eyesight is so bad in the dark. At least the dog got some action. Probably wondering WTF are we doing not shooting these birds.

I was dropping my buddy off at the farm yard where we park and right in the middle of the gravel is this guy. What is he doing here. The slough is 100's of yards away, we haven't shot at anything and wounded it, buddy has dogs and this bird is lucky to be alive right now. So I say " I'm going to get him". I open the door and picked him up. He couldnt fly but no obvious damage. Wing seems ok, no blood or holes to be seen. So my buddy says there is the new live trainer for your puppy LOL

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/tyrante/DSC_0083.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/tyrante/DSC_0090.jpg

But I think I'm going to drop him off with the family to westham tommorow for some good karma. I don't have it in me to break his neck and add to the pepperoni pile :) He would make a great bird to get mounted though

[Big Lew]

Man, what a softy! Are you sure that fine looking youngster didn't influence your decision? ....they're not that plentiful and they're not much of a mouthful, so I probably would have let it live as well. If there were no signs of injury, it's possible he had the wind knocked out of him and probably would be able to fly away in the morning. I've picked up a magpie, saw whet owl, and several song birds that were shook up from passing vehicles and didn't seem to be badly hurt, and after a rest safely away from the traffic, all lived, and flew away the next day but the magpie, who was able to fly in a week.

[REMINGTON JIM]

Pretty little duck - i could not kill it either ! - unless real hungry ! LOL

[yamadirt 426]

ya hes a looker all right. here he is in his home for the night
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/tyrante/DSC_0001.jpg

[seanps]

ya hes a looker all right. here he is in his home for the night
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/tyrante/DSC_0001.jpg

That is a hilarious picture.

[Shooter Jr.]

Cool looking bird!
I know what you mean about running into starbucks, Mom filled up the truck while i ran into our local timmies, i can feel all the people sitting around having a coffee staring at me in my camo boots (muddy of course) camo pants and hat (i took off my jacket just for that reason although i don't feel it helped) Ah well, i hunt, people better get used to it!

[Glenny]

Maybe take it to OWL and have him checked out.

[yamadirt 426]

Maybe take it to OWL and have him checked out.

Thought about that. Might do that instead.

[aliagha]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v634/tyrante/DSC_0083.jpg

magnificent bird, I have yet to see one of 'em around delta/ladner. i usually hunt them around chilliwack, really fun to shoot.
http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2195/221/49/700766919/n700766919_1853116_2008.jpg

[FirePower]

Cool looking bird!
I know what you mean about running into starbucks, Mom filled up the truck while i ran into our local timmies, i can feel all the people sitting around having a coffee staring at me in my camo boots (muddy of course) camo pants and hat (i took off my jacket just for that reason although i don't feel it helped) Ah well, i hunt, people better get used to it!

Really? Any given weekend here during the season you run into more camo in our local Tims pre dawn than in the slough lol. Starbucks probably is probably a differant thing all together but then again it is Starbucks.

[835]

Thats why i go through the drive through!
you get the same look later in the season steel head fishing as well. When you show up in waders and wader boots!

Funnt story about the duck, I couldnt kill it either. Although if you did it right you wouldnt have any damaged feathers for a good mount!
might have missed it but what was the outcome for this little bugger?

[Gumsehwah]

You know what they say. . .

"A bird in the hand. . ." ;-)

I couldn't do it either. I think it would be "bad carma".

[warnniklz]

Man that's cool. You got a picture of him... put the picture on the wall. Just as good as a mount in my opinion. Especially with a story like that. Cool Dude

[yamadirt 426]

So I went to owl this morn on route to pick up my first bin. They checked him over. No broken bones but they didn't want him. Rapters only. They gave me a number to wildlife rescue in burnaby. Contacted them and they had a volunteer meet me in vancouver by the dump so i didnt have to go much further out of my way. I made sure to tell everyone I was an active duck hunter and pick him up after my hunt. I also told the girl if he doesnt make it that I would like him back. So she said probably not as they are federally protected lol. I explain to her, no i could have broke his neck and ate him last night if I wanted too as I am licenced. She said oh ok but i will need to see your permit. Anyhow I think he will do just fine and make some babies we can kill and eat later :)

[835]

You did the right thing. In every case, we need to educate people politly.
Good fer you, I see plenty of dead ducks in your future

[Foxton Gundogs]

You did the right thing. In every case, we need to educate people politly.
Good fer you, I see plenty of dead ducks in your future

X2 the duck gods will smile on you perfect handeling of it IMO

[Gumsehwah]

As I said before, good carma.
May the ducks fly to your decoys,
Your shooting be true,
And your table be full.

Also, thank you for being a real hunter. :-)

[yamadirt 426]

Well i definatley didn't do it for the kudo's guys but thanks!! It was a neat encounter thats for sure. I did do it for the good vibes though. I havent been able to knock down a deer or bear or even a goose for that matter since the 3 yrs i've started hunting but ducks so far are my thing and it was fun to give back lol cheers

[Phreddy]

Damned but its nice to run into a fellow hunter who doesn't necessarily need to kill everything in sight and is willing to use good sportsmanship in looking at the whole picture. Many a clown would have wrung its neck and either eaten or mounted it. Good on you Yamahdirt. You're welcome in my hunting camp anytime.

[yamadirt 426]

Just got updated by wildlife rescue. They put Woody down. He was enemic and emaciated and required a blood transfusion. In order to get him back I would have had to jump through hoops but my back is too sore and I just bought a new gun for the wife for Christmas so no money for taxidermy anyhow.

[835]

Well take it out on woody's buddy next time yer in a swamp!

[Tiptoe]

That's definitely good Karma!

[The Dude]

How do they know if a duck's anemic?
They didn't even know it was a Wood Duck, and that you can hunt 'em.

[yamadirt 426]

They drew blood. I guess its one of the first things they do if there are no obvious damage. She said it needed a blood transfusion so they just put it down.

[The Dude]

....or they were hungry at the shelter ;-)

[BearStump]

Did'nt you know.....Starbucks will increase the estrogen production in your body. Soon you'll be wearin' skinny jeans and sporting a european mans bag slung over your neck while you slurp up your "half caf skinny vannila latte"

[Foxton Gundogs]

Did'nt you know.....Starbucks will increase the estrogen production in your body. Soon you'll be wearin' skinny jeans and sporting a european mans bag slung over your neck while you slurp up your "half caf skinny vannila latte"

YES but fortunately there is a cure......copious amounts of Timmys consumed in camo on your way to your favorit marsh or cutblock!!!

[yamadirt 426]

I'm off the timmys. Im kind of a coffee nut now and all I drink is dark roast with cream and honey. I can't even go into a timmys anymore. There machines cant make a good coffee and I'm always disapointed. To much sugar in a double double and not enough in a 1 & 2. plus there coffee isn't that great. Drank it for years before I found out what I like in a coffee.