its almost time

[kt]

so i just got in from the porch, sat out reading a book and burnin a C-gar. maybe im jumping the gun, but i coulnt help but notice that it has that same kind of moon lighting and feel in the air that september first has when i am sticking decoys in a clover field somewhere in farm country. hell i even took a goose call small mouth fishin the other day. leavin for texas on sunday for two weeks. i would say i should go out and practice with the gun, but its not possible to improve on perfection so why waste shells ;) when i come back it will be christmas morning, well, opening day of goose season any how.
(now i fight the urge to not by that new sean man short reed)
any body else preppin their gear?
kt

[TreeDoc]

I'm not done with the Tuna and Rockfish fishing yet. I've still got $150,000 worth of boats in my front yard, too! The 24' Boston Whaler and a brand new TZX190 Skeeter for the bass. My duck stuff is pretty well situated, my blind is 1/2 paid for, and we're just waiting for the drain off and rice harvest then I'll pull the travel trailer up to the club and get the dekes layed out before they flood my ponds. Until then....I fish. I gave up the deer hunting and pig hunting. Tired of it and tired of sinking the money into it that I have over the last 10 years.

I'll be in a new spot this year as I talked the club manager into setting a new blind in a previously unhunted pond a few hundred yards west of my old blind. I'm excited. In addition to the 400 duck dekes and a few dozen Spec and Snow goose dekes, I'm adding a dozen and a half Hardcore full body Specs and a dozen or so new GHG fullbody mallard and pintails to my check around the blind, 4 dozen Spec shells, and 6 dozen Snow shells.

[fabsroman]

Do you guys ever have to worry about somebody coming around and stealing all those decoys. Around here, you dare not leave your decoys out in the field over night because you might not find them the next morning.

For some reason, I just cannot get excited about eraly goose season this year. Maybe it is because the season has already opened and it was hotter than hell on August 1. Maybe because it is currently 15 birds per day with unplugged guns and it feels more like slaughtering than hunting. Probably don't even need a call at this time of the year because the young ones are still completely dumb.

With that said, I am getting excited for dove season which opens September 1 and I am looking forward to the early duck season in late September and October. By November, things should be cooking for me, because that is when goose season and duck season comes back in.

[TreeDoc]

I suppose anything is possible in regards to theft but we're pretty much in "old school" country where stuff like that doesn't happen (knock on wood!). There are lots of Levys and Canals around these properties so in actuality, there is usually only one or two ways to access our ponds and they both take you right by the caretakers house. Also, travel can only be done on foot or by ATV as the levies are too soft and gooey for a larger vehicle. A mile and a half walk to bag a couple decoys each trip would hardly prove fruitful! Nonetheless, I have invested in a few of those Final Approach slotted bags for full body dekes and the Hard Cores as well as the new GHG's will be picked up everyday and placed in the blind and locked.

We don't have an early Goose or a Teal Season out here so waterfowl hunting won't start till the end of October depending on what our Fish & Game Commission decides at the end of this month. We do have Dove on Sept 1 and it looks like Jack will be about 100% recovered from his surgery by then and back up to his agile self. I'm really looking forward to our time in the field this year.

[DelDuck]

I am not too jacked up about the upcoming season just yet. I don't have any real good dove spots to go to anymore, nor any good resident goose season. But I am getting real jacked up about opening of deer season:D . As a matter of fact once I get a couple of these side jobs done and pay my property taxes and my bill for this soil testing I had done. I may be looking to buy a new bow :D That is if my wife does not thretten me with a sever beatting:o

[skeet]

Hey DD, I know you are going to buy the bow..I know. Weren't you the one who said your motto was hurt me...beat me...make me feel cheap!! ??? hehehe! Hows tricks man? Be back in Oct. Maybe we can get out shootin again!

[M.T. Pockets]

Tomorrow I'm out to the hunting shack to paint decoys. I paint all my floater Canada's every year, patch up a couple pellet holes (my buddies like to let the geese get really low before we shoot) and check anchor cords. I'll touch up the duck decoys too.

They all had ice on them when I put them away last November, now it's 90. Early goose season & dove season open here in 3 weeks.

[kt]

low flyers huh, a good story about that. a buddy of mine is a champion carver, and god forbid we have any spread that doesnt have at least 10 (sky carp) in it. i have brought that dilemma up here before. well a few canadas came low only two people shot and one of his brand new snow floaters was riddles with holes, .who ever did it has a gun that patterns great. to this day i insist the bird i shot at was way to high to pattern his snows, i told him SHOT HAPPENS!
kt

[rubicon]

Im anxious and almost ready. The club I joined just leased two more farms so next weekend we are gong to set up ten more deer stands and rework five shjore blinds and three off shore blinds and well be good-to-go.

[fabsroman]

Money seems to be getting a little better for my wife and I, so I might be joining that club next year. Sounds like things are going well with.

[rubicon]

Hey Fabs, Its unbelievable, and I have always been a skeptic when it comes to clubs. they have been doing something every Sat and Sun since April and seems they are doing it right. Have four sunflower fields they planted for dove season, added new properties all over Del and Md, the raised mallards are really growing, We built a boardwalk about 100 feet through a marsh to a shore blind a couple of weeks ago cause a couple of really older hunters had trouble navigating the marsh. (I was impressed. they want to take care of the youth and the older hunters) Membership is based on a property/hunter ratio to assure all members have constant opportunities to hunt. Membership was closed but since they got these two new farms it is open for a few more guys now. I dont know if they updated the website recently but you should take a look.

[fabsroman]

Does that mean they are still accepting people for this season?

[rubicon]

Fabs, They are going to take on a few more for this season since they added the two new farms. I dont know how many but if you are even remotely interested PM me or give me a call.

[kt]

well here i sit still in the lonestar state, i will say, i am un-impressed, not to offend the texans, hell i havent left dallas
any how, i did get my hands on a few goose calls the other day, i guy next to me had that zink power clucker sounding pretty good, i checked out that sean mann call i mentioned above, however i refuse to put my lifps on something that other people may have already honked out of.
should be scouting up home.
they sure do have plenty of doves around down here
kt

[rubicon]

Hey KT. Arent you in the middle of Duck Central? One of my dream trips is Texas coast for ducks and crane. I had everything set to go in January but one of the guys backed out----so----back to the drawing board. No probllem convincing hunters we NEED to go, Its just a little more difficult convincing their wives that they NEED to go.

[fabsroman]

Rubicon,

You got that right. I just dropped $5,000 on a new bicycle, and trying to convince my wife to let me spend another $1,800 on the hunting club is a tough sell, but I'm trying.

You should have let me known about the trip to Texas last season. If it didn't cost thousands of dollars I would have been able to make it.

Today at lunch, my dad was talking about making a trip this winter to South Dakota. Only time will tell if that is going to happen. So many plans, not enough time or money.

KT,

My dad is coming to my place tomorrow afternoon so that we can go and get our hunting licenses. I don't think I'll get too excited about this hunting season until I actually start hunting. Then, all hell will probably break loose.

[rubicon]

Fabs, Trip was booked for Jan 07. Hunt club just got another hot farm on Choptank 125 acres.

[fabsroman]

Is the January 2007 trip still a possibility? Look at me asking about this stuff.

Right now, I am looking at the hunt club at $1,800, a 4 day whitetail deer hunt in Illinois at $1,200, an antelope trip to Wyoming for God knows how much, and a Jauary 2007 trip to Texas for God knows how much. My wife is going to take a frying pan off the pot rack and hit me over the head. Not to mention that I just bought a $2,500 bike frame, I am bidding on some bike wheels on e-bay for $500 right now and might just hit $750, it will cost me another $2,000 to finish the bike, I want a new Browning safe for $2,300, an AR-15 for $2,500, and an AR-10 for $2,000. I should get the guns first and rob a bank to get everything else.

In due time, I guess I will be doing and getting everything. Rubicon, maybe I can tag along this winter on a hunt or two with you at the club, pay my guest fee, and see if I really like the place. Then, I can get a membership next year. That will be an easier way to try and sell everything to my wife.

[rubicon]

Yea Fabs, I know what you mean. right now Im thinking Argo but I only have to convience the banker. Ill take you hunting. Sounds like you got a lot to sell to the little misses. That Del. State contest is this Sun. It would be a good chance for you to see the club house, a little of the property and some of the members. and its free ( an easier sell). Bring your dad and wife, take a little ride, and check it out.

[kt]

yes, all plans must be authorized by the boss.
duck central is not dallas texas the only birds i see are pigeons and starlings and grackles, i would love to be on the coast for a hunt

say umm how many guest are you allowed to bring to this club down there? jk
kt

[TreeDoc]

Off Topic;

Fabs, you're a road biker aren't you, or have you gone to the MTB maybe both? Ironic, I just bought my first MTB last Monday! I decided it was time to do something involving excersise and cardio before I blow a gasket at the age of 44. My neighbor is big time into MTB Trail/XC so I went to him asking advice. I figured what could a halfway decent bike cost nowadays....$500....maybe $750 if I really splurge? LMAO!!! Boy was I schooled!!! LMAO!!! I also called on my younger buddy or "adopted son" as I call him who is way into it. He just had his Ellsworth frame built to his specs for a mere $6600!! I just about sh*t myself!!! I went in with a $600 dollar budget and a pipe dream and came out with a $2500 dollar bike!!! :eek:

It's cool...specially for a first timer! I bought a still brand new in box early '05 Specialized Enduro Comp which as you may know, is a full suspension model with Fox Float RL forks, Fox Float shock, Juicy discs 8" front / 6" rear and the usual Shimano LX front XT rear package. I bought way over my needs but it sure is an incredible bike. Being that it was an early '05 model, I was able to save some serious coin and got out the door for $1850 but I have been back and spent an easy $400 for the little things I need to get outfitted since I am a total newby.

Just curious, though I know nothing about road bikes if that's what you bought, what did you get?

[rubicon]

KT- I can check but with my son its at least 2 guests. We have lots of PA hunters in club. With property in Del and Md we can hunt from Sept 1 untill spring.

[fabsroman]

The four of us should try to get together and do a hunt together. That should be fun. We can make fun of each others calling and shooting ability to make it even better. I'll readily admit that I'm not the best at either, but that makes it even more fun.

[grayghost]

Dove and early (resident Canada's) Goose opens friday, the 1st. We can take 5 geese per day and 15 doves. The Collared Dove has been invading so they're not included in the bag; no limit. I have only seen them 50 miles south of Nashville, so they haven't become well populated as of yet. Our Teal season is mid September but only lasts 5 days. Second goose is in October but the limit falls to 2 per day (just in case a stray "wild" bird is around). Then we're closed until late November. Usually a weekend duck hunt, then we close until the first weekend of December, running until late Jan. Arkansas just set their season so most of my plans are to hunt south of Stuttgart with one of my guide friends. Went over last weekend to hog hunt but it was 102 degrees and they were as dry as a bone. Just started getting rain this week and some guy from the Outdoor Channel shot a pig with a bow. They're supposed to air it next season in 2007. I'll go back when the weather is cooler and hopefully the rains have replenished the ground with moisture. They have so many hogs over there you don't need a license and there's no limit. Too bad the ducks aren't in that condition, but it's six per day this year. I'm getting to where I like hunting Whitey the Snow Goose as much as duck hunting....nah, I'll take both. We drew a good blind this year (if there is such a thing in middle TN anymore) so maybe we'll have a decent season here at home. Prolly not, but the blind is almost finished. Hopefully, we'll get some real winter weather this year and all of us will remember the big shoots of '06 & 7. Good hunting, grayghost

[kt]

i am still jealous of those who have one of those early teal seasons, right now we have blue and green wings all over creation. come october, just a sprinkle of them.

i would love to get together for a hunt any where feasable

i was just assessing my situation for friday morning, i have half a box of bb's, cant find the head to my goose chair, and havent picked up a gun or goose call since may.... i am that guy they tell you not to be in the magazines.
kt

[fabsroman]

The magazines wouldn't sell if they just told you to go out and have fun and not worry too much about blowing the call or how many birds you kill. Magazines are only sold to those who are looking for information.

Don't worry about it because I haven't blown a call since February and I haven't shot my gun in a couple of months. You should already know that the early season geese aren't that hard to kill, and they will give you time to practice with the call and the gun before things start to get serious (i.e., migratory geese and ducks).

[kt]

aint that funny thats how every one feels about september geese, as my one buddy says its not worth getting out of bed till november.
so this morn i was suffering from insomnia so i drove and found a field of grass where geese were dumping in every ten minutes or so five at a time, you know whats going to happen if they sprinkle in 5 at a time on friday morn?
i'll be in a diner by 8 am.
kt

[fabsroman]

And what will you be doing in a diner at 8:00 a.m. since those geese will be going bad rather quickly with the 90+ degree weather? Are you bringing a huge cooler to stick them in while eating breakfast?

That is my biggest problem with hunting geese in August and September. You are not allowed to breast them out in the field, if they sit for too long in that heat you can bet they are going to go bad, and trying to stick 20+ whole geese in coolers is rather difficult and it takes a lot of ice. The limit here is 15 per day per person. I can not imagine what I would do if my dad and I went out and just killed 15 between the two of us. Plus, geese don't taste all that good when they have been feeding on grass, but I guess I could use them for jerky.

[deermeister]

We entered into an agreement with the USFWS, and they built berms around two of our spring-fed ponds, and they are flooding nicely. Should really bring in the mallards and woodies. Now, if I can convince my dad and brother to change over the nearest food plot from brassica to corn, next year we should have more geese as well.

[grayghost]

Our Teal/Wood Duck season is 5 days: September 9-13. Daily bag limit is 4 total. However, only two can be Wood Ducks. Teal hunting in middle TN can be spotty. Either they're here or they're not. Usually, if you stay in a blind most of the day, you'll get a least one group to come by. Later in the morning when the fishermen hit the area lakes, they will flush the Teal and get them moving. The farther west you go, the better your chances. From Barkley to Kentucky lakes and on to the Mississippi, they can be as heavy as a corn field opening day of Dove season. I prefer to hunt Teal and leave the Woodies for regular Duck season which this year is Nov 25-26; Dec 2-Jan 28. The drakes begin to look good by cold weather. Oh I forgot, it rarely gets cold here anymore :( It's still hot here and will be during early Teal season. Makes for a less than desirable hunt. If it were cooler, I'd be more in to it. 15 geese a day, now that's some heavy hunting. We can take 5 per day in our first season resident Canada season. Then it drops to 2 in the October season, and remains at 2 per day from Dec 12-Jan 28. Aren't many migrators here anymore. Again, the further west you go, the better. Good hunting, grayghost

[kt]

yes, the weather does screw the september season, eating grass or not, goose taste like hell, sorry i tried it a million ways and will continue to give it to any body who asks. does piss me off that you cant breast out a goose in the field. unplug the guns and give an august season and they are worried about corrupt game bags. its a goose breast doesnt resembe anything else either. might just be the diner actually that storm is coming up to destroy the weekend

i just want one nice colored up blue wing drake
kt

[fabsroman]

Yep, it looks like the storm is going to be up here ruining the hunting for me. Might even drive all the doves out of the area for a little while. Such if life. I'll just have to hunt more days next week.

[grayghost]

Blue wing drakes typically move through our area in the cool nights of October. I've heard their "peeping" calls a number of times and one evening, just after dark, the full moon rose over the river. I heard them and then watched their little flock fly right over me: maybe 30 yards high. Behind them was a huge full moon. Their silhouettes were awesome. I've never seen a drake during September. Just females and juvies. Throw in a hen Spoonbill now and then. During the males migration, you'll find them mostly on mud flats during the day...resting. You would have to go to AR for a chance during duck season; LA for a good chance; S. Texas for a great chance or Mexico is a done deal. Blue, Green and Cinnamon Teal are all over. Next year, I hope to take several Teal species in Africa. If so, I'll try to get good pictures to post. Anyone taken a drake BW on the coast? grayghost

[kt]

well "its almost time" to let this thread die because today was the day. 2 birds flew, the seventy or so i counted on never took off they just walked out of the pond and 100 yds into the neighboring field. another field i had decided was junk because it was a 40 ft square, had 15 birds in it when i left driving by.
the opening day jinx continues!
now i gotta go work
kt

[fabsroman]

Well, it is rainy, windy, and cold here, so dove hunting is out of the question here. I am hoping that the weather clears a little tomorrow so that I can go tomorrow. Keeping my fingers crossed.

[kt]

smashin geese is chicken soup for the soul. found myself with a box of 3's and a couple bb's, so with a three in the one and two holes it was on when i flip the lid and the first bird was close enough that i could see scales on his legs, about a foot off the gun barrel, passed him and smashed two of his compadres. blew it on the second shot i pulled a rookie mistake, had so many birds inside ten yards they were stacked 3 deep when i looked down the barrel, so in my haste to kill, i dont think i had my head down all the way and sent my baseball size pattern into crisp september air only. ended with 3 and 1/2 geese on the day.
now i can relax
oh hey, does any one have any good scare crow chicks for keepin geese out of a field that you cant get in, like a wolf archery target or a manakin?
kt

[fabsroman]

How do you get the 1/2 goose? Is that all that was left after you shot it really close? LOL I am guessing that both you and a buddy claimed the goose.

How can you put a scare goose or something else in a field if you have no right to hunt it? That would be trespassing no matter how you slice it. Find a field around it that you can hunt and try to pass shoot the geese if you have to.

I have all of two hours of dove hunting in so far, with 2 doves to show for it, along with soaked boots and pants. I'll be heading out again in an hour or two, so I'll post back with results later.

[kt]

well fabs you were right about the 1/2 goose like 8 of them came in when the shooting stopped i said how many did you get he said two, i said i got two, we only found 3 geese down. NOW IF PEOPLE WOULD JUST FOR ONCE IN THEIR LIVES SHOOT AT A BIRD ON THEIR SIDE OF THE IN-COMERS I WOULD NOT HAVE TO GO THROUGH IT ALL THE TIME! YEESH! sorry, but seriously two hunters birds coming in spread out over 25 yds, there is no reason for the same bird being shot by two people. am i wrong?
as for the scare goose,,, you see its definately not tresspassing, this guy in a mansion across from where we hunt has a really big manicured lawn that the geese love, he said he would gladly let us go kill there, but its a big lawn, but not big enough by the opinions of two ethical and responsible goose slayers, i dont want to be saturday entertainment for kids in a window. so i just wanted to be able to put a statue or dog look alike in his yard so they wouldnt drop in, because i swear once the first 3 drop in there, all the calling me and pretty flocked full bodies i have can not pull coming birds away.
kt

[fabsroman]

kt,

What amazes me is that two hunters with probably 6 shells between them only killed 3 birds. LOL My dad and I are pretty good about not shooting one another's birds, but sometimes he and I shoot what we think is the closest bird to us and it just happens that it was the closest bird to both of us. There have been a lot of occassions when we have dropped 5 birds out of a group of incomers and we only have 5 shells between the two of us (i.e., I shoot an auto and my dad shoots an o/u). Have had a couple of occassions where there were 6 birds down. If you hunt with your buddy enough, you will eventually learn not to shoot the same bird.

How far away are the other homes from this grass lawn, or are you worried about the homeowner's children? If the other homes are 150+ yards away, I would kill those geese in the front lawn without any hesitation, especially if the owner has no problem with you doing so.

Competing with live geese is really tough. I have had geese pile into a pond about a mile away from where I was hunting and it is nearly impossible to get geese to come into my spread at that point, even while using a Mojo Goose and every other trick I know. Such is hunting.

Went out dove hunting yesterday afternoon and killed 9 in a little over 2 hours. I had a couple of misses to start the day off, but after that I was on fire. I hardly ever missed and used way less than a box of shells. It was awesome watching the dog retrieve all these birds because I never would have found any of them because the soybean was over waist high and they were all wet from the rain. It was much more pleasant watching the dog retrieve them while I sat in my chair not getting my pants soaked from walking through the wet soybean.

[kt]

the fact that birds were inside 15 yds and 6 shells later only three died pissed me off the rest of the day, we each thought we had two, but when we only found three it hurt me a bit. it was worth it for my friend he got to see me fall in wet timothy when the cripple i was chasing stopped on me and i tripped over it.
kt

[skeet]

Well two people shootin the same bird was my pet peeve when I was guiding. The reason that it happens so much is because we(all of us) have a tendency to look at the closest biggest bird. It is a fixation. I , as a guide, had to check the bunch to make certain they were all mostly in range before I called the shot..so I wasn't always looking at the closest bird. But you could be assured the hunters were lookin at him. I did have quite a few hunters that were used to seeing them though. The best I ever had (four guys) shot 11 birds with 11 shots...in the span of no more than 6 seconds or so. 11 birds in 11 birds down just like that.

The only way to keep those birds out of the guys lawn is to have someone chase them out. They know where the living is good ya know!:D