1st time out chasing longnecks this season

[R.J.]

Was too busy to get out on opening day .... ( never thought I would hear myself say that ! )

But today , Randy S. and myself got an invite out , for a morning hunt with the " Peterson clan " ..

Couldn't pass that invite up ! ... The rain put a damper on my camera work this morning but I did get a few shots thru the day ...

In the morning , we hunted out of brushed out coffin blinds in a local grain stubble field ..



Court's dad has a monster collection of decoys .. all shapes and sizes , but here are a few shots of the most realistic looking deeks I've ever seen !





We had a great morning shoot ... everybody got a chance to add to the bag limit ... We even had a curious OPP officer stop by to check us out .. Nice guy , he came in just before we were packing up for the morning ... chatted us up for awhile , wished us luck and headed out ... just doing his job I guess !



We packed up all the gear , and started the morning cleaning session ...



The Peterson Clan had to head out early to get ready for an afternoon wedding ... so Randy and I went for breakfast and a scouting drive .. We were driving the boundry of my new farm purchase , when we bumped into another hunter ..



We headed North to a spot we have had permission on for years ... we hadn't scouted it yet ( been too busy ) , but it has panned out for us in the past , and we were really looking forward to having an afternoon nap in the field ... !

W set up in a grain stubble field between two farms ...





Also noticed the corn is doing well so far this year ...



For the afternoon hunt we used our standard shell decoys , with our goose chairs ...





After a long afternoon nap in the sun .. We watched many high flying flocks pass in the distance ..



We did manged to ground a few out of one flock that came our way ...



Here is a nice pair , posed with my Hatsun Escort and one of the goose chairs ..



All in all , a great day in the field with friends ... We managed to thin the local goose population by 29 birds and even though the rain soaked us in the morning , Randy and I were well suntanned / dried out by the end of the afternoon hunt !

Good luck to all that are planning to chase the " long necks " thru the week ! ... I hear the weather is going to be nice !

[dick195252]

Congratulations on a very Good day of hunting with FRIENDS

[diesel]

Congrats and great pics as always thanks for sharing.

[Sandman]

Great pics R.J.~!

[Digger]

Great pics as usual Rick, thanks.

[Doe Master]

Thats good RJ that you`s did so well .We took Jim C out to our usual spot but they didn`t want to cooperate .We got a few shots and a few honkers .

[ecoaster]

WTG Rick! Great looking blinds. Looks like you had an enjoyable day. Looking forward to some knock down pics!

[Hipwader]

Fantastic pics RJ... Have to laugh at the officer out in the field, I bet he was wishing he could have joined ya... more than likely though it was some non hunter calling in the report of shots fired...once again nice pics !!!
Hipwader

[tracer]

Great pics R.J.

[R.J.]

Thanks all ... Yep ... " All work , no play makes Jack a dull boy ! "

It was nice to take a break from a busy schedule and enjoy a full day outdoors !

I wish I could have taken more pictures ... Some images burned into the brian that I didn't snap ( due to heavy rain etc. ) =

1. The image of the entire crew setting out decoy's in the morning blackness , pouring rain surrounding the siloetted shapes of camo clad friends with arms full of decoys ... the lights from the trucks as a backdrop ...

2. The image of Court walking back over the hill from a 600 yard long retrieve , after one of the crew saw a straggler break formation of an escaping flock , and coast to the ground , after a volley in which we had dropped other birds ( you gotta keep an eye on the escaping flocks , every once and awhile a bird catches background pellets ! )

3. The image of that little raptor flying away with his feathered meal ! (I was too slow on the focus )

4. The image of birds doing the elevator drop / dipsee / doodle as they break formation and head into the decoys ..

5. And of course , the image of early season birds raining from the sky , when we did find our marks ... ( as Ecoaster says " the knock down pic's ! )( all cool visuals of a fun day outdoors ! )

Doe Master wrote :

Thats good RJ that you`s did so well .We took Jim C out to our usual spot but they didn`t want to cooperate .We got a few shots and a few honkers .

Good to see you guys got out ... Randy and I were going to turn down and take some pictures of your classic river set up , but when we turned off 86 there was a big road closed sign !

Hipwader wrote :

Fantastic pics RJ... Have to laugh at the officer out in the field, I bet he was wishing he could have joined ya... more than likely though it was some non hunter calling in the report of shots fired...

Yep he was following up a call ... we saw him coming ... out of respect we made our guns safe as he approached ( empty and open ) ... he was a real nice guy ... chatted us up , congratulated us on our success ... shot the breeze for awhile then headed back to his crusier ..

[Big John]

Very Good RJ!!!
Look's like you did a little better than my four.
Happy eating!!!!

[mikej]

great pictures looks like you had a good hunt

[R.J.]

Thanks again guys ... Sounds like your hunt was interesting as well John ! , Congrat's !

Couldn't help think of my Springer Sally .. I really miss her company in the field this year ... Her are some rememberance shots of her from previous threads ..

She is small in stature but big in heart .... tonight we were finishing up some pass shooting geese to wrap up our 2007 Early goose opener ... when a goose that must have had it's " flak jacket " on ... ( looked like a solid hit at the time ).... but the goose had other plans, and the chase was on ....

Sally hits the ground running ....



The goose opens the gap ....



Sally closes it ....




The " roll over " , take down ...



The snag and pick-up ....



And the long , full bodied carry back ... approx 200 yards round trip and she never set it down once ! .... who says Springers are too small to handle geese !





What a great way to end our opening day ! ... Got another field scouted for tomorrow !

And her passing in January of this year ...

My Sally is gone ....

She had some internal problems that finally caught up with her in the field late yesterday afternoon ...

Her spirit was high over the last few months , but she deteriorated rapidly in the last few weeks ...

A check up a few weeks ago confirmed what I feared the worse ... Most canine intestinal cancer is advanced when diagnosed resulting in a poor prognosis for recovery ... and with her age we decided to let her ride it out and enjoy her time in the field ..

She colapsed yesterday on a Jack Rabbit hunt with me ... I carried her back to the truck .... wrapped her in a blanket , and she drew her last breaths beside me as we drove to the vet ...

Here are some of my favorite pictures as tribute to my wonderfull Springer Sally ...



She always worked hard ... never sherked a task ..





Always determined on a retrieve ... fur or feather ...







Dog tired after two days at Pelee or a heavy morning for geese ... She was always there for me ... I will miss her at my side ...





In the last months she was losing weight and her back end was acting up more and more ... but she still enjoyed the advetures with her tag along buddy Spike



I hope there is such a place and she can hook up with Mikey V. to continue the hunt ...

I miss her already ....

In Loving Memory ... " Sally Johnson " June 1996 - Jan 2008





A poem that a friend sent me ...

Treat me kindly, my beloved master, for no heart in all the world is more grateful for kindness than the loving heart of me.

Do not break my spirit with a stick for though I should lick your hand between the blows, your patience and understanding will more quickly teach me the things you would have me do.

Speak to me often, for your voice is the world's sweetest music, as you must know by the fierce wagging of my tail when your footstep falls upon my waiting ear.

When it is cold and wet, please take me inside, for I am now a domesticated animal, no longer used to bitter elements. And I ask no greater glory than the privilege of sitting at your feet beside the hearth. Though had you no home, I would rather follow you through ice and snow than rest upon the softest pillow in the warmest home in all the land, for you are my god and I am your devoted worshiper.

Keep my pan filled with fresh water, for although I should not reproach you were it dry, I cannot tell you when I suffer thirst. Feed me clean food, that I may stay well, to romp and play and do your bidding, to walk by your side, and stand ready, willing and able to protect you with my life should your life be in danger.

And, beloved master, should the great Master see fit to deprive me of my health or sight, do not turn me away from you. Rather, hold me gently in your arms as skilled hands grant me the merciful boon of eternal rest and I will leave you knowing the last breath I drew, my fate was ever safest in your hands.

Give your dog a hug ! ... Remember to tell friends and family how much you love and apprieciate them ... often ! ... You never know when circumstances might make it impossible to do so ...

[mikej]

great pics of a great friend i really like the second last one

[ecoaster]

She sure worked her butt off. They are "man's best friend" for a reason. It's hard to move on but we do. All you can do is make the most of their time here as good as it can be.