Session 2 "Walrus in the marsh"

Well  now that the hunts are getting blurred together it is time to talk about the most memorable hunts.  So I had just gotten my layout boat this past season.  I had tested it a few times and even hunted out of it a few times.

My hunting party drew in to Grand Pass through the poor line.  It was a cool morning since a cold front was pushing through the area.  I had convinced my brother in law to come along with my dad and long time friend Cameron.  We unloaded the trucks and I sent Cameron on the way to the where I wanted to set up.  My brother in law and my dad helped me finish unloading my the rest of the gear from my truck.  I sent them on their way walking since I had my boat.  My dad and brother in law are not in the greatest shape so they needed a little head start to get at the spot.  This was my brother in laws first waterfowl hunt ever.

So I launched my boat and started making my way down to the spot with all the gear.  I made it about five yards from where I launched the boat.  The some how, I lost my balance.  It is never good to loose your balance in a boat, just saying.  Well, I am sure everyone can see where this is going.  Yes I fell out of the boat.  I just did not fall out though. I fell backwards off the side of it. head first. The water was not freezing but the air temperature was just above.  The water was only about shin to knee deep.  Most people say well that is not bad just stand up.  I hit the water with my upper back, I tucked my chin to my chest because who knows what is in the water.  So my head and upper body is under the water.  I think my feet are still hung up on the boat so I tried to lift myself out of the water with my arms.  I struggled to catch my breath since the water was so cold it sucked the air out of me instantly.  I tried flung my arms around just trying to grab the boat or push off the ground.  I finally get my knees under me and get the top of my waders out of the water.  The trapped water rushes down to my knees then I get to my feet.  I am gasping for air so loud Cameron turns around from 100 yards away to see what the commotion was about.  My dad rushes over to me shouting "are you ok, are you ok."  My hearing had constricted like I had two sea shells covering my ears.  I was gasping so loud it had to sound like an animal was having "coitus" in the marsh or a walrus escaped from the zoo.  I am still gasping unable to answer my dad.  He shouts again "are you ok."  I finally get enough air in my lungs to say yes.  I slowly get my breathing back under control as the cold water sucks the heat from my legs.  My dad asks me "what do you want to do."  I probably shouted back at him, since my hearing was still messed up, let's push on and set up.  My dad being a good father said you can't do that you are soaked and cold.  I told my dad I am hunting today, I have a dry coat in my boat.  So I pushed on and finally got to the spot.  My legs are warming up since I walked the boat the rest of the way to the spot.  So we set up, my alarm for shooting time goes off on my phone, I think crap my phone was in my wader's pocket.  So I pull it out, damn glad I put my phone in a Ziploc bag for the first time of the season.  I always fall in the water once a waterfowl season.  So the ducks are flying over our spread that is not completed.  I tell my dad and brother in law to load up and start shooting the ducks that come in close.  Cameron and I hurry to set the spread up and push our boats into a group of trees.

So as the day goes on we kill a few here and a few there.  My dad moves to a better spot on the setup that hides him better.  He finishes the day limited out, my brother in law does not think the birds can see him.  We all agreed that the ducks were turning after a look because of him.  My brother in law had not camouflage on, just a black shirt.  We tried to get him to sit further in the trees but he wouldn't.

So mid day every duck hunter always has to take a bathroom break.  Luckily I have the boat so it keeps me dry when I pull down my waders.  So I am standing on my boats front when Cameron's dog, Goose, gets up out of Cameron's boat and hops in the water and tries to climb on my boat.  I had my back to him so I had no clue.  Goose puts his front feet on my boat and starts to push my boat sideways.  I about loose my balance again and shout "CRAP."  Goose stops and everyone starts laughing.  I finally get back inside my boat and pull Goose up.  For some reason he likes the front of my boat instead of Cameron's boat.

not the same hunt but he likes it there

After some persuading I got Goose to climb into the cockpit behind my layout blind in my boat, the spot I try to stand in while I move my boat.

Cameron and Goose

So as the day ends we move back to the trucks, load up, and take a few pictures.  I peel off my waders and heavy socks.  I wring the water out of my socks and just go bare foot in my muck boots.  My waders are soaked completely through and weigh a ton now.  My upper body felt dry as a bone but I pulled off my shirt and Under Armour cold gear. I wrung water out of my Under Armour and was amazed how I felt so dry with that much water in the shirt.

Dad and Dave, brother in law

Dave and I

So to close my second session of therapy learn from my lessons.  First thing first, I need scuba equipment when I duck hunt.  Second, put your electronics in Ziploc bags.
Third, bring spare clothes just in case.  Finally the most important, wear camouflage and you must break up your silhouette to hide from the keen eye of waterfowl.

Even a rough day in the field is still better than no day in the field.  I was cold and the hunting was not the greatest but with family and friends it makes the poor times great.  Then to top it off with a great story of a "walrus on the loose in the marsh" makes the day unforgettable.

Session #1 "Let the help begin"

Well I just saw that I never published my preliminary evaluation sessions notes.  Well they are out there now so now I guess it is time for me to start my next session.  It is snow conservation order currently in the state of Missouri and all I have been seeing is guys just slaughtering those loud mouthed dirty talking birds.

Yes this is from Facebook.  I have to give Momarsh and Habitat Flats respect because they have made amazing products and now a great hunting place that I will not be able to afford.  Habitat Flats had slain the crap out of waterfowl this season and are still killing those snows in great numbers.  

Seeing this has brought back those memories of the past season and how I learned from the past hard season.  So where to begin this session.  Well when I first started hunting my friend and I hunted out of two prototypes for Momarsh boats.  They were great and I knew I wanted to buy one sometime for my addiction.  My grandmother died in the early months of 2012.  Well she left a nice inheritance for me.  I bought a new shotgun that I had wanted since it was created and I bought a Four Rivers refuge runner layout boat.  I did this all without my parents blessing.  I am a grown man or at least I pretend to be.  This will come back very soon.

So the first hunt of the season was in late October or early November. The weather was still warm but not steaming hot.  I like hunting in the early weeks of the season especially on public conservation ground.  A lot of hunters are still out chasing deer either with a bow or with a rifle once that season starts and it keeps the numbers in the poor line low.  Guess I need to explain the poor line for those that are not in Missouri.  Well Missouri has a a quick draw process for a few places, where you put in twice a week online and they will draw a bunch of spots for specific days that you selected.  The remaining spots are then used for the poor line, which is when everyone that did not get a quick draw they can drive to the headquarters and then pick a pill and the spots are given out based on the lowest numbers of the pills.  The quick draw can be very nice if you get picked but I only got picked once in the season after trying for every day I could hunt. 

Now that is out of the way lets get back to my sessions notes.  I was able to convince my dad to drive and meet me at Grand Pass from St. Louis, a three hour drive.  I took my new to me layout boat with me to hunt knowing my dad would be pissed that I spent money on it that I should have saved.  Oh well I wanted it and it will be used.  I finally got to Grand Pass and met my dad.  He saw the boat and I could tell he was not happy because he knew where the money came from.  We stood in the poor line and I drew a great pill. It was the third lowest pill I could draw in the poor line.  It had been a while for both of us in the poor line and we thought that we were not hunting that day.  Then like someone flipped the light switch on I realized that it was a low number.  I shouted to dad we are hunting and he had a confused look but then he realized that I was right.  I get so many of my quirks from my dad, like father like son, I guess.

So I pick my usual pool  in Grand Pass and off we go.  I know the one section and it has treated me well.  It is nice to pick early because you can get setup and not worry about missing an opportunity of killing ducks because you are still setting up.  So we unloaded my truck boat and all.  Loaded everything up in my boat and sled and we walked out to where I wanted to set up.  We got setup in rows of standing corn.  My dad used his marsh seat and I used my boat.  The water levels were not very high due to the early season and low water for pumping off of the Missouri river.

the view from our hideout for the day

The day was great killed a decent amount of ducks but what was best was the time spent with my dad doing something we both enjoy together.  My first duck of the season was a young green head mallard.  This was so shocking because the number of mallards never came down solid until after the season closed.  I used my two Mojo ducks and a Wonderduck.  It seemed that the ducks were not wanting to finish.  They would come in for a look and fly away.  So after trial and error we discovered that the ducks did not like the motion of both the Mojo and Wonderduck.  We tried having one or the other and they both made the ducks not finish.  I know the ducks love the Mojo because I had one mallard come in locked in from more than three hundred yards out.  It just seemed that the ducks knew what the mojo meant once they got close.  I know most of you hunters out there are thinking well your calling stinks or you were not concealed well enough.  I know my calling is not the greatest but it is not crap and our concealment was good.

Can you find dad?

There he is!

Our spot was great to hunt out of.  A nice hole at the end of a slough that went straight to the refuge.  The birds were coming straight from the refuge and following the slough which lead those fowl mouthed birds straight to us. 

View down the slough.

Dad looking for his call to try out.  This will be funny.

So we finished the day with a decent limit but not a max due to the birds not finishing.  So the day was over and we loaded up the sled and boat.  We walked the boat to the deeper water in the pool.  Feeling daring I had dad sit on the front of the boat while I stood in the back and used the trolling motor.  Once we got back to the truck I knew dad was happy about the boat and not mad anymore.  He realized how useful the boat is for getting around in the marsh.  He always did teach me to work smart not hard.

Dad and I after the hunt.

I had just bought a new waterproof/shockproof/freeze proof camera to take pictures of my hunts and I captured this great picture which turned out to be a Christmas present for dad.  It is always great when I can get dad to put his game face on with paint but it was not done today.

So to close the first session of my addiction treatment;  smack those fowl mouthed ducks in the face, if it does not work change it and just enjoy life with the things you enjoy and with the people you love.