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Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Sun Sep 11, 2016 8:16 pm
by fatluke
After moving back home (Quinte Area) from Ottawa 2 years ago, my waterfowling adventures have been nonexistent. Various large landscaping projects, moving in, this, that and the other thing have prevented me from getting out. I got a significant amount of work accomplished around the property this summer and decided I was going to get back to hunting, regardless of how many things I still had outstanding on my project list.

I missed opening day, and didn't get a chance to do any scouting, but I had a field with some birds using it. Nothing to get too excited about, but enough to give it a go.

I was up well before my 4:00 am alarm, as I had not sat in a field for two years. The field is a mere 6:00 minutes from home so a short drive and we were in the field setting decoys.

Legal shooting time came and it was coffee time and catching up with a buddy I hadn't seen in while. The first flock circled a few times but would not commit. Shortly after we had a good group committed and 6 shots were fired. My buddy Steve laid down a hat trick and my shooting was horrible. The first shot I fired, was at the same bird as Steve. He had squeezed the trigger a split second before me and I knew it as soon as I squeezed. Anyway, Steve had our first three birds on the ground. We had a handfull of other family sized flocks fly by, but they weren't having our setup for whatever reason. The only other shots we fired were at a pair that committed without hesitation and we both took one.

My girls were going to be passing the field on their way out for breakfast with Mommy so I told them I would wave from the field. They both talked about Daddy's hunting throughout breakfast and my oldest wanted to come back to see me in the field after breaky. By that time, Steve and I were ready to call it a day so I told them they could come help pickup decoys. I had them in the back of the truck and it was a rough ride so I kept my eyes on the field. I hear my wife say from the back "two of your decoys are moving. Sure enough, a pair dropped into the spread when Steve and I had went for the trucks. I pulled up about 20 yards from where my blind was and the birds stayed there. I told the girls to be quiet and I walked the 20 yards to my blind and the geese stayed there. I then lean down, pick up my gun, throw two shells in, and the geese stayed there. I threw the third shell in just in case, and the geese stayed there. I pulled the gun up, squeezed the trigger twice, and the geese stayed there. :D

Never in my life would I believe someone if they told me that happened, but I had 4 witnesses. lol. My girls and wife got to see it. I brought them out to help retrieve the two birds they just witnessed me harvest. "Dad are they dead".. "Yes girls they are". (And thankfully they were dead and the girls didn't have to witness the "helicopter" to finish them off). My youngest said "Dad this is a bit sad. You killed these birds dad". I then explained them to them what hunting was, and we didn't "kill" them, we "harvested" then to eat. "That's disgusting" was the reply. Although they are only 3 and 5, they totally understood the difference between hunting and killing after our discussion. I am happy everything happened the way it did and quite excited as all they have talked about since Saturday morning was "coming hunting with daddy when we are a bit older". I just might make a hunter out these princesses after all.

My oldest didn't hesitate to go and retrieve one of the geese for us, but the youngest was a little timid.

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The youngest was OK to join for a group photo though.

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And of course, Steve and I need a photo.

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Before heading back to show the girls how we clean the geese, Steve and I took a stroll to my new duck pond. Well what's left of it that is. There is a lot of duck sign there, but it's not the same swamp it was last summer. It's missing about 4 feet of water. :) Looks like we may be looking into plan B or C for opening weekend of ducks.

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Steve and I went back out this morning, but did not expect much. It was a beautiful morning and not as hot as it has been. Long story short we had plenty of time to shoot the breeze and sip on some coffee.

We'll see what next weekend brings.

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Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 6:04 am
by Wallyboss
Good shootin!!!

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 7:33 am
by ShawnD
Awesome!
Thanks for the play by play.
As if those geese just stayed there :lol:

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 8:07 am
by fatluke
ShawnD wrote:As if those geese just stayed there :lol:
It will never happen again in my life time. lol

Truck was running, girls were a little noisy, and I didn't try to sneak or anything. Not to mention I had no shirt on. lol. Probably did the geese population a favour by removing those two dummies from it.

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 11:30 am
by Wallyboss
Probably the Papa Goose that said to the young ones " Okay teenage geese stay there and see what happens"

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Mon Sep 12, 2016 5:30 pm
by CBB
Congrats on the good goose shoot and great pics. Geese are something that makes you shake your head at times wondering why they do what they do.They love coming in when the dog is picking up birds and I always figured it was the movement that made them come.

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 5:59 am
by TheMaverick
Good stuff Luke, your girls are adorable, they must definitely get their looks from Mom! :wink:

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:30 am
by ShawnD
TheMaverick wrote:, they must definitely get their looks from Mom! :wink:
:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 9:50 am
by fatluke
TheMaverick wrote:Good stuff Luke, your girls are adorable, they must definitely get their looks from Mom! :wink:
Thanks Mav, and yep... Momma is a looker. :-)

The girls have been running around the house blowing their duck calls since Saturday... Adorable at first, and now its just down right annoying. LOL

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 1:17 pm
by Wallyboss
Could be worse, it could be turkey calls!!!

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 2:28 pm
by banjo
Fantastic.
I seem to only manage a few geese a year. I mainly hunt over water and they seem to come down just after dark :roll:

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 5:50 pm
by RJ
Welcome to Fish-Hawk! :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

RJ

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Tue Sep 13, 2016 7:31 pm
by lape0019
Awesome report!

One of the best moves you could make was open the hunting forum up to the public! I would have never seen this if it weren't for that.

Although I am not a hunter, I absolutely love posts like these!

Thank you for sharing

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 8:16 am
by Out4trout
Enjoyed that report Luke!! Glad you are back in the field - bagging the birds.
Involving and teaching your girls truths about hunting is fantastic. Thanks for sharing.

Re: Been a long time coming!!

Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2016 3:57 pm
by Markus
Great to see ya back in the game Luke. I'll be loking for more reports from ya....i love the honker hunting reports! Good stuff.