Naver thought of it protecting a puncture. I'm just leary of those things, but duck dogs are our kids... One bad experience will ruin ya I guess.

Yeah. I rarely use it anymore. Hasn't really gotten too cold the last couple seasons. Except for when I got to NM. And it's like this

Only a waterfowler...

How's Cali doing?

She's doing real good Gary. Getting grey hairs but hasn't slowed down a bit.

My wife still sometimes tells people about how she will knock over your beer to drink it

Great pics. It is sure fun to work a brace of retrievers.

What camera setup do you take to the field?

Thanks.

Been mostly shooting a 70D with 18-135 lens.

11-23-15

Had a front blow through a couple days ago. Water is down some. Dead calm out with a light wind later. Had some birds moving around early with several scattered on the water. Couple of groups of early shooters can be heard in the distance. A minute after legal shooting time a single gadwall comes in. Three shots later and a dog half way to it, it somehow manages to compose itself enough to evade capture. The front seems to have pushed a lot of birds out of the area. Most of the birds moving around did not seem interested. About an hour later had a single gadwall circle and land in the middle of the water only to swim to the opposite bank and fly away. Roughly thirty minutes later had three gadwalls circle several times only to fly away. No shots were taken at any of those birds. I need to quit hesitating and take action. Another half hour goes by and I nearly get my head taken off by a dove. A few more minutes go by and a lone bufflehead drake crashes into the decoys. Gave it a bit to get away from the decoys before swatting it. Some time goes by and a gadwall mysteriously appears on the water. After hitting it with a couple of shots it also manages to fly away to an adjacent property. While watching that bird got surprised by a flock of ringers overhead. Big whiff on those. Had some cranes fly by after that. A bit later while doing some maintenance outside of the blind I look to the right and notice a single redhead feet down in the decoys. Shot it and called it a day.

Paxton retrieving the bufflehead...







Whipple waiting...



Cranes flying over...



Whipple retrieving the redhead...









The birds...

Foosh, I've been seeing a ton of Buffle heads around here. More than I can ever remember. I guess excessive water will do it.

Dixie will be 11 in December. She hasn't slowed down much but her body just can't cope with a hard morning hunt. Glad to hear she is doing well, maybe I'll make it up this year.

Bring them on! I wouldn't mind a stringer of buffies.

We usually shoot a handful each year.

There's a 80 acre lake near me. It has at least 400 buffleheads on that lake now. It's funny cause the hens and drakes stay by themselves. Could it be the Austin influence?


They are cool little birds!!!!

Well, the drakes do have somewhat of a rainbow on their heads.

11-24-15

Dead calm out again with a light wind later in the morning. Had a few flocks fly over early. Two land on the water to the left then jump up and leave before legal. Two minutes into it had a pair of widgeons cup in to the left. I call and direct them to the middle of the decoys and take them out. As the dogs are in the water several small groups of birds give us a look and fly off. Several more birds are moving around in the area. Hear some geese. About 30 minutes later a single redhead buzzed over the decoys from the right. Could not react fast enough to get a shot off. More birds moving around and a single goose. Seventeen minutes later got surprised by a ringer buzzing overhead. Roughly 40 minutes later three widgeons come in from the front and swing to the left. I drop two of the three with one crashing into the little pond. While out of the blind picking up the birds and taking some pictures I see a random duck jump out of the decoys and land a bit further out. I get back to the blind and get one shot off as it flees to the right. Small flock of geese fly through at 8:25. Few minutes later a flock of ducks move through. At 8:36 I hear some ducks but can't tell where they are and look up only to get busted by two gadwalls right above the blind. They fly to the left and not five seconds later three pintails come from the left. I drop two and pack up.

Paxton picking up a widgeon...





Whipple picking up widgeon...





Whipple with a pintail...



Paxton picking up a pintail...





The birds...

11-25-15

Apparently got a little bit of rain the night before. Winds started out light and steadily got stouter. Mostly overcast with the sun breaking out at times. Warm. Got sprinkled on a few times throughout the morning. While tossing out decoys I about lost a not-so-cheap flashlight that got caught on the line. Luckily it was still entangled on the line of the decoy. Heard some early birds. Legal comes around and see a couple of flocks moving through. Five minutes into it a flock of canvasbacks come in from behind and circle to the left and crash into the decoys. Can limit fulfilled. Not a whole lot of activity in the area. All the dove must have ate them. Forty minutes later had five widgeons come in from behind, cup and land. I take out two and miss two other shots. Hear some geese. Very few birds moving around and what is moving had other plans. About two and a half hours later as I was doing something with the camera four pintails circle overhead. Three shots and nothing but air. About fifty minutes later as I am filming how strong the wind is I happen to see a lone pintail floating over the decoys. It was almost as if she could not land. Shot was almost too easy. Sat around a while longer but nothing was moving.

Got a new toy...





Whipple with a widgeon...



Whipple with another widgeon...







Whipple with a pintail...



The birds...



Whipple acting a fool...

Nice pics. Man if it weren't for you and Troy I think I wouldn't see a duck this year.