11-29-13

This morning we planted 20 birds for the Vanoncini's annual after Thanksgiving pheasant hunt. I met the guys at the casino and headed over to the field. The dog was working well and the guys shooting was on! We ended up with 15 birds out of the 20. It was a good change form sitting in the duck blind and fun was had by all.

Derek

11-25-13

No wind, no clouds, no duck weather, but you don't know if you don't go! I grabbed the clients at the casino this morning and we headed for the rice near Delevan refuge. As we awaited legal shooting light I could hear lots of geese but not many ducks. When it was light enough to see into the refuge it was evident that a ton of geese had moved into the refuge last night and pushed the ducks out, damn geese! We had a few ducks working around and as the morning went on we scratched a few birds out. To my surprise there were very few specks in the mix of geese but all the singles, pairs, and small groups wanted to work and were listening very well. The first group to work us came right over the blind at 35 yards but I got greedy and waited for them to make another pass but they didn't like something and bugged out, lesson learned! We had a few other pairs and singles work right in to 15-20 yards and the guys smoked them. We ended up with 6 specks and 4 ducks this morning, and could have had another 5-6 specks. Not a bad shoot for the terrible weather.

Derek   

11-25-13

Another sunny calm November day, be we are still out in the field putting in our time and being rewarded with a few birds. I headed up North this morning to see what was happening. Prior to legal shooting time we could hear geese all over but not many ducks. As legal shooting time came the geese took flight on the neighboring properties and it was a sight to see! The sky turned black with thousands of snows and specks but unfortunately they left the fields they were feeding and made a B line for their roost ponds paying us no attention. As the morning went on I kept calling at the small groups of specks but couldn't get them to cooperate. They would lock up and come bombing down to 80 yards and start to circle but they kept getting pulled off by the non stop cross flight of big groups of specks jumping between grinds. The ducks were few and far between but we managed to decoy 5 birds on three different ups and the guys shot 100%, killing every bird that came in. It was pretty slow but that's to be expected with the weather we are having!

Casey

11-24-13

This morning I planted some pheasants for the Jensen's and then took them out on the hunt. We started hunting at 9:00 and the guys went to hammering the birds! We worked the natural habitat and ended up flushing 16 roosters and the guys got 15 of them. We had a great time and my dog did excellent, he even pointed a few.

Derek

11-24-13

I have been trying to get my son Cade out for his first duck hunt as a licensed hunter and today was the day. We got into the blind with clear and calm conditions and my expectations weren't too high but I knew we could at least get a few birds within gun range. As soon as legal shooting time came there were a surprising number of birds in the air. We tried to get the teal to slow down enough for Cade to get on them but they wouldn't cooperate so Bigshot and I let a couple of them have it. As the morning wore on Cade had shot at 5-6 birds without connecting but that all changed when 3 gaddys came loafing in and Cade stoned the drake, it was awesome! He has waited patiently for this day and I couldn't  have been happier for him. He was so excited and so was I, it made my season! It's funny how a single bird can make the day and get a guy thinking back to his first duck hunt! We stayed in the blind until 10:00 and then called it quits. Between the 3 of us we ended up with 12 ducks and had we all been on our A game would have had limits. It was a great hunt and I couldn't be more proud of Cade, he is now officially a duck hunter.

Casey   

11-23-13

The winds had died down when I looked out the window this morning, but we still had about a 10 mph wind  blowing when we got to the field. At first light there were not many birds flying but the ones that were decoyed well. We stayed in the blind until eleven and just before we got ready to pack it in I looked up and saw a pair of honkers headed our way. A few clucks out of the short reed and they were headed to us on a string! The birds came right in and put there feet down at 15 yards and the guys smoked them!! It was a great way to end the days hunt. We ended up with 10 ducks and 2 honkers.

Derek

11-22-13

I awoke to the howling North wind again and was excited to get into the blind! I met up with Phil and Kate and we headed to the rice blind near Delevan. With the amount of birds that I had seen go into the refuge yesterday I was sure that I had made the right choice but as shooting time grew near I was disappointed in the lack of birds that I was hearing. As legal shooting time cam so did a few birds and they went to work on them. It didn't take long to see that it was going to be another day of watching the sprig show so we tried to make the best of any other kind of duck that came near. We had 7 ducks by 9:30 and then the action slowed and then just died! We did however manage to get a few geese after that but the few ducks that were still flying wanted nothing to do with us. We called it quits at noon with a mixed strap of ducks and 3 geese. It wasn't exactly what I had in mind for today but as long as we are getting some shooting I won't complain! This is typical November hunting, you just never know what will happen day to day. 

Derek  

11-22-13

The North wind was howling and the birds were flying! I headed back North this morning and was happy that I did. At first light there were birds flying but not the big groups that I saw yesterday morming. Mostly singles and pairs today but that usually makes for better shooting and before long we had the strap full of 21 birds! They were a mix of mallard, widgeon, sprig, and teal. The geese still didn't want to play but we managed to get a bonus speck that couldn't resust the trusty redbone! It looks to me like we are getting some new birds from up North, as some of them were very skinny and worked like a dream. Now let's just hope they keep coming!

Justin    

11-21-13

Today I decided to give Richvale a try and I am glad I did!! At legal shooting time we had a big flock of widgeon come in and knocked down 5! As fast as we could shoot there were birds coming in and by 7:30 we had 10 widgeon and 4 mallards on the strap! We stayed in the blind until 8:30 looking to add some geese to the strap but they wouldn't works so we called it a day. It was a great shoot in the North wind.

Justin

11-21-13

Today I guided Arman for ducks. We went to the blind near Delevan Refuge and it was on! The wind was howling and the birds were in the air. We made short work of the sprig and then the waiting game started as we had waves of sprig in the air and had to look hard to find anything else. We stayed after it and ended at 9:00 AM with our 2 limits of ducks and a speck. The strap was a mixed bag of anything that flys the valley! I don't know when, if ever we will see our sprig limits increase, but there seems to be more of them than anything else!

Derek

11-19-13

Today I guided Bruce and Hal for ducks. With the weatherman calling for wind and rain I decided to head for the rice near Delevan Refuge. We rode to the blind in the wind and rain and just as expected, once in the blind the rain quit! At legal shooting time there were a few birds flying and Bruce smoked the first duck that came in. We sat waiting patiently but there just wasn't much flying but a few birds here and there that would not listen no matter how hard I tried. Around 9:00 the rain started and the ducks started flying! Between 9:00 and 11:30 Bruce and Hal took down another 13 ducks and 1 speck. The hunting was by no means fast and furious but we stuck it out and the guys ended up with a great strap of birds!

Casey

11-18-13

Today I guided Bruce Casella for pheasants on the club. We started at 8 AM and worked our way through the natural cover. It did not take long to start putting birds in the air and B

11-15-13

Today I guided Randall Walker for ducks. We hit the rice and had a stiff North wind blowing and plenty of birds flying, however, they were 99% sprig! It didn't take long for us to bag our 4 sprig and then we sat and watched the show as group after group of sprig worked the decoys. As we sat watching the sprig every now and then something else would sneak in and we would put the hammer on them! We stuck it out until 10:30 and ended the hunt with 13 ducks and a speck! It always amazes me how the sprig come out of the wood work when the North wind blows!

Justin

11-10-13

Today I guided Jim, Tom, and Eric for ducks. We hit the rice not expecting much as the weather was forcasted to be sunny and 75! When we got to the blind there were a few birds flying and we did our best to fool them but most wanted nothing to do with us. We stayed at it and managed to end the hunt with 7 ducks and a speck. Far from red hot, but not bad given the weather.

Justin

11-9-13

Today I guided Jim Harrington and crew. The weather was clear and calm so I figured I would give the wetland a try. We got into the blind and there were a few birds flying but they were not listening well. Every once in awhile we would fool a few into range and the guys would go to work on them. Today it was quality of quantity! We ended the hunt with 7 mallards and probably should have had 5-6 more. For the weather it was better than expected and the guys had a blast giving each other a hard time!

Casey

11-3-13

We didn't have any clients today and the wind was howling so we figured we would go out and do some killing! We got in to the blind and birds were flying all over but not cooperating well. As the morning went on we got a bird here and a bird there. We ended the morning with 14 ducks and 3 geese. It was alot of fun, but damn those birds were hard to hit in the 35 mile an hour wind!!!  

Derek