Finally Some Green

I've been having a hankering for some mallards.  Got a tip as to where I might find a few.  Turned out to be a good one.  We ended up with 10 in 2-1/2 hours.  Not spectacular, but better than what it has been.

 

Trap Shoot 2012

Pheasant Farm

Went out to the pheasant farm with my neighbor Will. It was the hardest I've ever hunted for pen raised birds.  It was a lot of fun.

Pheasant Hunt?

I had the day off today and decided to head out after some pheasants.  I went to Ogden Bay and walked for a while around the phrag.  I came up to a pond and I as I came around the phrag a couple swans took off.  I made the decision to take my swan; I wasn't sure how many more chances I was going to get.  One shot and it was down.  I also shot a coot for the dog. I ate the coot for dinner, and it wasn't as bad as everyone says.  Later on Todd and I went back out after some pheasants. The dog found seven but only one was shootable.  It was a good day even though the pheasants didn't turn out like I'd hoped.

 

First Swan

The predicted storm for Friday was too much for me to handle.  I had to leave work to go chase some ducks and swans.  Todd took off early with me.  We headed out to Harold Crane and got set up.  We had borrowed a couple swan decoys from Ryan Stratford.  We had been set up about an hour and watched hundreds of swans fly over when all of a sudden one of the groups turns and starts dropping our way. They set up right over the decoys, feet down.  Todd pulled up and dropped one on his first shot.  3" 2-shot Winchester Xperts, who says you need a big shell to kill a swan?  Chase made a perfect retreive on it too.  He ran out and picked it right up.  Stratfords met us out there later and then the ducks started flying.  We ended up with 18 and the swan.