Hello from Alberta

[ilovesprig]

Well, what can I say...."You pay your money, and you take your chances"....lol....My cousin and I have been here for 3 days and we've hunted one morning (yesterday)...In the southern part of the state, it was bone dry and the sloughs and ponds we normally hunt were dry...Fields were worked, but with the exception of about 50 honkers, we couldn't even find any birds Wednesday...Spent one night down there and headed north...When we got here, we quickly found out...NOTHING...Has been farmed (combined or swathed)...Rain every week for over a month has put them WAY, WAY behind.

We finally talked to one of our farmer friends and he said he had taken off 40 acres of barley and the bales were still in the field...Checked it out and there were about 80 honkers and goodly number of ducks working the field and slough...Set-up yesterday morning expecting a really good mallard shoot, mixed in with some honker...As dawn broke, almost nothing...Finally a few birds stated working and I got a pretty quick limit of mallards...Ronnie had 4, but missed a couple...Then the honker came...Not many, but we managed 12.

Drove around after that, just looking for some fields that are off...We found a grant total of 3...As in 3...Miles & miles of barley and peas unharvested...This morning we're headed farther south where their saying there was a little less rain...Tough sledding, but it is beautiful up here.

ps...Did I mention, it rained yesterday?...Grrrr...lol

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[CazadorSuerte]

No dove? How miserable.

Beautiful country for sure , but more beautiful when the crop is down and the birds are in it!!

Seems like with all the standing crops the birds would be concentrated?

Love the blog and photos. Thank you.

 

[TRICER]

Cool stuff Steve. I would trade spots with you in a heart beat enjoy it and stay after them my friend.

 

[ilovesprig]

Now this morning was more like the Canada we've learned to love...Scouted a pea field yesterday, and got permission...Watched till late, but after we cut willows, the birds were bumped from the field...Could have been an eagle, coyote or human (never a good thing).

Set-up the new TangleFree Blinds, brushed them up with willows, put out decoys, and waited...1st ducks showed up right around shoot time (6:35 am)...Let them go because with no wind, we wanted to get a feel for the direction they would come in...Next bunch center punched us and the shoot was on...We got our 16 ducks pretty quick (14 mallards, 2 pintail)...Then a single speck came in from Ronnie's side and down he went...It's now around 7:45, and the honkers are starting to move...1st flight that came in was a 5 pack...One made it out...Then it was mostly singles & doubles...All but a couple stayed with us...Another single speck came in and we were down to needing 2 more darks...8:40 and a pair of honkers worked and we were done.

With a shoot lined up tomorrow, we're starting to find 'em...Taking a nap and then to cleaning...lol

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[msailor]

Looks like you are having a great time! Thanks for sharing for us working folks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[skeet]

Great day

 

[MJB]

Looks like fun......for a ducker!

 

[stikbrandon]

Steve, we are all living through you right now, keep the updates coming !!!

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

Get some!

 

[MAG 1]

Money shots for sure. Stay safe

 

[TRICER]

Good stuff Steve. I like the blind.

 

[WaterDawg]

I second what everyone else said. Go get em’ Steve.

 

[SDLIVIN]

Good stuff Steve!
So, what's the rules/regs on bringing that meat back into the states... and then into CA for that matter?

 

[ilovesprig]

Good stuff Steve!
So, what's the rules/regs on bringing that meat back into the states... and then into CA for that matter?

Robert,

We're allowed 24 darks & 24 ducks (each) with wings left on crossing back into Montana...Right now, we've shot 27 darks, 32 ducks...The 2 specks & ducks have been eaten...Farmers went from not liking it, to loving it...Lots of BBQ's, beer, fowl, and bacon consumed...lol

ps...All these laws are federal...So California is no different than anywhere else...Main thing is having the wing on for ID'ing.

 

[ilovesprig]

The migration is on...Fields the last 2 days have been harvested as fast as farmers can do it and the waterfowl seem to know food a plenty is right around the corner.

Talked to a farmer today that said some birds were eating in his unharvested pea field..."Duck Busters" to the rescue this eveing...lol...16 birds in pretty short order (8 pintail & 8 mallards).

With rain predicted tomorrow, we may get another duck shoot out of this field...Stefanie, Jacob, & Mike will be here Wednesday...So, we're trying to back-up fields for when they get here...They may have timed it just right this year.

ps...1,000's of specks flying over this afternoon...And we secured a field that had at least that many in it for Thursday...

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[Snake Charmer]

Get em' while you can Steve, Cal would be proud...

 

[ilovesprig]

Get em' while you can Steve, Cal would be proud...

Yep Fred,

Thought about Cal when that 1st mallard hit the deck...One of the last things he said to me was, he'd like to come up here one more time.

 

[stikbrandon]

Loaded straps Steve, A beautiful sight!

 

[Nimrod]

Loving this Steve! Thanks for sharing! Beautiful pics...

 

[SurfNHuntSD]

Right on Steve.. living vicariously through you bud!