If you like windy, cold, and wet, this was your kind of day...With northern Montana being pretty dry and the 2 wildlife refuges being pretty low (Benton NWR completely dry)...Most fowlers were squeezed into Freezeout W.A... 
I try to hunt the same spot when I do hunt Freezeout...Got to the parking lot and there were 5 trucks already there, but the spot I like near the road was open...I get out of the truck and I'm almost ready, when 3 young men come walking by me...I asked them where they were going and they say, "The bay near the point"...I'm still good...I get to my little baylett and put out the 6 decoys, but forgot the wings to the spinner...WITW!...
The wind is starting to scream and from the north...Not good as I'm on the south end of the big pond...As daybreak is breaking (shoot time of 6:52)...I hear voices to my left...It's the 3 kids...Apparently, they couldn't get thru the tules, so they decided to shoot in the bay right next to me...They put out about a dozen decoys and a spinner...As the 1st shots go off thru out the marsh/pond, they let loose...Assuming they're newbies (by their calling and the length of their shots)...I just settled back and waited for birds coming in to me...Missed the 1st couple of teal and then knocked one down that apparently dove on Coley...Never got it...
The 3 boys are cutting me off pretty bad, but half the time they were looking for birds in the tules (no dog)...Figured I had a chance...Then it happened...I see a teal come in and it lands right in between me and one of them...40 yds from them, 30 yds from me...I see the one exactly in line with me stand up and raise his gun...At that, I turn away and kaboom!...I was lucky, 10 yards of tules and heavy cloths saved me...I f-bombed him like crazy...All I hear is, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry"...F*CK ME!...I literally packed my stuff, picked up the decoys and left...He was a nice kid, as he walked over and a apologized again...Hope he learned a lesson...
I then drove around looking for a place that nobody was around...I found an area I'd hunted before and not a soul in sight...Even kicked some birds out going in...Figured it would be slow and settled in for the long haul...It's 9:00 am...Did I mention it's now 42 and raining...Damn!...Oh, and Coley ain't no Trigger...Coley is shaking like a leaf. while Trigger would've loved this kind of weather...
Shooting in these conditions, sitting in the tules, and feet firmly implanted in the mud is tough...And, I proved it on the very 1st bird to come in...Big old greenhead...With a limited swing plain, I hit it in the ass, and sailed it...Dang it!...Adjusted my feet some and that made the difference...The next 6 that came in were dead on arrival, including a nice double on lards...It is now 2:00 pm and I'm getting a little shaky myself...I'll give it one more hour...One hour goes by and at about 3:00 pm...I see a single duck coming...Right before she is totally committed, she banks...What the heck...Here comes the "Hail Mary" and it was answered...Praise the Lord and let's get out of here...
As great as Canada was, this is what I truly love about waterfowling...Next up pheasant opener...
ps...Lots of turkeys and fishing around here too...
I try to hunt the same spot when I do hunt Freezeout...Got to the parking lot and there were 5 trucks already there, but the spot I like near the road was open...I get out of the truck and I'm almost ready, when 3 young men come walking by me...I asked them where they were going and they say, "The bay near the point"...I'm still good...I get to my little baylett and put out the 6 decoys, but forgot the wings to the spinner...WITW!...
The wind is starting to scream and from the north...Not good as I'm on the south end of the big pond...As daybreak is breaking (shoot time of 6:52)...I hear voices to my left...It's the 3 kids...Apparently, they couldn't get thru the tules, so they decided to shoot in the bay right next to me...They put out about a dozen decoys and a spinner...As the 1st shots go off thru out the marsh/pond, they let loose...Assuming they're newbies (by their calling and the length of their shots)...I just settled back and waited for birds coming in to me...Missed the 1st couple of teal and then knocked one down that apparently dove on Coley...Never got it...
The 3 boys are cutting me off pretty bad, but half the time they were looking for birds in the tules (no dog)...Figured I had a chance...Then it happened...I see a teal come in and it lands right in between me and one of them...40 yds from them, 30 yds from me...I see the one exactly in line with me stand up and raise his gun...At that, I turn away and kaboom!...I was lucky, 10 yards of tules and heavy cloths saved me...I f-bombed him like crazy...All I hear is, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry"...F*CK ME!...I literally packed my stuff, picked up the decoys and left...He was a nice kid, as he walked over and a apologized again...Hope he learned a lesson...
I then drove around looking for a place that nobody was around...I found an area I'd hunted before and not a soul in sight...Even kicked some birds out going in...Figured it would be slow and settled in for the long haul...It's 9:00 am...Did I mention it's now 42 and raining...Damn!...Oh, and Coley ain't no Trigger...Coley is shaking like a leaf. while Trigger would've loved this kind of weather...
Shooting in these conditions, sitting in the tules, and feet firmly implanted in the mud is tough...And, I proved it on the very 1st bird to come in...Big old greenhead...With a limited swing plain, I hit it in the ass, and sailed it...Dang it!...Adjusted my feet some and that made the difference...The next 6 that came in were dead on arrival, including a nice double on lards...It is now 2:00 pm and I'm getting a little shaky myself...I'll give it one more hour...One hour goes by and at about 3:00 pm...I see a single duck coming...Right before she is totally committed, she banks...What the heck...Here comes the "Hail Mary" and it was answered...Praise the Lord and let's get out of here...
As great as Canada was, this is what I truly love about waterfowling...Next up pheasant opener...
ps...Lots of turkeys and fishing around here too...
