scott@bierstadt.scd.ucar.edu (Larry Scott) (05/28/91)
Here's my input for amusing hunting stories.
Duck hunting with my friend and my young chocolate lab, Hershey.
>From noon on, it was extremely slow, but by the time we realized that it was
over, we decided to wait it out until the "evening flight". Our blinds were
makeshift shelters we built from 6 ft. rebar stakes and bulk camo material
we had clipped to the stakes. (Actually, it works REAL well!)
Finally, after not seeing a bird for over 2 hours, a nice flock of mallards
came in to our lake on the far side. A little coaxing on the duck call, and
they turned our way and started to come across. I anxiously called Hershey
into the blind and told him to lie down and "stay". He proceeds to flop over,
tummy-up, for a tummy scratch. As he does this, his body catches the slack
camo material, and, as he rolls, tears the camo all the way off of the rebar
stakes! Leaving me "naked" to the incoming mallards! Have you ever seen a
duck leave skid marks as he stops and turns so hard?! Had you offered me a
dime for that dog at that moment, I would have accepted it and given you
a nickel change! Actually, it's just as good that the ducks veered off, as
my buddy in his blind 20 yards away had watched this entire scenario and was
laughing so hard that there's no way he could have got a shot off!
Well, a full season-and-a-half later, my 80-lb. Marsh-Monster is
doing real well and has saved me several birds that would have escaped without
him on the job. I love him.
I really like this group, let's keep it going!
keep huntin'
Larry (and Hershey)picou@convex.com (Michael Picou) (05/30/91)
I would like to share a humorous duck hunting story with ya'll also. It
was one of our better days on Lake Somerville in central Texas. We brought
his young chocolate lab with us since the water dropped off to fast to depend
on our waders for those ducks that fall outside of the spread. We were only
useing 4 dozen decoys, so they were fairly close to the blind. Well, the
morning was goin great, birds were landing in the decoys while we were puttin
them out. The wind was blowin hard out of the north, and our backs were to the
wind. After decoying mallards and a few widgeons, a solo gadwall came soaring
in with full confidence that he was safe. As he approached our spread, I told
my buddie to take this one, and I would back him up. His lab was tied to his
hunting bucket because we had alot of canvasbacks landing in the decoys, and
Caitland (his lab) was getting restless. (in Texas, canvasbacks are protected)
So as this solo passed the spread, Steve stood up and released a shot that
brought his bird down to the waters edge. Caitland was so excited and eager,
he tore towards the bird to do his duty. He was so excited that he forgot he
was tied to the bucket, and drug it with him. As the bucket bounced behind
the dedicated lab, the lid flew off leaving a trail of Steve's supplies.
Caitland didn't appear to be bothered by the bucket behind him, until he hit
the water. When he went into the water, the dragging bucket filled up with
water. This frightened Caitland and brought him to a halt. He immediately
turned around and started growling at this thing he had aquired. Well,
needless to say, I was on the ground laughing at the event, and Steve was
running to release his frightened dog. We spent the next 15 min. picking up
Steve's stuff that had been thrown from the bucket. We laughed for a long
time, and he didn't have the heart to scold his dog for not waiting for his
command.
Well, the bird was retrieved, and caitland made up for his mistake by
retrieving a bird that was wounded and had swam about two hundred or more
yards out on the lake. Two birds were knocked down that round, that is how
that bird got so far out there. Steve and I both got our limit that day,
and went home with a great set of stories.
Duck hunting is a wonderful sport! Lets not abuse it, but appreciate it
and do our part to insure the next generation can experiance the great beauty
of our waterfowl.
Good luck in the upcoming season,
Mike Picou