Journal

January 7, 2008---Tilghman Island, Maryland

I am usually done hunting by this time, but last year at the DU Banquet I bid on and won a three day guided hunt on Tilghman Island in Maryland. So Brian and I take off again not knowing what to expect, we fly into Newark, NJ and can't get to the hotel, we could see it but couldn't get there from where we were, we finally made it, but it was located next to a hazardous waste site. You have to love NJ. We head out to Tilghman Island the next morning and see a lot of geese in the sky as we get closer-when we get there it is approaching 70* and the birds are sitting in the fields just enjoying the sunshine. Brian and I enjoyed it also but it did not look like great hunting conditions. We meet up with Randolph Murphy our guide and get a quick tour of the Island and see lots of geese in the fields and he is not happy with the record temps that have greeted us either. The next morning we head to the fields and MR. BLUE SKY is watching over us again and we never get a shot off. The next morning we head to the coast and see a lot of birds and get a goose and I get a big green head and Brian picks up a hen, go figure. The next morning has a little wind and we have a flock of big, big Canada's come. Brian gets two and I get two and we are done as that is the limit in Maryland. You wait and wait, but when they come it is great, these were really big geese 15lbs plus. This was a great experience and with a little different weather this could have been a fantastic hunt but we had a great time and saw and hunted a different part of the country.

Keep watching the web site as I will be updating all summer as I get my schedule set up for next fall. Happy Hunting!

November 7, 2007—Gregory, SD

Year two of the pheasant hunts that never happened (remember what happens in SD, never really happened) so some of this stuff cannot be repeated to anybody. This year we had 12 Alaskans and 1 Californian but only two dogs, MAC stayed home and was PO’d. More great hunting with Ed Haines, he had the fields all lined up and the first day we were done in around an hour and a half, two hours the second day and three hours the last day. Big birds and great hunting, we had a blast and what a group—the bad part was I came down with the crud the first day and felt like @#@% the whole trip, still hunted but wasn’t the life of the party to say the least. I did conserve a LOT of Crown for future consumption though. Already making plans for next year.

October 3, 2007—Blue Sky Outfitters, McLennan, Alberta

Brian is arriving today for his second trip to Alberta plus four other friends. Three are from Alaska, Mike2, Mike3, Randy and Mike2’s brother Jim from California. Mike2, Brian and I shoot in a regular league together and Mike2 saw me on the Mossy Oak Hunting the Country TV show and had expressed an interest in going to Alberta, so I hooked them up with Kevin and Patti and the rest is history. The timing this year was a little off due to the late harvests and the warm temps, but we had one of the best goose hunts ever as we shot 48 big Canada’s in 96 minutes. They are hooked and are booked for next year. I mentioned I would talk about next year’s schedule later, so here it is. I will be on “THE TRIP” next year. I will be retiring on April 1, 2008 and will complete my trip from Alaska to Texas following the waterfowl migration. I plan to spend most of the month of October in Alberta with Blue Sky and my buddy Todd in Saskatchewan. Rusty from Mossy Oak has given me a list of Mossy Oak preferred outfitters across the country and I will be contacting them in the next few months to set my locations. I am hoping they will be flexible enough to meet my schedule (since I have no schedule—and will be RETIRED) Stay tuned for locations and possible dates.

September 30, 2007—Blue Sky Outfitters, McLennan, Alberta

Well here I am again, my third year with Kevin & Patty and the crew from Mossy Oak and I am pumped up and ready to go. This is a trip I really look forward to each year and have even planned next year’s trip. More on that later, let’s take care of this year first. The first day was not a typical day in Alberta as we only shot one goose and it was a “spec” at that but we had a spectacular duck hunt. The bad part was Kevin would shoot and then call the shot and Russell kept shooting my ducks. I think there was a conspiracy against the Alaskan guy. Just kidding, I have a really great time with these guys; just being in the field with them is a blast. We have two more days of great duck hunting over water as the fields are late getting harvested and the local geese are really spooky. And as luck would have it the day the Mossy Oak guys leave it turns cold and we see a bunch of new geese arriving.

September 1, 2007—Opening Day—Rabbit Slew, Alaska

MAC, Brian and I head out in my little boat a couple of hours before shooting time down Rabbit Slew in the Palmer Hay Flats and I should have known how this day would go as I hit the first tree in the slew, the same one I hit last year in the dark. We get to our favorite spot about 30 minutes late and discover somebody in our spot, so plan “B” is in effect. Plan “B” is find the first place that there isn’t anybody. This is not a good plan as there aren’t any ducks there either. We hang out for a few hours and hear a lot of shooting from the plan “A” area and then pack it in and talk to other hunters and the results were mixed. Some limited out and others were skunked like us. Next year we will have better plans and will take my Stealth 2000 and have it ready the night before so we can get out in the middle of the lake.

December 9^th, 2006 - Anchorage, Alaska

I received the information on the banded drake mallard I shot last October. The bird was banded 20 miles west of Peace River, Alberta on August 19^th, 2006. It was a first year bird and hadn’t made it too far from where it was hatched when I shot it. Well this brings me to the end of another season as I think this will be the last hunt of 2006 and I as I reflect on this season I am even more convinced that even the bad hunts are great when I have friends around me.

See you next year.

December 6^th, 2006 - Fall River Mills, CA

We are going to get up early this morning to try to get some geese; we set up in a field with layout blinds and wait for the birds. I am trying to get some rest when the geese show up; unfortunately they are really high and aren’t biting on the decoys, so we never fire a shot. The CWA guys tell us we are about a month early for the prime goose hunting in this area but as we are standing around telling a few stories, getting ready to pick up the decoys a goose decides to test our shooting skills and flies right at us, Chuck’s gun jams, Wayne had put his gun down so I am left with saving the Alaskan’s reputation but life is good and we have a honker on the ground.

December 5^th, 2006 - Fall River Mills, CA

Same schedule today as we have to wait for the ice to melt, I could get used to this schedule, sleep in and wait for the temperature to rise. Chuck and I move out of the blind to a different spot on the paddy and we shoot ‘em up, it seems we have the honey hole as Wayne hasn’t fired a shot, so after Chuck limits out, Wayne comes over and gets in some some shooting and has some birds on the ground. I had one of my more unusual shots as I nail a greenhead and it drops and goes thru the ice and disappears, luckily the water isn’t deep and I am able to find it. I sure missed my dog Mac on this trip.

December 4^th, 2006 - Fall River Mills, CA

I am now in Fall River Mills, California and I am with Chuck and Wayne two of my longtime hunting buddies. Wayne bought this trip from the Alaska Waterfowl Association that had traded a duck hunt for a Kenai fishing trip with the California Waterfowl Association. We flew into Sacramento and then drove to Willows to meet up with our host Fred. On the way we stop at the Sacramento Refuge and are fired up by all the birds we see, tons of specs, snows and all kinds of ducks. Next morning we get to Fall River Mills and get checked into the hotel, meet up with Jerry another CWA member and head out for and evening hunt since we have to wait till the ice on the rice paddies melts. This was a very interesting hunt as the birds were a little spooky and didn’t decoy very well, but we had a pretty decent hunt as there was a fair amount of pass shooting to take advantage of.

November 10, 2006 - Gregory, SD

Our last day and the fields are now dry and dusty again. The dogs are having a really tough time sniffing out the birds. We only have the two labs today and they get a work out as we have to hunt till around three to get our limit. The retrieve of the trip happens when I wing a rooster and it sails into the next field, so Ed picks Mac and me up to try to find it. Mac picks up the scent pretty quick but the bird is off and running so for the final retrieve of the hunt Mac pulls it out of the air and we are done. This has been a great trip and we have already agreed that it should become annual excursion.

November 9, 2006 - Gregory, SD

We have a little snow on the ground today so the dogs work a little better, but it’s a little tougher on the hunters since everything is wet. We still get our limits by around noon though. The birds were big and fast, we could see them on the ground running but when we got to the end of the field we hadn’t flushed as many as we saw running. These birds amaze me every time I get to hunt them. In the afternoon we hit the local sporting clay range and get a little practice in for the next day. We order pizza and chicken and have a great night of jokes, stories and maybe even some true tales were told. I doubt it, but maybe.

November 8, 2006 - Gregory, SD

Ed has a number of fields for us to hunt, and the first is a doozy - this is what pheasant hunting is all about. Ed has planted his fields specifically to enhance the pheasant habitat and has done an exceptional job. He has a lot of acres set aside just for resting areas so the birds are plentiful. We can’t hunt till ten (a lot different than six in a duck blind) but we nail our 24 birds by one. This has to be some of the best pheasant hunting in the world. Mac has one lab and two pointers to hunt with today and he holds his own pretty well even in the windy, dry and dusty conditions. After the hunt we visit Pete’s Taxidermy, not only the place where they take our birds to be processed but a wild life museum with mounted and live exotic birds. A little place in the southern part of South Dakota and it has a world class wildlife exhibit. That evening we visit the small town of Dallas and all I can say is what happens in South Dakota never happened.

November 7, 2006 -Gregory, SD

Here I go again, this time to Gregory, South Dakota to hunt pheasant. I am traveling with seven guys from Anchorage, Jim, Randy, Ron, Jon, Mike, Dan, and Dave. I don’t know how I keep lucking out and finding different people and places that are just outstanding.

We arrive in Sioux Falls at different times so we decide to meet at Cabala's in Mitchell. Of course this stop is very costly as we have to buy everything we forgot or think we might need. We make it to Ed Gaines’s lodge in Gregory in time for a nightcap and to make plans for the next day’s hunt.

October 28, 2006 - McLennan, Alberta

Snow and fog greet us this morning and we are not sure of what to expect, but we head out and have a decent shoot - especially since I get a triple, three shots and three Canada’s. Life is good. I have been put in charge of cooking a duck dinner, so I head to the kitchen while Kevin and Brian head out on a diver hunt but end up getting side tracked at a pond of mallards and nail another limit of greenheads. Dinner consists of sweet & sour duck, duck and mushrooms sautéed in butter and garlic, and duck dirty rice. Dinner was enjoyed by all and as our trip to Blue Sky outfitters draws to an end I want to thank Kevin and Patti for their great hospitality, Russ for his sense of humor and look forward to coming back next year.

October 27, 2006- McLennan, Alberta

Lots of geese this morning and Brian and I are shooting pretty well so we have a bunch of birds on the ground. We have been joined by George, a retiree from Sacramento who is returning to Blue Sky Outfitters to shoot for the second time this year; he really likes it up here. We head back to the pond where we saw all the ducks. It is full again and we hope that they will come back this time. It is our lucky day, as they do come back a few hundred at a time and we are nailing the ducks big time. Mac puts on a show as he dives under the water to get a duck and then leaps in the air to get a wounded one. He is getting the work out of his life and gets a little pooped, but we get our limit of 32 mallards

October 24, 2006 - McLennan, Alberta

Now that Mossy Oak is gone we get better shooting, go figure. We decide to try for some divers and head out to one of the local lakes. Jack, Kevin, Russ and his wife Jizell and I knock down a wide variety of birds. Eight different species to be exact, redheads, bluebills, ring necks, mallards, pintails, buffle heads, golden eye and a wide mouth mallard. Brian gets in around midnight from Anchorage and is ready to go; he is more than a little excited.

October 22, 2006 Blue Sky Outfitters—McLennan Alberta

Blue skies and birds in the air, life is good. We are being filmed by Mossy Oak again this year; Rusty is back but has a new helper, Chris. The birds are a little slow this morning, but we get some shots and knock down 15 honkers. Kevin, Russ, Jack, Mark, Dustin, Brian and I are shooting this morning. Russ and I are at it again, him taking credit for all my shots, but we are having a great time. This is a bunch of great guys and they are what hunting is all about. After brunch we head out to a flooded timber area that covers about an acre and spook out a bunch of ducks. Mark, the area biologist, estimates over 5000 ducks. They are so thick that when they flush one duck knocks itself out when it hits a tree. Russ picks it up and gets it calmed down, then lets it go. Since it was a hen it was lucky Brian wasn’t here yet. It takes almost 25 minutes for all the birds to leave; it’s one of the coolest things I have ever seen. We set up around the pond and get a few nice shots but the birds don’t return like we expect, so the day ends with thoughts of huge flocks filling our heads. Mac has done well but is breaking on the shot so I have some work to do – but, he makes some great retrieves and is a worn out dog at the end of the day.

December 5, 2005 - Yakima, WA

Looks like I get one more chance to get at the ducks this year, Stan Smith and I head out to meet up with Steve Simon in Yakima, Washington for the last hunt of the season. We will be hunting at Steve’s duck club out side Yakima and the first day starts off with a bang as we pick up a few green heads in a late afternoon hunt. The next morning we meet up with George Nagle, one of Steve’s partners in the club and have a great late season duck hunt over a partially frozen lake, the club keeps enough water flowing to keep an open area and the ducks dump in a few at a time and we have a great shoot and have a limit of mallards and pintails in a couple of hours. That afternoon we head over to Eagle Lakes Lodge in Othello to meet Steve Richeson a former guide from Alaska and have a great dinner and a few drinks and after a good night sleep we head to Moses Lake for a morning goose hunt and a couple hours later we have our 20 geese on the ground, 17 Greaters and 3 Lessers. Life is good. The next morning back I n Yakima it is around zero and even a good flow of water won’t keep the lake open, but we get 5 green heads and decide to call it a day. It is only fitting I end this season the same way I started with Stan and Steve, although they tend to corrupt me as I seem to smoke cigars and drink a whole lot more when I am with them it is the way it is supposed to be friends, ducks, good cigars and great whiskey. Life really is good and I look forward to next season. Keep checking the web site as I will let you know when the shows will be on TV.

October 26^th, 2005 -Anchorage, AK

I leave Tok with thoughts of Caribou and Chickaloon Hills terrorizing me as I don’t like driving these places in the summer on dry pavement without a trailer, but here I go. The Lord takes care of fools like me and the roads are clear and dry from Glenallen to Anchorage and I am home. I get the trailer unloaded and take it to the storage area. I unhook, and here comes a flock of 200 or so geese flying at about 25 yards over me just a honking. I guess they are letting me know that they are still here and I made the right decision to get home.

October 25^th, 2005 -Tok, AK

It’s cleared up, got a little colder, and the roads are still snow covered but much better to drive on. I’m planning to make it to Tok and stop for dinner, when I see I have another tire going down. After checking with the local Chevron station to see if they will fix the tire and being told they close in 10 minutes and can’t do it until morning, I notice there is Willard’s, an RV repair place, across the street from the restaurant. I check to see if they have tires, which they do, and they stay late and get it changed for me. They also let me stay in the parking lot for the night and plug in so I have power too. Seems to be two different kinds of people in Tok - thank God there are still people like Willard left in Alaska to take care of people like me.

October 23^{rd &} 24th, 2005 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

I left Quill Lake yesterday and stopped in Saskatoon for the night. Am headed home, roads are clear and dry, and I am making good time. I see lots of birds flying around and start having second thoughts. When I get close to Watson Lake it begins to look like snow - it hits around Swift River and it’s white knuckle all the way - 6 to 8 inches of slush….not having a lot of fun. I am driving along and one of the two people that passed me all day lets me know I have a tire going down on the trailer. So, in the snow and rain, I get to change a tire too. What fun, not quite NASCAR speeds but I get it done and head out to Whitehorse, spend the night there and relax a bit.

October 22^nd, 2005 - Quill Lake, Saskatchewan

Last hunt in Saskatchewan and it is a doozy. There are thousands of ducks all over us and it is a great shoot. We have a limit in just over an hour - not a bad way to end this part of the trip.

Speaking of last part of the hunt, I have decided to head back to Alaska from Saskatchewan. It seems I am a couple of weeks ahead of the migration and the birds just don’t seem to want to stay up with me. I may still come back down after Thanksgiving and get a few more States in, but this may have turned into a multi-year trip. A month of hunting takes a toll and I think I just want to get home and see my extremely understanding wife. I will complete this trip, just not sure when. The planning of this trip was one of the best parts of it and if all had worked the way I had planned I would still be on the road South, instead of North. Thanks to everyone who has kept up with me, as it looks like I am getting around 16 hits a day on the web site. I will keep everybody updated on my future plans.
-Happy Hunting

October 21^st, 2005 - Quill Lake, Saskatchewan

Hugh takes us to a farm close to the “Stuck Truck” and the farmer is very nice and says he pulls people out of there all the time. He brings his tractor, heads for the “Stuck Truck”, and pulls me out. If you haven’t guessed, I am taking a lot of grief about getting stuck. I still think it is Todd’s fault since he told me when to stop - and he made me drive since I had the boat on my truck. In all the years I have hunted with Todd this was the first time I had ever driven in a field, and did he or anybody else say “watch out for the wet spot”? Hell no - they just let me sink. And since Sammy was sleeping in the back seat and didn’t even let me know I shouldn’t park there, its his fault also. So…….I am not taking any blame for this and since nobody else gets to edit to this story, I am sticking to my guns.

Same day different field, we have spotted a lot of ducks in the air and get set up around 4pm and start waiting. We think we have another bust, but a half hour before we have to stop shooting here they come and we have mallards and pintails all over us. We have a fantastic shoot, and after the “Stuck Truck” affair I needed this!

October 20th, 2005 - Quill Lake, Saskatchewan

Still fighting the weather, this time rain, but we get a few more birds. It seems like more birds are showing up though, while we scout for the right field, and when we spot a bunch of ducks going into a slough we decide to hunt there that night. I finally get to use my Stealth 2000 duck boat and it works great, it’s very stable when shooting but it was a chore getting it to the water from where we had to park. What a shoot! Thousands of ducks and they just keep coming. We have Mallards and Canvasbacks and a few Bluebills, but since we have a ways to hike we head back to the truck a little early, before we have a full limit. It takes a while to get the truck loaded and by then it’s really dark. You know, strange things happen in the dark in Saskatchewan when heavy trucks sit in a field for 4 or 5 hours…….it seems my truck has sunk in the muck that seemed real solid when Todd got out of the truck earlier and said we were far enough into the field and to park here. We are stuck - really, really stuck. It is about 7:30 and we are five to sox miles from anywhere. Of course the cell phone won’t work. I think about walking out but can’t see any lights from where we are except across the slough. So, since I have lots of fuel and we have the boys with us we decide to wait and see if Hugh gets worried and comes looking for us. About 10:00 we decide we will walk out in the morning and try to find help, but for now we will try to sleep in the truck. Hugh does show up and save the day though, 10:30. Instead of getting two trucks stuck, I lock up and we all head back to camp. I slept really great in my own warm bed.

October 19^th, 2005 - Quill Lake, Saskatchewan

Back to the fields and looking for early ducks to be followed by geese. Mr. BS strikes again and we only get a few ducks. For the evening shoot we get a few more ducks and start cursing Mr. BS big time. The highlight of this shoot is that Sammy gets his first ducks in the air. For dinner this night Hugh prepares duck etouffée. This was another fabulous meal that I hope to get the recipe for.

October 18^th, 2005 - Quill Lake, Saskatchewan

Still no Todd and no boys, so we head out again for a morning field goose hunt. Unfortunately old Mister Blue Sky strikes again and we get only a few ducks and a goose. This Mr. BS seems to have followed me no matter where I have been. Todd, Zach and Sammy finally make it and we hit the fields again. This is the first time I have been able to hunt with the boys and it is the first time Sammy gets to hunt in Canada since he finally made it to 12 years old. We are in field blinds and I still have some problems getting comfortable shooting, but we end up with some nice ducks and I hit a few of them, so life is good. Zach is shooting really great as he makes some shots that I only dream about. That night Hugh has a dinner prepared for us by a local cook and we have hot & sour duck soup, ginger duck, sweet & sour duck, duck fried rice, and hot & spicy duck. This meal would make any and everybody like duck! It was the best duck I have ever eaten and I hope to have the recipes when I get home.

October 17^th , 2005 - Quill Lake Area, Saskatchewan

Todd gets hung up in Minneapolis, so I get hunt to with his boss Hugh and his neighbor Gordy. We head out Monday morning for ducks and have a good hunt. Mac gets a real workout as our birds seemed to sail on us and land in the middle of the lake. Mac keeps his eye on the birds though, and makes the retrieves. That night we hit the fields and have a pretty good hunt again - big, big, Honkers - the biggest one tips the scales at 22 pounds, one of the biggest goose I have ever shot.

October 12^th, 2005 - Russell, Manitoba

Snow goose hunt, 800 decoys set up the night before and I think the blind will be real comfortable, bad news the wind shifted and all the decoys need to be turned into the wind, there goes any idea for sleeping in the blind. It is real foggy when shooting time arrives, but here come the snows, big flocks and they are low and can’t see us due to the fog, of course we can’t see them either but they are very noisy, so we know they are coming. When we see them, they are a little high but we start shooting and they fall like a ton of bricks. I am in my blind when this old goose hits right next to me and shakes the ground, what a way to go, getting hit by 10 pounds of goose at 100 miles per hour, but my luck holds out and I survive another day in the field. We are done at noon and I sleep till the next morning and Mac was worse than me. I had to roll him over just to get some room on the bed. On to Saskatchewan to hunt with Todd and his boys Zak and Sam, again lots of birds in the air so it looks good.

October 11th, 2005 - Russell, Manitoba

I get the honker group and have a fantastic hunt, big geese (Greaters) 15 to 18 pounds each. We have Marlin (Hillbilly) as our guide this morning and he has these geese coming into the decoys, it is great shooting. This is what I pictured goose hunting in Canada to be. Next up was an evening duck hunt in flooded timbers, not the type in South but small willows but we sit in chairs and wait for the birds, the first one goes past so fast that I never get my gun up to shoot, now I know what to expect and I am ready. Hillbilly is my guide again and what a shoot, 8 mallards, really nice close shots. Back to the lodge and Judy’s great cooking, I was losing weight till I got here. Then we head out to set decoys again, 800 this time, we are done around midnight and I head for bed. A few minutes after I get in bed the low battery alarm goes off in the trailer, seems to have thrown the breaker in the lodge that I am hooked up to, everybody else is sleeping so I am stuck till morning listening to beep-beep-beep every 30 seconds. Good news is that we get up at five and I only have to listen to it for four hours. Not my best night, when Tom gets up he resets the breaker and all is well, except my attitude.

October 10^th, 2005 - Big Grass Outfitters-Russell Manitoba

I will be hunting with Tom & Judy Usunier and Bill Miller of North American Hunting Club, we are being filmed for the North American Hunter show and it looks like we are on target with the birds, as I spot lots and lots of birds in the air as I get close to Russell. Our first hunt is in pea fields for honkers and as sunset arrives we have a few on the ground but we were a victim of the Blue-sky again, plenty of birds but real high. It seems I am in front of the migration and these are semi local birds and seem to have been shot at before so they are just a little spooky. Monday evening after dinner we head to the fields to set up decoys for a snow goose hunt in the morning, 600 decoys take a long, long time to set up and then we have to set up the honker decoys too because we are going to split into two groups in the morning.

October 5, 2005 - McLennan, Alberta. Bird Capital of Canada.

It’s a little different setup today as the skies are clear and the wind has picked up a bit. But we get settled in and wait for the geese. Again we have birds in the decoys, awaiting enough light for the cameras, but when the first flock comes in and everybody knocks one down it looks like a repeat of yesterday. But then our shooting skills take a slight dive and as we let the geese fly away we know, deep down, that we are supporting the shotgun shell industry to the best of our ability. It isn’t a bad shoot, as we get 13 geese and that leaves us open for a duck shoot in the afternoon.

Well folks - a duck shoot in McLennan, Alberta is something all duck hunters ought to experience. We shot our limit. Everybody shot well, but the star of the show was Mac. Not only did he retrieve all the birds but he chased a flyer a few hundred yards into a field to get him. Most retrieves were in the water and I can’t wait for everybody to see him in action. He was great! That said, he is asleep and snoring as I write this. He is one pooped pup. Me too, so I will end here.

October 4, 2005. - McLennan, Alberta. Bird Capital of Canada.

I’ve hunted with Kevin McNeil of Blue Sky Outfitting the last few days and what an experience! Kevin had invited me to hunt here when he heard of my adventure, but when he was contacted by Mossy Oak and asked to let them film and make a video of his hunts, he asked if I could be here a couple days earlier to be on the show - it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. So here I am, the guy with the worst average on our shooting team, with a dog that at times has not been perfect (actually, the dog has done great – the owner, me, has a lot to learn about dog handling), getting ready to be on national television. I don’t sleep a wink thinking of all the things that can go bad. Morning comes though, no matter how bad I want to sleep, and away we go. We set up the camera blinds, the layout shooting blinds, (this will be another story – fat guy doing sit-ups), set up the decoys, and wait for enough light for the cameras to film. We have birds in the decoys and can’t shoot yet – Mac is real tense as they fly away, but he never breaks for them and I calm down a little bit as he passes his first test. Now it’s light enough to shoot, and no birds. I’m beginning to worry for Kevin but then, here they come - first the geese and then the ducks. It is awesome! I shoot well enough not to be noticed. Mac does absolutely great because he recovers 32 ducks and 28 geese, and the camera guys really like having the dog - so even if they’re afraid to put my picture on TV, Mac will be there. Want to thank Rusty and Josh from Mossy Oak for the new hunting gear, and for helping me have a true experience of a lifetime, and Kevin for inviting me here.

September 26, 2005 - Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

Whitehorse was another story, I think it has great potential, but I need to know a lot more about the area, but if you want to fish, get hold of Don Banks at Scuttlebutt Outfitter’s as he has a great place, just bring some 100 proof Yukon Jack and you will see some places that are really neat. We traveled the Yukon Quest Trail to check out some duck ponds, but check back to Waterfowl 101 to understand how successful that was.

September 23, 2005 Delta Junction, AK

Delta taught me a lesson, check and see when the birds typically come through and try to match your days to that time. As the Alaskan Duckhunter I think I will make this Waterfowl 101in my training book, but since this trip was my farewell party and that was the main purpose, the fact that the only thing we killed were bottles of Wild Turkey, Crown Royal and Jack really didn’t matter. I want to thank all that attended as it was a great time.

September 1, 2005 - Rabbit Slew, Alaska

Opening day 2005, Rabbit Slew, Alaska. It has been a long time since I spent the night on the duck flats in a tent and since it rained just about all day Wednesday and was still muddy it didn’t take long to remember why I switched to shacks with roofs and floors. But with good cigars and a little rum to keep us warm things aren’t all bad. I am hunting with Wayne Johnson, my long time hunting buddy, Mary our camp cook and head photographer, Ray Mac’s trainer and two of his clients. It’s time so we get up, the rain has stopped and it is partly cloudy and looking good. Mary has sweet rolls and coffee ready. Wayne, Mac and I head out to the blind and when the time is right I pop one and Mac heads out but decides he won’t bring a Spoonie back, don’t really blame him but after a little heart to heart he goes and gets it and from then on he does great. We end up with a wide variety of birds, sponnies, mallards, pintails, teal, one golden eye and a bunch of widgeons. We are back in camp by 10:30 and Mary has breakfast ready, I guess camp hunting isn’t all that bad. Another great day of hunting in The Great State.

July 18, 2005 - Anchorage, AK

The End of Mac as We Knew Him

There are times in life when you have to make a tough decision and that time has come for me. I have decided to get Mac, my black lab, fixed. This comes after a trip to our local pet store where they allow you to bring your dog inside with you when you shop. Mac showed a general lack of class as he tried to mount a full size poodle, a husky and some little rat-looking thing, but he cinched his fate when he nailed the clerk behind the counter. Now I do this with some regret as I remember when my wife had me fixed; how instead of running around in the back yard enjoying life, I started lying around on the couch, gaining weight with a general lack of enthusiasm for anything except hunting. So I am now trying to grow taller to spread out this weight since I need to be in shape for a trip I have planned next fall, when I follow the waterfowl migration from Alaska to Texas. Mac and I will get over this traumatic experience by hunting and hanging out together, but when he goes to the store again and gives me that look, I’ll understand. Sorry Mac.
I have added a little humor to this story but in real life if you have a dog that is a great hunter or just a good family dog but not a champion or a show dog, having your dog neutered is the best thing for you, the dog and the breed.

May 26, 2005 - Anchorage, AK

127 days sounds like a long time, but I sure seem to have a lot of things that need to be done before I go. Lots of good news this month - the hunt with Kevin O’Neil of Blue Sky Outfitters in McLennan Alberta will be filmed by the camera crews from “Hunting the Country” TV show and they will also film for a video named “Tipping Wings in Alberta Peace Country”. If the hunt turns out great we may make the series on OLN, and if I display my usual shooting skills we will be lucky to make the outtakes for America’s Funniest Videos, but what the heck - I will have had my chance for 15 minutes of fame. I have also completed my itinerary for the trip; I have hooked up with Lynn and Michelle Buswell of Jagermister Outfitters in West Amana, Iowa and Brandon White of Longneck Outfitters in Texas. I will also be hunting with one of my oldest friends, John Shackelford, and his brother Jeff in Louisiana. Next month I will list places and dates.

April 15, 2005 - Anchorage, AK

Only 137 days till the journey begins. Today was another big day; I picked up the trailer (a 28’ Thor Winner Circle Travel Trailer) that has 12 feet of storage space and 16 feet of living space. And just as I was hooking up the trailer and lowering it on to the hitch two geese flew over just a honk’n away, I am sure they were saying Oh No! There’s Mike and he is getting ready for his hunt already let’s remember what that trailer looks like. After I got all checked out I took the trailer for a spin down to Alyeska and back to see how it handled. The truck did great and even though the wind was blowing pretty good, no problems. I am sure I will spend from now till I leave putting stuff in it and getting it ready with all the odds and ends that I will want and need. I hope the truck has enough power to pull all the extra weight. I plan to build some racks that I can hang decoys or wet hunting gear on in the storage space. More next week as we plan to head out for the weekend.

February 27, 2005 - Anchorage, AK

I am starting to get dates and places scheduled. So far Delta, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba are booked. We will be hunting on our own in Delta as I think we have that figured out. My next stop will be in McLennan, Alberta with Kevin McNeil of Blue Sky Outfitters you can check them out at www.blueskyoutfitting.com and then on to Russell, Manitoba with the crew from North American Hunting Club, we will be hunting with Tom & Judy Usunier of Big Grass Outfitters, check them out at www.biggrassoutfitters.com My next stop will be in Quill Lake, Saskatchewan with my long time hunting partner Todd Dilley. I am working on the rest of the trip and hope to have all the other places booked by the middle of March.

September 26, 2004 - Anchorage, AK

It’s my 56^th birthday, and I am spending it in a duck blind with three good friends. We flew here in Jim’s Cessna 185 on floats. We are near Pilot Point, Alaska and the weather is perfect, windy and no rain. We start out hunting on the ponds; we have a few decoys out and have split up into two groups about hundred and fifty yards apart. We think we have the flyway covered but the birds seem to be just out of range as usual, so the two skinny guys start moving around hoping to either jump shoot something or at least spook them towards us. It works we get a couple of greenheads and it’s a great day. It is almost high tide and we want to get out closer to the beach and try to get some geese as they start moving around. Jim drops Stan and I off and he and Pat are going to do some scouting while we set up, only problem is they keep Ellie the retriever, Stan will pay attention to hand signals but he can’t hear very well and he is not as fast as Ellie either. Here come the geese, we knock down two but can’t find them in the grass; Stan’s nose isn’t as good as Ellie’s either. We get another just because it lands right on top of us. Pat and Jim come in with Ellie and we still can’t find one of the geese, but the geese are still coming and we get three more this time Ellie gets all three. A good dog is hard to replace when hunting in grassy marshes. The wind is really blowing now and we decide to head back to King Salmon, as we are walking out I come across the goose that I had knocked down earlier, it is truly a great birthday.

September 18, 2004 - Delta, AK

We are going to hunt a new area this weekend - Delta, Alaska. I’ve heard the geese and Sandhill Cranes are in and feeding in the barley fields, so we drive the 300 plus miles out of Anchorage to break in my new Dodge diesel pickup. This is also the first hunt for Mac, my 20-month old black lab. Lots of new stuff on this trip - I really hope it goes well as I’ve talked my boss, Steve and Brian into the six-hour drive based on rumors. We will be hunting with C&R Outfitters, who have set up blinds and decoys in the barley fields east of town. We get to the fields around 3:30 on Saturday afternoon and see a few flocks of cranes, but not any geese. We sit there for a couple of hours and don’t fire a shot. Nothing even flies close to the blind - it looks like I was misled and in trouble. We only have about 30 minutes left to shoot, so I take Mac to the truck to feed him and give him a little exercise. Just about the time I get there though, here they come. I didn’t know there were this many cranes in the world - they just kept coming and coming. I am not in a position to get a good shot, but of course I shoot anyway and don’t get anything. Steve and Brian each get one before we run out of time and we head to the lodge where we’ve arranged to stay – another new adventure, as this is only the second week the lodge has been open. The owner is great and even though they haven’t officially opened the kitchen, he provides us with a great dinner. Mac is in the process of making friends with the yellow lab that lives in the bar, eating his food, peeing on the bar, all those things that embarrass the owner. We are really excited about our chances in the morning so we head to bed early and after a great night’s sleep we head to the fields around 5:30 am. We’re waiting in the blind for the birds to get up and as it starts getting light here they come. We have a couple knocked down and Mac is all over them, but this isn’t what we have been practicing with and he is a little unsure what to do with something so big. Mac will need some more training when we get home. Then we see the first flock of geese come over and we don’t even scare them away with our variety of calls. They come right into the decoys and we each get one. By the end of the morning we end up with five cranes and three geese, but have to head back to Anchorage so we won’t get to hunt the evening flight. Bummer. But, we have found a new hunting area and Mac has learned a few lessons, so life is good.

August 2, 2004 - Anchorage, AK

Another big day, I now have a hunting partner Mac. Mac is a black lab almost 2 years old, was trained by Steve at Greatland Kennels. Mac has a great pedigree and is from a long line of hunters I am really looking forward to the first of this season to test him and me. I hope I have been well trained by that time. I will pick up Mac on Friday night on the way to the cabin and we will start the training and hope I don’t screw him up too bad.