eventually, after mating the head w/ the body of the decoy and deciding the give the Titebond the night to do it's business, i came in, poured a drink, and thumbed (virtually on the computer of course) through photos from the last couple years.......
it's hot and dry, and honestly, a bit difficult for me to get all fired up......so i thought some photos would help, though many of you have seen alot of these.....
one of my favorite photos i've ever taken - HRCH EIGHT GAUGE'S MOUNTAIN MAN - Trapper
the old man - HRCH HARRISON'S EIGHT GAUGE - Gauge, at the "pan field pit"
Gauge with a blue that pat (thewaterfowler mounted in a beautiful pose) - incredibly long retrieve that i'll never forget
Trapper retrieving a late season shoveler - folks will get down right tester over a fully tuxedo'ed bootlip
just an old meat dog - "hunting"
and "finding"
"The Eyes Have it" - Gauge
Gauge saying, "dude, pick up the damn gun"
a late season limit.....that happened day, after day, after day, after day...
"Solid bag"
"Spilling%20Over"
"Royalty"
River hunt with "Jake St. John"
"An Old Call"
one of the most memorable sunrises i can remember in a long time
another good 'un
me and marty collins in his shop, holding his hand chopped eiders as part of the "Cranberry Rig" he shared with my carving hero - Keith Mueller
a "wing" as part of an old sink box, seen in mary's shop - i only thought this would be the first/last one i had ever seen
a Joe Lincoln slate decoy - VERY valuable - and who marty relates his carving too most often
last look around the shop..........
...........before we kill eiders!!!!!!!!!!
Me and Ramsey with a first days limit of eiders
yes, that's ramsey holding up HIS banded eider - he sucks
a COLD and WET day 2
better day 2 photo
me and ramsey with a limit of atlantic brant and a story too big for the 'net'
me and gauge, along the "missouri breaks", montana - 2005
Montana mallards and Golden Eyes
Greaters
Swans
good day in big sky
The gateway to the "Little Rockies" - where "Liver Eatin' Johnson (i.e. Jeremiah Johnson) made his name
temp was negative 8, we hunted a hot spring and shot them in the lips
good as gold
ramsey stealling my thunder
the Willow Break teal "to do"
imagine that.............jeff and tj blowing something, and looking as to be enjoying it
my journal reads i was hunting with patrick pitt at number 9.....and, if was one of the coldest days i can remember.........north wind was biting
don't have many heros left, as i get older they seem to die off, but the man in the photo is right up there......i reckon he's wacked about everything there is to wack........pat/thewaterfowler, don't go dying on me now, hehe
in that photo somewhere is a banded mallard that pat shot.......we almost had a black duck commit that day, and i've seen few pure mallard hunts that would rival the above EVER. often i've said it and i'll say it again but pat pitt could kill a banded duck on the bread isle at kroger - the man has to have a gold horse shoe shoved up his booty
several years ago, this was trappers first hunt. the jounal reads i hunted at brietz with ramsey and it was FOGGY. limit of ducks and specks with several snows thrown in
good day to be at l'anguille lounge
january 10th at l'anguille. i was suffering from the most unreal food poisoning of all time but managed this one shot...........on a bird that should have been in mexico by then
curious case of mistaken identities
gauge gives it 2 thumbs up
one state - missouri, 5 minutes, 2 bands, and 11 digits apart
Missouri with the good Dr. Zerrer
AAAHHHHH........Alaska
first harlequin
first harlie.............first time surfing an ice berg
Barrows Golden Eye - a favorite
Surreal
the utah bunch, tony and kevin, with a 2nd year king eider drake shot from a layout in valdez
harlies shot over my own blocks
me with a black scoter and oldsquaw
Alaska - go figure
my harlequin and barrows blocks taking a rest
me and kris schaumburg on one of the most righeous points for decoying sea ducks i've ever seen....meanwhile gordongekko and doc Z where limiting on harlequin
doc Z with some surf scoters
doc Z with one of his harlequin
me with a couple harlequin
and lastly, i'll say last years hunt up in alaska has been my favorite i've ever been on. we met a drunk gordon in anchorage and true to form he didn't shut up..............and, we had a ball......
the last photo sits proudly in my office and is titled simply - "Pals" - left to right, gordongekko, me, kris schaumburg, doc Z
I needed this trip down recent years memory lane..........hopefully you'll enjoy and colder, wetter weather will follow.
-gator
