Unusual Band Recovery-w/results

[Anatidae]

Thanks......and welcome to DuckSouth.

[Dr. B]

With the olympics about to start, I must say if there was an event for best post of the year, you win gold my friend. Bless you and your family and thank you for sharing. I hope in some way your posting this thread and reading our heartfelt replies have helped you. It has certainly helped me in seeing the "big picture" a lot clearer.

Dr. B

[Anatidae]

Thanks 'B', and others for your thoughtful comments. It HAS been helpful and I do feel like it is a story that many can and have shared in the sadness and joy.

There have been other folks on here that have lost siblings, Parents, children, loved ones and close friends. Over the years, I've learned it's not necessarily what you 'go through' (because there's always somebody else that has it rougher than you)...but it's how you handle it that really matters - and what you may be remembered for.

I was fortunate to have many people that were there for me, nurtured my interests and helped me 'move-on'. Without them, I may have turned-out much differently.

If nothing else comes out of this thread - I hope people will remember how powerful love can be - There is no such thing as an ordinary act of kindness. Reaching out to others in times of need is extraordinary. Many have evidenced that here, for which I am very grateful.

One of the most powerful statements about coping came from my Mother. We hadn't been able to discuss it much - we all just kind of dealt with it in our own way but realizing we each had certain needs. One day I just asked my parents why we never really discussed it as a family - Dad said it had just been too painful until now (35 years later). I told them both what a good job I thought they had done 'moving on' because I never felt slighted in any way. I asked them how they managed to get through it all those years and handle it so seemingly well - what kept them going? Mom replied, "we had 2 other children that needed us."

love never dies.

[bmaskew04]

this story made my day, great read

[featherhead]

Awesome

[.tadpole]

Good read.

[Anatidae]

Well, with Fall approaching, the recent rain and cooler temperatures prompted me to start thinking about heading North. So I touched base with one of my brother's friends to see when they were planning to head to Canada this year.

It turns out they will be arriving within a day of when we plan to arrive, only they will only be staying for 3 days. So, we talked about getting together for Supper one night before they head home.

We'll have to make a hunt together some other time and talked about possibly hunting around Lake Charles this Winter........the old stomping grounds.

I asked him about the Martone field. He confirmed that it WAS the landowner's name and it was also the lease his Dad had for years. Said Mr. Martone allowed them to hunt on ANY of his property as long as the boys wanted to.

So this turns-out to be the same lease where he shot the banded blue, and the same lease he took me on my first goose hunt.

I plan to take the photo album and the hunting log if I can't get them scanned and loaded onto a disc. I also plan to take his 870. Best I can tell, it was manufactured in February of 1956.......about the time we moved to Lake Charles. I got it out of the safe tonight so I could get the serial # and paperwork started.

[champcaller]

thanks for the update, Randy! it's been great watching this unfold.

[sondance]

That is a sad but awesome story. What a great way to remember your brother

[ducks&bucks]

Awesome read. Thanks for sharing your story.

[Anatidae]

Update: Reunion with Jimmy and Berdon in Saskatchewan, this trip.

As stated earlier - we've been hunting in SK for the past 9 years. My brother's freinds have been hunting there for the last 20 or so.........30 miles from our base camp in SK. We didn't know that until we finally got in touch this year.......45 years since I've seen these guys.

So, we planned to meet up there this year....

We arrived on Sunday. They arrived on Sunday. Monday was Canadian Thanksgiving and we were invited to Dinner with our host. So, we had Supper Tuesday with these long-lost hunting buddies (and their 4 hunting guests - nice gentlemen, as well) whom I have not seen or been in contact with since 1960 and 1965 respectively It was a wonderful evening of stories and laughter at their outfitter's lodge. Jimmy & Berdon are (as I would have guessed) great guys, and very gracious hosts. We sipped wine over the stories - we could've talked all night, but they had one more honker shoot lined-up before flying-out the next morning (Wednesday). So, we left around 9:00 to allow them to get enough rest to meet their remaining hunt and departure schedule.

Another mutual friend found out about this planned reunion 2000 miles North of anywhere, still has a camp in SW Louisiana and has invited us all to come hunt with him this season. Needless to say I am looking forward to this, to hear more stories and catch-up on 50 years of lost time with these wonderful people. It was, for me, a special time with these guys and I will forever appreciate them spending the short hours we were able to be together, again. Thanks, J & B!! 'Til we meet again.....

[SweetWater Hunting]

Best story I have read on here!!!

[RedEyed Duck]

I missed this recent post about the meeting in SK. Absolutely awesome that you were able to see these guys again and that y'all will share a hunt too!

[Anatidae]

I didn't take the photo album or hunting log because of space and the fact that the photo album pages are fairly brittle, now. But I had them both scanned to jpeg and pdf format and sent a copy to his friends. It is a great tribute to the freindships fostered in the marshes of SW Louisiana in the 'glory' days of pre-professional life of these guys. I'm sure they will enjoy the contents, thereof......as much as I have, over the years.

Thanks again for the wonderful comments and interest in this story. I just need to go get the specklebelly off the wall and bring it 'home'.

Happy Hunting!

[SCOOTER]

Thanks Randy, read it again and still gets better, great story..Happy hunting..