24hourcampfire.com
24hourcampfire.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,366
R
rost495 Offline OP
Campfire Kahuna
OP Offline
Campfire Kahuna
R
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,366
I've said since 2 trees fell into our house in the 90s, and no one was hurt, long story there, but things happen for a reason, no matter how bad they seem.

Our nephew is in from USMC. Before shipping out shortly. Only day he had to hunt ducks. Bought a stamp, public hunt permit etc... IE cost him some cash for sure. At least TX gives the license free.

There are a lot more small details to the story, but gotta leave for family Christmas shortly. So you get the short story thats not well written at all.

So we got up at 330, head over to the lake. You can't get where there are ducks, without an airboat. We've run mine 3 times now, have to run dry ground, water, dry ground so on.

Getting into the main channel is hard in the dark wiht all the brush and beans... I have not been able to knock down a visible enough trail yet so we run blind on GPS tracks best we can. But if you know airboats, they are not that easy to steer etc...

Once we get back to the start of the main channel its a hard fast left out of water, onto dry, have to power way up to make it over log pile, and into water again...

We did fine and are a couple turns up into the main creek. Coming to a right, and I can't make it turn. Finally realize I've broken the steering linkage... bummer.

Whats worse is trying to get back out of the creek, we can't in the dark. So we have to push pull a teleflex cable by hand against the power of the prop pushing air over the rudders. Lucky the stick is still attached and I can kinda get a leverage point... we get back to the mouth with the log pile. Stop, say I"m not going over that in the dark with no steering.

What the heck, take the decoys out and toss em in a HARD hunted pond about 100 yards away.... figuring we'll see nothing really. And bummed. But what the heck, its Christmas, I don't have to be at work. I'm out of range of my fire/EMS volunteer pager....

Do you see where this is going? No way to expect a duck or limits... just figure out how to get back intact and get the nephew home still in time to make church?

Big duck? Banded? Cinnamon Teal? Limits of greenheads?

Nope, a single pinny hen comes in, and my buddy shoots her. Right after that we have a high crossing pins, and I told my nephew shoot, what the heck? They AIN"T coming down. Nope, he didn't get on em in time. I toss a round up there. Crunches the lead bird... and I"m watching it fall when I hear barking and water splashing. 2 dogs. No biggie, but there is NO one at the ramp. Just us. So I go back to watchign my duck fall, when I realize, they are not black labs. And I look back and realize its a chocolate and a silver. Wow. Today is Wednesday. Those 2 have been lost since Saturday's opener and here they are in front of us. Lean and poor. But happy. Grab em, and make sure we got em.

The guys that lost them will be elated to find no better present. They had talked to us both Saturday and Sunday. And had had no luck. They knew we were the only folks that could go about anywhere.

We had not hunted it since Sunday, but made uncommon plans due to my nehpew, to hunt it this morning on Christmas day.

Thats one part of why we found em. The other is the break down. If not we'd have been a few miles away, limited out shortly, and hauling it back past them, not even stopping to check that area for any reason. An area you couldn't pay me to hunt under normal circumstances.

It could not have happened any different at all and us found them. They were within a mile of the boat ramp, but the ramp is basically closed, shallow water. And the cinnie beans are so tall and thick you could walk in circles if you didn't know where you were, for days....

We managed to make it back out over the logs, hand steering all the way. Long ride to the ramp.

Guys were not camping anymore, we knew what spot they were at. But they had signs all over the place. Called em and left a message.

Got home, about 45 minutes from the lake. And the owner called and was overjoyed of course.

They are in a side yard, had a bit of food. Will give em a bit more before we leave for family in a bit. Hope like heck they stay in a 4 foot chain link!!! Owner coming from 5 hours away this afternoon and we'll be back by then.

Oh yeah, and that duck... nope, wasn't banded or anything that I know. I took my eyes off it so long when I realized we found dogs that were missing for 4 days and had freezing nights etc...... that my mark was not good, and no, we could not find that duck. I"m sorry to say that, but IMHO it was a good sacrafice in a way.

Merry Christmas to all!!!

This world is not in our control, and things do happen for a reason. I just quit asking why a long time ago. The answer sometimes shows itself.

And my nephew? Never got a duck and wants to deer hunt the next days before he ships out.... back to North Carolina where he knows no one, no source to hunt or fish etc..... just USMC stuff before they ship to Japan...

Jeff


We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
BP-B2

Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 17,289
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 17,289
Cool story and good job.

I'd be happy with just finding someone's lost dogs.

Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 9,122
A
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
A
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 9,122
All in all I'd say you had a very good day!

Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,366
R
rost495 Offline OP
Campfire Kahuna
OP Offline
Campfire Kahuna
R
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,366
Best hunt I"ve had in a LONG time.


We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 13,230
T
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
T
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 13,230

What a great Christmas story. Good for you.

IC B2

Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 19,822
A
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
A
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 19,822
That's quite the Christmas gift. grin

Ed


"Not in an open forum, where truth has less value than opinions, where all opinions are equally welcome regardless of their origins, rationale, inanity, or truth, where opinions are neither of equal value nor decisive." Ken Howell



Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,797
K
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
K
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 2,797
Originally Posted by tjm10025

What a great Christmas story. Good for you.


Concur!

Kaiser Norton


The Kaiser- "If it ain't broke, I can fix that!"
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 28,179
J
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
J
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 28,179
Originally Posted by tjm10025

What a great Christmas story. Good for you.


+1


It is irrelevant what you think. What matters is the TRUTH.
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 31,557
K
Campfire 'Bwana
Offline
Campfire 'Bwana
K
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 31,557
Excellent!!! Great Christmas story Jeff!!!


Founder
Ancient Order of the 1895 Winchester

"Come, shall we go and kill us venison?
And yet it irks me the poor dappled fools,
Being native burghers of this desert city,
Should in their own confines with forked heads
Have their round haunches gored."

WS

Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,657
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 7,657
pretty positive note on all that ,the 2 birds will fill something elses belly.

merry Christmas to all .

norm


There is not enough darkness in all the world to put out the light of even one small candle----Robert Alden .
If it wern't entertaining, I wouldn't keep coming back.------the BigSky

IC B3

Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 17,215
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 17,215
Merry Christmas, Jeff!

Sycamore


Originally Posted by jorgeI
...Actually Sycamore, you are sort of right....
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,366
R
rost495 Offline OP
Campfire Kahuna
OP Offline
Campfire Kahuna
R
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,366
Dogs back with owner... one in Elgin, the other his buddies from Lampassas. That one won't make it back until Thursday.

Family was overjoyed, especially their 3 year old. Dogs were happy. Wife mentioned that their lab may never be allowed out again. Grins.

I think I know that feeling but ours loved to hunt so bad, couldn't help but take him. When he is gone and we start a new one, will have a shock and GPS collar on him just in case.

Merry Christmas to all!!

jeff


We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 33,856
E
Campfire 'Bwana
Offline
Campfire 'Bwana
E
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 33,856
Originally Posted by JGRaider
Originally Posted by tjm10025

What a great Christmas story. Good for you.


+1


Alright Rost. An angel for sure made use of you. God bless and Merry Christmas.


The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time by the blood of patriots and tyrants.

If being stupid allows me to believe in Him, I'd wish to be a retard. Eisenhower and G Washington should be good company.
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 25,032
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Dec 2007
Posts: 25,032
Great story!

Good on ya and a tip o the hat to your nephew.


“Life is life and fun is fun, but it's all so quiet when the goldfish die.”
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 33,856
E
Campfire 'Bwana
Offline
Campfire 'Bwana
E
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 33,856
Originally Posted by rost495
Dogs back with owner... one in Elgin, the other his buddies from Lampassas. That one won't make it back until Thursday.

Family was overjoyed, especially their 3 year old. Dogs were happy. Wife mentioned that their lab may never be allowed out again. Grins.

I think I know that feeling but ours loved to hunt so bad, couldn't help but take him. When he is gone and we start a new one, will have a shock and GPS collar on him just in case.

Merry Christmas to all!!

jeff


They could use lead and drop their birds closer to the blind, maybe? wink or learn the best way to bring a hunting dog back is to fire a few shots t make the dog think there is game to be found.


The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time by the blood of patriots and tyrants.

If being stupid allows me to believe in Him, I'd wish to be a retard. Eisenhower and G Washington should be good company.
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,366
R
rost495 Offline OP
Campfire Kahuna
OP Offline
Campfire Kahuna
R
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 57,366
Found out the dogs had such drive to hunt, they were done hunting, and back at the campsite in a state park on the lake, and the dogs took off on their own, when released to do their duty.... and headed out swimming across the lake back to where they hunted that morning... probably found and chased a cripple after that would be my guess....


We can keep Larry Root and all his idiotic blabber and user names on here, but we can't get Ralph back..... Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over....

Moderated by  RickBin 

Link Copied to Clipboard
YB23

Who's Online Now
110 members (10gaugeman, 35, 32_20fan, 257robertsimp, 338reddog, 12 invisible), 1,428 guests, and 688 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums81
Topics1,187,589
Posts18,397,881
Members73,815
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023


 







Fish & Game Departments | Solunar Tables | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA
Hunting | Fishing | Camping | Backpacking | Reloading | Campfire Forums | Gear Shop
Copyright © 2000-2024 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.3.33 Page Time: 0.091s Queries: 14 (0.004s) Memory: 0.8712 MB (Peak: 0.9879 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-28 08:53:18 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS