Two Birds , One Stone

Josh Loaded up with Ducks

Another weekend has come and as stated in my last post, I got up early Saturday morning and headed out to quench my addiction. Without much change in the weather the prognosis for a better hunt had not changed. I approached the day almost like I was headed to work, but as the saying goes “the worst day in the field, beats the best day at the office” so off I went. My hunting partner Josh informed me Friday that he had a lot of back pain and was limited in activity, read between the lines “I won’t be hauling my half of the decoys”. Not a problem we have cut way back on the amount of decoys we set up at this time of year.



Almost a Full Bag



Desert Rivers



More Ducks

 After setteling in on the river and waiting for the light to shine, we sat silently, without seeing a lot of birds moving. Most mornings I am fairly patient person, but today I only lasted 40 minutes before I decided to get up and go jump shooting. I informed Josh of this and took off hiking across the island were we had set up. When I came out on the other side I jumped a dozen birds and dropped a nice drake gadwall. I thought not bad for a three minute walk, I’ll keep going. So down the river I went to the next hole, after a 15 minute stalk I was close enough to make a move on about 50 birds. Two shots, two birds, and a third decided to fly right at me. Nerves kicked in because I have been known to miss an easy shot or three at close range, and this was shaping up to be my first triple in years. Last week’s bad luck was gone and I sent the widgeon tumbling into the desert narrowly missing a patch of prickly pear cactus. It’s moments like this that keep me chasing ducks through the river bottom for three months out of the year. 

Luck has Changed this Week

Spurred on by my success, I headed further down the river and spent the next three hours walking two loops around the island to produce only one more duck. When I got to where Josh had stayed the whole morning he enlightened me on the great shot that he took on a pair of high flying shovelers, the first ones that he’s ever harvested. Counting birds we found we had eight in the bag, so we decided to head up river and check one more popular spot for birds on the way back to the car. We walked up to the area and saw a few ducks just loafing so we started to sneak in on them. With the vegetation dried out and dead now, one can only be so quite. Knowing the birds would be ready to flush when we got near the edge we prepared for the moment. As I cleared the cattails about twice as many birds as I thought got up off the water. I had a long shot at the closest group and tried to pick out a drake and shot. The bird hit the water and started to swim towards the deep end of the run. I took my eyes off of him and started calling at the other ducks as they usually will fly by again and offer a passing shot. Josh was instead focused on the bird down saying you hit two, I didn’t believe it but sure enough, two birds had dropped from the initial flight. As I gathered up the two birds both were drake widgeons, but the bonus bird was a big beautiful drake, lots of color, full plumage, definitely the best duck I have shot in years. What a polar opposite end to the previous week, seven birds 5 widgeons, a gadwall, and a canvasback. No wonder duck hunters fly fishers, and archers get so addicted to chasing their quarry, the rewards are both great and personal to each one of us.  

 

 

Two Birds, One Stone

Tonto Friday 1/13/12

Still not sure where I want to go with the Friday night posts? I want to let you know what caught my eye on the internet this week and then share it with you. So like last week here is another trailer for some duck hunting.

We are half way through the month of January, next Friday is the 20th. That is the last day to put in for the elk draw in AZ, and then have Fish and Game follow up if there are mistakes on your application. Final deadline for draw is February 14th. If you haven’t thought about hunting elk in AZ, check this video by Darr Colburn of a public land bull.

Tonto Gear Box Glacier Gloves

I have lived in the Arizona desert for 22 years now, and the summers are hot i.e. 110 degrees. This baking has thinned my blood out and I get cold easy. After years of setting decoys out and then picking them back up, all with bare hands to keep my gloves dry, my cold threshold was breached. I started looking for a pair of gloves that could get wet, yet still function as a good glove. I started browsing stores for gloves around February of last year, and keep my eyes open for gloves I liked, this lead me to Glacier Gloves.

Reasons I Use Glacier Gloves

The first time I tried some on at the store, the fit was great with a warm fleece liner covered by neoprene. The ability to move my fingers made the glove comfortable, and the shape kept the blood flowing to the fingers. After purchasing a pair and using them out hunting, I was very impressed with the warmth they provide and the tasks I could perform with them on. Picking up decoys, wrapping anchor cords and shooting a shotgun are all tasks that can be performed now with warm hands. Also the ability to keep hands warm when wet due to the neoprene is a plus, I have been known to get unexpectedly wet at times. After two months use the durability of the gloves has been good, no holes or punctures yet. The river bottom I use them in still has much of the surrounding desert plant life growing, cactus, cactus and thorn bushes. Water proof gear has to have some amount of toughness to with stand this terrain.

Reasons You Might Not Like Glacier Gloves

If you wear a thick winter parka (I don’t) the cuffs that come up over the sleeves might be tight, they fit snug on me with a jacket. And I don’t need the Velcro strap over the cuff for same reason.

I purchased my gloves in November of 2011, and have used them on every duck hunting trip sense then. I would recommend these gloves to anyone who wants their hands to stay warm when spending time around the water.

More Info:  Glacier Glove

To Purchase:  Glacier Gloves Hunting Glove

Follow on twitter: @glacierglove

The Following review of "Glacier Gloves” is the sole opinion of Tonto Rambling and given to help inform others about this product. It was purchased for the purpose of using it in the field.  I will try and give an unbiased and honest opinion of all products reviewed. I have received no compensation for this review and I am not associated with Glacier Gloves.

I'm Addicted

5:00 am the alarm goes into overdrive as I pry my eyes open. Just 5 hours ago I was still up talking to my oldest son, it seems way too early. I pack the car full of gear in a fog, still trying to wake up, hoping I wouldn't forget anything. Reports from a friend said a lot of widgeons had moved onto the river and this was my first crack at them. At the river I load up, and find I have no extra batteries and the head lamp is becoming dimmer. Hoping the light will last I head off to the river once again. I finally reach the river bottom take off the pack and get out the blind bag and stool and go to set up decoys when the head lamp gives off its last ray of light and dies. I get the decoys set up by the moonlight, but I can't see on shore to get anything I need. Finally I find the camera in the dark and use the flash to find the last items.

Camera Flash Flashlight

With 20 minutes till shooting light I sit down on the stool and begin to wait. The wait is short as a dozen plus ducks buzz the hole, circle, then put down in front of me. I can't see them but I hear what's going on. Suddenly from downriver the resident beaver slaps his tail and the nervous birds are gone in a flash. Another ten minutes pass and a pair of widgeons hit the deck, only 5 more minutes till shooting light and I will jump shoot these birds. From downriver a quarter mile the thunderous boom of shots ring out, I can't see crap but birds fly everywhere, I wonder what can they see to shoot at? Shooting light arrives and there is not a duck in sight anywhere. Once again more shooting from down river but no birds anywhere to indicate ducks are flying. After 90 minutes pass by I decide to go walk to do some jump shooting. This pays off, I shoot a Gadwall drake in first spot, then drop another upriver from that.



Ducks like to loaf here

As I go to retrieve the second bird in waist deep water, I am 5 feet from the bird when I find myself looking up at the sky with just my face and left forearm holding my gun above the surface of the water. I hate big slippery rocks! At first the cold steals the air out of me and I am speechless, but as I resurface move to shallow water my sentiments are vocalized at the underwater rock. A trip to shore to dump water out of the waders and wring out the clothes before hiking back to the car adds insult to injury. I have had many great days waterfowling this year, and today wasn't one of them. As I drove home cold and damp, I thought to myself if the rest of the season is going to be like this, I'm done for this year. I will end with all the good memories and wait for next year, but as I think it, I know it’s a lie I'll be back as soon as possible, "I'm addicted and I can't control it".

Tonto Friday Likes

I thought I would change up some of the things on my blog for this year so I'm bringing some of the stories and videos that I like from the Internet each week. This week I found the official trailer to Habitat Flats Fuel the Fire. Now I will have to purchase the full length DVD. Enjoy.

Purchase here: Habitat Flats Fuel the Fire