It was a Sunday afternoon and I decided to take a ride to a local waterfowl roost site to do some preseason scouting for the second season coming upon us quickly.
My son Jimmy and I headed off , with the dog of course, and our cameras hoping that I could add some good pictures to my collection. When we got to the area only a few hen mallards, eclipse drakes and mature drakes were already on the site. So this ended up to be a good lesson for both my son and the dog...patience. Sitting and waiting patiently for the incoming geese and ducks. See which way they were coming and get an idea of where they possibly were feeding. That way we would be able to generalize an area to try and pin point their flight for feast. Not to mention, my son loves to call waterfowl. He is only 11 and isn’t able to hunt this year so by listening to the hens and drakes on the water, only helps him hone his skills while watching the birds and their antics. There is no better teacher than the real Macoy!
Pictures above of some ducks being ducks. We listen and learn from their normal activity.
After a short while and a few pictures later, just before dark, I saw the dog, who was sitting very patiently.... turn his head and perk his ears up.
Drake our 20 month old lab patiently on “the down” and cueing us to incoming geese.
I looked at Jimmy and said, “I think the geese are coming in.” Jimmy said, “I don’t hear them.” I didn’t either but I knew Drake did. A few seconds later you could hear the trumpeting calls of geese in flight in a distance headed for the roost. Coming in right from where Drake was looking.
The light was low but Jimmy and I were able to get a few shots off with our cameras at the incoming geese. The geese were “breaking air” as they call it. Slowing themselves down in order to descend onto the roost. I have seen this a hundred times while hunting, the birds twist and turn to slow down to land. They do it so quickly never have I seen with the naked eye what our cameras captured. In viewing the pictures back in the vehicle we saw that while the birds were breaking air some of them were totally inverted. As you will see by our pictures, it is amazing what you can capture with a camera. Other long time water fowlers I told this too and showed them the picture, could not believe it. The birds move so quickly and in the heat of the hunt it goes totally undetected. Just goes to show you that you learn something-new everyday. Only one more reason I think the more you scout, watch and learn about your quarry the more successful you can become.
Notice goose in picture above to the right is inverted, feet in the air.
This picture has the goose to the top inverted.
On more than one occasion while setting my sites on a descending bird I have missed. Maybe I just need to set my sites a “little higher”.
Good luck to all that go out for the upcoming waterfowl season. I will be sure to update you on a hunt. Until next time!
Teresa
No comments:
Post a Comment