Fred,

I got a call friday night by Rick Ketcham. Rick and his son were in a motel in Bishop after a great (cold and windy) day of duck hunting on teh north end of Crowley. They limited on mallards, gadwall and pintail while passing up on flock after flock of GWT's.

Rick called again tonight after they got home to tell me it was a repeat preformance of limits at the same spot saturday. Rick said they never saw another hunter either day.

Do you know Dale who owns Max's Sporting Goods in town? If all works out, Rick's son Jason may go to work for Dale next Spring when Rick's son get's back from Europe.

Rick said that the River (canal) was full mallards all the way down to L.P. Have you been able to get out any? Hope all is well in B-Town.

Dave

Dave,

Been getting out about once a week. Doing good to OK. Found a spot south of town that has had lots of gadwall and widgeon with a few teal and mallards sprinkled in. Been averaging four birds an outing which has as much to do with my hitting ability as anything. Decided to go out Thursday morning before work. Got up extra early so I could be all set and ready to go by legal shooting time. The other trips have found me setting up at legal shoot time. And both times as soon as I got my self in the tules the birds showed up in a big way. So I paddled out in the dark and got set up and was able to see the lights of Big Pine to the south of me. Got the gun ready and myself ready for the impending arrival of birds. Legal shoot time came and no birds. Sunrise was pretty and still no birds. Saw a few birds out at distance but nothing close and no big numbers of birds like I've seen the last two weeks. Stand up to stretch and look and of course their is a bird coming into the decoys. I shoot and miss. End up with two other shots and miss both of them. Not sure why no birds on Thursday but it was a lot warmer then it has been. Thought they might have moved up north like to Crowley. Have heard it's shooting good. I hunted early and did ok.

My hunting partner is home for Christmas so we are planning on getting out some time in the next week. Hope to get on Crowley at least once before christmas.

Tight Lines ... Fred

I was home all weekend how come Rick never gives me a call when he's up here?

Tight Lines ... Fred

Hi Fred, it's good to hear you are getting in some local hunting. If you go to Crowley try the little pond right below the dam. If it's not frozen all the way, there will be some mallards on it.

Rick never knows where he will be when he heads up that way. Most of his hunts are on the Owens around L.P. or he may shoot Bridgeport Lake or Crowley, it all depends on teh weather and wind conditions. He and his son have been doing great this season on bif coveys of quail in the Alabama Hills.

Have you heard the latest about the dry lake below L.P.? It's going to be California's newest Wildlife Refuge. The Judge made a ruling that the Owens River WILL be used to FILL the old lake bed. The Feds and DU are going to turn the whole area into a refuge down there. That will increase the amount of birds that will be using the Ownes for a mini-flyway. Your local hunting will improve greatly. They say that when finished it will be nearly the size of Mono! Look into it when you get a chance.

I don't know if Rick will make it back up your way again this season. He's leaving shortly to hunt the Indian Reservation on the Colorado River near Parker until Xmas and then said something about going to San Quintine Bay in Baja for a brant shoot.

BTW you remember a few years ago when I used to bid on those Creek Chub lures on eBay for Rick? Well, he decided to get rid of some of the "not so perfect" ones last week on eBay. He put up 56 of them for auction and for the 56 lures he got $8,533.00. Some of the ones he got rid of went for over $500 each.

He has about 200 more of them left, but they are all mint in the box and worth a bundle now. His collection is currently worth about $80,000. Not bad for a $3,500 investement he made 5 years ago. I can remember some of teh guys on the duck boat forum telling me he was crazy to pay a hundred bucks for some damn fishing lure just because it was new and in the box, well guess what?

Best,

Dave

Dave,

Have been following the LORP pretty regularly in the local paper and the L.A. Times. That's the first I've heard of a refuge. DWP made a presentation at the local QU club about a year ago or so and at that time they stated that the rewatered section of the lake would be off limits to duck hunting. In fact some historic good spots were lost to hunting in the decision. The only duck habitat that I'm aware of is some acres of marsh land around Independence that DWP is going to control. They are working on dike structures and tule burning to improve the area. It was my understanding that it would be broken down into four areas in which only three would hold water. They are planning on managing for duck habitat more then tule production. Was hoping this area would produce some good hunting down the road.

Collecting anything is only as good as the buyers make it. If you can't find a buyer your in trouble. Sounds like Rick found the right thing to collect and sell. Next time he's in the area tell him to call me. Would love to get together with him.

Going quail hunting in the morning and may try to get out and chase some ducks in the afternoon. Want to try out a new spot with the diver rig. May end up at Crowley after your glowing reports.

Tight Lines ... Fred

Fred,

Hope you do well on the qauil and ducks. Rick and his son came home with 27 birds taken at Crowley in two morning hunts there.....I guess that could be termed a glowing report alright?

The area that I'm talking about is Owens Dry Lake just south of L.P. They are going to flood it back up and DU and the Feds are going to make a HUNTING REFUGE out of it. I imagine that Dale at Max's Sporting Goods told Rick about it. Do you ever hunt all those chukar east of you? Rick and his son have had some awesome shoots there this season/

Dave

Dave,

Been concentrating on the ducks. Only get one good day a week to hunt. Chased quail for the first time this season yesterday. Saw quite a few but not many shots for me. The few I got were marginal. That ok because I don't shoot all that well anyway.

Need to go chase the chuckar, just to busy with other things.

I know your talking about the dry lake, but the last report I had looked at at all the rewater section of the dry lake off limits to duck hunting. My biologist contact with DWP has not come into the store to ask him about the refuge with DU and the Feds. Will let you know what he has to say.

Tight Lines ... Fred

Dave,

Talked to Mac's yesterday and they didn't know anything about involvment of DU or the feds with the dry lake.

Haven't found my DWP guy yet.

Tight Lines .,.. Fred

Fred, I talked with Rick last night and he said he read about it in last weeks WON (Western Outdoor News). I had assumed he found out about it from Dale at Mac's Sptg. Gds.

Dave

Dave,

Talked to Dale at Mac's, Bruce Ivey from Lone Pine Pheasant Club and Little Lake Duck Club, and read the WON article. According to all of the above their is no involvement of DU or the Feds with a refuge on Owens Dry Lake.

According to the WON article: A Bruce Ivey quote "We're already seeing more birds because of the Ducks Ulimited projects completed at Mono Lake, Little Lake and Edwards Air Force Base, along with the increased surface water on Owens Lake. It's going to be a definite boon to the sportsman." Brian Tillemans, Bishop based Watershed Resources Manager for the Los Angeles Department of water and Power said "Overall there'll be several thousand acres of waterfowl habitat including more than 500 acres in the Black Rock area we're going to mange like a refuge system - rotating flooded ponds probably on two-year schedule. And there's going to be great habitat for jump shooting."

I think either one of these above quotes could have been miss interpeted to thinking that there was going to be a refuge on Owens Lake run by DU or the FEDS. Wish it was true and would be open to the public. The areas Tillmans refers to will be public access. Time will tell how much this increase in water and habitat will increase ducks and duck hunting in the Owens Valley.

Tight Lines ... Fred

Well Fred, if nothing elase you now know the whole story. Ketcham was telling me about what all was going on from his recollection of the WON story and he must have got a few things mixed up, it ain't hard to do when ya get old.......you'll eventually find that out. :^)

Dave

Yeah Dave,

My kid already things I'm really old. Finally talked to my DWP biologist yesterday. He knew nothing of a DU or Fed's refuge on the Owens dry lake. Did let me know about a duck club that was purchased with public monies and run privately by some guys from Pasadena.

Tight Lines ... Fred