Al Hansen
Well-known member
My students had just walked out of the classroom for the day when my phone rang. "Hey, Al, I think I have at least a thousand ducks in my field. Want to come over and hunt?" asked David. About two weeks ago I had told my good buddy, Jose', to let me know if anyone was irrigating their fields because that was the only place where I could find water since the Rio Grande was bone dry.
David had over watered his field especially the newly seeded winter wheat portion. When I arrived, the ducks (at least a thousand of them) were literally covering the new area. Because they were so close to his house, while I drove down his driveway, they began flying away by the hundreds. The big ducks were mostly Mexicans with a few mallards thrown in and the other half of them were all teal, with the majority of them being bluewings/cinnamons.
I had just parked my truck and had taken these shots.
I walked maybe 200 feet from here. My hunting spot was sitting along the fence line back in the corner behind where the Jeep is. Little did I realize that David was watching my entire hunt from his sun porch. One time he yelled at me telling me to look up because a flock of over a hundred teal had flown right over me. Heck, I was busy taking pictures of a small flock of BWT's at the time.
I can't begin to tell you of how much fun I had. After squeezing off the first round, I think my hunt last maybe 15 minutes. Once again, I had propped my Nova up against a fence post, grabbed my camera and just started to snap shots. More and more that camera is taking over on my priority list. Unfortunately, it was way too muddy to take my DSLR camera.
Chili was in her element and enjoying ever second. I had her sitting right behind me on the other side of the fence line. I had no cover whatsoever. I just sat motionless, with my back against a fence post. The birds were flying all over the place.
Two of the birds dropped in the pasture behind me, so that was easy pickings for Chili.
It is exactly 5:10AM and in one hour Chili and I will be sitting along that fence line again. I can hunt for 30 minutes before I have to race home, take a shower, eat, and get to school to teach for the day. What a great way to begin the day!
Al
David had over watered his field especially the newly seeded winter wheat portion. When I arrived, the ducks (at least a thousand of them) were literally covering the new area. Because they were so close to his house, while I drove down his driveway, they began flying away by the hundreds. The big ducks were mostly Mexicans with a few mallards thrown in and the other half of them were all teal, with the majority of them being bluewings/cinnamons.
I had just parked my truck and had taken these shots.
I walked maybe 200 feet from here. My hunting spot was sitting along the fence line back in the corner behind where the Jeep is. Little did I realize that David was watching my entire hunt from his sun porch. One time he yelled at me telling me to look up because a flock of over a hundred teal had flown right over me. Heck, I was busy taking pictures of a small flock of BWT's at the time.
I can't begin to tell you of how much fun I had. After squeezing off the first round, I think my hunt last maybe 15 minutes. Once again, I had propped my Nova up against a fence post, grabbed my camera and just started to snap shots. More and more that camera is taking over on my priority list. Unfortunately, it was way too muddy to take my DSLR camera.
Chili was in her element and enjoying ever second. I had her sitting right behind me on the other side of the fence line. I had no cover whatsoever. I just sat motionless, with my back against a fence post. The birds were flying all over the place.
Two of the birds dropped in the pasture behind me, so that was easy pickings for Chili.
It is exactly 5:10AM and in one hour Chili and I will be sitting along that fence line again. I can hunt for 30 minutes before I have to race home, take a shower, eat, and get to school to teach for the day. What a great way to begin the day!
Al
