Not always about Trophies

Phil Nowack

Phil Nowack

Well-known member
Otter and I shared the Duckwater with Jim and Pete this week...

The Mississippi was locking up fast on Wednesday. Decoys were sinking due to the weight of the ice forming...Snow was falling fast...Otter retrieved in an 1" of slush... The main channel was about 60% full of ice. Then Thursday, Otter crossed swift currents, avoiding mini Ice burgs to retrieve down birds.. and even put in a very long swim to not give up on a buffie that kept diving. We spent much of the day retrieving decoys that the ice flows wanted to steal. A trophy was taken as well. The picture do not do the conditions justice. It was a very rewarding pair of hunts.
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You and the gang braved the elements for sure. Otter is sure a fine looking retriever, Phil. All that hard work you put in is paying off in big dividends. Did you get any shooting at divers or have they begun to move south already?
Thanks for those great pictures.
Al
 
That is way more ice than I anticipated seeing. Are you guys going to be locked out before the season runs out?
 
It started warming up Thursday and was in the low 40's today. We will be open for a while.

Yes, Al, we shot GE, Buffies, and there are Cans, and Bills around... just didn't want to play.
 
Honestly Al, Otter is mostly genetic.. .. he is wild.. and unruly... I have not put that much time, sadly, into field work. When the birds start to fly.. is all business...
 
Otter is one tough son of a gun. Does he seem to mind the cold, do you put a neoprene coat on him in the conditions pictured?
 
Nice photos. The memories of those hard earned birds are the best trophies. Good job Otter you handsome son of a gun.

A few days ago you would have sworn winter was here in SD. Lots of ducks and geese flying south overhead. Today it was in the 50s and beautiful. Sounds like the rest of the month is going to be fairly nice.

Tim
 
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Bill,

I put a vest on him last year. Last winter it was -25 ..REAL temp... and he would be out in the snow.. chewing on ice..

I have a CBR to not have to dress them in the morning. He shakes off, a few times and is dry. The picture of him covered in snow.. was AFTER 2 retrieves... he wasn't cold. I had brushed that much snow off him a half doz times before the pictures. It wasn't melting off him at all...
I do watch him closely to make sure he is OK. He is 21 months now.
 
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Phil,
Nice pics, reminds me of some of my hunts. I see another boat at the ramp but I'm guessing you didn't have a lot of company while out on the river. I have been working on ice fishing gear but got on the water this afternoon. Caught a nice 18 inch eater Walleye. Went around the bend and kicked up 4 dozen geese. So,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, loaded the boat for a goose hunt in the morning. Hope they come back tomorrow. I haven't seen diddly for ducks here locally.

You got any more vacation or is it weekends from here on out?
 
1 other when we put in.. 7 others when we took out.. Always others on the River.. several are guides.. of course
 
Those are the hunts I enjoy the most. Cold, ice, and snowing. The snow quiets everything down and creates a tranquil scene.

I haven?t hunted the Mississippi as the reports I got from Weaver, Indian Slough and places in that area were in f very high water and roads getting to the landing were underwater. With much of the Mississippi difficult to get to, North Lake became a shooting gallery. I tried once to launch out of Diamond Bluff. It the spots around there to hunt were underwater.

Everything else up here is frozen. May be done for the year which is a bummer as it was a great season of hunting ducks.

Mark
 
Man, Hot Coacoa STAT!

I hardly ever had to deal with sub freezing temps. It adds an entirely different dimension to the day.
I'll take rain and wind over sub freezing conditions.
Keep your hands warm for crissake.












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Yeah.. the river has been high ALL season.. Up 7' for most of it. Only up 2' today...

The high water has impacted the season.. still scratching some out.
 
HAHA.. you can keep the rain.. I will stay in bed if it is raining. I have not hunting above freezing, or at least not started below freezing, this November or Last November!
 
Great tale, Phil~


And, Yes, it is a challenge to captures the rigors and grandeur of ice-gunning with a mere camera.


All the best,


SJS

 
Great hunt!!
We had the same problem with uncooperative Cans two weeks ago but definitely didn?t have slush and ice to deal with.
I love to hunt when it is snowing and cold, I usually don?t head out until late October.
Otter is turning in to quite the beast.
Thanks for sharing
Bob
 
Phil Nowack said:
1 other when we put in.. 7 others when we took out.. Always others on the River.. several are guides.. of course
Click to expand...

You're on pool 9 right? I'm always reading post from guys po'd about guides and how they have ruined hunting up there. Seems reading your posts you've out witted the guides as well as that Duckwater looks like it's working well for you too. Otter looks like he working into a fine retriever too.
 
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