Al Hansen
Well-known member
Three days ago, I drove out to the ranch that I have hunted ever since 2007/2008. The day the rancher and his son drove to our home was Saturday following Thanksgiving. He had a broad smile as he looked at me with an outstretched hand holding a key. "Al, here is the key to our locked gate. Have fun duck hunting." Well, back then I was having fun because there was still an abundance of smart weed and most of us know how much ducks like feeding on that food source. The rest of that season I kept an accurate account of when and where I was when I set up at the ranch to hunt. I do remember that I shot 188 ducks there. It was like reading about duck hunting stories that took place in Canada. But here it was happening to me almost on a daily basis save for Saturday and Sunday in the high desert country of New Mexico.
Well, now to get real because the times have been changing. As of Wednesday I took pictures of what it looked like where I was going to set up my blind. The pancaking of mostly a high content of soil and silt was everywhere. Some of the cracks in it were at least 4 to 5 inches wide and up to almost a foot deep. I had Belize with me and she had a great deal of difficulty trying to get around on it. The evidence of the dry and very parched landscape was all over the place. One thing that I noticed was how quickly the grassy areas that had been all over the area had been wiped out by the suffocating ability that large deposits of silt had on it. It will take some time for it to disappear and for the grass to come back.
I had been clearing the area of debris left by flooding this summer due to extreme rains that came during out monsoon season. The Rio Grande did flood and go over its banks in this spot and of course the drainage ditch that I hunt helped but not enough. The rancher had water back up from the river to his house which is over 1/2 mile away. However July and the beginning of August seemed to be distant memories only and we haven't had one drop of precip since.
I decided to stop for the day and drove back to the ranch house. Once there I decided to run down to an area on the drainage ditch that was easy for me to get to and it happened to be north of the spot where my honey hole blind will be. I drove on the established trail there and when I pulled up to the spot where I have hunted before I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw "it", yes, there was water in the drainage ditch. It had slowly filled up by seeping through the soil from the Rio Grande to this spot which is approximately a touch less than a quarter of a mile away. Wow, this was a mind changer that was wonderful to see!
On my way home I began thinking about all the hunts I have been on and I realized something that seemed so unusual. This was the first time while hunting ducks in New Mexico that I did not pull the trigger in November. I tried three hunts on the Rio Grande but in those three hunts I only saw one duck.
Why would ducks want to fly south when it is in the 70'sF in Montana? These weather patterns that are new to most of us will probably continue on. I still think of the meteorologist who said, "Those of you living in the southwestern part of the United States should start getting used to having a summer that lasts for 6 months." I thought about that again today as I walked about our property that we own. I observed our grapevines sending out new leaves. The ocotillo that we planted back in 1998, started to grow new leaves. I have never seen that before. Bev planted two perennials on either side of the front door to our Puppy House. Both of them just started flowering again last week.
Today while I worked on my blind at the ranch, I had wished that I would have worn a short sleeve shirt. It sure seemed warm to me. Now for the best news ever. When I got to the ranch, Tele looked at me and said, "I think you are going to like what you see when you get down to your spot. "Are you telling me that the water is there now?" He smiled and nodded his head. I did blurt out this, "Hot diggity damn!"
This is what it looked like on Friday, 12-3-21, where I am building my blind for the honey hole that usually is there normally by the beginning of November. You will see some T posts and that is where my blind will be again this year.
View attachment IMG_7794 (3).JPG
As you can see, Belize had a bugger of a time trying to walk out on this pancaked area. This is what a highly concentrated solution of water and silt looks like when it dries out.
View attachment IMG_7802 (2).JPG
When I finally decided to call it a day just because it was so warm on Friday, I made the decision to go back to the ranch so that I could take another trail to the drainage ditch that would take me exactly one mile north of where my blind will be. I can't even begin to tell you of how wonderful it felt to finally see that things were once again beginning to look like a place that ducks like to be at.. This happens to be the widest spot in the entire area other than where my blind is.
I save this spot for windy days because I do know that the ducks like being here. I usually see woodies, gadwall and mallards.
View attachment IMG_7816 (2).JPG
Here is what it looked like today, Saturday 12-4-21 when I arrived at my honey hole. Yes, I did have one of those mile wide smiles. It couldn't be helped!
I sure had a good time working on my blind. I'm planning on being there on Tuesday morning. I most likely will be a bit early but that is all right. I'll be out duck hunting right where I want to be.
View attachment IMG_7834 (2).JPG
I will add some dead branches and cut a few salt cedar branches that still have some leaves on them. I have the ability to shoot southeast, south and west. Most ducks will fly just west of me because they like following the channel north. I can also see any ducks flying out of the refuge using the Rio Grande corridor. They can definitely see this pond and hear my call if I need to try and get their attentijon. I much prefer that single or threesome that might come in to loaf the day away.
Way over on the left side you will see the silver leaves of the Russian olive trees. There is one that is right on the channel with the branches hanging out and over it. They will drop the nuts that the wood ducks dearly love to eat.
I'm betting that if I were to go down to this spot where I took this last picture, that I would be standing in water. It was only 50 feet to the fence line. Yes, this is the spot where I shoot my favorite shell, which is a 2 3/4" 7 shot steel Dove load. The other two shells are one 6 shot followed by a 4 shot. Back in front of the fence line my farthest shot which is about 45 yards. The vast majority of my shots are between 20 and 25 yards. Why, because that is what I am comfortable when shooting. If the duck or ducks don't present a good shot for me, I will usually let them make another circle to come back in. If they fly away, that is not a big deal. I can wait. Who knows, they might come back if they weren't spooked. It sure is going to be fun to have Chip in the blind with me when we get there on Tuesday AM.
View attachment IMG_7842 (2).JPG
Well, now to get real because the times have been changing. As of Wednesday I took pictures of what it looked like where I was going to set up my blind. The pancaking of mostly a high content of soil and silt was everywhere. Some of the cracks in it were at least 4 to 5 inches wide and up to almost a foot deep. I had Belize with me and she had a great deal of difficulty trying to get around on it. The evidence of the dry and very parched landscape was all over the place. One thing that I noticed was how quickly the grassy areas that had been all over the area had been wiped out by the suffocating ability that large deposits of silt had on it. It will take some time for it to disappear and for the grass to come back.
I had been clearing the area of debris left by flooding this summer due to extreme rains that came during out monsoon season. The Rio Grande did flood and go over its banks in this spot and of course the drainage ditch that I hunt helped but not enough. The rancher had water back up from the river to his house which is over 1/2 mile away. However July and the beginning of August seemed to be distant memories only and we haven't had one drop of precip since.
I decided to stop for the day and drove back to the ranch house. Once there I decided to run down to an area on the drainage ditch that was easy for me to get to and it happened to be north of the spot where my honey hole blind will be. I drove on the established trail there and when I pulled up to the spot where I have hunted before I couldn't believe my eyes. I saw "it", yes, there was water in the drainage ditch. It had slowly filled up by seeping through the soil from the Rio Grande to this spot which is approximately a touch less than a quarter of a mile away. Wow, this was a mind changer that was wonderful to see!
On my way home I began thinking about all the hunts I have been on and I realized something that seemed so unusual. This was the first time while hunting ducks in New Mexico that I did not pull the trigger in November. I tried three hunts on the Rio Grande but in those three hunts I only saw one duck.
Why would ducks want to fly south when it is in the 70'sF in Montana? These weather patterns that are new to most of us will probably continue on. I still think of the meteorologist who said, "Those of you living in the southwestern part of the United States should start getting used to having a summer that lasts for 6 months." I thought about that again today as I walked about our property that we own. I observed our grapevines sending out new leaves. The ocotillo that we planted back in 1998, started to grow new leaves. I have never seen that before. Bev planted two perennials on either side of the front door to our Puppy House. Both of them just started flowering again last week.
Today while I worked on my blind at the ranch, I had wished that I would have worn a short sleeve shirt. It sure seemed warm to me. Now for the best news ever. When I got to the ranch, Tele looked at me and said, "I think you are going to like what you see when you get down to your spot. "Are you telling me that the water is there now?" He smiled and nodded his head. I did blurt out this, "Hot diggity damn!"
This is what it looked like on Friday, 12-3-21, where I am building my blind for the honey hole that usually is there normally by the beginning of November. You will see some T posts and that is where my blind will be again this year.
View attachment IMG_7794 (3).JPG
As you can see, Belize had a bugger of a time trying to walk out on this pancaked area. This is what a highly concentrated solution of water and silt looks like when it dries out.
View attachment IMG_7802 (2).JPG
When I finally decided to call it a day just because it was so warm on Friday, I made the decision to go back to the ranch so that I could take another trail to the drainage ditch that would take me exactly one mile north of where my blind will be. I can't even begin to tell you of how wonderful it felt to finally see that things were once again beginning to look like a place that ducks like to be at.. This happens to be the widest spot in the entire area other than where my blind is.
I save this spot for windy days because I do know that the ducks like being here. I usually see woodies, gadwall and mallards.
View attachment IMG_7816 (2).JPG
Here is what it looked like today, Saturday 12-4-21 when I arrived at my honey hole. Yes, I did have one of those mile wide smiles. It couldn't be helped!
I sure had a good time working on my blind. I'm planning on being there on Tuesday morning. I most likely will be a bit early but that is all right. I'll be out duck hunting right where I want to be.
View attachment IMG_7834 (2).JPG
I will add some dead branches and cut a few salt cedar branches that still have some leaves on them. I have the ability to shoot southeast, south and west. Most ducks will fly just west of me because they like following the channel north. I can also see any ducks flying out of the refuge using the Rio Grande corridor. They can definitely see this pond and hear my call if I need to try and get their attentijon. I much prefer that single or threesome that might come in to loaf the day away.
Way over on the left side you will see the silver leaves of the Russian olive trees. There is one that is right on the channel with the branches hanging out and over it. They will drop the nuts that the wood ducks dearly love to eat.
I'm betting that if I were to go down to this spot where I took this last picture, that I would be standing in water. It was only 50 feet to the fence line. Yes, this is the spot where I shoot my favorite shell, which is a 2 3/4" 7 shot steel Dove load. The other two shells are one 6 shot followed by a 4 shot. Back in front of the fence line my farthest shot which is about 45 yards. The vast majority of my shots are between 20 and 25 yards. Why, because that is what I am comfortable when shooting. If the duck or ducks don't present a good shot for me, I will usually let them make another circle to come back in. If they fly away, that is not a big deal. I can wait. Who knows, they might come back if they weren't spooked. It sure is going to be fun to have Chip in the blind with me when we get there on Tuesday AM.
View attachment IMG_7842 (2).JPG