To all of our great clients,
A sincere thank you from Petey and me for a great year. We are so blessed to have your support and friendship. We assure you we will never take either for granted. We will continue to strive to provide you with a premier hunting experience.
All of the decoy spreads are picked up and in storage. All of the blinds are in their summer resting spots. We are retrieving the boats this afternoon. We will visit our landowners tomorrow and thank them for the use of their ponds and land. Petey will then head back to Aspen and I am headed back to Torrington and then to Florida for a week long nap.
We harvested a total of 842 birds for the season. That is a 6.47 birds per hunter day for the season. Our biggest day was March 12th when we bagged 114 birds. The 2nd largest day was March 13th with 77 birds. Our biggest per hunter days were March 1st and 2nd. Our hunters bagged an average of 13 birds per hunter over those two days. Central Flyway's Best harvested 42.5 birds per day for the 20 days of hunting.
We encourage you to secure your reservations for next year's hunt as soon as possible. Many of you have already done so and we thank you for that.
My administrative staff will be keeping you updated on the 2011 fly fishing season on the Grey Reef this summer. Contact me or The North Platte Lodge in Alcova, WY, to fish with me. Don't forget I do Cast and Blast trips for trophy trout and the magnificent Sage Grouse in September through the Lodge as well.
I look forward to seeing many of you in Torrington for mallards and Canadas next fall and winter.
If any of you would like to leave a comment on your hunt we would greatly appreciate your feedback.
God Bless all of you.
JJ and Petey
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Friday, March 18, 2011
Bye Bye Chen Caerulescens
And then they were gone. Most of you managed to sneak past us. Many of you teased us with your coy non-committal attitude. You would hang around the edges of the dance hall but never join us in the front row. You would listen to the music for a brief moment and then continue on your epic 3000 mile journey. You are a magnificent bird.
You have a standing invitation to join us again next March. Same time same location. We will be here. Y'all come back now, hear!
You have a standing invitation to join us again next March. Same time same location. We will be here. Y'all come back now, hear!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
So a horse and a llama walk into a bar......
Petey and his hunters went to Knoble's pond yesterday. They didn't see many birds and those they did see wouldn't work. They did bag 5 birds right off the bat but it went downhill from there. Only 7 birds for the day but in spite of that Petey had a great day. Petey had Ken Markin from Colorado and his 82 years young father, Karl, from Washington. Also in the group was Karl's close friend and hunting buddy from Oregon, Arnie Petersen. The day was filled with hunting adventures all over the world. Karl has a bad 'dove' addiction. He needs serious counseling. He has hunted doves in almost all the countries in South America. He has been to Bolivia 10 times! He has also hunted doves in South Africa and many countries in north Africa as well. He thinks he may cancel the next trip to Libya. His hunting partner,Mommar, is a little busy right now.
My day started at the Church pond with a llama and a horse. As we were getting things loaded in the ATV to go to the blind the llama and the horse came walking down the road. The horse obviously thought the llama was quite cute (she did have captivating eyes) as they proceeded to 'get it on' right in front of us. After a brief respite for a post coital cigarette, I herded them back down the road. Shortly after getting set in the blind it became apparent that the 'black hole' swarm we dealt with yesterday was still to the east of us. We toughed it out until 10:30 and then I made the call to move to Barber's pond. Good call JJ! We harvested 23 birds for the day. One memorable group was four adult blues that started to work from a suburb just south of the moon. It took them 45 minutes to descend. When I called the shot the closest bird was maybe 60 yards. Seconds later all four geese were enrolled in a spinning class in the decoys. Great shooting Dr. Keith and Dr. Brad.
Getting nervous about the last five days. We have not seen any migration for the past three days. We have seen a good number of birds moving back south. I don't have a clue as to what that means. South Dakota is still covered in snow but temps are warming there over the next few days. Word is that the Missouri River below Lewis and Clark Reservoir on the Nebraska-South Dakota border is covered with geese. The lake itself is still frozen. Also hearing that the juvie flocks are showing up at Squaw Creek in Missouri. Last year the juvie flocks did not come through here. They followed the Missouri River. The year before they did come through here. And so we wait.
The Full Monty and the horse and the llama in the same week! Who'd a thunk it? You can't make this stuff up.
My day started at the Church pond with a llama and a horse. As we were getting things loaded in the ATV to go to the blind the llama and the horse came walking down the road. The horse obviously thought the llama was quite cute (she did have captivating eyes) as they proceeded to 'get it on' right in front of us. After a brief respite for a post coital cigarette, I herded them back down the road. Shortly after getting set in the blind it became apparent that the 'black hole' swarm we dealt with yesterday was still to the east of us. We toughed it out until 10:30 and then I made the call to move to Barber's pond. Good call JJ! We harvested 23 birds for the day. One memorable group was four adult blues that started to work from a suburb just south of the moon. It took them 45 minutes to descend. When I called the shot the closest bird was maybe 60 yards. Seconds later all four geese were enrolled in a spinning class in the decoys. Great shooting Dr. Keith and Dr. Brad.
Getting nervous about the last five days. We have not seen any migration for the past three days. We have seen a good number of birds moving back south. I don't have a clue as to what that means. South Dakota is still covered in snow but temps are warming there over the next few days. Word is that the Missouri River below Lewis and Clark Reservoir on the Nebraska-South Dakota border is covered with geese. The lake itself is still frozen. Also hearing that the juvie flocks are showing up at Squaw Creek in Missouri. Last year the juvie flocks did not come through here. They followed the Missouri River. The year before they did come through here. And so we wait.
The Full Monty and the horse and the llama in the same week! Who'd a thunk it? You can't make this stuff up.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Ouch! Where is Carl Sagan when you need him?
We knew it was coming. Today was one of those brutal ugly days. All life matter was being inhaled by a black hole.
I was at the Church pond today and Petey was at Knoble's pond. We both had exactly the same day. Had lots of birds early. They would drop from the ozone to about 100 yards and then just drift away. Not just one bunch but flock after flock. Birds were moving from north to south all day.
At the Church pond we had a mega swarm on the ground 2 miles to the east of us. Easily 30,000 birds in the 'black hole'. It sucked in everything in our sector of the universe. We kept waiting for them to get up and leave. About 1:00 they started to go, but an airplane came flying by. An airplane to snow geese is like Sarah Palin at a NOW Convention. It gets ugly and then goes downhill from there. The plane freaked the geese so bad they just dove back into the pond.
Both groups shot 12 geese today. We had 2 geese at 4:00 but shot 7 in the last hour. Petey's day was pretty much the same. Not the greatest of days but not a total bust either.
Looks like the weather is going to cooperate over the next few days so the migration should get going again. Reports from Missouri are that there are still a lot of geese around Mound City and the Juvenile flocks are still in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.
If we can find someone to stop the black holes we can stabilize our little corner of the goose universe.
I was at the Church pond today and Petey was at Knoble's pond. We both had exactly the same day. Had lots of birds early. They would drop from the ozone to about 100 yards and then just drift away. Not just one bunch but flock after flock. Birds were moving from north to south all day.
At the Church pond we had a mega swarm on the ground 2 miles to the east of us. Easily 30,000 birds in the 'black hole'. It sucked in everything in our sector of the universe. We kept waiting for them to get up and leave. About 1:00 they started to go, but an airplane came flying by. An airplane to snow geese is like Sarah Palin at a NOW Convention. It gets ugly and then goes downhill from there. The plane freaked the geese so bad they just dove back into the pond.
Both groups shot 12 geese today. We had 2 geese at 4:00 but shot 7 in the last hour. Petey's day was pretty much the same. Not the greatest of days but not a total bust either.
Looks like the weather is going to cooperate over the next few days so the migration should get going again. Reports from Missouri are that there are still a lot of geese around Mound City and the Juvenile flocks are still in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.
If we can find someone to stop the black holes we can stabilize our little corner of the goose universe.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
ol' Maria Grever knew of what she spoke
"What a difference a day makes!" Most of you are no doubt familiar with the great Mexican composer Maria Mendez Grever. She wrote this memorable song in 1934. The original American recording was by the Dorsey Brothers the same year. My favorite cover of the song was by Dinah Washington. She of course won a Grammy in 1959 for her recording. But surely you knew that.
Yep, it was a different day. Yesterday was perfect weather. Today perfectly awful. We had cloudy skies with freezing drizzle and snow showers. Not ideal for migrating geese.
I was at Barber's today and we got 18. Just one of those days. Every time the dogs made a retrieve they would drag 10 decoys back into the bank. Consequently considerable time was spent resetting decoys. We had a swarm of geese on the ground to the west of us and it played havoc with us most of the day. Our wonderful friendly game warden also paid us a visit. So that took time from our day. He really is a great guy.
Petey and his gang were at Knoble's. They bagged 28. It was great to have the Ellis group from Illinois with us for the past three days. We had our annual steak dinner last night. They grilled the steaks in the parking lot at the Capri Four Seasons!
Heath and his hunters were at the Church pond today. They harvested 31 today. They had birds over them most of the day. The birds were moving west to east all day. We assume that these were birds that have been to South Dakota and were on their way back because of the snow and frozen lakes and ponds.
So we get to dance the dance and sing the song again. What a difference a day makes. Twenty four little hours.
Yep, it was a different day. Yesterday was perfect weather. Today perfectly awful. We had cloudy skies with freezing drizzle and snow showers. Not ideal for migrating geese.
I was at Barber's today and we got 18. Just one of those days. Every time the dogs made a retrieve they would drag 10 decoys back into the bank. Consequently considerable time was spent resetting decoys. We had a swarm of geese on the ground to the west of us and it played havoc with us most of the day. Our wonderful friendly game warden also paid us a visit. So that took time from our day. He really is a great guy.
Petey and his gang were at Knoble's. They bagged 28. It was great to have the Ellis group from Illinois with us for the past three days. We had our annual steak dinner last night. They grilled the steaks in the parking lot at the Capri Four Seasons!
Heath and his hunters were at the Church pond today. They harvested 31 today. They had birds over them most of the day. The birds were moving west to east all day. We assume that these were birds that have been to South Dakota and were on their way back because of the snow and frozen lakes and ponds.
So we get to dance the dance and sing the song again. What a difference a day makes. Twenty four little hours.
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