The 2009 hunting season for me got off to a slow start. Karen and I were not back form our trip to Australia and New Zealand, until the second week of duck season. Blake was good enough to do some early scouting and on the first weekend after we got back we went to a small pond within a few hundred yards from our house and got a couple of ducks. The fall color was still full at that time so the pictures were pretty nice.
The next weekend we tried a hunt on a lake but there was no wind so the decoys looked a little less than active. We saw ducks, but they were not interested in our spread.
The following weekend we did opening day of deer season and were rewared with a beautiful sunrise. The picture above even has a bit of moon showing.
Skyler and I did our best to be ready for the first big buck to walk by, we even sort of blended in.
The Deer below is one that was taken by another hunter on the farm just west of where we were hunting. Blake had actually seen it during the bow season near where Skyler and I were hunting.
The next weekend I hunted in a different location on the same field Skyler and I hunted the weekend before. The scenery was great, but as you can see the field was empty of deer.
One of the things, I really like about hunting is the great sunrises and sunsets. Some mornings the combination of low sun angle and cool temperature, provides some spectacular color
Some views are almost like watercolors.
The following weekend we did a full blown hunt on a lake about three miles from home. our Friend Ryan and his dad mike went with us, so we had plenty of decoys.
Ryan has a new duck boat that has a low profile and can easily be be brushed to make it blend in.
This is Ryan's dad Mike, Blake and me near the end of the hunt. You can see that we did get a couple of birds that day.
A couple of weeks later Blake, Skyler and I tried a hunt at the same lake. This time however the lake was frozen over. As a mater of fact it was about 18 degrees, the ice we had to break through was nearly 1-1/2" thick in some places. The set up was difficult, the hole we broke open to set decoys was constantly re-freezing. Each time we decided to wade out to break the decoys loose from the ice ducks or geese would come by (well out of range).
It was a cold, miserable, wonderful day. We saw lots of birds. Near the end of the hunt a large flock of geese took a couple of passes over our spread, but decided to land on the ice out in the middle of the lake. For the next half hour or so geese poured in and all landed well out of range and set there mocking us. You can see the line of them just below the tree. The smooth ice just beyond our decoy is just baerly in range for us. The geese were plenty safe.
The next weekend we tried a hunt on a lake but there was no wind so the decoys looked a little less than active. We saw ducks, but they were not interested in our spread.
The following weekend we did opening day of deer season and were rewared with a beautiful sunrise. The picture above even has a bit of moon showing.
Skyler and I did our best to be ready for the first big buck to walk by, we even sort of blended in.
The Deer below is one that was taken by another hunter on the farm just west of where we were hunting. Blake had actually seen it during the bow season near where Skyler and I were hunting.
The next weekend I hunted in a different location on the same field Skyler and I hunted the weekend before. The scenery was great, but as you can see the field was empty of deer.
One of the things, I really like about hunting is the great sunrises and sunsets. Some mornings the combination of low sun angle and cool temperature, provides some spectacular color
Some views are almost like watercolors.
The following weekend we did a full blown hunt on a lake about three miles from home. our Friend Ryan and his dad mike went with us, so we had plenty of decoys.
Ryan has a new duck boat that has a low profile and can easily be be brushed to make it blend in. 
This is Ryan's dad Mike, Blake and me near the end of the hunt. You can see that we did get a couple of birds that day.
A couple of weeks later Blake, Skyler and I tried a hunt at the same lake. This time however the lake was frozen over. As a mater of fact it was about 18 degrees, the ice we had to break through was nearly 1-1/2" thick in some places. The set up was difficult, the hole we broke open to set decoys was constantly re-freezing. Each time we decided to wade out to break the decoys loose from the ice ducks or geese would come by (well out of range).
It was a cold, miserable, wonderful day. We saw lots of birds. Near the end of the hunt a large flock of geese took a couple of passes over our spread, but decided to land on the ice out in the middle of the lake. For the next half hour or so geese poured in and all landed well out of range and set there mocking us. You can see the line of them just below the tree. The smooth ice just beyond our decoy is just baerly in range for us. The geese were plenty safe.
As I write this there are a couple of more deer hunting opportunities. In a few weeks the goose season will re-open.
P.S.
The deer season ended on Sunday December 20. There was a nice snow cover so if there were going to be any deer in the area they should at least be visable. I got to my deer stand fairly early and this time I crawled up unto a tree stand. I saw several deer, actually saw on group of five does and two bucks that were almost in range. I was nice to see a lot of activity. It was a good season I ended up with two doe which I harvested about three weeks earlier.
This is one of two the ground blinds that we used this season.
On the way out of the woods I walked by the other blind that we have used this year It's the little mound just left of center on the fence row. It's supposed to be difficult to see.
Fresh snow on plant material often provides an interesting pattern. It was a good hunting season.
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