We got there just as shooting time started but waited a few more minutes since it was so cloudy, meaning raining, and it was still fairly dark. Finally when it got a little bit lighter we headed off in the canoe, me in back paddling, Hayde in front of me and Jeremy up front ready with his gun. We got a ways in, into the wooded part before we flushed some ducks. Jeremy shot a few times and two fell down. Of course, Hayde jumped out of the canoe to retrieve. She found the 2nd mallard off to the right in the woods and then we paddled up around the bend to look for the 1st one shot. We searched and searched and searched, sending Hayde this way and that. She got a good workout here! Finally she caught the sent and sniffed and sniffed and managed to find it and retrieve it. We then continued on, thru the rain, sprinkle and mist. There weren't nearly so many birds out today as there were last weekend. We did flush some more, but they were too far or around the next bend so Jeremy didn't have a chance to shoot. We finally made it over the 8 beaver dams to the lake. I have to mention, we saw another beaver swimming pretty close to us.
Once out by the lake, we saw another guy in a canoe or boat and waved and decided we better turn around. We did hear a few other shots while we were out. Before heading back, we decided to back into a spot in the grasses to wait and see if any birds would come by and try to land. We sat quietly watching and waiting and we did see several flocks circle around and look for a landing spot. Some got pretty close and Jeremy soon realized we needed to turn the canoe around so he was facing out and not into the grass. So, we turned around and hunkered down some more. Eventually we decided they could see us and tried a different spot just up stream a bit. This time we did it better and I got out and pulled the canoe up into the grasses more, ontop of some pretty thick boggy stuff. We hunkered down again for a bit watching and waiting. More and more birds flew by, circled and landed in the lake and not by us, so eventually we called it and started heading back. Not too far from the lake, we saw some things moving up ahead in the water. Around the bend we saw better as 4 or 5 little heads bobbed up and down and up looking at us. Some more beavers or so we figured!
As we were approaching one of the latter dams, we were just getting ready to pull up to it and get out when a single duck flushed. Jeremy was ready and shot and it came down. Hayde bolted from the canoe and fetched it. Another mallard.
We finally came to the boggy spot towards the beginning of the trip, circled around it, flushed a few more birds but we were pretty close to the road and they flew towards it so Jeremy didn't want to shoot so we called it a day and headed back to the jeep, the green one.
Poor Hayde, she shivered the entire time again, but was a good sport sitting so, well, mostly still, and being pretty quiet. I can't imagine how anyone could do what we've been doing without a dog to sniff out the fallen birds and retrieve in such environments. Thankfully we've found a spot for her to do her job! As last week, I was pooped out from all the paddling, trying to manuver around all the bends, around all the fallen trees, thru the mud where it's only deep enough to slide the canoe thru, while trying to keep as quiet as possible, keep Hayde sitting and still and keep an eye out for birds.
I guess the table saw now has two purposes....but at least Jeremy doesn't have to clean these birds in the kitchen sink or on the kitchen table like he used to!
Nap time!
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