The time finally came for a trip to visit buddies just a little to the West.
Prep started for the trip over the summer when I picked up a Homer Decoy brant kit, restle coated and painted. They made their way out ahead of me in October to be added to the spread.
Landed Friday afternoon, messed around the city while waiting on my buddy to get off work. I got some great looks lugging around a shotgun case in a pretty liberal city! Had a fantastic supper in the city then headed to get the gear together for brant in the AM.
First good group to put their feet down I sat up and rolled two. Second one is banded! What a way to start a trip!
I had my two birds and rotated out for my buddies to shoot their brant. Final bird of the morning my buddy David spots another band when a group of 8 puts down their feet! Double band, green tarsus!
Packed up and picked up the spread. Headed to pick up the crab pots we dropped before hunting. Culled the small ones and had our limit of Dungeness.
Made the call to shoot wigeon in the afternoon. As setting decoys, birds were trying to get in. Laid down and a group swings through, buddy Rick sits up and rolls the first stud wigeon of the day. Picked out a lot of pretty drakes.
Almost finished the limit and the birds quit moving. We picked up and headed to get ready for brant in the morning.
Brant again Sunday, then headed to shoot mallards and pintails. More story and pictures coming!
Got to the mallards hole minus one buddy (had to go back to work). Buddy looks at me and says I don't shoot much more than mallards here, hope green heads are good with you.
First group of three flies over, hit the call wings lock and boom it's on, 3min after legal, fat greenhead hits the water. Over the next 3 hours we worked groups from the stratosphere from 20 at a time to singles, picking studs and taking turns. 100% the best hunt of my life as far as birds responding and fun time with a good buddy.
Next day we do similar with a few less pintails. Birds worked and responded well, we had a ball.
Earlier in the week there was some discussion about a possible Harlequin and we made the call to chase one on the last day. We would shoot brant again if it worked out, but the goal would be to decoy a harlequin to make the trip back to the east coast in my carry-on bag.
We got set up Wednesday morning in what we realized was a little off the flight path. Moved the decoys over about 100yds, with a little more sun on the decoys, an absolutely beautiful drake swings down wind, turns and tries to get into between the decoys we spaced as a landing zone. I get him! Rock on! Icing on the cake to a killer week with great buddies. A nice bottle of bourbon purchased, and enjoyed with duck 3ways(roasted plucked brant, pintail and mallards).IMG_20190113_131403542_HDR.jpg
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