2006 - 2007 2nd year of hunting

Snipe Hunting

12/06 Snipe Hunting

January 8, 2007

Oklahoma Private Land Snipe Hunt

and Noodling Ducks

The snipe never showed at my usual haunts in N TX so to get my fix, a buddy Luke who goes by "Perkjerker" on the Texas Hunting Forum, invited me up to his private marsh in Oklahoma a few days ago. Was a great and adventure filled day. Shot my limit, plus we got some bonus ducks. The highlight of the day was when I showed my buddy Luke how my dog Blaze and I work as a team. Blaze chased a cripple across a pothole, gained, and almost caught the duck, but it dove under and disappeared. She got back on it after it came up, but it just dove again. A few seconds later I spotted a mud trail under water passing between Luke and me. I simply reached down into the water to intercept that mud trail and noodled a duck from out of the water. Sure glad it was the duck and not a snake! Here is a picture of Luke holding the Noodle Duck. 

My first time to hunt snipe on a marsh like that. In Texas I only have access to lake shores to hunt. The Snipe would flush very quick and just barely in range, so I had to be very fast on the shots. I was using improved modified and modified chokes with #7 steel. My friend was using #4 steel and modified choke. Almost all of my kills were on flushed birds and most of my friends kills where on passing snipe or flushed birds that circled back overhead. Both methods worked. Rare for the snipe to hold for the dog in that short stubble, so I mostly kept her heeled to my side, but she did get to point a couple in some taller cover. 

We shot a brace and a half of snipe and a few bonus ducks. Some wild shootin and an adventure filled day. Big public thank you to Luke for inviting me up.

February, 2007

I submitted a few pictures, including some of Blaze to J.P. Greeson to consider for use as the entry page on his website "The Texas Hunting Forum" at http://www.texashuntingforum.com. It was an informal contest of sorts. I was honored to find that a few of my pictures where chosen. I did get a nice T-Shirt out of the deal. 

Also in February of 2006 The members of the Texas Hunting forum had  the voting for a Photo contest judged by the membership of the hunting forum and prizes also donated by forum members. Registration for the contest had been before hunting season. I submitted a picture from my hunt in Oklahoma with the Geese on the Kayak. The picture took first place. It was the only picture not of Big Game and it is possible I had some help with biased votes from the Duck hunters on the Forum, but it is a nice picture. 

Prize was a guided Javelina hunt at Ft Stockton Texas donated by Texas Hunting Forum member Randall "CrazyHorse". 

Here is a link to the Photo Essay of that hunt. It was my first time to hunt Javelina and I had the time of my Life. 

The Great Crazyhorse Javelina Hunt!

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