Went to south east Oklahoma to do some scouting and general goofing off after being sick for a few days. It was nice to get out. Unfortunately locals had closed and put a lock on a gate into my old hunting grounds so I had to make alternate plans for the morning. So I kayaked the Kiamechi and scouted some wetlands I could paddle and walk to from the river. I am really in my element kayaking these big rivers.

Off the river I did find a neat old car. Looks to be a 46 Ford Coupe. I could see the photo op. Not sure, but the box in front of the car looked like it may be the remains of a now door less safe. At least my imagination is going to stick with that. It was too heavy for me to move it, so had to crop the second picture accordingly. This was remote and miles from any roads. If only the car could talk.

Wood Storks. I have never seen them outside of Florida. This would not be a common bird this far west. The picture does not show it, but these birds have like a 5 ft wingspan. Really big. Unfotunately it is a little out of focus. They surprised me. Just thought they where neat to see.

Though I did get hold of the local wildlife biologist and he saw to it my gate would be open again,
It was too late to launch there. He said the resident Geese where not present and he had not seen
any teal, but I got some good scouting in. Found one new wetland for me that I can access by kayak.
I bet I saw 50 wood ducks.

This morning my original intent was to do a short Teal hunt closer to home for an hour and head back to get some honey-dos done. I hit a spot on Ray Bob that I had scouted a while back and found birds, but on second scouting did not have birds. I arrived just before legal time. Did not expect much. I kicked up a single Teal in the dark that flew away as I put out decoys. A little later a single bird snuck in and landed on the edge of some flooded bushes. It quickly swam into them. Looked like it may have been someones cripple from the weekend and likely the one I kicked up. I sent Blaze in to make it fly out, but she could not find it. I figure it did a dive. We never saw that bird again on the water or in the air.

An hour passed and not a bird. So I decided to give it up. I made the mistake I know not to make. Never ever put your gun down. I should have had it slung over my shoulder. Instead I propped it in a tree. Walked out into the decoys to pick up the first one and guess what happened? Yep, you guessed it. A flock of Teal swooped in real low and landed all around me. I yelled "NOooooooo!" as they popped back up into the air and flew away as fast as they had come in.

I knew the location was a one shot deal so I continued without going back for my gun. Buuuut, half way through picking up the decoys I see them coming. A flock of Dove headed my way! They split maybe 20 yards over my head. I can't type what I said out loud that time.

This set me off. So instead of heading home I got the wild idea to head back to the highway and haul azz to Oklahoma to scout a couple hours for a possible next hunt. I only found one pair of teal on a shoreline. Not a spot I felt worth coming back for so I did an army man crawl through the weeds and was able to get close enough to get one as they saw me and flushed. Then on the walk back to my truck I picked up 4 Dove. All shot with #4 Steel. So a longer morning than I had planned, but I came home with 5 birds instead of 0.

I am happy with that for a public land hunt. It was nice weather. I met some friendly Okie locals also out hunting. All older than me. Spent several minutes sharing hunting stories with them before heading home.

This picture was actually just one taken to frame the camera for a picture. I was too close and moved for another full frame traditional hero picture, but I'm going with this candid one to commemorate the morning.

Started with Teal Saturday in East Texas, but the morning was a bust. Hunting partner Dave Speer and I shot at and missed two greenwings. Dave then headed east to catch Bass. His plan B. And I headed west for Dove. My plan B.

The first shot I made on a Dove late that afternoon surprised me as 100s of Dove came up out of the field to fly around. Unfortunately I did not have my camera out for that. But you can see a few in this picture I took of the roost trees in the background.

 

Some of the Dove I shot were not much older than fledglings. The breasts in them no bigger than a snipe's breast. Had to be local birds still. Note the smaller one still with it's first set of flight feathers.

The plants other than Sunflowers are Dove Weed. The Dove where landing in this more than the Sunflower areas.