Well if you duck hunt you know what this year has been like.
We had our best hunt of the year Saturday morning.
We got to the spot and put out a small spread of about 20 mallards and a dozen gadwalls.
Rigged three of the mallards up on a jerk string and had one wonder duck out.
We finally got the boat positioned up under a couple oak trees that had quite a few leaves still on them and got hid good.
Right after shooting light our buddy that was with us whispered, "right here".
We all looked up and this big ole fat mallard was cupped up and dropping in on a mission.
He was coming down right on the outside edge of our spread.
My son raised up with his brand new SXP that I got him for Christmas and with the very first shot ever he dropped the mallard like a box of rocks.
My buddy said it took him by surprise and for a second he thought it was a goose coming in it was so big. LOL
Little while later another single worked like a champ, made about 2 circles and dropped in on the same line as the first one.
Man fired on him as well and stoned him!! I was so proud.
Then the third "group" came in. It was a greenhead and a Susie.
They circled twice and then decided they didn't want to come in so they came across in front of us leaving town.
Man and my buddy both shot three times each at the Susie and she left unscathed. :rotf:
After they had both emptied their guns I pulled up on the greenhead and lead him about 3 feet and dropped the hammer on him.
As he was falling his feet were pointed towards the sky. :shock:
I have discovered my gun shoots BB's a LOT better than it does #2 shot.
By this time it was going on 10:30 and we were all starving, cold and all stoved up from sitting in the boat for that long.
We picked up our decoys and headed home.
Definitely the hunt of the year for me.
I know it don't sound like much but to actually get some birds to work and finish this year is quite the feat I thought.
If you will notice the bird on the right, absolutely HUGE!! Biggest mallard I have ever seen.
All three birds were sho nuff redlegs too.
Saw a lot of birds in the area too. Figures now that it's over.
Now for the "RUGER" part of the story.
Man got to the house Friday afternoon.
As he was pulling up and easing into the side of the yard I could hear the telltale "grind" of a bearing going down.
I told him, Son, you got a bearing going down."
I have no idea why my brain works like it does but it is what it is and that was the end of our conversation and thoughts of a bearing. :bash:
On the way to the spot Saturday morning we could hear it squealing and I knew this wasn't gonna be good.
When we got there I went to the passenger side and laid my hand on the hub.
Cool as a cucumber.
Walk to the drivers side and when my hand got about 3" from the hub I could feel the heat. :shock:
Oh well, let's go hunting.
We come out and get the boat out and then I walk over and look at the hub.
Castle nut is laying on the bottom of the hub.
No, he doesn't have a cap on it or a bearing buddy or nothing.
I bought a set for him but his hubs were too big for the ones they sold at walmart and I told him he needed to find him one in Paris.
That was last year. :rotf:
Two choices, leave it at the hunting spot and go get all the tools and try to fix it there, or start home and see how far we get.
Hub was ruined anyway so the damage was already done and worst case we would lose a wheel on the way. Best case, we would have tools and a safe place to work on it if we could get it home.
My buddy followed us to the house and by some miracle we made it.
From there it was pretty normal, trip to Martin to buy a hub and return to the house.
Every tool I own and a grinder with a cutting wheel on it and about 4:30 that afternoon we finally got the new hub on. :shock:
We were both exhausted and every muscle I had was hurting. Running the longtail motor with 3 people and an unbalanced load in the boat had kicked Man's tail pretty bad so we decided we would call it a wrap on the season on a great hunt.
Been a heck of a year there is no doubt about that. LOL
We had our best hunt of the year Saturday morning.
We got to the spot and put out a small spread of about 20 mallards and a dozen gadwalls.
Rigged three of the mallards up on a jerk string and had one wonder duck out.
We finally got the boat positioned up under a couple oak trees that had quite a few leaves still on them and got hid good.
Right after shooting light our buddy that was with us whispered, "right here".
We all looked up and this big ole fat mallard was cupped up and dropping in on a mission.
He was coming down right on the outside edge of our spread.
My son raised up with his brand new SXP that I got him for Christmas and with the very first shot ever he dropped the mallard like a box of rocks.
My buddy said it took him by surprise and for a second he thought it was a goose coming in it was so big. LOL
Little while later another single worked like a champ, made about 2 circles and dropped in on the same line as the first one.
Man fired on him as well and stoned him!! I was so proud.
Then the third "group" came in. It was a greenhead and a Susie.
They circled twice and then decided they didn't want to come in so they came across in front of us leaving town.
Man and my buddy both shot three times each at the Susie and she left unscathed. :rotf:
After they had both emptied their guns I pulled up on the greenhead and lead him about 3 feet and dropped the hammer on him.
As he was falling his feet were pointed towards the sky. :shock:
I have discovered my gun shoots BB's a LOT better than it does #2 shot.
By this time it was going on 10:30 and we were all starving, cold and all stoved up from sitting in the boat for that long.
We picked up our decoys and headed home.
Definitely the hunt of the year for me.
I know it don't sound like much but to actually get some birds to work and finish this year is quite the feat I thought.
If you will notice the bird on the right, absolutely HUGE!! Biggest mallard I have ever seen.
All three birds were sho nuff redlegs too.
Saw a lot of birds in the area too. Figures now that it's over.
Now for the "RUGER" part of the story.
Man got to the house Friday afternoon.
As he was pulling up and easing into the side of the yard I could hear the telltale "grind" of a bearing going down.
I told him, Son, you got a bearing going down."
I have no idea why my brain works like it does but it is what it is and that was the end of our conversation and thoughts of a bearing. :bash:
On the way to the spot Saturday morning we could hear it squealing and I knew this wasn't gonna be good.
When we got there I went to the passenger side and laid my hand on the hub.
Cool as a cucumber.
Walk to the drivers side and when my hand got about 3" from the hub I could feel the heat. :shock:
Oh well, let's go hunting.
We come out and get the boat out and then I walk over and look at the hub.
Castle nut is laying on the bottom of the hub.
No, he doesn't have a cap on it or a bearing buddy or nothing.
I bought a set for him but his hubs were too big for the ones they sold at walmart and I told him he needed to find him one in Paris.
That was last year. :rotf:
Two choices, leave it at the hunting spot and go get all the tools and try to fix it there, or start home and see how far we get.
Hub was ruined anyway so the damage was already done and worst case we would lose a wheel on the way. Best case, we would have tools and a safe place to work on it if we could get it home.
My buddy followed us to the house and by some miracle we made it.
From there it was pretty normal, trip to Martin to buy a hub and return to the house.
Every tool I own and a grinder with a cutting wheel on it and about 4:30 that afternoon we finally got the new hub on. :shock:
We were both exhausted and every muscle I had was hurting. Running the longtail motor with 3 people and an unbalanced load in the boat had kicked Man's tail pretty bad so we decided we would call it a wrap on the season on a great hunt.
Been a heck of a year there is no doubt about that. LOL
