salmon and upland birds

[Chepe]

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Originally posted by Dr Flash Amazing:

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Originally posted by Greg W:

Go down to the fish ladders on the Columbia and cut holes in the nets of the indians camped out there.

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Gee, great idea! Systematically murdering them and remorselessly stealing their land and then kicking them off of it wasn't enough. Clearly instead of removing superfluous dam(n)s to save salmon, we should punish some of our nation's remaining Native Americans for trying to eat.

 

Nice troll, by the way, and it even worked!

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They make enough money from casinos and other tax free shit to buy from the grocery store like anyone else. Those are just a long lost arguments that only work on the uneducated anyway.

[Smoker]

Ahhhhh....Waterfowl...usually found and hunted on.....the water.

 

I quit hunting a few years back, I tell myself that I'll pick it up again one day but havn't yet.

 

The last trip I made we maxed out on out limits. We both had full bags of snowgeese and Mallard. Sunset was near, meaning the end of the days hunt was close. We just limited on ducks, with out a single Snow. The limit was 3 each at the time which is like 100+ lbs of geese between us.

 

Anyway the tide was goming in and the snows were begining to raft about 100 ft off shore on this mud flat we used to hunt. The dead log on shore became bouyant as the tide came in and we decided to push the log slowly out to meet the mass of birds that were building by the minute.

 

We pushed the log out as they began to drift/set closer to shore. Within about ten minutes we were in the middle of this mass of sqwacking geese. Keeping our eyes down pointed, we comunicated by touch, never saying a word. The air stopped smelling like a salt water bay and the smell of wet dirty fowl filled the air. As I stared down at the water 18 inches below my chest, I could see birds swim within 1 ft of me, oh if I had only had a net instead that day instead of my rusty saltwater shootin iron. Did I have "T" loads chambered? or did I still have the #2 steel I was throwin up at ducks 30min earlier?

 

Turns out it didn't matter, the adrenalin was flowing and I began to shake. My partner gave the sign and we both raised up from a crouched position to what we'd shoot first! Instantly the bay eurupted with the sounds of a raft of aproximatly 2000 geese trying to get air born. The spray from some of their wing tips beating the water moistened my cheeks and stung the eyes.

 

I didn't think, it was all automatic. BOOM!..Boom Boom! three shots rang out, and then my partner was yelling, "No more, no MORE!"

 

At first I didn't comprehend why he had called off the slaughter. I had led and dropped my 2 birds, he had dropped his as well. Then I saw the toughest thing I have ever faced hunting. As I realized what was happening another few birds dropped out of the sky and slapped the bay with the sound of a kid falling and smacking the pavement. Kind of a sickening sound.

 

Around us in an ever widening arc was a trail of dead and wounded birds. As I watched, (the raft well across the bay by now)a few more birds fell from the sky maybe a half mile away. It looked like someone had littered the bay with styrafoam pieces. There wasn't much to do except take our limit from the many laying at our feet and go home.

 

We left easily more than 60 birds that day on the water.

 

I haven't hunted waterfowl since.

 

Thats my tall tale for the day

[allthumbs]

Smoker, that's a good tale. I live at the mouth of the Stilly (South By). I shoot the Snows from my front deck when they fly by too close in the fog.

 

BTW, do I need a hunting license for this?

[RobBob]

Yep, if you've ever hunted waterfowl, you have an affection for it even 20 years later. Some of the best memories of being with my dad were sittin' there with him in a duckblind. Had a great retriever, who was in extasy when the ducks were flying. Froze my ass off several times, too, but that was good alpine training!

[Smoker]

Oh yes, the lucky fog shot! Ya hear em coming and usually they never show except for that rare time they dont know your there AND your ready for em.

 

BOOM!

 

Yes you do need a permit, as of a few yrs ago it was only available by written request from Olympia. You were required to log the kills over a season and return a form for the Dept of Game.

[terrible_ted]

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Originally posted by ryland moore:

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Yeah, but sometimes that means they are eating snails and other fishy stuff, that can make the meat taste a little off too.!

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Hmm... can't agree with you there, Ryland. That crustacean flavor is what gives the meat character! That's why I've never got too worked up over chinese chickens - not that walking fields on a chilly, foggy morning isn't a pleasure, but the meat on those grain fed birds really ain't that much different from a decent farm raised chicken.

 

I haven't picked up a shotgun in years, but I have a good friend who still shoots the flats around Willapa Bay that keeps me stocked. A real treat is to line everything up with some razor clams and do some mixed duck/clam/wild mushroom feasts...

 

Rules for cooking ducks:

 

#1 Separate the breast from the legs, they just don't cook the same. Legs need a thorough cooking to break down the ligament/cartilege tissues, while breasts just need a good warming.

 

#2 Hot, hot, hot! If smoke isn't rolling out of the pan or out from under the grill then you're doing something wrong!

 

#3 Crush the bones and get the blood. Swirl it into a fruit/stock/glace mixture. Not too hot or the proteins in the blood will coagulate. Oranges, cranberries and the like are good fruit matches. Serve over the duck. I'm still looking for a <$1000 duck press...

 

#4 [actually a rule for all cooked meats] Let the meat rest covered for at least 5 - 10 minutes after cooking. That means all the meat should come off the heat before it's cooked through.

 

#5 Uneaten duck meat is not allowed. You have a moral obligation to see what you killed is eaten. That's why I always get seconds! And thirds, and... well, that's why I always get this thick layer of duck fat protecting my vitals...

 

-t

[Smoker]

Ok, I know I started some thread creep with the water fowl input,

 

So lets hear from you.....

 

Who got off the couch and filled their bag yesterday? Salmon? Upland burd? White tail, Black Tail hell even a Mulie?

 

Who shot sumthin?

 

S

[Scott_J]

Terrible Ted was right about the lock jawed silvers on the Sky. I fished 6 hr.Wed, 5 hr Fri, 6 hr Sat, and 6 hr Sun. I fly fished and spinning gear,(which I have not used since 96 on salmon)and tooth pick drifting. I got one silver to bite a purple egg sucking leach, but lost the fucker before I could KILL IT, my wife hooked into one with the same pattern but lost it also. Damn no blood, that was Friday. Saturday I showed up with both spinning gear and fly gear. Pow, I got a hit on a brass Mepps spinner landed the silver and I got my first blood of the season. It felt goooooooooooooooooood and it tasted good too later that night. I shared this fish with my wife and my two dogs. Sunday NOTHING, but I learned about fishing the Sky. Use corkies, weight and anywhere between 3 and 10 feet between the weight and the corkie. The Stilly opens for dog salmon this week(the 16th) I will be there killing any good looking dogs.

By the way that story about shooting pigs in the Olympics that we were all yaking about last spring...well I have some Hawaiian friends that are looking into it. They were told by some WDFW office in the Olympics that a total of 60 pigs were taken this year so far. I guess that department will help you out a little. Like pointing out the area to search for the little piggies. From what they were able to gather the pigs run about 200 pounds!!! This would be a fun outing. I would be all set for that if I have some time in November, or even December. Leaves will be off the trees and it should be easier to see one of the little fellas. Here piggy, piggy................

Also, Smoker, you nearly brought a tear to my eye when talking about hunting with dad as a kid and the dog. I never had a dad but I had a great uncle and later in life a great lab to hunt ducks and up land birds with in Alaska. I miss both a whole lot. I climbed the regular route last year on Careno Crag as a memorial to uncle on the day he died. It was a great climb and a great moment...he was there with me wearing his beret and his smart ass smile.

[Bronco]

A couple of New Jersey hunters are out in the woods when one of them falls to the ground. He doesn't seem to be breathing, his eyes are rolled back in his head.

 

The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls the emergency services. He gasps to the operator: 'My friend is dead! What can I do?'

 

The operator, in a calm soothing voice says: 'Just take it easy. I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead.'

 

There is a silence, then a shot is heard. The guy's voice comes back on the line. He says: 'OK, now what?'

[ryland_moore]

Just got back this morning from my weekend cast n' blast. Saturday, hunted opening day of pheasant with my Dad and brother who flew out from VA and VT. We got 6 pheasant, 10 chuckar and two Cali quail. Almost had an Eastern Oregon grand slam but failed on the Huns after chasing them up three draws. Yesterday, went out fishing in Tillamook Bay, near Garibaldi and caught 4 Fall Chinook of 10, 17, 25, and 33lbs. Time for a little surf and turf tonight!

[ryland_moore]

Hey Sisu, there is an ex-Oklahoma football player who hunts wild/ferral pigs with a knife! He kinda cheats by using dogs to distract the pig, and has had some of his dogs killed doing this, but jumps on their backs with a bowie knife. Crazy s um-bitch!

[ryland_moore]

not that walking fields on a chilly, foggy morning isn't a pleasure, but the meat on those grain fed birds really ain't that much different from a decent farm raised chicken.

 

I agree with you a little Ted, but there are other birds then just pheasant. Grouse, quail, huns, and Chukar are all awesome and are typically not grain fed, except for wild grasses and the like. Still, something about waking up before sunrise, walking fields of grasses up to your waist that are the color of gold while your dog is frozen on point. The images will never leave me. Enjoy the rest of your hunting season! My is just beginning.

[Scott_J]

Ryland I sent you a PM, but I had to add that the sandhill cranes, geese and grouse were all shot on or near the Delta barley projects(summer feeding grounds) near Delta Junction, AK. It was fun hunting because you had to be aware of bison, griz, and where your partner was at all times. The pig story is real close to what some of the Hawaiians do that I know on the Big Island. The guys are into hunting pig, but some do it trad style...spear in close quarters!!!!!!!!! YIKS!!!!

[Dru]

save a raptor, dont use lead shot when bird hunting.