12-06-2013, 04:20 PM
Headed up north on the Bear River last night, figured this would be my last chance to hunt open water this season! Willard was mostly frozen when we drove by and from all reports all WMAs are locked up solid!
Got to our spot around 2pm, got out and MAN was it cold! Thank goodness for good gear! Stalked up to the river and spotted 20 honkers sitting on the ice [
] Devised our plan and sent two guys down river to then come up and jump them, I went up river to hopefully get under their escape. Wouldn't you know it, as i'm coming up to the river to wait for the other boys to jump the geese there are a dozen full plumage widgeon looking at me 30 yards away....dang! Geese jumped, guns went off and four fell but none came my way, bummer!
Once that was done we set up some shells on the ice and sat and waited. A couple doubles came in and circled and circled and swung at 30, guess canada made us spoiled because we let them go thinking they'd be feet down on the next pass...bad call.
The minutes ticked by and the sun went down, still no geese over the dekes. With 10 minutes left I got up to go walk the river and chase a couple ducks. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as i got 100 yards away two honkers come up the valley, see our dekes and lock up [frown] Boom Boom Boom, one goose goes down the other struggles to keep flying but some how makes it! Dang. Just my luck.
That river was very nearly frozen solid last night, by this weekend I'm sure it will be locked up tight for the season. Time to hit the salt, a warm water spring or break out the ice fishing gear I'm thinking!
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Got to our spot around 2pm, got out and MAN was it cold! Thank goodness for good gear! Stalked up to the river and spotted 20 honkers sitting on the ice [
] Devised our plan and sent two guys down river to then come up and jump them, I went up river to hopefully get under their escape. Wouldn't you know it, as i'm coming up to the river to wait for the other boys to jump the geese there are a dozen full plumage widgeon looking at me 30 yards away....dang! Geese jumped, guns went off and four fell but none came my way, bummer!Once that was done we set up some shells on the ice and sat and waited. A couple doubles came in and circled and circled and swung at 30, guess canada made us spoiled because we let them go thinking they'd be feet down on the next pass...bad call.
The minutes ticked by and the sun went down, still no geese over the dekes. With 10 minutes left I got up to go walk the river and chase a couple ducks. Wouldn't you know it, as soon as i got 100 yards away two honkers come up the valley, see our dekes and lock up [frown] Boom Boom Boom, one goose goes down the other struggles to keep flying but some how makes it! Dang. Just my luck.
That river was very nearly frozen solid last night, by this weekend I'm sure it will be locked up tight for the season. Time to hit the salt, a warm water spring or break out the ice fishing gear I'm thinking!
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