Our first split ended last weekend and it was the best we had in several years. Not a lot of big ducks but we really enjoyed the hunting. The season reopens next weekend and with the cold fronts during the close we should have an excellent second split. And yes our season opens way to early.

I had to put my chocolate lab to sleep this past April and I miss hunting with her. The little 3 yo black I have is really working well. I cannot imagine hunting without a good dog.







Choco from a couple of years back, RIP girl.

Great Pictures, Mike
I'm in east TX, and were so dry, it was tough in the first split, we just started to get some rain so hoping the 2nd will be better...love your dogs, and feel your loss, best of luck, Butch

Nice pics and thanks for sharing.

Sorry about your losing your bud, but as you know, her life was a wonderful one as part of your family, because of it really, and her memory will always be with you in your heart.

Here's to hoping we bird hunters are greeted in the afterlife (making an assumption here ) by all the dogs they've loved and lost over the years.

My Dad leased the property we still hunt in 1973, so we have hunted it for almost 40 years now.

In the old days some of the guys in the lease had dogs and constantly yelled and fought them. One guy would pepper his dog with lead shot when it would not listen. That turned me off to dogs for a long time. About 12 years ago my buddy started hunting with a little pup. After seeing what a good dog/owner could do I found Choco when she was about 3 YO. That is when I realized there are more bad owners than bad dogs. My buddy's pup grew up and became my little black's father. He lost Lou two weeks ago.

Raven (my black lab) lives in the house with my wife and I. She is a great companion for my wife but when I hook the boat to the truck she turns to hunting dog. She has problems with hand signals because I did not spend enough time working with her. Back is fine, struggles with left and right. But she has a nose. If a bird is in the marsh she will find it. A couple of weeks back a buddy from another lease asked if we could go look for a greenhead down in the marsh. It had been there for 4-5 hours. She found it in less than 5 minutes, and to top it off the duck was banded.

Going brush blinds this afternoon. Opening day of the second split is Saturday. It is going to be a long week.

Kamo, was not it Will Rogers that said if there are no dogs in heaven when I die I want to go were they went.

Mike
That second picture of Raven needs to be framed. First class photo.
Only made it down to the Wax once the first split. After about four slow months, the last two are insane. Working 13-14 hours a day, seven days a week. Can't afford to pass the work up right now, Saint Mary Parish figured why not raise the property tax 25%.
I got into dogs 5 years ago. Best thing I ever did. One of my best friends is a pro trainer. After I saw what he could do with a dog I knew I didn't have the time to put into it what they deserved. It's unreal what a good dog can do. I have three Labs now.
I live by that Will Rogers qoute.

The reports from the Wax have been pretty good this year. Some birds have been killed in the Jaws further west also. My lease is between the Jaws and the Wax, a little closer to the Jaws.

The picture of Raven with the ducks was taken with a Iphone 3S. I need to start carrying my Canon again and try to get some good pictures this year.

Mike
They hammered them at the Main Delta pretty good from what I here also.
Will shut the shop down between Christmas and New Years and will try to get my 10 year old nephew to knock down a few.
Did Crip ever tell you the stories about his belt fed fully auto gettem 12 gauge mounted on the front of his air boat?
Or paddling the pirouge with his fully engraved Beretta?
He could spin a yarn. I miss that son of a gun.

Crip was a legend. I did not know him well but I have heard some stories that are not fit for this forum or maybe any other.

I miss those characters in the new oilfield.

Good stuff, and nice-looking dogs....we don't get to duck hunt over lily pad fields here too often.

Mike
Good looking dog you have there. I lost a chocolate this past year also. I still have a old black lab. She is 9 this year and slowing down, but always wants to go.
Yesterday was the last day of our duck season. We had to break 1 1/2" of ice to set up.

Great way to end the year, i shot a REWARD banded mallard.

Now for late goose season. Good luck to all you waterfowlers.