Jeff-Widgnwhacker-Wallis
03-17-2006, 11:41 AM
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Avery Pro-Staffer Derek Rambo & the Snowbirds
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These are the guys who grind it out. “End of the season” is a foreign phrase. They live and breathe to hunt birds from the North. The conservation snow goose season is about to end, but these North Texas hunters can't get enough.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/5223/derekillerweed7at.jpg
Avery Pro-Staffer Derek Rambo heard about huge numbers of snows feeding on newly sprouted winter wheat in the North Texas area. The geese are taking a detour from their spring migration to rip up some fresh sprouts from dry-land farmers.
Rambo hooked up with some farmers who were also goose hunters, eagerly awaiting the let’s-go-get-’em call. Reports of 56, 74 and even 143 downed birds from their fields made the rounds. It was time. Steve Maldonado called to report thousands of birds in a hay field. “Meet me at 4:50 a.m.,” he said. “We could not find them all week and then we drove over a hill and there they were!” He described them as being down in a valley by the thousands, hidden from view from the highways and dirt roads.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/6854/derekquad5kl.jpg
Putting out a covered trailer full of Real Motion snow goose decoys wasn't work for these waterfowlers. It's just part of the excitement of the hunt for them. But trying to keep boots free from goose droppings was impossible. “No kidding there were geese in here last night,” Rambo said, as he kicked his foot trying to free some of the manure. The spread was ready and the light was coming. But what happened to the geese? Nothing was flying, then a single bird landed right next to a decoy and the wind from its wings set the decoy in motion. Not bad looking decoys, one of the hunters shouted. Get ready here comes a whole bunch, Maldonado said.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7863/snowbirdog8bl.jpg
The flock of about 800 flies over the spread and doesn’t even take a look. What was that all about? Rambo asked. Two other geese come a bit to close and end up being retrieved by Champ, the black lab. But, most of the geese are feeding a mile away and the big bunch has not left the roost. At 2:00pm the hunting group packs it in. Why would anyone want to go to all that work and still want to hunt such a hard bird? Because they are waterfowlers and the end of the season is near.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID J. SAMS of www.lonestaroutdoornews.com
Avery Pro-Staffer Derek Rambo & the Snowbirds
http://img128.imageshack.us/img128/5108/snowbirdheader8rb.jpg
These are the guys who grind it out. “End of the season” is a foreign phrase. They live and breathe to hunt birds from the North. The conservation snow goose season is about to end, but these North Texas hunters can't get enough.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/5223/derekillerweed7at.jpg
Avery Pro-Staffer Derek Rambo heard about huge numbers of snows feeding on newly sprouted winter wheat in the North Texas area. The geese are taking a detour from their spring migration to rip up some fresh sprouts from dry-land farmers.
Rambo hooked up with some farmers who were also goose hunters, eagerly awaiting the let’s-go-get-’em call. Reports of 56, 74 and even 143 downed birds from their fields made the rounds. It was time. Steve Maldonado called to report thousands of birds in a hay field. “Meet me at 4:50 a.m.,” he said. “We could not find them all week and then we drove over a hill and there they were!” He described them as being down in a valley by the thousands, hidden from view from the highways and dirt roads.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/6854/derekquad5kl.jpg
Putting out a covered trailer full of Real Motion snow goose decoys wasn't work for these waterfowlers. It's just part of the excitement of the hunt for them. But trying to keep boots free from goose droppings was impossible. “No kidding there were geese in here last night,” Rambo said, as he kicked his foot trying to free some of the manure. The spread was ready and the light was coming. But what happened to the geese? Nothing was flying, then a single bird landed right next to a decoy and the wind from its wings set the decoy in motion. Not bad looking decoys, one of the hunters shouted. Get ready here comes a whole bunch, Maldonado said.
http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/7863/snowbirdog8bl.jpg
The flock of about 800 flies over the spread and doesn’t even take a look. What was that all about? Rambo asked. Two other geese come a bit to close and end up being retrieved by Champ, the black lab. But, most of the geese are feeding a mile away and the big bunch has not left the roost. At 2:00pm the hunting group packs it in. Why would anyone want to go to all that work and still want to hunt such a hard bird? Because they are waterfowlers and the end of the season is near.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY DAVID J. SAMS of www.lonestaroutdoornews.com