I am starting to jones anticipating the start of the opener which is still about 3 weeks off. I can't sleep at night, my trigger finger itches, the strip pit geese honking at night make me break out in a cold sweat, I can't sleep past 4AM and I'm craving lots and lots of black pit-made coffee. I really neeed to see some more of this:

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Awwwww......he's so cute........Looks like something out of my ducks unlimited catalog......lol..........:D :D

18 more sunrises. Opening day has the same effect that Christmas morning had on me 40 yrs ago. Hope to have a good year.

okay DD ..now I have to ask..sometime in the days after opening day..could I tag along once to shoot you and the dogs doing your thing " in the pit" ?

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Gretch you read my mind..I asked DD if I could tweak his photo earlier.....it was a really small file so it didn't turn out right but I tried............I heard a good little story about the doggie too.......lol
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Absolutely....prolly best wait til we get some good action going unless ya want to sit and drink coffee all day and listen to my pit partners go through their repertoire of entertainment. They typically have 3 days worth of comedy and then they have to start over..LOL Actually you can come any time and hunt w/ me in our pit whenever. We usually all hunt together unless we have more than 5 and then we jump into my(our) pit.

I wanna come too DD........lol.......I can just see it now.....scootin them out of the way to get a pic.....lol...And gretch we wouldn't have to find a place to have breakfast since DD is cookin up some grub! lol.......

DD do you still hunt close to me or not???

hey bam when you go to shoot a hunt..they scoot you out of the way...LOL

Dave you have it bad your addicted I am takeing a couple of boys on the youth hunt this weekend . I have found that if I can't shoot ducks watching someone do it is the next best thing . gretch bam I would pay someone to take some nice shots of the boys and dog on the hunt . I hunt around fort charters . I know thats a pretty good haul for ya the club is filthy with fowl it should be a great hunt for them .

Yer a good man Monrow. I hope those boys get some hot and furious action. I'm headed down tomorrow to check the pump and cut some cane to brush the pits.

Dave you have it bad your addicted I am takeing a couple of boys on the youth hunt this weekend . I have found that if I can't shoot ducks watching someone do it is the next best thing . gretch bam I would pay someone to take some nice shots of the boys and dog on the hunt . I hunt around fort charters . I know thats a pretty good haul for ya the club is filthy with fowl it should be a great hunt for them .

Fort Charters isn't that far for gretch....it's about a 1 hour drive for me but I was just over there not to long ago with gretchen snappin pics for the fun of it......:D :D Just let us know...........;)

I would love to shoot ducks......Im thinking I need a better camera though.....:rolleyes: and prolly a big 300 lens for something like that...

Thanks Dave alot of the guys at the club don't like the youth hunt because it realy runs the ducks out of the club . The owner thinks it's all part of the season . Bam we will be out Saterday and Sunday plenty of room.

Monroe..I pm'd you about seting something up...I'd lots rather shoot that than portraits and weddings...in fact I'm trying like crazy to phase out weddings all together, and being very selective about the portraits I do...LOL

396 Hours till it opens ! ! ! ! ! Goin to take the kids on the youth hut this weekend that might cure me for a few more days :rolleyes:

Where do you hunt Gary?

Steve, talked to Charlie,Fri. said that you couldn't fit another duck in my hole. I'm pumped. Had to go kill a few up north to satisfy the hunger for awhile.Who are you takin on the youth wekend?

Where do you hunt Gary?

Over there. Where do you hunt ? :D :D

Right close to over there..LOL

Looks good Dave, just to let you know had a little flight day today, saw a few groups of snows/blues southbound, also some high flying ducks. Divers were on the move as well as some shovelers and teal. They should start to congregate down there soon. When we are down ther for deer week we will try to look you up before you head back to Freeburg middle of the week.....

I was down at the club sunday in freeburg and had several spoonies and divers on our 30 acre lake, plus 50-60 geese floating around.Can't wait to get into the 2 new pits we added on the big lake.

Good to hear Scott. If We don'tget rained on soon I might be hunting Silver Creek opening weekend Hard to kill birds over a dry corn field.

Luckly I just got back from a week of waterfowling in N. Dakota. So I should be able to make it these next 2 weeks with out pulling out my hair. Although this little cold snap this morning got the blood pumpimg a little bit.

Did anyone else see all the specs flying South today? I saw 3 groups (probably 40 total) of specklebellies with a few snows mixed flying really high today while at work in the O'fallon area. I don't think it was the same group because they were different sizes different and some had snows and some didn't. Just wondering if anyone else saw any promising movement heading south today and if it might be related to todays chilly weather?

Cody saw several small groups of snows today and yesterday, didn't see any specks. I did get a mesage from the other site I belong to www. watefowler.com and it was a migration alert for waterfowl moving southbound because of the new cold front.I suspect a little push has occured due to the wind and temps...I like those kind of alerts.......:D:D

Talked to a buddy tonight that has been hunting horseshoe and he thought they we're going to see some migraiters the past 2 days with this cold front.He said he didn't see any northern flights, but said there were many ducks around the area.

hey guys..even though I don't shoot them with a gun..I really appreciate all this info! It really helps me in deciding where and when to look for them to shoot with the camera..Greatly Appreciated info!

It seems like the first week in november is always a good push of specs in the air the last few years any how. I'm thinking we have missed out on some good duck hunting lately . I hope the hard freeze stays away until Xmas at least.

There were snows flyin over base at 0200 this morning when I came into work. How can they fly at night??? There wasn't even a moon.:confused:

Bob once upon a time I knew the answer to that question...the remnants are floating around around my head..something about an internal navigation system and they extreme ned to migrate..I'll have to go look it up now..grr I hate not being able to remember things...

they can use the stars and it is also thought they utulize the wind to keep them on course as well as being able to tune in to the earth's magnetic field somehow..also may fly up to 70 hours at a time when migrating and at heights of up to 30,000...

And I get lost at walking around in tne woods behind my house at night. Loooks like I need a gps. HaHa Good morning everybody.

Gretch you are partially right on the migration.In the dark when flying south there navigation is done by the magnetic pull of the earth.

I knew the magnetic deal. Just weird to hear birds flyin in the dark. REAL dark. Guess they know they won't hit anything... just head South and fly like the wind...

Somewhere I read that they do occasionally crash into tall buildings..it is really wierd..you can hear them long before you can see them..it's actually kind of awe inspiring..and when there lots of moonlight..now that's just a sight that makes you go ahhhh....sort makes you feel like all is well in the world if only for a few minutes...

There were snows flyin over base at 0200 this morning when I came into work. How can they fly at night??? There wasn't even a moon.:confused:

Bob, welcome back! We missed you around here...and you brought snow with you? :eek: Man, I gotta get that shed done today.

Saw one batch of about 50 specks while I was unloading cane and then I saw a big batch of snows that looked like they were wanting to drop down somewhere up around Deno's on Thursday. Bro in N/W WI had about 1" of snow Thurs AM so we may get a push here. I'm worn out from 2 days of cane cutting & brushing. Ready top hunt now.

what part of southern il are you all hunting?

2 days to go. Gadwall on the pond my only problem pit 20 yards from water and that is 20 yards of blue/black mud the kind that stinks for weeks on you and your dog. Got to go to plan B. 300 - 500 snows and white front geese on gander hills big cut. Might have a little action before the big dinner Thursday.

We are s/w of Ware 1489. Where you from?

Just south of Old pyramid park Perry county. More snows I believe heading south tonight. I was outside walking the lab and I could here them Calling @ separate flocks.

Gotcha. I stopped and looked at a white Ram 4x4 just east of ya a bit last week after leaving Eatmordonuts place. I would think you would be in a good snow's locale there.

Yes I am this year I have 240 acres of winter wheat behind the house and corn next field over. I have just started hunting snows not to big of a setup We get a few good weeks a year on the snows. I have looked at the Ram good looking truck But wife wants something that gets 30mpg At 6 foot plus and 250 pounds I don't fit in those trucks. Watch for my buddys on 13/127

Yankeegray, are you anywhere near the Greer's place. My wife is college friends with their daughter. Just wondering cause I know that they are down there somewheres. Jim

Yes I am SW of the Greer's Farm's good peap[le Russel is a very good friend of mine also know Charlie and Dale.

Charlie is the one we know.