DuckSouth.com

Incoming Honkers 1:

This was filmed after Anne and I got our 16-bird limit. She's calling - I'm filming. BJ (dog) is in Anne's blind laying next to her with her head on her left leg (as she does while hunting). She doesn't come-up until Anne throws the lids on the ground blind back.......but if she gets really excited (as she did in this clip), she'll bump the lid. Anne has a firm grip on that lid's strap. The part in the clip where the 3 or 4 geese flush from the left of the camera and land with the others is when BJ smacked the lid with her nose. Those geese were about 5 yds to the left of Anne, on the ground.

At the beginning of the clip you might notice a couple of birds already on the ground - straight-out from me. The single that just hovers in this clip is right over a decoy that is almost touching Anne's footbag. 'Can't really blame BJ for wanting to come-up, but she's supposed to remain 'steady' under any circumstances - 'tough to expect that under these conditions, but Anne upholds her standards for dog work.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUYvGLH- ... e=youtu.be

OK, same clip - now Slow-Motion........

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2Ly5PuK ... e=youtu.be

Incoming Honkers 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgUNKJjr ... e=youtu.be

Incoming Honkers 3:

All 4 birds in this clip were 'killable'. I had to raise the camera above the blind lid to follow the single to the right of the blind - trying to find the subject in the flip-out viewfinder (periscope-style). When I zoomed-in on the bird that landed, I lost it for a few moments and zoomed-in on the decoy instead. It's amazing the goose didn't see all that motion. I eventually found him in the viewfinder, zoomed-in and got some good footage of him walking around and calling to the others. He continued calling and eventually walked over and joined the other goose. I have to keep these clips short, otherwise I'd show the whole thing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l-vdIKN ... e=youtu.be

Awesome!!!

Amazing.... Keep up the posts.

great stuff and i'm green with envy!

i'm curious... do you and Mrs. Anne like a honker or mallard beat down more in the dry fields up there?

Nothing like a good mallard beat-down - I guess Anne prefers those. BJ probably does, too (because of their relative size - see video link, below).

But, anytime I'm on the 'X' on honkers......and they like the set-up......and groups of 75 or more are coming-in on a string about 2 minutes apart, hitting the spread faster than you can pick'em-up - that's mighty hard to beat in my book.

Honkers can be a bit more frustrating (patterning them and blind concealment issues). Hunting them (in my limited experience) requires a bit more work (set-up-wise) because they're not completely stupid......it just seems that way in the video.

So, when you finally got their number and give'em a good spankin'......it's sweet! Even sweeter if ducks are using the same field, too.

But truthfully - at the end of the hunt, the bottom line is.......ducks are much easier to clean.

Here's a clip of the tail-end of a 250-yd blind retrieve. Keep in mind BJ is only 51 pounds and this goose is probably about 9-10 pounds (realistically). Anne lined her up and sent her before it occurred to me to film it from the start. 'Course I could say she lined it, but she actually 2-whistled it. But what is neat about this is that once she found the handle on this still-live goose, she never stopped the all-uphill run back to Anne with the goose off the ground the whole way. She was a little fired-up on this trip, to say the least.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExWAWYDJ ... e=youtu.be

I love it!.......[Anne says] "Come-on, 'Fluffy'!" [Trevor says] "Yeah, she's thinking, ""Now, I gotta lug this sunovabitch back"".

Hey, dig the action on those mallard shells, will ya? I'm real proud of those homemade 'motion' stakes o' mine.

The dance was because I didn't have to walk and get that goose. I had no idea Randy was filming.

Nice Randy!

Very nice!

Falling Skies 1:

Ducks coming back to water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoHcce-T ... e=youtu.be

Falling Skies 2

Honkers coming back to water

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8egbUAr- ... e=youtu.be

Snow Ducks 1:

Filmed after 3-man / 24-bird limit taken.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B8wQMW9 ... e=youtu.be

Back to Water - Ducks:

Ducks coming back to water after feeding in a pea field about a 1/2 mile from there. Sorry about the rough landing shot.....it was around 24 when I was filming this out of the truck window and was using the glass (window was half-down) as a rest. Not a very good technique - I'll work on that now that I've seen the hard to follow' footage and that which is easier on the viewer's eyes. Was still an awesome sight to behold. When it occured to me to get a incoming shot, they quit feeding and had all returned to the lake. I was also afraid by trying to get around on that side of the mass, I might spook'em and blow the whole deal. I eventually eased around there, closer and got this........

Stirring Water 1:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNT2JDbd ... e=youtu.be

Stirring Water 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7W9H91AX ... e=youtu.be

Then, I got a little too close the next day, but still managed to get a good shot (video)......

Spooky 2:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lq0yWnKE ... e=youtu.be

I honestly believe I would never get tired of watching these birds.

Randy....I just wanted to thank you for sharing your trip with us thru such great stories and videos. Truly Awsome!! Experiencing
Canadas" in your face" like ya'll did is probably #1 on my bucket list. Thanks again for allowing us along on
such a great adventure. I've seen lots of videos of goose hunting...but this is truly the most dramatic and spectacular
filming i've ever seen. neil

Thanks, Neil......if you're ever in Starkville, be sure and stop-by. I appreciate your comments.

I got a lot to learn about videoing, but every now and then, I luck-up and get something special (to me, anyway).

Those videos are amazing! Cant wait to hear the stories when yall get back. Proud of ole BJ totin honkers!

Thanks, Michael......we got back Sunday around 1:30 a.m. - stop by sometime.

Yeah, BJ had a blast.

Great videos. Loved the BJ retrieve. I trained with you, Anne, and BJ one day 2or 3 years ago at Blue Ribbon Kennels. BJ is beautiful little dog that has come a long way. I, along with everyone else, am envious of your great adventure every year. Thanks.