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"Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO HEAVY

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:29 pm
by gator
been chip carving on an eider drake today and while hollowing the future decoy out, i got to thinking - this time of year, i'm normally 'planning' something. with the eider carving, this year is no different, though i lament the thought of not being in Alaska the day after Thanksgiving for the first time in several years.

eventually, after mating the head w/ the body of the decoy and deciding the give the Titebond the night to do it's business, i came in, poured a drink, and thumbed (virtually on the computer of course) through photos from the last couple years.......

it's hot and dry, and honestly, a bit difficult for me to get all fired up......so i thought some photos would help, though many of you have seen alot of these.....

one of my favorite photos i've ever taken - HRCH EIGHT GAUGE'S MOUNTAIN MAN - Trapper

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the old man - HRCH HARRISON'S EIGHT GAUGE - Gauge, at the "pan field pit"

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Gauge with a blue that pat (thewaterfowler mounted in a beautiful pose) - incredibly long retrieve that i'll never forget

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Trapper retrieving a late season shoveler - folks will get down right tester over a fully tuxedo'ed bootlip

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just an old meat dog - "hunting"

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and "finding"

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"The Eyes Have it" - Gauge

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Gauge saying, "dude, pick up the damn gun"

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a late season limit.....that happened day, after day, after day, after day...

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"Solid bag"

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"Spilling%20Over"

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"Royalty"

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River hunt with "Jake St. John"

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"An Old Call"

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one of the most memorable sunrises i can remember in a long time

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another good 'un

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me and marty collins in his shop, holding his hand chopped eiders as part of the "Cranberry Rig" he shared with my carving hero - Keith Mueller

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a "wing" as part of an old sink box, seen in mary's shop - i only thought this would be the first/last one i had ever seen

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a Joe Lincoln slate decoy - VERY valuable - and who marty relates his carving too most often

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last look around the shop..........

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...........before we kill eiders!!!!!!!!!!

Me and Ramsey with a first days limit of eiders

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yes, that's ramsey holding up HIS banded eider - he sucks

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a COLD and WET day 2

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better day 2 photo

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me and ramsey with a limit of atlantic brant and a story too big for the 'net'

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me and gauge, along the "missouri breaks", montana - 2005

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Montana mallards and Golden Eyes

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Greaters

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Swans

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good day in big sky

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The gateway to the "Little Rockies" - where "Liver Eatin' Johnson (i.e. Jeremiah Johnson) made his name

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temp was negative 8, we hunted a hot spring and shot them in the lips

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good as gold

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ramsey stealling my thunder

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the Willow Break teal "to do"

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imagine that.............jeff and tj blowing something, and looking as to be enjoying it

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my journal reads i was hunting with patrick pitt at number 9.....and, if was one of the coldest days i can remember.........north wind was biting

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don't have many heros left, as i get older they seem to die off, but the man in the photo is right up there......i reckon he's wacked about everything there is to wack........pat/thewaterfowler, don't go dying on me now, hehe

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in that photo somewhere is a banded mallard that pat shot.......we almost had a black duck commit that day, and i've seen few pure mallard hunts that would rival the above EVER. often i've said it and i'll say it again but pat pitt could kill a banded duck on the bread isle at kroger - the man has to have a gold horse shoe shoved up his booty

several years ago, this was trappers first hunt. the jounal reads i hunted at brietz with ramsey and it was FOGGY. limit of ducks and specks with several snows thrown in

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good day to be at l'anguille lounge

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january 10th at l'anguille. i was suffering from the most unreal food poisoning of all time but managed this one shot...........on a bird that should have been in mexico by then

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curious case of mistaken identities

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gauge gives it 2 thumbs up

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one state - missouri, 5 minutes, 2 bands, and 11 digits apart

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Missouri with the good Dr. Zerrer

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AAAHHHHH........Alaska

first harlequin


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first harlie.............first time surfing an ice berg

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Barrows Golden Eye - a favorite

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Surreal

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the utah bunch, tony and kevin, with a 2nd year king eider drake shot from a layout in valdez

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harlies shot over my own blocks

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me with a black scoter and oldsquaw

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Alaska - go figure

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my harlequin and barrows blocks taking a rest

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me and kris schaumburg on one of the most righeous points for decoying sea ducks i've ever seen....meanwhile gordongekko and doc Z where limiting on harlequin

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doc Z with some surf scoters

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doc Z with one of his harlequin

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me with a couple harlequin

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and lastly, i'll say last years hunt up in alaska has been my favorite i've ever been on. we met a drunk gordon in anchorage and true to form he didn't shut up..............and, we had a ball......

the last photo sits proudly in my office and is titled simply - "Pals" - left to right, gordongekko, me, kris schaumburg, doc Z


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I needed this trip down recent years memory lane..........hopefully you'll enjoy and colder, wetter weather will follow.

-gator

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:46 pm
by H20 Fowl
I really enjoy All of your post.. Thanks for sharing

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 8:50 pm
by levi127
great pictures man!

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:00 pm
by H20fowlkiller
Every time I see that "Old Call" it makes me wanna go get my son and we get ours out and start working on our calling, luckily for my wife he is asleep right now...great pictures by the way

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:03 pm
by eSJay
what a ride man - what a ride!
it must really suck to be you :wink:

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:08 pm
by kevindrewry
Awesome pics!!!

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:11 pm
by chevy01234
Awesome Justin! Great pics man!

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:51 pm
by gator
thanks everyone....and, with apologies, i added more.

initially didn't mean to hit submit but wasn't paying attention.

again, hope you enjoy

-gator

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 9:56 pm
by birdartist
Very Nice........every time i see posts like this it pisses me off that i havent taken ample amounts of pics over the years........

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 10:21 pm
by quackheadbp
Great shots as always bud. Thanks for sharing gator.

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 11:35 pm
by mally2
great pictures.

thanks for posting.

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Tue Oct 26, 2010 11:39 pm
by southernmallard
Helluva post gator...way to get me in the mood, it'll be here soon folks!

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 2:07 am
by macy
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 5:41 am
by crackhead
Thanks

Re: "Thinkin' and Drinkin'...Drinkin' and Thinkin' - PHOTO H

Posted: Wed Oct 27, 2010 6:40 am
by huntersmky
some of the best pics i've seen posted on here. thanks for sharing. That camera is awesome.