A nod to the past with an eye to the future

This past weekend we were at Shipwreck Adventures' demo day in Two Rivers, WI.  We met some great people and had a great opportunity to showcase Meskousing Boats' Backwater skiff.  Thank you, Greg Such.  On Sunday, Shelley and I visited the Maritime Museum in Manitowoc, WI.  What a trove of maritime information about the Great Lakes!  DO NOT miss the opportunity to tour the Cobia submarine.  To think 80-some sailors lived in that steel tube for 3+ months.

Of special interest to waterfowl hunters was a display of Wisconsin made wooden duck hunting skiffs and blocks (decoys.)  People familiar with Meskousing Boats will recognize some similarities between the Backwater and the past skiffs.  Meskousing Boats' Backwater is built upon the traditions of waterfowl hunting in Wisconsin and the Mississippi flyway.  The Backwater's design improves upon these time-tested designs, but equally important is the construction materials and processes that bring us to the modern day.

Instead of using wood, we use a high-grade fiberglass that flexes in all the right ways without sacrificing structural integrity.  We keep the weight down by eliminating excess resin.  After all, if resin was the key of a strong hull, we'd just build the boat with resin and skip the 'glass.  Our skiffs link us to preceding generations of waterfowl hunters before surface drive motors and spinning wing decoys with the advantages of modern materials.

Marsh skis and a skiff. 

Probably a good thing we don't use punt guns anymore.

Have a great spring.........  into summer!

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Spring Cleaning

Today I ventured out into the duck marsh to do some spring cleaning of the wood duck boxes I built.  There's a property owner that lets me hunt on his land and as a token of appreciation I've installed a few boxes.  One of them is in front of his house, which he seems to enjoy.

The marsh is a flowage, but there was still ice.  Northern Wisconsin has been in a deep freeze since about Halloween and we are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel.  At least the walk in was mostly devoid of snow.  The dogs got some running on grass and also got to roll around in the last snow of the year.  There was enough ice for me to stand on at the first box.  There were a few feathers from a woodie inside.

Due to some open water, I had to take the scenic route to the second box.  This also had some duck feathers.  Two for two!  The geese nearby kept honking at us trying to keep us from their claim.  A few mallards even flushed.  The sandhill cranes sang an ancient chorus.  Ah, spring is here.  It may not always feel like spring, but it sounded like spring today.

I felt a bit lazy and tried to take a shortcut back to the truck.  I'm fairly convinced Olive is a very simple and a bit on the slow side, but she was the smarter of the two of us today.  While I worked on the wood duck box, she stayed safely on shore watching the birds.  When I called her, she begrudgingly followed my beckon.  About 15 feet from the wood duck box, the ice gave way.  I'm not sure if the water is chest deep or if my elbows caught the ice.  I got out quickly only to break through a second time.  This time I remembered about the importance of rolling or climbing across the ice.  It worked.

Once on shore, I emptied my hip boots and began the walk back to the truck.  The air temperature was warm enough that I wasn't worried about hypothermia and even stayed fairly warm.  Lesson learned.  When the swimming-fool chocolate Lab won't go on the ice, don't go.

DU Banquet

Thank you, Ducks Unlimited!!

Last night I had the privilege of attending the Langlade County Chapter of Ducks Unlimited annual banquet.  It was held in new digs, at the Edison Club.  I don't know the specific numbers, but there were more people in attendance this year than past years and DU raised a lot of money for wetland protection.  It also seemed as though the people in attendance were very generous in their purchases and raffle participation.

Meskousing Boats is very pleased to have been a Sponsor.  The money raised for being a sponsor equals the same amount as it takes to save an acre of wetland.  Money well spent.  We were also lucky and won a beautiful print of a pair of pintails in a silent auction.

We are all busy with life and can't fit in anything extra.  Thank you DU volunteers for finding the time to help in such a valuable way.

What is success on a hunt?

I recently got out for a ruffed grouse hunt with Olive.  I never mounted my shotgun towards a bird, but still had a successful hunt.  From my perspective, it seems as though there is a lot of focus in hunting circles on shooting limits and trophies.  For me, it's about the experience.  I seldom get a limit and in northern Wisconsin a lot of the waterfowl aren't in their prime plumage during our seasons.  If we, as hunters, only use trophies and limits as our measuring stick for success, then we will be disappointed on a lot of other great hunts.

Many of my hunts include optimistic goals.  For example, on our recent hunt I really wanted to shoot a grouse so Olive could get a retrieve.  However, soaking in a finer point of the experience is what really makes it successful.  We had snow the previous day and the trees all had a coating of snow.  I was blazing a trail with my snowshoes, which always makes me feel like I'm a rugged individualist.

The highlight of my hunt was in the "game" I took home.  I was hunting on a state wildlife area and Olive pointed a folding camp chair.  It wasn't much of a point, but she sniffed it long enough to draw my attention.  The chair appeared to be in good shape and even had a carrying bag left with it.  The snow is at least 16 inches deep and there were no indications that someone was coming back to get it.  I don't know if anyone was planning on getting it, but I also hate litter.  So, I brought it home and can't wait for camping season.  There might not be any meat in the freezer from my hunt, but there is some new furniture in the garage.

The hunt was also successful because we were out for over two hours.  We covered some ground I hadn't seen for a while.  I like going to familiar places throughout the year so I can compare game tracks, trails, water levels, etc. during the various seasons.  One of the bigger reasons I like grouse hunting with Olive is that it tires her out.  Another simple pleasure is the tranquility of a tired puppy in front of the fireplace.

Use it or Lose it

"It's like riding a bike.  You never forget how to do it." 

I don't completely agree with the above maxim.  Although the basic aspect of a skill can be retained, the finer points can be lost.  All skills are perishable and if they aren't refreshed, refined, and honed skills begin to deteriorate.  This applies to people and dogs.  I know this from personal experience relating to my skills and my dogs' skills.  Winter is an easy time for us in the northern climes to hibernate, watch football, read about hunting, and browse hunting catalogs.  Getting out and polishing our otherwise deteriorating skills can help break the winter blahs.  

Last week I renewed a friendship with a friend and got out for a pheasant hunt on a game farm.  I am not a fan of canned hunts or put-and-take hunting (the reasons are for a future blog) but I view this as more of a training event.  We are both avid hunters and Paul has two Griffins that are well trained, as he belongs to a local dog training club.  I left Drake and Olive home because they are flushers and Paul's dogs are pointers.  I didn't want my less-than well-trained dogs messing up his dogs' good time.

Our reason for going out on a day when temperatures barely reached above 0-degrees Fahrenheit was to renew a friendship and work his dogs.  Most hunting seasons are over and to keep a dog sharp, it's important to get them out on birds.  There's only so much that can be learned and practiced in a park or yard with a dummy wrapped with a bird wing.  At some point, the dogs need a live bird to flush, get shot, and fetch it back to hand.  Any dog worth taking out of the kennel will get excited with a live bird and will behave differently than when they are under a controlled environment.  I am not a dog trainer, not by a long shot, but I do appreciate a well-trained dog.  It was fun seeing Paul handle his dogs and how they quartered a field.

The second skill to be honed on that day was Paul's and my shooting skills.  Pheasants are not the fastest quarry, proper mounting of the shotgun, target acquisition, lead, swing-through, and game marking are still necessary.  Proper leading proved to be an especially perishable skill for us.  The first pheasant, despite being pointed by the dogs, escaped with a couple of warning shots sent in its direction.  We eventually located the bird and put it in the game carrier, but it was a reminder of how proper skills need to be practiced.

Buying pheasants and hunting on a game farm isn't the cheapest way to harvest a few birds, but the investment can pay off when the sun is breaking in the marsh and the first flight of teal come whistling into the decoys.  Practicing can be expensive, but it pays off when it counts.  I'm not the best shooter in the marsh, but with more time and practice I hope to be a consistent shooter.

The dogs were too bushed to pose for a proper picture.

New Year's Eve duck hunting

What's a duck hunter to do on New Year's Eve?  If you hunt in a state where duck hunting is open, that's an easy answer.  What if you live in northern Wisconsin and the temperature never got above 0?

For me the answer was fairly simple.  Strap on some snowshoes, bundle up with some good long-johns, grab some loved ones (dogs, too) and head out to do some waterfowl and trapping scouting.  I'm most successful when I duck hunt if I do a lot of scouting and have as many honey holes as possible.  When the season is open I like to have as many places to hunt as I can.  Finding these spots is best done outside of the season.  I also like to keep a list of places to hunt, so when the season is open I don't rely on my fading memory.

Sure, the ducks are gone, but a basic knowledge about waterfowl habitat can still yield locales for future hunts.  Cattails, wild rice, shallow pools, and other areas that frequented by our feathered friends can still be found during the hardwater season.  Snowshoeing on the ice and frozen marshes can be a quick and relatively easy way to locate out-of-the-way duck holes.

As the snow gets deeper the snowshoeing gets better, especially for dogs.  Not that the dogs can traverse the snow easier, but it tires them out faster and results in a quieter house in the evening.  If our young dog doesn't get at least 45 minutes of exercise per day she is restless in the evening and makes sleeping through the night almost impossible.  By taking her snowshoeing in deep snow, we can sometimes burn off enough of her energy to get two days reprieve from her puppy energy.  A tired dog appreciates one of the finer things in life- a cold winter day with a warm evening by the fireplace.

I may have found a new duck hunting spots.

The deeper the snow, the more tired the puppy.

Happy New Year and Meskousing Boats looks forward to being a part of your best year!

Sunset

It is with mixed emotions that I am coming to grip with the idea the duck hunting in northern Wisconsin is coming to a close.  It’s hard to believe that duck season opened 60 days ago.  The season started with balmy temperatures and bluebird skies.  As the season progressed, it included breaking ice to get to a honey hole that never quite lived-up to its billing.  There were limiting-out days and days of getting skunked.  

As northern Wisconsin’s season closes, some states are just starting to open their seasons.  I’m jealous that our southern brethren get to hunt “our ducks” after they’ve come into their breeding plumage.  In September we shoot wood ducks, teal, and brown mallards.  About the time the drake mallards develop their full breeding plumage of effervescent green heads, they head south for warmer climes. 

Do southern duck hunters get jealous when they hear of September and early October opening days?  On one hand we’ve had two months of hunting while the southern hunters have been champing at the bit to get out.  We’ll be putting away decoys, organizing gear, and cleaning shotguns for storage while the waterfowlers in the south will be scouting their early season spots and planning late-season hunts. 

‘Round these parts some of the best duck hunting occurs as the lakes and potholes freeze.  Depending on the weather, freeze-up can come before season ends or after the season closes.  Generally, the best migration occurs after many of the lakes and waters have frozen.  As ducks ride fronts south, they will look for any open water and if you have a spot with some water, you’ll often have ducks.  If the waters freeze later, then some of the best hunting comes after close.  This causes many hunters to spend their offseason bemoaning the wildlife biologists that weren’t able to predict freeze-up three months ahead of time. 

As the sun sets on waterfowl season 2013, I can’t help but think of how badly I need to win the lottery.  Then, I’d be able to duck hunt every day of the season and travel to the southern states to hunt their seasons, too.  Instead, I’m lamenting on the locations I wanted to hunt but didn't get to, which were surely holding piles of poultry and the locations I hunted that weren’t as productive as planned.  I’m also starting to think of waterfowl season 2014, the gear I need, and the locations I want to hunt.

Keep checking back, as the season passes I will be reminiscing and rehashing the season’s hunts.  Also, duck hunters aren’t duck hunters for only 60 days per year.  We continually plan, scout, prepare gear, and advocate for the resource and sport year round.  

The sun sets on my 2013 waterfowl season.