Well Boys....we have been laying the SMACK DOWN!!!

[Mark Spence]

Kill total for three days of hunting = 78 birds!

We shot 39 on Friday, 19 on Saturday and 20 on Monday!

Friday was sweet....we were first in the field as my buddy Jack and his buddies Phil and Kevin were camped out in the field at 10:00 P.M. on Thursday night. Well, the others started rolling in shortly thereafter and continued throughout the night. I arrived at 4:00 A.M. and we started setting dekes...154 in total. Well, at daybreak, there was us and 5 other groups of guys in the field...what a mess...but it was big enough for everyone - kind of. We proceeded to pile up birds all morning! We shot very well all morning...very few missed shots and lots of dead birds. I think the other groups were a bit upset, but, we were there first and we knew how to play the game....good decoys, good number of decoys, good decoy set-up, good calling, and using the flag properly is what killed us our birds! School was in for sure!!! As we were NOT on the "X" - so to speak....we chose a part of the field were the birds had room to work, avoiding the powerlines and giving them plenty of room away from the treeline!

Saturday and Monday were basically traffic days....birds had been in the fields, but they were more loafing fields than anything.

Birds have been reacting really well to the flags...but only when they are used sparingly. I think a lot of the guys in our area just flag continuously and that just turns birds off. We have had to get progressively more aggressive on the calls....on Friday and Monday it took a lot of double clucking and mixed high pitched clucks and moans to even get a look from the birds...it's too early for this to start! But, we got it done!

As soon as I get the pics from Jack, I will post them up - PROMISE :D :lol: :D !!!

[hoosierhunter]

Way to go Spence! Any bands? Now I got a question for you. What in the world do you do with all that goose meat? :shock:

[SGTSLTR]

Good job Spence and the boys! I hope that when the corn comes down in a couple of our fields we get some of them numbers.

I know that the 4 I took home with me, they are marinating(sp) into jerky to be made tomorrow afternoon. I have family members and family friends that will take birds without hesitation.

[SMOKE]

good job man!!!!

[Kelly Rees]

Spence...nice job. Oh ya...your an asshole for getting to go kill birds while I'm at home.

[Mark Spence]

Thanks fellas.....

As for the meat....well, most of the meat gets donated to local needy families. We have a lot of poorer folks not too far from home, so make sure to donate the majority of our duck and goose meat. What doesn't get donated gets turned into jerky, goose sticks, pulled goose (like pulled pork) sandwiches, etc. We eat quite a bit of it, but the majority gets donated. I would say we will donate WELL over 100 lbs of goose per person this year!



And Kelly....sorry to hear brother. I will try to call you tonight or tomorrow. I'm lucky I even got to hunt!!! Work sucks right now in HUGE WAY!!!

[Gary Crafton]

Way to go .. wear them out....

[takem]

great job spence, keep up the good work and generousity to those families in need

[njhonker]

Yea Spence....way to lay the smack down....

we're gettin' a slow start here # wise but we'll be ok...

those banded birds we got Monday were a welcome sight too!!!

[corey carston]

Good job like the part about giving them plenty of room one thing that ive found that if it looks cramped or to much hard work for them to land /take of them your reduced to being a passing shot hunter.

[straitmeatshooter]

Hey spence, i was in the same field as you and jack and phil, me and neil thompson were together. We were set-up across the wire in the corner over by sterrtitania. We saw you guys pounding birds, we ended up killing 6 birds and 5 were banded. I think they were banded last year on PI. How about that group of hunters that set up in between you guys and the group over by hers gun shop. Them and damien kuzman came rolling in at like 4. Did woteki give you guys any **** when he checked you?

[Mark Spence]

I knew Neil was behind us, but I didn't know you were there with him.

There was a group or two that were a little close...but it was opening day -pretty much as we expected.

As for Mike...he didn't give us a hard time at all. Checked our licenses and a couple guys guns and then proceeded to BS for 45 minutes.

Just got back from hunting today....add 14 more to the total!!!

[straitmeatshooter]

Did you hunt with Jack out by phils today? So far its been tough, we killed the 6 the first day and 5 bands, 3 the second day with one band, then we killed 4 birds labor day, today we hunted the pennisula, didint take a shot. Lots of mallards and woodies around though. I really hav'nt heard to many people killing birds besides you guys.

[Mark Spence]

Yeah...Jack and I have been a team for the past three or four years now. We pretty much hunt together all the time, but there are times when he hunts without me and I hunt without him.

Sounds like you guys are doing all right...I wouldn't be complaining if I were you boys! You have already shot more birds than the average waterfowler does in PA all year!

Keep after them....concentrate on scouting and not so much hunting. Find the birds, then hunt them. Don't hunt a field just because...most of the time you are wasting your time. Use that time to scout. We try to hunt a couple times a week...scouting the rest of the time!

Good luck!

[straitmeatshooter]

Thanks, Maybe will get a chance to hunt together, we hunted with jack and tim a few times last year and maybe this year too, good luck to you guys!