2009-2010 Season Comes to An End

A PICTURE WORTH A HUNDRED WORDS

Jim Metter, Ken Saum, Trevor Moore, Larry Schaab and Jeff Rector had a long day, but a productive one. Now we can all clean off our decoys, hang up those waders and start dreaming about next year. Jill has already changed the sign to "Duck Hunter - Gone".

Snow Day

Check this out! I was trying to photograph the setting sun in the beautiful snowy landscape from the south deck when these ducks flew over close enough to catch them with my crummy camera! How great is that?

Only 1 more day until the end of the goose season, and the word is that the ducks are pouring in by the thousands all afternoon. Once again, photographed from the south deck.

These may look like snows to you, but cross my heart, they are ducks. I probably panned the camera a bit trying to keep them in the lens. If I had any kind of lens at all, we could have gotten a shot of their green heads!

What a pretty end to a perfectly great day. The morning goose hunters had limits of geese. It remains to be seen if all that artillery I heard this afternoon was actually productive. It is a good night for a big pot of -- bouillbase?

Missing for a while

Welcome back Brittanies. Ron enjoys a beer with Brittany Hall of Famer Ray Trimble (by the way, happy 83rd birthday, Ray) The Brittanies support The Hunt Club during their trial in late January and we appreciate it! More later on The Hunt Club member, Jerry McGee and his wife, DOG OF THE YEAR.....

Frozen Weekend Buck

Bill McCall of Full Draw Adventures hunted with us in October 2009 and was unsuccessful. He was in southern Illinois the last weekend of duck season 2010, which will go down in history as the coldest and the most frozen in many a year. Every lake, pond and pothole was completely frozen over. With duck hunting at a standstill, Ron said, "Come On, and give it another try!" This buck is the result of a 3 day hunt in single digit weather!. Brrrrrrr... A nice 10-pointer (missing a brow tine) Ron thinks it is a mature 4-1/2 year old. Congratulations, Bill.

Trapshooters ARE Tough

Dave Zofko, Rick Stortz, Ross Warren, Steve Stedman, Curt Dutton, Tom Brittain, Jerry Danuser and Pat McCarthy spent 3 days with us during what may be the longest cold spell Southern Illinois has seen in 25 years. This morning they braved -4 temps and bravely made their way to goose pits. Admitting defeat, they trooped back to the lodge for hot coffee about 9:00 a.m.

A couple of years ago, they shot at the Grand American in 107 degree heat. They have survived the extreme weather Southern Illinois can offer up! Tough they are!

World Class Trapshooters Open With A BANG

Pat McCarthy, & Co, from Ohio, arrived early enough for a late afternoon hunt and they had a great one. The big question is? how long were those shots and how much did the fact that they are world class trapshooters contribute to their success? How great is that?

Brave Dog

Gemmie has got to be the bravest dog . . .You can't see him, but Ron is in the background! Dave, from Taggart, just finished a morning hunt.

Snowstorm Hunt

The Taggart group has had a couple days of good shooting -- lots of snows and some canada's. This morning, on the heels of some snow, they had great shooting!

Julian had to help carry all the snows from the vehicle to the tagging station. He says being back to work is a good thing and many thanks for all the kind messages.

In Memory

Santiago and his son, Julian, have been a fixture of The Hunt Club for nearly 7 years now. On Sunday, Santiago's daughter, Julian's sister, Blanca, died of complications from kidney disease. she was only 20 and leaves behind a 3 year old son and a husband, in addition to a very large extended family. Blanca lived in Ciudad Juarez, the border town with Texas that has had so much violence visited upon it by drug cartels in recent years. Probably, had she been in the US, her kidney problem would have been treatable. Julian is beside himself with grief and I spoke with Santiago today, and he is inconsolable.

These 2 guys have been our favorites over the years, and I believe most of you feel the same and understand the hard work from them that adds to the great experience here. Send them a message and I will pass it along to them. I know they will appreciate the sentiment.

Happier news tomorrow.