Out of the fog, Illinois' north zone waterfowl seasons opened this morning.
As usual for the past few years, I shot opening morning with Jeff Norris of Fox Valley Guide Service in Kane County.
That's Norris below checking the decoy spread while Buck the Wonder Dog, Jerry Pabst's Lab ran around.
And as usual the venerable Pabst was one of those along.
We didn't slaughter them, but we put a dent in both wood ducks and Canada geese. Probably should have been more of a dent in both than we did.
Maybe the best part was the prep.
Or the talking. And we did plenty of that.
I suspect it was an OK opener in general across the north zone, considering the blue skies and relative warmth, though there was a slight frost just before sunrise in North Aurora.
More to come later.
At 7 AM Saturday, gun shots along the river and in the surrounding fields stirred me from a much needed sleep. Once upon a time I relished the idea of hunting waterfowl on opening day. Limits to time have curtailed that. With my morning coffee in one hand and the days first cigar in the other, I sat out in front of my house waiting to hear more shots in the near distance. To hear the sounds of panicked geese high tailing it for safer grounds. Neither came. Unusual for the area around Yorkville. I blamed the high skies for ending my opening day morning ritual.
Dale:
Tell Jerry hello for me. Your story reminded me of a day I took him and another friend out in the fog in Southern Illinois(back when we actually wintered geese). We shot out, but I think the birds had to get inside 20 yards to have a chance to see them!
Mickey Stewart
The Great Outdoors Company, Carbondale,IL (he will remember the business name as The Wildlife Refuge)