Alright folks, it's the mid-summer slump and I'm thinking over this past season. I thought it might be neat to hear everybody's most memorable hunt from the 2012-2013 season.

Mine was on the last hunt of the year, in mid-January. My father and I went out hunting on a North Texas lake during the week. Some of you may remember, a snow storm came through and dropped some snow and ice. Where we were on the lake, the warm water meeting the cold air caused a great deal of fog. Through the fog, though, we could see ducks working. It was a gadwall kind of morning, and there were tons of them! Because of the snow and fog, we had trouble seeing the birds until they were right up on us, which made for some fast and exciting shooting. We both limited out and were off the lake by mid-morning. To add to the exciting finish, I filled my limit with the last shell I had. You see, I'd forgotten to put some more shells in my bag before we left that morning, and I was quickly running low. With my last shot, I filled my limit and let loose with a rebel yell. It's not every day you get to hunt in the snow in North Texas, and it's not every day I get to hunt with my old man.

Alright, your turn. I didn't have any pictures, but if you do, let's see them!

I took my dad duck hunting for the very first season this year and his first duck is my most valued memory, we had been hunting together a couple times but my pops just didn't have any luck, on this morning I was taking my new boat out and we almost sank if because of a crack that somehow had appeared, luckily we got back to the ramp but then we were way behind schedual on the public lake and we decided we would just walk in, we'll if course someone was set up in the place we wanted to go so we just went where we could. My dad spotted a bird and I got it to work with us, as it was coming in my dad said "it's mine" lol I just smiled as my dad crushed it. I don't think I will ever forget it.

He had shot a pintail for his first bird, I hadn't even shot a pintail yet.

Took two clients to an unfamiliar public lake in north Texas after a request, we scouted and I saw some birds roosting in some cover in the middle of the lake. Found a good spot for the predicted winds. We didn't have much activity until around 7:30 am and the mallards poured in. We where done in a few volleys with straight green filled with 3 nice bull sprigs. Did it two days in a row and was at the ramp by 8:00 everyday

New deer lease, one guy talked about all the Canvasbacks on a certain pond. We came up over the bank and there were latterly 25 Cans on it!

Went up to north texas for a weekend towards the end of January, first day I went in blind not expecting much and I literally had close to 100 mallards come in throughout the morning. Missed every single one feet down at 15 yards. I couldn't figure out what was going on until I got back and cut a few shells open. Apparently they had gotten some salt water in them the weekend before and I was shooting slugs all morning. Went and got a few new boxes of shells and got my limit in 6 shots the next day. 1 gaddy, 3 mallards and 2 pintails. I should have waited for the full house and not shot the gadwall but I got a little impatient at first light. My best hunt ever to date. Also one of the longest walk in duck hunts I've ever had. Just over 2.5 miles. Not fun with mud and a heavy decoy bag, but well worth it when I got back. To me nothin beats a solo hunt with just my dog. I like the peace and quiet when I'm out there by myself.

So far - NONE. Has been a very bad time in the NUPRO household since June 2011.
June 2011- hurt my back. Only hunted a time or two for deer that fall. Cancelled a duck hunt and a snow goose hunt that fall also.
Surgery in Jan 2012 so no spring snow goose hunt.
Wife ill since Oct 2012- surgery x3, hospital x 5. Fall duck and snow goose hunts again cancelled. Fall deer hunted a few times. Cancelled spring snow goose AGAIN. Trip last week for freezer meat- CANCELLED. Not a hunt, but Alaska fishing trip scheduled for 7/24 to 8/04 also cancelled. Brings us to today.
Have not put a dang think in the freezer myself since a small doe in Fall 2011.

Of all the hunts I went on last some 70+ of them none ment more than the times I got to hunt with my dad! One in particular when it was just me and him! It may have only been 12 birds but it was one of the best hunts of the year for me.

My favorite hunt was my sons first duck hunt last year. I can say the boy is hooked and has bugged the crap out of me since turkey season ended. I cant wait to hunt with him this September.

Alright I've got it down to two but they are related. First is probably my most memorable hunt in 30+ yrs of doing. 4 yrs ago I worked a trade hunt with a guy from AK that has turned into a great friendship and annual trade. Day three of our hunt in AK in jan we found a group of about 400 Harlis and 10,000+ oldsquaw holding in a small 30 yd wide pass feeding on the tidal flow. We set up my homemade harli decs and in 15 min had our season limit.

My brother on the rock.


I tendered from the boat for their limits.


Then switched out and got my 4 with 3 shots. Got the scotch double on gopro.


We then finished off our squaw limits too.


My buddy came to tx last yr too. . He has watched my boys grow up and they love hunting and fishing with him. We went out and let the kids swat away and we played backup.


Sorry. Couldn't keep it to one hunt.

The pic of that dog looks crazy just glancing at it, I'm guessing the dog was moving right as the pic was taken.

This was a goose conservation hunt in mid-february. The geese worked really well for me and a friend.

Where ya from?

This one



Or this one

Most memorable hunt of '12-'13 has to be my new hunting partner's very first duck! Nothing special, but it was a priceless first for me to experience again!!!



She is not flashy or ever going to win a field trail, but she is a blue collar style worker. She knows why she is alive and what I expect. The look in her eyes the FIRST time she heard wings whistle over head told me the light switch was "ON". My wife calls her my shadow. Truth be told she is from Sept. till Feb. She wakes me up at 0400 with a nudge of the muzzle and a whine if I have not rolled out of bed yet. Once the e-collar goes on she knows she is at work no farting around.

Yep

Yep

Last season I didn't really have a true story book hunt. Sure I had a bunch of hunts where I took a limit or close to but nothing just super special. I did start hunting with a new buddy last year and this was a hunt with my original duck hunting buddy and the new.

I told them both that I had scouted a few mallard and if they were down we could go get em the next day. I had never killed a bunch of green and still have yet to do such. So I tell em the plan then tell em plan b of go to the grey duck hole and just hammer ole grey ducks. We wanted green. Low and behold there we two guys set up 75 yards from where I wanted to be ( hardly any other traffic usually). So grey duck hole it was. I also got a new pair of breathable waders that day tore a good 6 in hole in the right thigh. Three man limit on public with some green mixed in.



Or maybe this one where the wife came out for the first time to take picture with her high dollar camera



Notice the ejecting shell

Yep

This hunt! 3 man limit in 10-15 minutes, all gaddies!

Doesn't look like you're too happy about it

Its Gadwalls.

No way could I ever have just one.

After 6 years of really knowing each other I finally got to hunt with my brother in law. This is my brother in law with his 3 best friends which 2 have never duck hunted in their life. The big fella in the back is Bo Schobel, super bowl champ with the Colts years back. They wanted to know what all the hype was about...well, they found out.


Next one is with Charlie from Louisiana, a member of the club who brought 3 of his friends from Louisiana along . I got the pleasure of taking these fellas for 2 days in the pouring rain, but the second day was the best. This hunt is memorable to me simply because I made some friends that weekend and we flat out killed ducks in the pouring rain. Dude has a beastin truck!


Next is of course Maine.

Great friend of mine who I met back in High School had never been duck hunting or even shot at a bird in his life. I took him on his first hunt years back and he ended up killing a green head. He wanted to learn everything he could from there and hunt ducks every chance he could. We not only became great friends but we hunted together every chance we could. He ended up leaving to work over seas for more than a year. He missed a full duck season that year which just so happened to be my best year I ever had shooting waterfowl (number wise). A few months before he came home he told me that I needed to pick somewhere to hunt and that I was going along, all expenses paid. Well, 5 months later we went to Maine. It was just an unreal experience, the way of hunting is completely different and the country is simple beautiful. Not to mention we had good food and got to kill every species of duck we were after. Only bad thing is my taxi bill! I was just very thankful for a lot of things on that trip. Having a group of Eiders float over you in a layout boat is a feeling like no other. A great reminder that it's God's country




Next was my first hunt to guide at the Bucksnag Hunting Club. I was out eating supper with my wife in Round Rock and we were about to head on home and hit the sack. I got a call at 9 o clock that night and was offered my an opportunity to take out 4 guys duck hunting. They really wanted to go and was all last minute. I had school the next day but said screw it...drove home for 2 hours...slept for 2 hours then headed to Garwood for a good time. I show up at the club and now the hunters want to shoot geese instead!!! Geeze!!! We ended up just making one big group of guys (they are all friends) and went goose hunting. Needless to say....good choice fellas!!!

I had many memorable hunts last season... Here are a few of the ones I won't soon forget.

Starting with the 2012 early goose season here in North Texas, a few of my buddies and myself limited out on big ole honkers within 20 minutes. One of the best goose hunts I had ever been on. Birds worked flawlessly, every bird was shot within 10 yards. feet down in the decoys.


Next hunt was with a good friend of mine on some sheet water in a wheat field. It was a last minute hunt after some hard rain and high risk high reward type hunt. We did not scout it and just went with it. Turned out to be an excellent hunt with other wise low expectations, if birds had found the new waters yet in the field.


This was a trip I guided for a couple of young'ns. These kids have never duck hunted a day in their lives, one was shooting a single shot 20 gauge and the other an over and under 12 gauge. Ducks worked perfectly, coming in doubles about every 20 minutes, We shot 10 birds that morning, and they killed every one of em. They are hooked for life. Smiles all around. Best feeling in the world, taking kids hunting! Especially the green horns!