What Can Brown Do for You?

When you have a Brown Dog, the UPS slogan is a handy one to have some fun with.  However, sometimes it's even more appropriate.

Traditional goose hunting is in snow-covered cornfields, but to be consistently successful, you have to go where the geese are, even if that is a pond in a side yard.  We hunted just such a place last week.  About an hour into legal shooting time, the geese started coming to the pond they had been loafing on over the last week.  One flock came in and we dropped 7, including a lively cripple that landed well outside of gun range on the far side of the pond, swimming to the edge, and apparently expiring on the far shore.  Once we had collected the other birds, Roux and I went after the bird on the far shore.  As he got within 20 or so yards, the bird made an amazing recovery and took off, as we emptied out, with no effect at such long range.  One of my partners told me he saw the bird fly up the road and disappear.  Roux and I went for a hike, but to no avail.

An hour later, I was standing in the blind and heard a vehicle come down the road from the opposite direction.  A UPS delivery truck passed us, with the driver giving a friendly wave as he went by.  A few minutes later, I hear him coming back, and he turns into the driveway of our location.  Now, I was certain it was just a Christmas package delivery for the landowner, but he stopped even with us.  Imagine our surprise when he produced a dead goose from the truck and delivered it to us in the blind!  Seems our escapee had made it a little farther than we thought, crash-landing in the roadside ditch about a half mile up the road!

What can Brown Do for You? (ID hidden to protect the Helpful)

While it didn't make it into Roux's numbers for the season, Brown still gets the credit for the retrieve!  Merry Christmas to all and remember...Brown is Beautiful!

Las Flores...its all that and more!

I was lucky enough to fulfill a long time waterfowling dream a couple of weeks ago with a 5 day hunt in Argentina with my college roommate.  We had booked with Ramsey for his hosted hunt at Las Flores last fall, and had thought of little else since.

We arrived a few days early and spent time seeing the sites in Buenos Aires, which we enjoyed tremendously.  We met up with Ramsey and the rest of our party on Monday morning, and made the trip to Las Flores, all eagerly anticipating starting our hunt.  We arrived at the estancia to find a very comfortable and rustic brick lodge waiting on us, along with a table full of great food (a fine foreshadowing of things to come).  Our accommodations were extremely comfortable, reminding me of any number of nice hunting camps I had been to stateside.  Flocks of ducks, doves and pigeons flew by the picture windows in the dining room, reminding us of why we were there.

After a great lunch and time to unpack, it was finally time to hunt!  Ducks were everywhere, and it was amazing to see so many different species that I had previously only ever seen in books or photos.  In less than 2 hours, we had accumulated our limit and could barely believe the quality of the hunting.  Little did we know, this was just a warm-up for the morning hunts!

For the next 4 days we had the most unbelievable hunting anyone could ever imagine.  Hunting styles varied based on location and conditions, ranging from standing in head high tule grass shooting decoying and passing birds to standing blinds in the middle of large waterholes to even layout blinds on the sides of small potholes.  All were equally effective, as every hunter limited every day...a true testament to the quality of the hunt and number of ducks.  Yellow billed and white cheeked pintails, silver, ringed and speckled teal, chiloe wigeon, rosy billed pochards, whitefaced and fulvous whistling ducks, black headed ducks and of course red Ramzillas....a true duck hunters paradise.

The food was plentiful and worth the trip in and of itself. Ducks cooked every way you can imagine, Argentine beef and wine, ostrich, blackbuck backstraps....oh my.  The only thing that could top the entrees were the desserts....Certainly, I know I tipped the scales a lot heavier when I returned!

My only regret was knowing that the Brown Dog was sitting at home, awaiting my return.  To be sure, he had his head stuck to my suitcases for 2 solid days after I got back.  Thankfully, he won't have to wait long before our season opens here.

If you have been wishing, maybe its time to pull the trigger...over and over!!  Its duck season somewhere, you just have to find where!

Until next time,

Brown is Beautiful

Outrageously Good Turkey!

Much like The Old Man in "A Christmas Story", I love turkey.  Almost regardless of how it's cooked, I find it irresistible.  However, I think I am really onto something here....

Spicy Smoked Wild Turkey Breast (this recipe is Roux-approved)

Marinade ingredients

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

3 tablespoons lemon juice

several shakes of Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon of cajun seasoning

1/2 teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper

Take boneless, skinless turkey breast and tenderize lightly with a meat hammer or a press tenderizer.  Marinate in a ziplock bag or other container for at least 4 hours (overnight is even better).

Place the breast on a cutting board and lightly cover with dry barbecue rub.  Wrap with thick cut bacon and secure with toothpicks.

Place in smoker preheated to 220F.  I like to use Mojo brand marinade in the water pan, diluted with water, but you may find something you like better. 

 Smoke until internal temperature reaches 165F (app 4.5 hours for a typical sized turkey breast).  

Slice and serve with BBQ sauce for dipping (you may find it doesn't need any dipping sauce!!) Enjoy.

Duck Creole...One of my favorites

With summer upon us, it is time to figure out what to do with all those ducks in the freezer.  There are many wonderful options, but this is one of my favorites.  While it is best with dabblers like mallards, gadwalls, woodies and teal (what isn't?), it is also a great way to utilize some of the stronger tasting divers.  The cooking process seems to mellow some of the "gaminess" and makes for a very tasty dish!

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of vegetable or olive oil

2 cups of boneless duck breasts, cut into small cubes

Cajun seasoning of your choice

2 tablespoons of butter

1 cup onion, diced

1 cup celery, diced

1 cup bell pepper, diced

Tabasco sauce to taste

4 cloves of garlic, minced or pressed

2 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1 teaspoon dried basil leaves

1-14 oz can diced tomatoes

1-8 oz can tomato sauce

1-4 oz can tomato paste

4 cups warm cooked rice

The holy trinity of Cajun cooking...onion, bell pepper and celery

Tony's makes everything better!

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Season duck with cajun seasoning and sear until well browned.  Remove from skillet.  Add butter, onion, celery, and bell pepper to skillet and sauté until onions are translucent.  

Return duck to skillet and add garlic, chicken stock, bay leaves, thyme and basil, as well as Tabasco to taste.  Bring to boil and simmer for at least 1 hour. covered.  Add tomato, tomato sauce, and tomato paste.  Simmer until duck is tender and sauce has thickened to approximately the consistency of marinara sauce.

  Serve over warm rice....

Enjoy a bowl of Creole with family and preferably a good Lab, never forgetting that...

Brown is Beautiful!

One very special morning...

Roux will have to forgive me.  I went hunting without him...

I had the distinct pleasure of hunting with two of my favorite people this Ohio turkey season. One was my good friend Roger, who has become something of a "project" for myself and my other partner and turkey hunting mentor, Tommy. For the last 4 years Tommy and I (as well as some other very accomplished turkey hunters) have struggled to put a bird in front of Roger. There have been many very close calls, and just about every kind of flukish thing you can imagine go wrong (thankfully no misses, however). 

The night before I roosted a turkey that I thought would be in a very huntable spot for the morning. The three of us were there and set up tight to the bird, which miraculously transformed into three birds with the coming sunrise. The birds flew down early, and soon I could see the trio of big jakes coming up the ridge into the decoys, directly in front of Roger. One bird slowed to go into strut, and when he raised his head slightly, Roger laid him out...official time 6:23 AM! Roger's curse is finally broken, with a very nice jake, sporting a nearly 6 in beard. Roger has not had a lot of good news in the last year, so that made this morning even more special.

This will be a favorite photo of mine for the rest of my life...

After photos and a little drive around, we decided to head to breakfast, and then try another spot to fill my last OH tag (I had shot my first bird the day prior, another good story for another day). We were back in the woods by 10:15, and struck a gobbler at 10:20. We quickly set up, and amazingly a group of longbeards marched out of the valley and towards the decoys. Tommy drove them crazy...5 longbeards gobbling simultaneously in your face is very loud and somewhat unnerving! They began to get nervous, and I picked the closest bird to me, rolling him with my 20 gauge and Heavyweight 7s. 10:43 AM. Two flash hunts in one morning. 

More photos, and a stop for celebratory beers followed. Still home before 1 PM!

Tommy and I. I can't say enough good about my friend, on so many levels. This is very special to me, to say the least.

Roger and I with our birds. I can't imagine a better morning. 

Thanks and congratulations to all. Now I can't wait to get back out, trying to "pay forward" the gift I was given for other friends!

Don't worry Roux, I still think Brown is Beautiful.

What's it's all about...

As I sit here, deeply saddened by the fact that waterfowl season is over for Roux and I for a while, I have to pause and think about what a GREAT season it has been.

It's easy to get hung up on bird numbers, and those were great for us this year.  I know my hunting parties took more birds than we have in several years, and my personal numbers were an all time high.  More importantly, Roux had his best season ever, topping 300 retrieves for the year, nearly doubling his career numbers in one season.  Not too shabby for a Brown Dog and a weekend warrior.

Those numbers are fine, but they are not the ones that really matter. Roux and I got the opportunity to hunt 5 states this year, but even that pales in comparison to my favorite figure.  In reviewing our journal from this past season, I learned that Roux and I got to hunt with 52 different friends, old and new, this season!  Sure, most of our hunts were with a core group of close friends, as it should be.  However, we also got the opportunity to hunt with a large number of kids getting started in this great sport of ours, and that makes me very proud.  We also got to hunt with some friends we don't get to see nearly often enough, and many of those have enough experience to fill volumes of duck hunting journals.   We even got the chance to hunt with two international hunters from Malta (see "The Southern Swing" entry).  I was honored to be able to spend time with them and hear their amazing stories from around the globe.

When it comes down to it, THESE are the numbers that really matter.  Expanding our experiences, making new friends, rekindling old ones, strengthening the bonds between close friends, and especially spending time with a great dog...THAT is what it is all about.  

Brown Dog and I bringing in the last birds of the season.

Now, let's start thinking about Argentina!  

The Southern Swing...with a Mediterranean Spin!

For the last 8 or 9 years I have packed my bags at the end of Ohio's waterfowl season and headed south, following the ducks to one or more southern states for one last hunt.  I have had great hunts and made great friends in Tennessee, Missouri, and Mississippi.  This has affectionately become known at my household as "the Southern Swing", and I look forward to it every year.

This year, Roux and I continued a tradition started last season by heading back to my home state of Mississippi and joining Ramsey Russell at Willow Break Hunt Club north of Vicksburg.  I was interested to learn on our arrival that we would be joined later in the week by two of Ramsey's friends and clients from the Mediterranean island nation of Malta!  Seems Ramsey met Stephen and Patrick, international hunters and bird collectors, on a Russian duck and capercallie hunt, becoming fast friends.  These gentlemen had booked a successful Alaskan King Eider hunt through Ramsey, and were returning to Malta with their trophies via the Great State of Mississippi.  (I was reminded of Charlie Daniels' "Uneasy Rider"..."I wonder if anybody would think I'd flipped if I went to LA, via Omaha"...but who am I to judge?)  Even more interesting to me was that they were heart-set on shooting Mississippi Wood Ducks to add to their collection.  Now, I think we take these gorgeous birds for granted, and they are no more common on Malta than King Eiders...so I suppose it all makes sense.

When they arrived in camp Tuesday night (several days late due to notoriously uncooperative Alaskan weather and flight delays), greetings and toasts were made to a successful upcoming hunt.  It was amazing to me how quickly bonds were made and common ground was found among hunters who called their homes thousands of miles apart, despite obvious language barriers.  (I must admit, however, that their English was MUCH better than my Maltese!)  I knew they were comfortable with us when Stephen gave me crap for snoring too loud.... I didn't hear anything.

Over the next several days Ramsey and I got to hunt with Patrick and Stephen, and were impressed with their comfort (and success) shooting borrowed shotguns.  Certainly, a targeted bird was in dire straits anywhere close to these guys!  They collected and marveled at the beauty of our gadwalls and ringnecks, taking several to add to their trophy rooms.  Interestingly, Patrick had never taken a Canada goose, and one obliged him by dropping in a cypress break at his shot.  They took photos and videoed all aspects of the hunt.  It amuses me that Roux and I will be featured in these guys' vacation films, shown back in Malta, but we were happy to help.  

Trophy Gadwalls and Ringnecks headed to Malta!

Mississippi Mallards and Gadwalls!

Finally, after several days of trying different locations, we got them into the wood ducks, with each of them collecting several of these highly prized birds for their collections.  They could not have been happier.  I was thrilled Roux-ster and Ramsey's Lab, Cooper, were able to help them retrieve their trophies.  

Patrick and Stephen with their trophy Wood Ducks!

As the hunt progressed, I was amused to see how quickly they adapted to hunting "the American way" and I knew they were going to fit in when I heard "up yours" and "that's what she said" in heavy Mediterranean accents!  I nearly doubled over laughing!  It was my pleasure to meet these true sportsmen and I'm honored to call them friends and brothers in this great sport of waterfowling.  As always, Ramsey was a gracious host, and Brown Dog and I appreciate his hospitality.  We are already thinking about next year's "Southern Swing"!

Even the Maltese know...Brown is Beautiful!

Firsts are special

Duck hunting is a great pastime on so many levels, but I think one of my favorites is getting to watch "firsts".  A kid's first duck, a puppy's first retrieve, a first double (or even better, triple)...they are all special.

A couple of weeks ago, I got to experience "firsts" over and over.  My old college roommate, Laurence,  and I try to hunt together every couple of years, and we were overdue.  When we were discussing where to go we decided to go somewhere he had never been. My buddy is a longtime duck hunter, with puddle ducks galore to his credit.  Big water duck hunting, REALLY BIG water duck hunting, however, was a different matter.  We decided to hit the Atlantic Ocean for sea ducks, and contacted my buddy Jeremiah Brooks of Ocean State Outfitters.

Roux and I set out driving from Ohio, and met up with Laurence at the Providence, Rhode Island airport.  Soon enough we were settled in at the hotel, prepping for the next day in the salt.

The next morning, the "firsts" began. Jeremiah set us up in his boat blind, next to some large rocks at the mouth of a bay.  I got to watch my buddy drop his first sea ducks, including a beautiful drake common eider and a stunning old squaw drake as well as a common goldeneye.  I even checked a first off my list with a great old squaw drake, a bird that has eluded me on three other sea duck trips.  Roux was a workhorse, fighting tidal currents and submerged rocks to retrieve our prizes.  I couldn't have been prouder.

Happy Duck Hunters!

My (and Roux's) first Drake Old Squaw!

The second day was a continuation of new experiences.  Laurence got an opportunity to shoot divers

out of a 2 man layout boat, dropping his first bluebills and buffleheads ever.  I was lucky enough to get my first greater scaup, a species we don't get often at home.  Jeremiah and his wife showed us some real New England hospitality that evening, home-cooking a true surf and turf of steak and steamed lobsters...we ate until we could barely stand!

Day three was an unique experience for sure, just as Jeremiah had promised.  We climbed out of the boat and climbed up huge rocks in the bay, sitting a good story and a half above the water, watching longlines of eider decoys bob up and down, well below us.  Shooting was festive early, allowing us the unique opportunity to shoot DOWN on incoming eiders.  Laurence got to shoot his first scoter, as well as collecting a banded hen eider.  To say he was excited doesn't do it justice!  Brown Dog had a blast, retrieving sea ducks and even his favorites, Canada geese, which got "just a little too close" to our hide among the rocks.

Roux surveying his domain

Banded eider!!!

We wrapped our trip up by eating one last huge seafood meal, and reluctantly packing for the travel home.  Many memories and many firsts on a very special trip with a great friend and a truly professional guide.  It was a thrill to know every species my buddy took on this trip was one he had never shot before!  We have already decided to continue the "firsts" theme this summer...with a trip to Las Flores Argentina with Ramsey Russell's getducks.com!  All new territory there for sure!!

Next time you plan a trip, consider something you haven't done before and remember...

Brown is Beautiful