[Tyson10gauge]

Well Guys and Gals it's that time of yr once again , time to document this yrs adventures , trips , harvests and most important the making of memories !

So just to basically start here , Hunting season has never stopped for my family , turned more into scouting season with the fishing season running dry with the heat .

The start of this yr started of like most yrs , trail cams set out in Early June , month or so late for me due to being very busy with a lot in general . Deer have been coming to the mineral scrape regularly , Does , twins , triplets , couple button bucks with very nice 8 point showing up.

Now on today's hunt , my first of the yr trying squeeze Early Goose for everything it's worth , no need for a alarm as our Rottie woke me at 1 min b4 alarm went off at 4 am . Got up took look out while dressing and making coffee . So much for the forecast of 15-40 N/NW , more like 5-10 SW , overcast to a point , 10 degrees and mild , Drove out to pick up my son and his new pup Marlin . Everything geared up , tied down and off to the Salt Marsh and Flats , Soon as we pulled up the sound of geese in the background at the launch site . Calm with light breeze no moon to be seen , overcast to keep glare down , down the launch and started hauling gear to the boat , let the pup do his thing and then off we went up long side of the outter Islands .

After 20 min ride out we scanned the area b4 advancing to set decoys and alert and birds near by , made our set up , got in the blind area and started to make a few light calls to awaken tbe sunrise . Glassing around we find our quarry coming thru the tall grass along the sand flats . Discussing different scenarios on what my son witnessed saying every time something different on what the birds have been doing .

Numerous attempts were made with calls and use of a goose flag , but yet to no avail the geese once finally deciding to lift went total different direction than on day prior my son witnessed . Water level was extremley low , spots on low tide yrs b4 , we could easily motor across , this yr hit the muddy bottom everytime , slow going in spots .

Our newest member of the group is my son's now 4 month old Chocolate lab Marlin , coming into his own very fast , he's been in the boat with me all summer to get him use to it and going over the side as well as coming back on . As far as retrieving his practice has been non stop since coming home . He 's a work in progress but getting throw right into the mix of things , the more he gets to see and be part of the better he will be , IMHO it takes many hours in the blind , boat and field to mold a good dog into a great dog , but so far he's a natural .

After winding up on the big island , off to the coves , inlets , glassing the areas , trying different set ups , but yet birds were not interested in co operating with anything , mosquitos yes would take anything , lots of bug dope helped that issue .

we wrapped things up by 11 am and looked at the next several days forecast hopefully a break in the heat and humidity will come b4 we know it Early Goose will be done . Lots of ducks around , even a lot of Blue Herons and Sand Cranes this yr .good sign for better days to come .
Will post pics once again .

Thanks for Tuning in , more to come as the Seasons roll on thru , enjoy .

 

[Tyson10gauge]

 

[682bubba]

DON'T know if deer is in this years plan but duck and geese are got a new reload to try 1 5/8 ounce #1's,bb doin 1420 fps and plan on using the new boat as much as i can.Plus i got a new to me o/u 20 ga for patridge i wanna take alot this year for walks.I'M not a big deer hunter but i do love the fowlin..
I got to learn how to post some pics on here for this year to keep up with you lol.

 

[Tyson10gauge]

DON'T know if deer is in this years plan but duck and geese are got a new reload to try 1 5/8 ounce #1's,bb doin 1420 fps and plan on using the new boat as much as i can.Plus i got a new to me o/u 20 ga for patridge i wanna take alot this year for walks.I'M not a big deer hunter but i do love the fowlin..
I got to learn how to post some pics on here for this year to keep up with you lol.

Plz add to the Chronicles , love to hear about some of your adventures , more the merrier on here , after all it is a Hunting site . Even Fishing trips help with off season boredom . Just trying put positive spin on things . Good luck this yr , that new load should be a dandy for the fowling

 

[gary]

dog looks bummed out, lol.
I had a lab, years back, that'd give us the stink eye, if there was no action.

glad you got the chronicles going again - look forward to them.

 

[682bubba]

I was out this morning no geese just mosquitoes the ol dog didnt even have to be told to get on the bike i hit the remote for the garage door and when i went in he was sittin on it waiten for me lol

 

[KEVIN]

Awesome thread to start once again Walter ! Like Gary and everyone else, I'll be waiting for the updates !

 

[greybeard]

Looking forward to this years updates!
Last years was a highlight of this site!

 

[Tyson10gauge]

Good Evening Ladies &Gents ;

Well another day has come to pass and giving the geese a go after once again , Myself , my son and his pooch Marlin off to what has been a favorite early season spot of ours for many yrs now . Down to the Framboise area we headed @4:45 am , the air even in early morning despite a slight coolness is still far from cool , still and stagnant , hardly even a breeze till we got toward Forchu area and even then it's not enough to get the birds moving .

Took a new approach today while going over in the boat using the 55 lb thrust electric motor to keep the noise down and seemed to help for small part , what few geese that were in over night and still being +15 , calm , overcast. We took slower approach to the outter big island , still getting there just b4 legal light to set up , no lights this time , no motor sound , talking very low and glassing our way around the tip of the Island and beach to the Ocean .

So many Cormorants coming in off the ocean this morning , reddish hue to the east , figured some weather to break up the heat and so on , but not to be , overcast yes , winds picked up by 10:30 to about 20-25 E . What few geese that came and went wanted nothing to do with our calls or set up once again , even putting out my sons floaters with mine in 3 smaller groups .

Soon as we came off the point of the big Island , we had ducks just sitting right on t ijhe rocky shoreline , mostly Scooters that moved off down along the shore line of the island to the heavily laden floating eel grasses . One small flock of about 14 geese pitched about 200 yrds off us and then the waiting game started with few calls and light use of the goose flag , yet nothing as they slowly made way to the sand flats till 2 resident Bald Eagles drove them off inland direction.s

Given the way the morning was going , Decided to walk down about 150 yrds toward the smaller of the two outter Island but just off to the right side of a small island in the bay to build a new duck blind and replace a older blind once hunted about 2 decades ago with excellent backdrop and overhang that gives plenty of cover , just big enough for 2 people but thats it and also allows to set up small camp stove to stay the day if wanted . 45 mins later it was done and with no sounds , sights of geese in any direction after the Eagles moved out what ones did come and go , we called it a day . Pretty sure even the dog was game on that end and chance at a goose or two .

Before going out and gathering up decoys and load up to check few coves on way back took long enough to check the skies in all directions by then winds were good 30km from the East , used the lee side of the Islands for return trip , by time we returned and loaded the truck and trailer not even the slightest sign of the possible stormy weather , had left as quick as the geese did earlier .

Always another day , still got to get out and do last few finish off to the deer blind and check out Cams for last 3 weeks . Fun never stops soon as September hits .
That's all for now , no birds but another day making memories , missing my youngest this yr as shes in PEI , maybe long weekend in Oct. might be able squeeze a morning in .

 

[Tyson10gauge]

 

[Tyson10gauge]

Just few pics of what's been keeping me busy this last week or so , couple pics from our last day out goose hunting , cannot say it was a good couple weeks early goose cause the warm weather and flies was just horrible .

As for clearing out a trail out back of our property that started to get over grown , I had some reinforcements come out on his day off to help get done what needed to be done . Wanted get it more opened up so to get the grass in there cut back as well .

Certainly access is easier going for the fall seasons , last few days has been working away switching out trail cams , cards and more scouting . One card alone in last 6 days had 317 pics mostly day time while another camera had videos all day long of the small doe and her twins running the trail and crossing back and forth .
Last pic is of the big spruce leading to the hardwood ridge , theres heavy activity on several well used game trails , so will be interesting to see what pics show up on those cameras .

 

[greybeard]

I need to open up some old trails as well, I find it to be enjoyable work.
Looks you made a big difference in your trail.
Great pictures by the way!

 

[DAKOTA]

Looking forward to reading once again all of this falls upcoming adventures. keep the stories and pictures coming!

 

[3macs1]

No idea what you use for the brush but if you don't own , borrow or rent one of those honda brush cutters with the skill saw blade
My god what a beast and I was cutting alders and even some 4" trees with it and cleaned an acre in one day it would make short work of that trail in the pic
Cheers

 

[greybeard]

I use a Stihl brush cutter with a few attachments one of which is the circular saw blade.
You have to be careful with it!

 

[3macs1]

I use a Stihl brush cutter with a few attachments one of which is the circular saw blade.
You have to be careful with it!

Real careful but man do they cut

 

[Longrange]

Guy if you have tree blinds and or ground take these next two days to secure your blinds. The last time here in Hants when a hurricane brushed NS 300 tree blinds were taken out. 3years ago. One of mine was in that group. I even took a rachet strap and attached the blind to the tree top and bottom,35 feet up floor rail and roof plus pop up. secured

 

[KEVIN]

Lotsa work, but you got her lookin good Walter !

 

[Tyson10gauge]

Lotsa work, but you got her lookin good Walter !

That was 4th day of clearing the old trail , decided to put it back to use as short cut up to the back ridge .

 

[Tyson10gauge]

Good Evening Everyone ,

I know for some if not many even tho with the opening of Upland Season today it may be last thing on many peoples minds , for us though I know really needed a break even tho it did not remain as a break but just as much a cleaning up operation as just as much a father / son hunting trip and pay respect to long lost hunting partners and mentors , saying that my late father by taking a shotgun I gave him 30 yrs ago and now back with me as every yr It goes for few trips a yr to basically reconect and share those memories with his Grandson ( My son) .

Our day started out like no other but main talk was about storm damage and remembering yrs past of early fall wind storms and the impact it made on seasons past . With 7 C , light mist in many places and watching the sun rise on our drive out watching for any wildlife that may be willing to show itself after the last week of nerve rattling events . Trying get power back , clearing debris and so on .

Very first image to greet us is a tree that fell just in last 2 days after I thought my road way was safe to proceed , no so , we ended up removing another 30 trees in total , had 11 alone on the road way , 5 in one blind that only fell in the shooting lane and then the trail head that just spent time in and out over 5 weeks give or take had 12 that came down bring down Aulders , small hardwoods and some branches from other trees not directly brought down .

This one was just the first up the road way soon as gate way was opened .

As for any signs of grouse , that was not to be found either out picking gravel in first few hours or in checking couple trails up thru the hardwood or just simply stopping to remove fallen timber , even our trip back out after long day checking blinds , cameras , setting out apples and just checking general safety of the area we hunt . Already cleared plenty of trees and brush thru the week only to have more drop outta know where , to say heads were on a swivel and removing some that were just hangers over trails or roadway was understatement . None the less we looked for our quarry , birds are very spooked and sitting tight , still lots of leaves to be seen but colors are really starting to break and visibility thru the lower cover is opening up with that wonderful fall smells coming to life with very early morning to start our day .

This hardwood stand got good going over this yr , with only 5 spruce that broke off or your basic widow maker that just had to go , eyes constantly watching while taking them down . Was very easy to scan upper hardwoods for birds the ferns are dying off more everyday . Found fresh Bobcat scat on the trail to this stand . This spot did not escape Fiona unscathed , sides of it are littered with blow downs be it small branches or just broken trees or uprooted softwoods for the most part .

Last picture is simply of tge trail we just finished clearing out and opening back up , or thought we had finished till this mess blew in and like so many places clogged it back up . Removed mostly Tamarack & Spruce with few small hardwoods brought down under them.
No game , but still time well spent for opening day of upland and still ended up with 19 C and sunny /cloudy .