Married to a Goose Hunter

So I fulfilled my husband’s life long fantasy this weekend….I treked out to the hunting blind and stayed 4 hours without complaining one time.  No small feat with 2 little girls, one of whom is wearing Barbie flip-flops. Yep, it was 29 degrees, I am a wonderful mother. You can’t see them, but I am wearing waders, and I’m quite sure Wes thought they were HOT.

I told him I’d meet him up there mid-afternoon, thinking the day would soon be over. After a 2 mile jaunt through the marsh in a 4-wheel drive, we hiked the last 2/10 mile in over a levee and through the muck. All the while, I am thinking about my next craft purchases AND/or that living room furniture that I’ve been contemplating.

It wasn’t so bad once we actually got there. Here I’ve got my head and my camera poked up through the straw to watch the guys as they watch the sky.

Many people wonder about being land-locked and such when they are from either coast or mountain areas. When you are from the midwest, however, there is nothing like big open sky.

It is fascinating to watch these dogs work in the water. They run on hand signals or voice command to retrieve tomorrow night’s dinner.  

Can you believe these jokers sat here, in this position from 5:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Can you believe that they would do it everyday of the week, if possible?

Wes got a double-banded goose on Saturday. His first ‘double’ ever. This bird was tagged in Manitoba in 2003. The conservation agencies will tag them to track their migration patterns and the like. These are snow geese. They are difficult to hunt, and in some places they are a nuisance to society. Up north (like past Canada) they will wreck havoc on an area as they come in, eat the grass to the ground and leave. In that cold climate, it can take 6 or 7 years for the grass to rejuvinate.

Yeah, this is the diva. Can you tell that she’s the momma’s girl? She does redeem herself quite often when she bats those baby blues, snuggles up to her daddy and whispers….”I like duck wrapped with bacon….the most!

This is my good friend, Jennifer, and like me…she loves her husband very, very much.

OK, so you think the bird in flight was a little perplexed? Of all the geese you see here, the one flying is the only one real. LOL! For those of you who think he’s cute, don’t worry. His life was spared this weekend.

This would be ‘Daddy’s Girl’! Certainly not her first hunting trip, Ashley was in heaven. There is nothing about camo, hunting or spending time with the most important man in her life that she doesn’t like….except for being told to quiet down from time to time.

I told you, she loves it! Shortly after this shot was taken, I loaded up with 2 of Wes’s camo bags, the precious double-banded goose, Courtenay riding piggy back and my Canon Rebel to trek back to the truck. And fun was had by all….next time, I’m taking a Paper Crafts magazine with me!