D Loop Media

Date: March 6-7th, 2009

Location: Klamath Falls, Oregon

Sunrise/Sunset: 06:05 a.m., 5:55 p.m.

Weather: Cloudy with snow flurries

Temperature: 18-32 degrees

Wind: West winds, 5 mph

Equipment used: Avery® Finisher Blind Bags, Avery® Fleece Skull Caps, Avery® Shooting Gloves, Avery® Floating Gun Cases, Avery® Gun Sling, Avery® Neo Bottles, Greenhead Gear® FFD Full Body Goose Decoys (2 ½ dozen), Greenhead Gear® FFD Goose Shells (1 dozen), Avery® Deluxe Decoy Bags, Greenhead Gear® Lesser Goose Decoys (1/2 dozen), Greenhead Gear® Full Body Speck Decoys (1/2 dozen)

Hunters: John Wells, Evan Ferns, Chris Luttrell, Avery® Pro Staffer Kent Contreras and Justin Davidson


 I hooked up with Kent Contreras and John Wells and Evan Frens Thursday night, and made arrangements to meet at 04:00 and then drive to the field I scouted out.The weather was great for hunting, and an inch of fresh snow lay on the ground. The cold temps would help to get the birds moving. An hour later we met up with Rob Luttrell, who arranged for us to hunt this particular field along the Lost River. We hauled gear in by foot and started our set-up along the edge of the river with a stiff wind at our back. Even before we were ready and shooting hours were upon us the birds were moving, shaking off the cold and snow to get warmed up for the day ahead, we could hear hundreds of Canada Geese in the surrounding fields.

Speckle bellies started to fly just after sunrise and would continue their flights throughout the day. This year’s limits were lowered to only one speck per hunter and three snow geese. No problem, I was just happy to be out hunting and not behind the desk. Finally we got settled and were ready. Stringers of birds started to show in the sky, getting me pumped up, as this was Kent and John's first time hunting specifically for specks. Evan would hit the Power Speck call and I would hit my Basin Abomination Ricer speck call when any flock got close enough to take a look. Several groups peeled out of the main flocks to check out the spread and our calling. Each group would circle three or four times, lowering in altitude with each arc. We set up an approach only to be coerced into another direction by the bigger flocks. This started to get us frustrated but with the numbers of birds in the area, we knew that we would get our chance soon.

Canada geese were easily decoying into the spread and at least made us feel good. Several times we had the big honkers within range, teasing us, almost as if they knew they were safe from our guns.

These two walked around in the decoys for 30 minutes

<a href="http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u315/spudd002/?action=view&current=honkersday1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u315/spudd002/honkersday1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

At last, a group of specks approached us from the East, dropping in altitude as they glided and flipped their way towards us. When they closed in, the call was made to take our shots. As we jumped up so did the birds, almost as if they were on cue. The wind caught under their wings & lifted them up several yards in a jump of sorts, throwing us off on our shots. Only one bird fell but at least we knew we could get them in.

Just a short time later a single immature speck circled his way around us and finally committed into range. Number two was in the bag! After this the call was made to pack up early and try a field for snows just outside of town.

Numbers 1 and 2 for the day

<a href="http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u315/spudd002/?action=view&current=speckday1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u315/spudd002/speckday1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

We situated ourselves in a field that had an irrigation pond on it and got ready for the afternoon. Our hopes were high as we witnessed thousands of snows and specks make their way from the refuge to Klamath Lake, flying high overhead. Again we had Canada Geese work the decoys and give us fits. Several times we had them fly right over us and land in the pond. At one point a Golden Eagle strafed the decoys, and gave us a show for five minutes as he tried to get a meal from our spread. He finally figured out that they weren’t real and soared off in search of some fresh meat.

This guy was hungry!

<a href="http://s171.photobucket.com/albums/u315/spudd002/?action=view&current=GE1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i171.photobucket.com/albums/u315/spudd002/GE1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

Even though the numbers of birds were short, all in all it was a good couple days of hunting with some Zink Field staffers and an Avery Pro Staffer, im looking forward to hunting with them again, and anyone else who would like to come to Oregon and shoot some snows and specks

Very nice write up. Sounds like a great hunt.

thanks cody, it was a fun hunt memories made, just wish more birds would have been more willing to commit, mostly the snows just wanted to circle around at about 50 yards and hang, if i would have had some snow decoys i think it would have brounght them in.

but my next thing is has anyone every heard of the Sportplast Decoys? I had a chance a few days before this hunt to hunt over some of the SportPlast fullbody Snow Goose decoys, and i must say they are not as good up close as the avery decoys, but they are much cheaper and look good from about 10 yards or farther away, they are actually very cheap and have pretty good movement, they are a colapsable decoy similar to the plastic turkey decoys, and coming in at $79 a dozen they are great, I would recomend them to anyone, a couple bucks more than some silhosocks but well worth it in my opinion, just thought id let everyone know you can find them at Cabela's or a place on the internet called KnutsonDecoys.com

Thanks,

Justin Davidson

Fowl Exposure Pro-Staff

Sounds like a good hunt Justin.

yeah it was a pretty good hunt, something to tide over my hunger until september again.. just waiting for the dates and numbers.

Just checked out them decoys and I think they would be perfect for like a trafficing hunt were you need alot of them but with like a regualr hunt I think i would go with realism with my FFD. I also think if them made them in snow goose alot of people would buy cause they are chep.

yeah same here, i perfer my Avery honker decoys! but they do make those in snows and specks cody, the snows look good, but the specks look a little weird if you ask me

Nice work Justin! Enjoyed the write-up.

Good write up.