Up to tonight this fall has been slow for me.
First with working late most days, and my weekends tied up I haven't been out much.
I did two Goose hunts last week.
The first was a bust. I tried out a new layout blind and although the birds came in well enough, few though there were, I just couldn't get on them in time to make a shot count, so I never fired a shot.
The next evening I set up my usual blind and that worked much better, but my luck wasn't better.
I was trying out a shotgun I had restored and I missed every shot I took.
Despite that I did get one Goose, by accident. I missed the bird I shot at and hit one above and behind it.
So evening number three I take the 20 gauge double and did much better.
Two small flocks of Ducks came in and I got one from the second flock.
And one flock of Geese come in and I took one from that flock.
So, one duck and one Goose, both targeted. Four shots fired, the first two missed, (getting used to the gun again) the next two connected.
But that field has been hunted by an outfitter for the past couple of weeks and the birds have mostly moved on, along with the outfitter.
So I went looking for different territory.
One field I hunted last year was being hunted by a group of the landowners friends when I checked earlier but when I checked today the owner said they had left the area and I was welcome to hunt if I wanted to.
I hadn't had a chance to do much scouting of the area, but I had done one quick drive through and I had seen a couple of hundred birds in that field the other day so I knew there would be some action.
That was an improvement over what I had been seeing in the area the first couple of weeks of the season. I was happy with the numbers I saw.
So tonight I set up my blind and decoys well out in the field, about where I saw the birds the other day.
While I was setting up, a couple of thousand Snows took off from a nearby river, but they never even gave my mostly complete setup a second glance.
Actually I was surprised to see that many Snows, we don't usually get more then a few hundred pass through here.
And I didn't think there were that many Geese in the area, counting all species.
Besides, I thought the Specks and Snows would have moved south already, like they do most years.
I wasn't surprised they weren't interested in my decoys and I wasn't all that interested in them anyway.
I'd rather have a Spec then anything. But Canada's are okay too.
So I wasn't worried, I knew there were at least several hundred Canada's around.
The afternoon was warm so I took off my jacket. Having finished setting up I sat back to enjoy the evening. The sights and sounds of fall, the warm weather, and the Snow Geese slowly gaining altitude like they planned on heading south tonight.
I didn't get to relax for long. I had sat for perhaps ten minutes when the first flock set wings on my decoys. Not Geese though, a small flock of ducks found my decoys interesting.
On the second pass I dropped one.
About fifteen minutes later a small flock of Canadians come off the river and headed straight for my setup. They never hesitated, in they came, wings locked and landing gear down. When they reached my furthest decay, thirty paces out I stood up and dropped two.
Actually one dropped and lay still, the other dropped and ran.
I caught up with it half way to the fence line.
Four shots and three birds, not too bad. Next came three smallish flocks of Ducks and a fair flock of Canada's. I ignored the Ducks and was rewarded with another Goose on the ground.
Then I missed two shots in a row on the Ducks that didn't immediately leave the area.
Just a minute or so after reloading a large, several hundred, flock of Specs took off from the same place the other birds had came from. And they came right too me.
Yee HAW!! I'm gonna get me some Specs!
My first shot knocked down two and my second shot knocked down one.
Then things got crazy. While I was retrieving the downed birds several thousand Speckle Bellies took off from the River.
They too came right to my setup. There were birds everywhere. Ducks, Speckle Bellies and Canadians. I knocked down another Spec and then I realized I had lost count. I knew I had no more then five Specks but I wasn't sure if it was five, or four.
And with birds in the air I didn't want to move and spook them. I knew I had at least one left to reach my limit and I figured a Canada would do as well as a Speck. So I waited.
And the birds kept coming, the first flock set down between me and my decoys. All Specks. Man I wish I had my camera with me. But I didn't and I couldn't shoot any more specks without knowing exactly how many I had, so all I could do was watch.
And they kept coming till they covered about ten acres from my decoys up over a rise to the north. The closest birds were maybe ten yards from me. The noise was amazing, and I was loving it!
I sat and watched as more and more birds came, and they kept coming.
I could see that some were landing the other side of the rise, out of sight from where I sat.
Then I saw several Canadians set wings and drop towards my decoys.
I got ready to take the lead bird but just as they came into range a hundred or so Specks joined them. That's when I noticed the ducks.
There were several flocks of ducks swirling among the Geese and I didn't dare shoot at anything for fear of hitting a Speck and exceeding my limit.
I just couldn't pick the Ducks and Canadians out of the swirling dark birds fast enough to single one out without risking hitting a Speck.
Finally I saw a flock of Snows set wings from way out. In they came with me locked onto them, tuning out the cacophony around me I focused only on the incoming birds. At the last second they flared, but too late, their momentum brought them into range and my last shot of the day sent a white bird tumbling to the stubble below.
I think I know what it must be like to sit inside a drum while Keith Moon beat the living daylights out of it. Several thousand birds, I really have no idea how may there were, took flight in one second. The thunder of beating wings could be felt in the dirt under my feet.
What an incredible way to end a perfect day.
My take for the day, nine birds.
Three Canada's
Four Specks
One Snow
And one female Pintail duck.
What an awesome evening!
I may not be the brightest crayon in the box at times but I sure am colourful 
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