My Saturday was totally fugged. I actually skipped deer hunting to try setting up a couple of spots for ducks. Started out pretty cool I killed 4 differet kinds of drakes by about 1000, greenhead, sprig, GWT, ringneck, and let off lots of widgeon because I don't like their flavor.

I needed to be off the water by 1030 so that I could help my wife with the kids before their dance recital, by being a good guy, I would be able to hunt deer on Sunday AM. Well at 1005 I was texting my wife telling her I was coming back while the dog was chasing a cripple greenhead in some brush, next to a frozen slough. I was in the vicinity giving the dog encouragement. Mid text the greenhead shoots out from the brush running across the frozen slough, dog hot on his trail. We immediately tried to call off the retrieve but he was in the zone, and would not stop.

Pretty comical to watch, until right when the dog caught the duck, he broke through the ice. Luckily, only his back-end fell through, and his front paws and head were above the water. He was a little freaked out. I threw everything in my hands down, and started running towards the dog along the shore. I was able to break ice out to about knee deep water then, I tested it a little and laid over on my belly and dragged him out by the collar. He held on to the bird, and I wrung its neck.

I gathered up and went back to the boat, but I did not gather my phone (this is important for later). It was about 1015 now, we ran back to the ramp, (15 minute run up-river). When we got there there was a guy taking out his boat, and he got stuck on the ramp. So we had to help him out, (add 20 minutes). The ramp was basically a sheet of solid ice/mud, with ridges and pits. Generally, it was a mess. Then my Dad backed down, and we were able to climb out on our own. The other guy had a full sized Chevy and Duckworth, we were in a Toyota Tacoma, with a 17' jon boat with blind. We used the trick where we back down so the boat is barely in the trailer bunks, and I run the jet at full thrust, while my dad gives it hell on the ramp. Pretty exciting.

By the time we got back to the house I was 1.5 hours late, and there would be no deer hunt on Sunday morning. A kitchen pass was not forthcoming.

Went to the dance recital, which was at 2 pm, and the whole time I am trying to figure out where my cell phone is. It didn't dawn on me that I had dropped it until I was telling the story about the dog falling through the ice to another Dad. The recital was 2 hours and 45 minutes long! Ouch.

So on the way home I am telling my wife that I know where I can access the river bank, and I just have a couple of miles of walking through some farmers fields to get to where the phone is, and that there will be plenty of time to make it to Andy's house. I wanted to go ASAP because I figured my camera had fell through the grass, and I needed to see it light up to find it, because it was on vibrate. Well, I got to the pull off at 6pm, and started my walk. I did not want to use a flashlight until I was down in the river bottom trees, because I was tresspassing on 2 farms and did not want to raise any issues.

Took me almost 45 minutes to get to the bottoms where I could turn on my light, which was pretty cool. I saw a coyote, 5 raccoons in a tree, and 2 beavers. Once I turned on my light, I really started losing time. The light makes you look local, instead of trying to read your global situation. I ended up overshooting the slough, and having to fight my way back through a willow choked creek delta. That added another 30 minutes.

I got to the area, and called from my wifes phone. I immediately saw a light about 4" below the grass, and found it. I walked about 2 minutes back towards the car and my flashlight died. No big deal for walking through the fields, but I was able to follow good cow/game trails in the river bottom on my way in, and without the light, I could not find them.

Add 40 minutes, and a lot of swearing and just bulling my way through brambles and willow thickets. Finally got to the car at 830 pm. When I got home my wife had given up on going to the party, and at that point I didn't much feel like it either.

Sorry Andy. Missed you twice.

The season is open for another couple of days. I am going to bust my ass today at work and try and get set up so I can try Tues-Wed mornings before work. Hopefully nothing comes up.