Southern Illinois......
Well Dad and I have had a fine time past couple of days. We started Saturday out building hay bale blinds for the youth dove hunt that's this coming Saturday. Then it was off to my favorite local joint (Mary Lou's in Carbondale) for breakfast, the biscuits and gravy there are something really special. We hit the cigar store across the street for a handful of my favorite (read cheap) Judges Cave brand cigars. I smoke them when hunting or fishing down here at home. Two bucks each and they have a real leaf wrap even!
For awhile I'd been wanting a nice checkered duck call and only one from home would do the job. I decided that the time was at hand, I'd sold a decoy for good money that I bought cheap at an estate sale so had what I felt like was some loose money. There's a family of call makers here that have been at it since the 1890's named Roseberry. The current maker is Ed, the great grandson of the calls inventor. I made a quick call to make sure he was home and had what I wanted on the bench. We made a quick run to Murphysboro and went straight to Ed's home/shop. He's a great guy and knows a lot about hunting and call making history in Southern Illinois. We visited and blew calls for the best part of an hour that ended with my wallet being a lot lighter and a new hand made duck call in my shirt pocket.
Then it was off to our cousin Ronnie "Dog" Reed's bait shop for a visit. We hit the door and found much to our joy that Valgene "Coffee" Johnson was holding court. "Coffee" is one of those classic old timers that has just about died out of the world. Dressed, as always, in matching Dickies mechanics green pants and shirt, he had the floor telling tales of his days in the navy during the Korean War. Sad to say, he's about had to give up the outdoor life due to a weakness in the legs. But he still comes to the shop every day for a cup and a chat with all the local worm drowners. After he headed home we visited with "Dog" about the upcoming deer season prospects then had a viewing of his pet bullfrogs which are a famous sight in the fishing world of Southern Illinois.
Yesterday it was off to Anna, Ill. to meet up with Brother Droge, my junk picking mentor. He had a lead on an old farm house "full" of stuff that needed dug through. We spent half the day rooting around with flashlights and managed to fill up the truck paying a very reasonable price to the owners of said junk.
This morning it was up early to meet the boys at Mr. Russell's farm for the annual barn pigeon shoot. He baits the birds into his grain bins then we split into two teams and shoot them over decoys. The losing team buys breakfast for the whole crew. Last year he had a couple hundred using the place and we broke the record killing over 70 between the two teams. My team lost by one bird so we were out with blood in our eyes this year. Not nearly so many birds this year so it was tough to say the least. Both teams tied it up with 12 birds in the bag so we called it a draw and just went to eat on our own dimes.
Orders from Mr. Russell were to meet back at the barn 2pm for a trip to the sun flower field and a round with the doves. We headed back to the bait shop for more visiting and might have napped in our chairs for half an hour before rolling back to the farm.
We hit the field about 3pm and just sorta waited. He'd been holding good numbers till a couple days before but some strong thunder storms had pushed quite a few out. Dad and I sat together so we could visit since the shooting had a chance to be a little slow. We all got into a few but it wasn't the normal opening day for the farm which usually is red hot and loaded with birds.
Dad was shooting in his usual methodical style killing five with 8 shots. I was my normal self killing 6 with 22 shots. I tried some high ones and took a pop at a big tall pigeon with the 16 gauge just to see what it would do so my average fell off pretty quick. No limits were killed, I think high gun was 10 or 11.
Didn't really matter, Dad and I both agree that the pigeon and dove hunt is one of the highlights of the season for both of us. Mr. Russell is a gentleman of the old school, he baits and sets up the pigeon shoot but refuses to raise a gun himself saying he enjoys watching all of us too much to bother shooting.
We stopped for a cold drink then ran by a friends to look at some goose decoys and headed back to Johnston City. Mother had a big meatloaf dinner waiting for us so we fell into that and are now stuffed and happy. The truck is loaded for the trip back to Michigan, I'm leaving crack of dawn.
Plans are already made for the opening day of duck season on Mr. Russell's farm. Dad and I talked about it all the way home, wish it was tomorrow!
DLH
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I was as virtuously given as a gentleman need to be; virtuous enough; swore little; diced not above seven times a week; went to a bawdy-house once in a quarter--of an hour; paid money that I borrowed, three of four times; lived well and in good compass: and now I live out of all order, out of all compass. Falstaff - Henry IV
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09-02-2014, 08:55 AM
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