Southern Illinois.....

[Destry L. Hoffard]

With this big freeze coming on, it looks like we might get a little trickle of them short necked Wisconsin style flight geese down home in Southern Illinois. We call them short neckers because about all we kill down there anymore is locals and they're all mixed giant strain so they've got a big long neck. You always know when you've got a real wild one, their necks are half as long.

They're like hunting ghosts these days, they stopped really traveling that far south years ago. But a hard hard freeze will sometimes bring a few down still, I've aways thought the old birds in the flock that still know where Southern Illinois is.

Flight geese have been sighted over St. Louis and I've had one report of a few possibly being seen at Crab Orchard yesterday evening.

My old friend Sal is calling saying I better come. And I'm certainly tempted, but I almost feel bad killing one anymore, they come that far south so seldom, it seems vaguely wrong.

I guess I'm getting old and sentimental. But maybe I'll go, just for a day or so. The Preacher (my infamous magnum 10 gauge) has mostly leaned in the corner since September. I'm sure the old boy wouldn't mind some excercise. It's a long drive in bad weather and I'm just not mad at 'em anymore. I might just set home and think about the good old says when we were young and we thought the wild geese would come forever.

We shall see.

A little part of me and Sal kinda died when they stopped coming. It's mentioned about every time we talk, Remember that time at *insert name of long gone goose club*......

[Reggie Bishop]

Keep the faith Destry! The Preacher and the Deacon will thank you!

[Phil Yearout]

***

[Gary Cripps]

Here in southern Wisconsin their food source was covered yesterday. We had about 1000 on our 200 acre lake here in town yesterday. The ice had closed in to about 10 acres of open water. That will freeze over tonight. They have all but two moved out today. These are probably sick or wounded. Our lake normally freezes over between Thanksgiving and Christmas. It seems like snow cover on their food is the main reason for them to head south. Let the big gun roar and reduce my lawn mess. Good hunting.

[Dean Weber]

Destry,
Your post gave my wife and I some fond memories to reminisce about. I think I told you this, but we went to school at SIU and worked in the area in the 80-90s. I remember my wife asking me why I was so obsessed with those damn geese! Skipping class to call geese at Crab Orchard was a great past-time. No so great for the grades I earned.:rotf:

[Destry L. Hoffard]

Weather predictions are starting to back off, there was rain where there should have been heavy snow. Maybe next year.....

[Garry L Gordon]

Watch out putting things off until next year. Next years are getting more and more scarce.

So go, and carry your big gun...and sit and watch. Who knows, you may be carried back to your youth for a few minutes -- worth the trip.

[Destry L. Hoffard]

It's 10 hours on the road each way in bad weather just to likely stare north into an empty sky. I think I'll save my money for Mexico in February, heading to Obregon towards the end of the month.

[William Woods]

Destry,

Seems as though you have made up your mind to not go but thought I would tell you what I have seen today. We have rain for a 24 hour period. The forecasters stated we would have wind gusts of up to 60mph. I can tell you that the large bare-limbed trees are swaying in the wind now. The wind is singing in its' baritone voice to the trees. The temperature is to plummet into the single digits tomorrow and continuing through the middle of next week. Wind chills are predicted to be below 0 through this period. And as the saying goes here in the Ohio Valley; If you don't like the weather now just wait, it will change in a few hours.

[Bruce Hering]

Just came in from gathering horses. Temps have fallen from 40's down to high 30's and dropping. Wind is gusting like a bandit. Snow fall right now is on the I 64 corridor. However, there is a significant system out by Springfield, MO moving this way and supposedly more behind it.

Back in the day, 24or so hours after Horicon froze out the entire Mississippi Valley goose population landed at Crab Orchard, Union County, Horseshoe Lake and even down to the West KY Mgt. area. We were covered in geese.

Not any more as several of you here are aware.

If I were you Destry I would stay at home by the fire, unless of course you were already here locally somewhere with a good, heated pit, decoys, in a food and resting place and some really good callers. Then something might work.... Just sayin. I am less then 15 miles slightly south east of Crab Orchard