Thunder and the hunters headed out to Harsens Island this past weekend to try their luck.
For those who are not familiar with Michigan, I have marked Harsens Island on this map. It is at the mouth of the St. Clair River. The small lake to the south is Lake St. Clair and the large lake to the north is Lake Huron. The white line marks the border between the US and Canada.
They entered the draw for the managed area and unfortunately got another bad draw. (I don’t think they have had a decent draw all season.) They hoped to get one of the spots reserved for hunters with retrievers, but the DNR informed them they stopped reserving those spots part way through the season. In fact, they really didn’t see any other hunters with dogs, so maybe that is the reason.
The draw was a bust so they decided to try their luck in Little Muscamoot Bay. Little Muscamoot Bay is a state game area which is open for hunting.
It was a windy and cold morning so they did not want to venture too far out in open water. They set up on land near a small point.
They set out a nice spread of decoys.
Hubby laid the dog stand in the reeds so Thunder didn’t have to stand in the cold water.
Thunder did not care for his spot because he couldn’t see anything.
He decided to move to a better spot.
Many of you commented on Thunder’s vest. It is a made from neoprene and it is used to help the dog maintain its core body temperature in cold wet conditions. Think of a wetsuit for a dog. Hypothermia can be a real concern in cold weather hunting conditions. It does not have any floatation properties and the holes you see on either side are there to give the hunter something to grab should they need to assist the dog getting back into a boat or in the case of an emergency. The vest is meant to be worn snug against the dog. Thunder is so big, it was a challenge to find a vest to fit him. You can customize the fit of most vests by cutting around the arm holes.
The hunters never really saw any ducks. A couple came in and hubby’s hunting partner missed one and then his gun jammed and that was pretty much it for the morning.
They packed up and decided to try their luck in the afternoon draw. The hunters who had spots near the reserve did very well in the morning. They were coming back with armfuls of birds. That was the place to be. With waterfowl hunting timing and location can be everything. They got another bad draw for the afternoon so they packed it up and called it a day. Poor Thunder had another day of no retrieves.
It has been a strange season. They did better earlier in the season before the weather turned colder.
We have a pheasant hunt booked at a private farm for Storm and Freighter this weekend. Hopefully the luck will be better. It would be nice to get the dogs on some birds.
It’s interesting that Thunder would prefer standing in the cold water just to get a better view of the lake. I guess the cold doesn’t bother large dogs as much as it does some of us humans and small dogs. What a shame he didn’t get to show off his skills! I’m sure he misses the chase. Every time I look at pictures of Thunder, I always think, “That is one FINE dog”. So proud, so strong, so determined. Love those pics. 🙂
It looks awfully chilly there on the water! Too bad they didn’t get anything…maybe they could shoot the turkeys on your background? No, they are way too cute, leave them there 🙂
Oh Thunder you poor guy, you are trying really hard to get the birds. My gang hasn’t done much duck hunting as the new ducks haven’t come in yet. We have been doing a bunch of pheasant hunting thou. I love your turkey day back ground. Was that a free wordpress background? I can’t seem to find stuff like that when I do a search. Have a great day. Good luck this weekend on your pheasant hunt.
I got it from http://www.dazzlejunction.com/
Lots of good graphics there.
What a pity. Thunder must have been disappointed as must have been your hubby. Didn’t realise the coat keeps them warm. Have a terrific Tuesday.
Best wishes Molly
Because of the holiday, we’ll swing by the post office today! Wooooowoooooo!
Great!
I really enjoy seeing photos of your dogs at work. My dog wears a similar vest. He doesn’t like wearing it, but it definitely keeps him warm when we’re out in the cold. He’s not a hunter, but it’s perfect for our camping trips.
Nothing worse than getting skunked. Better luck next time Thunder.
I think Thunder would say that staying home is worse. 😉
Thunder you are standing there so tall and patient. Very focused so you don’t miss anything. Sorry you didn’t get to warm up with a great retrieve. I know you are disappointed and hope you get a great day next weekend:)
So disappointing for Thunder and the hunters! Seems like they just can’t catch any luck on the draws lately! I always think the decoys are real ducks when I first see the photo….I’m thinking, good, they saw some ducks! Not so much. 🙂
I love your Thanksgiving header and background!
Enjoyed your story and photo’s. This looks so much like where my husband shoots in the Napa River.
The vest is really cool- very good that is it practical! Shame Thunder didn’t get to have any retrieving fun but better luck next time!
Really interesting – looks like it was pretty chilly though!
How disappointing. Poor Thunder. All dressed up and ready to go, too. 🙁 I can imagine that a dog like Thunder who loves water, would ignore how cold it is. A vest to help him maintain his temperature is a great idea.