South Dakota Geese

Posted on October 10, 2003 by Shannon Nardi 

Sunday, September 1,2002
Wow, after all the is said and done to get a project of the ground and you are ready to rock on it, the unexpectable comes along. We were actually on our way to the Horicon Marsh outside of Green Bay WI, when I got the call from Justin and Steve. They were almost to St Louis to pick me up when I got their call. Justin having cell service problems ask me to call our guide in Wisconsin, he was having troubles understanding him. After giving him our guide a call he said there were no geese and he didn't have any equipment, decoys etc., but he was trying to round some up. I just paniced. I knew even if I did have geese and decoys I had a guest guide that wasn't well prepared. I call the boys back and said we should turn around. After a few phone calls to South Dakota, where we were scheduled to visit later in the year our direction changed and off to visit Prairie Sky Ranch with Lyles Rudder as our guide.

I was so excited to get started. They boys picked me up at midnight and I drove until about 5:00am. Usually I am out like a light but my adrenaline was pumping. With the three of us we drove straight through to Veblen, South Dakota.

Monday September 2, 2002
We arrive at 1:30 pm on Monday. The scenary in this part of the country took my breath away. You could see out for miles. There was so much open space and still very green. Buffalo grazed the plains and horses running by, their manes flowing as if I were watching a slo motion movie. The geese and ducks were plentiful.

We rested up a bit and then went out late afternoon to scout for our hunt the next day. Lyles, a longtime friend of Justin's and a jewel of a guy, was very excited to see us.

Now being only my second season in the Duck and Goose hunting business, this was the first time I had ever seen so many birds flying. They were everywhere I looked. You saw them close up and forever away in the distance. It was really cool. Steve Childress and Gregg Goodwin were Camera guys on the shoot and it would be there first goose hunt. Everything was pretty new to our little crew but we seemed to adjust pretty well.

After sunset we went out and ate then crashed. I knew that we were far from any city and it was an indication that there would be many magnificent stars out and believe me there were. So very many and just a heaven full of Milky Ways. I layed in the grass and it almost seemed to make me dizzy looking up at them.

Tuesday, September 3, 2002
Well now 4:00 am is not my most favorite time to get up, but the geese where calling. There were other guest at the lodge and they would be joining us on our hunt this morning. They were actually from Arkansas too. Justin was fired up and singing loudly this morning. He could not wait to see what Yella would do with her first goose today. The camera boys were alittle nervous being their first hunt and I was nervous to spook the geese with the cameras.

The geese came in and Yella was off. She was alittle competitive today being that we had a couple of other dogs there as well.

She did retrieve her first goose, wasn't quit sure what to do with it, but finally made her way back to Justin. Poor thing the goose was as big as her. Yella had some problems today not retrieving and breaking when not her turn. Justin seemed discouraged but I knew I had a great story.

Not getting our morning limit we set out with Justin, Lyles, Yella and Abby for an evening hunt. It was so hot and geese were not flying. I felt sorry for the boys in all the cammo and cover as I sat under a shade tree in shorts kickin back and watching.

Justin and Lyles had wonderful conversation about hunting , dogs and all I could do is hope that a goose would drop in so I could make a story of it somehow. The sun was dropping quickly and I was getting alittle nervous. My story mind started clicking into a different way to present this and then the geese dropped in, just one. Justin and Lyles both shot it and it flew another quarter of a mile away before it dropped into one of the many praire pot holes. The pond was surrounded by tall cat tails and Yella could not see it at all. Justin had a time trying to get her into the grass, camera angles were backlite but we had to go. Justin and Lyles ended the show here with his comment on the sunset, It was great.

Wednesday, September 4, 2002 Up early again. Lyles and Bruce took us to a new spot this morning. We layed out some decoys and got all set and layed down and waited. Waited again for one lonely goose. Shot several times, not sure if they hit it we again had to pick up and run for a quarter mile to retrieved it. It was Abby's turn. She fought long and hard for it too. It was a diving goose retrieve and it lasted a long time. Lyles was so proud of Abby as she completed her test here.

This afternoon we sat up for the interview part of the shoot and I threw questions to Justin. He did well for the first WD interview. He is truly a natural and just plain has fun. He will grow to be a informative outdoor host and talent.

The evening here in South Dakota was special, I had walked up to the boys cabin to view tapes and on the way I saw Northern Lights for the first time. I wasn't sure it was that but Corine has assured me I was right. It was magnificent. We I left that evening I layed in the grass again and just looked out. I can hardly described that open breathable feeling of so much space and so many stars.

Our drive home was fun, we talked a lot about the shoot and about the shoots to come, things we wanted to do. Steve was inspired, so was Gregg. It was good. I feel good about the show I will come home with here.