tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-58025526644863326762024-02-18T20:49:58.645-08:00Camo GamerStuck between two generations, I enjoy the best of both worlds. I am an avid gamer who also enjoys the outdoors and all of it's aspects. This blog is a mix of my outdoor adventures and a sort of review of video games and any other media that I may come across.Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.comBlogger32125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-62709239213543768082011-05-01T09:54:00.000-07:002011-05-04T11:32:55.259-07:00Fallout: New Vegas 9.0<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58pL7YFAz-d-8SQcdfG_ksqGlZVNsPBmXmBjYcuBSX12BJZUpwoNxrcGZOh0C7jd_Wpk-j6uPp0drGnGvz7nB-KkknA54sPRIh3qjhTvVLWU_ndInv9PC8GwallUwG_cgBjGye0iIuICE/s1600/193px-FNV_box_art_%2528US%2529.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 193px; height: 239px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg58pL7YFAz-d-8SQcdfG_ksqGlZVNsPBmXmBjYcuBSX12BJZUpwoNxrcGZOh0C7jd_Wpk-j6uPp0drGnGvz7nB-KkknA54sPRIh3qjhTvVLWU_ndInv9PC8GwallUwG_cgBjGye0iIuICE/s400/193px-FNV_box_art_%2528US%2529.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602643146682021442" border="0" /></a><br /><br /> There are new games coming out all the time. And every year a select group of games are picked from the flow and held above the rest. You turn these games on and you can tell that they are a result of dedication to not only the craft of making these games, but to the gamers they are created for.<br />Then, there are games like Fallout: New Vegas.<br /><br /><br /> The Fallout franchise is not something to be taken lightly. Fallout has a cult following like few games ever see. Fallout was published by Interplay in 1997 and Fallout 2 was published just a year later by Black Isle Studios. Both were tremendous games and laid the foundation that Fallout was built on. While spin-offs were made, when Black Isle closed its doors in 2004, it looked like we would never experience the wonders of the Wasteland again. But, like a knight in shining armor, years later, <a href="http://www.bethsoft.com/eng/index.php">Bethesda Softworks</a> picked up where Black Isle had left off.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-JCPS5hDuU6xcWFmDZpE9OS3bcsFZdOxaR3QOQrukavGirVnI0OoBMSp9dbQXPgDSPpclIjmSOGyBq-jgVMm23nBmypCGHfWjB2FbhnfccRmSXNhMUhB4V_eHDyWgqYeV4iW2DHCSAP3/s1600/screen41B.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-JCPS5hDuU6xcWFmDZpE9OS3bcsFZdOxaR3QOQrukavGirVnI0OoBMSp9dbQXPgDSPpclIjmSOGyBq-jgVMm23nBmypCGHfWjB2FbhnfccRmSXNhMUhB4V_eHDyWgqYeV4iW2DHCSAP3/s320/screen41B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602645200079045922" border="0" /></a> Just over a decade after the last Fallout title had been released, Fallout 3 was released in the U.S. and life was good. Not only had Bethesda revived the franchise, they had created a masterpiece. The game won several awards and was bound for gaming greatness.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">Fallout 3</span><br /><br /><br /> Now, onto Fallout: New Vegas. Developed by <a href="http://www.obsidianent.com/">Obsidian Entertainment</a> and published by Bethesda, it's very similar to Fallout 3. It takes place on the other side of the U.S. where the devastation isn't quite a severe as it was in our nation's once capital. Much of the dreary landscape and bleak skyline that we saw in Fallout 3 is replaced with a slightly more colorful scene and mostly blue skies. Aside from some minor tweaks, it plays the same way. The open world is simply beautiful and is fulfilling in it self to explore. There are numerous Easter eggs and fun little things tucked away waiting to be found. There's even a nod to Monty Python's "Holy Grail" that had this guy grinning for quite some time. Play wise, this game, although plagued by numerous bugs, is the same that we have come to know and love.<br /><br /> But it's the storyline in this game that separates this masterpiece from the rest of the great games released. Most RPGs have a linear storyline. Even Fallout 3 (which had a stellar story), even with all of it's side quests, had a main story that followed a somewhat straight path. While you still had the choice of how to handle the situations, the situations still came about in the same manner and most didn't have that much impact on the overall story of the game. Fallout: New Vegas has changed that. There is no blatant "good" and "bad" when it comes to the main factions. You still have your Raiders and the Fiends and the like, but when it comes to the main story missions, you're options are vast.<br /> There are your two main factions; The NCR and Caesar's Legion and you can fight for either side. At first glance, The NCR looks to be the Wasteland saviors while the Legion appear to be nothing more than old world thugs. But a closer look tells a different story. The NCR is helping some of those in the Wasteland by offering protection and a form of infrastructure. They have put many of their resources to providing much needed utilities like water and electricity to the citizens of the NCR. But many have a poor opinion of the new government. When they appointed themselves as the new municipality, they also laid claim to all of the Mojave Wasteland as their property. If you occupied any of their new land, you were asked to leave. If you refused, you were forced to leave, be it drug out by your shirt or drug out in a pine box. There are also many "incidents" that involve the NCR and excessive force or just outright murder. But is it for the greater good?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-Xo4GxkGCStR-mIVVX4oYoL8TPI38G3YkZKCSNMc3FTtdkrjR3LSn4efConuO4i7o5PjsdNKIgzkNnMCcKO1aOhQ71ctcl2n7eQ0Z5crDfzTOD8s8y8E4uLyjKaxTqoxJJAwDR6QfR9W/s1600/screen20B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr-Xo4GxkGCStR-mIVVX4oYoL8TPI38G3YkZKCSNMc3FTtdkrjR3LSn4efConuO4i7o5PjsdNKIgzkNnMCcKO1aOhQ71ctcl2n7eQ0Z5crDfzTOD8s8y8E4uLyjKaxTqoxJJAwDR6QfR9W/s320/screen20B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602660821714911554" border="0" /></a><br /> <br />Then we have Caesar's Legion. Slavers? Yes. Fair? That would be a stretch. They use a lot of the same tactics that the NCR use, but brutality is honored, not covered up. It is now a world when only the strong survive. They have a code they live and die by. Part of that code is keeping yourself free from drugs and alcohol, and that sounds like something good, right? And who is this group calling themselves the New California Republic and why do they now control all of this land? And you can bet that not a single member of the Legion voted on any of this.<br />Now, I'm not saying either way about who really is good or bad. My point is that there are complete different directions you can take the game. The "good" or "bad" here is more of a matter of perspective. Both sides have their reasons for their actions. And it's not just between the NCR and the Legion. There is also Mr. House on the Vegas strip. He has a vision of restoring the strip to it's former glory and his plans don't always mesh well with those of the NCR or the Legion. There is also the Brotherhood of Steel, the Followers of the Apocalypse, the Great Khans, the Boomers, and even the Enclave makes an appearance.<br />In short, there are many different directions that you can take this game, and all give a completely different game play experience. Many developers have tried to do this before but none have succeeded like Obsidian has.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjac2XtW51kfp89wSp8uH91VHPIKcTAX5h2_BKMNFzFmbqlOg6qzPPqNPWUk0qbAY5ukrcEAN1V7qDWABspGSiH-o-n58ZK83YIAmVKA1enrT-U4VPLE3LOnpw_hoew1eeUFED_R55FEJk/s1600/screen02B.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjac2XtW51kfp89wSp8uH91VHPIKcTAX5h2_BKMNFzFmbqlOg6qzPPqNPWUk0qbAY5ukrcEAN1V7qDWABspGSiH-o-n58ZK83YIAmVKA1enrT-U4VPLE3LOnpw_hoew1eeUFED_R55FEJk/s320/screen02B.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602656441786575586" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /> The only reason I didn't give this game a 10 is because of the bugs. Now, when Fallout: New Vegas was given a release date, we all counted on two things: That this game was going to rock and that it would have more bugs than a by-the-hour motel. So is life, no big deal. And both expectations were met. But those of us that are veterans know the golden rule to RPG games - Save early, save often.<br />And be careful about trying to take a shortcut or find your way to what you think might be a secret area. There's a good chance you're going to get stuck in a permanent free fall or simply get trapped. But there are very few games that are worth playing that don't have some form of bug. Remember that little bug when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 put out their new map pack and the DLC itself made it so you couldn't play? But that's what patches are for, right. So, when a patch was put out for the Xbox360 version, everything seemed to be on track. Not only was the new patch going to fix over 200 bugs, it was prepping the world for then new DLC, "Honest Hearts". Only one problem. The patch was doing everything from causing annoying glitches in the game to crashing the system all together. I can't help but see a bit of irony in that.<br /><br />Now let's take a look at the break-down for this game....<br /><br />The Graphics of this game are outstanding. I couldn't imagine a post apocalyptic world any other way.<br /><br />The sound is superb. From the very random noises that bring the world to life to the soothing voice of Mr. New Vegas and all of the swing and swag you can handle. The voice casting that include Wayne Newton, Matthew Perry, and Danny Trejo complete the Wasteland ambiance.<br /><br />The controls are great. If you love FPS games, everything is setup for quick changes and can be very effective. If turn based is more your style, the V.A.T.S. system is for you. Your AP has to be filled for V.A.T.S. to work, so it can't be used for every shot, but it still works well.<br /><br />Replay Value of this game is very high. This is one of those games that you can play over and over and over and have a different experience every time.<br /><br />This game does not offer multi-player.<br /><br />One thing I have to mention here is the bugs. While they have put out patches, there are still plenty of them in here. Most of the severe bugs were taken care of though.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmQr30pP8VrDlazcNAQtfFxGbNVZQluz3xTbqg5t5y6iJF_47FBCx5QWqZePFwmQ1lYBIAReHE_RFvVtuPZr9CY3ep_RkrAckGsIoysNu_MGasAU4TFssJlQx9lKdbihD575nNWiyT60Z/s1600/16623-219149-1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHmQr30pP8VrDlazcNAQtfFxGbNVZQluz3xTbqg5t5y6iJF_47FBCx5QWqZePFwmQ1lYBIAReHE_RFvVtuPZr9CY3ep_RkrAckGsIoysNu_MGasAU4TFssJlQx9lKdbihD575nNWiyT60Z/s400/16623-219149-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602649004819674050" border="0" /></a>Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-82566615918114843162010-06-04T15:57:00.000-07:002010-06-17T14:06:32.022-07:00Red Dead Redemption 9.5Red Read Redemption was developed by <a href="http://rockstarsandiego.com/">Rockstar San Diego</a>, was published by <a href="http://www.rockstargames.com/">Rockstar Games</a>, and was released on May 18, 2010. It is rated Mature for Blood, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1CWH3hB6fe86RlCGwwP9WVoro_S_efHvS5znYqh3_D6vU2Q65lPEz9b_l064189YlyXHhOk-66tTY6ke0HRWS9xu9sxwu5xLtJD0wAXz6DxIcxXJsC9OawoUvcGvK8MsyB7lzVOwXwhA/s1600/XboxCase.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 227px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF1CWH3hB6fe86RlCGwwP9WVoro_S_efHvS5znYqh3_D6vU2Q65lPEz9b_l064189YlyXHhOk-66tTY6ke0HRWS9xu9sxwu5xLtJD0wAXz6DxIcxXJsC9OawoUvcGvK8MsyB7lzVOwXwhA/s320/XboxCase.gif" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482410794450850178" /></a><br /><br /> Red Dead Redemption is the long awaited spiritual sequel to the popular Red Dead Revolver released way back in May of 2004. A sandbox style game set in 1911 at the end of the wild west era, RDR has that Grand Theft Auto feel to it that has become synonymous with Rockstar Games. Many developers have tried to reproduce that feel and, in this writers opinion, have fallen very short. It can be played as a single player campaign or in online multi-player. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQBN96AIpZQMq6tP4sjVwUnnGyfbHwa3y-ofeH9vDbRo4t2JDjv8YTs9ZCaSztKqD-_5C4KxO4TQTCGSX90ElWX-x-iditrRkxRRwcgtcj_x6WllI_TM_AD8uBpcgYIBV1KwGXqo_0IiT/s1600/Red_Dead_Redemption_Screenshots_for_Xbox_360_-_VideoGamer_com.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 264px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtQBN96AIpZQMq6tP4sjVwUnnGyfbHwa3y-ofeH9vDbRo4t2JDjv8YTs9ZCaSztKqD-_5C4KxO4TQTCGSX90ElWX-x-iditrRkxRRwcgtcj_x6WllI_TM_AD8uBpcgYIBV1KwGXqo_0IiT/s400/Red_Dead_Redemption_Screenshots_for_Xbox_360_-_VideoGamer_com.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482416553209061938" /></a><br /> You start off as John Marston, an outlaw who has turned a new leaf and just trying to lead the good life at the end of the western outlaw era. He is then given a life changing ultimatum by The Bureau and this serves as his motivation for the game and leads to a very interesting storyline. As the game unfolds, you get all of the classic western gear like the classic revolvers, repeater rifles, shotguns, fire bombs (whiskey bottles with a cloth rag) and even a lasso. As the game progresses you can get some more modern weapons such as semi auto pistol and a scoped rifle.<br />The game has an auto aim feature, but for those looking for more of a challenge, this can be turned off. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcnMb4OSTYJFqf8tmdfQGN_D_PTEL6J7_h0WaTajFe4a5hB0uxhImMeKx3IF1gwQDLO1FM0rX7TOGY7LiK2Mj9VBB8zxEGEBRpS0ovSG-rOkGvxZGIJ02mDXPeqkonnj6IyHX978FwVgZ/s1600/tied.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUcnMb4OSTYJFqf8tmdfQGN_D_PTEL6J7_h0WaTajFe4a5hB0uxhImMeKx3IF1gwQDLO1FM0rX7TOGY7LiK2Mj9VBB8zxEGEBRpS0ovSG-rOkGvxZGIJ02mDXPeqkonnj6IyHX978FwVgZ/s320/tied.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482412341403941458" /></a> The weapons all have a different feel and are extremely fun to use, especially the lasso, which you can use to catch the bad guy and hog tie them. Or, if you don't want the trouble of tying them up, throwing them on the back of your horse (or over your shoulder) and taking them in for justice by the law, you can always just drag them behind your horse until there is nothing left. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHa7ew39s31C34f1_1vYN6l_kNC5AaqPJMGTxsT6neJWudJVCIpuxJJZ5DxYXZnzswhVV5tjoquVHyOCE_A2wceEaxo9suxZvS8lTJ1F31xQ_r_bjN8Q_2ytutggUf9MKZnOxXv0zSLgY/s1600/Dragging2.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 180px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHa7ew39s31C34f1_1vYN6l_kNC5AaqPJMGTxsT6neJWudJVCIpuxJJZ5DxYXZnzswhVV5tjoquVHyOCE_A2wceEaxo9suxZvS8lTJ1F31xQ_r_bjN8Q_2ytutggUf9MKZnOxXv0zSLgY/s320/Dragging2.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482413731026700194" /></a><br /> Or, if you are feeling particularly dastardly, you can rope an unsuspecting citizen and take them to the nearest train tracks and watch them pop like a watermelon at a Gallagher show.<br /> <br /> And what self respecting western game would be without the classic gunfights? In RDR, you will be challenged to a duel. If you choose to accept, you will enter the gun fighter mode. You will square off in the middle of the street and wait for the signal. When the town bell rings, you will go into a slow motion draw where you try to get off as many well placed shots as you can. If you are quick and accurate enough, you drop the dirty dog and gain a little respect, as well as notoriety. As you become more well known, you will gain certain perks depending on what you are know for. Save a few damsels in distress and thwart a robbery or two, and you will start getting better deal at the local merchants. It can also go the other way.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMMjvLkJS4e9bKzIMoMsn8G7Xe1eCF9jOaw-6uE6S9pH36rSKYIazKSLZgk0lCA-26lOylZrh_C1ERQ0h-rSobBmbblbhyphenhyphen04-yxW_EddjaQaiAbn7L3XkY32iwdSEuTzG2VT3euMGuB-G/s1600/draw+street.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDMMjvLkJS4e9bKzIMoMsn8G7Xe1eCF9jOaw-6uE6S9pH36rSKYIazKSLZgk0lCA-26lOylZrh_C1ERQ0h-rSobBmbblbhyphenhyphen04-yxW_EddjaQaiAbn7L3XkY32iwdSEuTzG2VT3euMGuB-G/s400/draw+street.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482414481921292482" /></a><br /> Much like the gun fights, there is also the "Dead Eye" action, which lets you place shots while time is slowed. As you progress through the game, your Dead Eye will gain extra perks, such as specific shot placement. This comes in very hand when you are ambushed by a group of bandits. Or in my case, run head first into a large bandit hideout only to find that there are a lot more of them then I thought. <br /> <br /> Another aspect of this game is hunting, which makes this game that much better for me. There are plenty of animals roaming around for you to practice your quick draw on. From vultures and hawks (I even shot down a duck!) to rattle snake and armadillos to bears and wolves, this game has all the beasts you'd expect to see in the Wild West. But these critters are for more than just target practice. Every animal you harvest can be field dressed. On most animals, you will get the pelt and occasionally you will get a little something extra, like a heart or claw. These items can then be sold in one of the towns. Pay attention to how much a merchant pays you because different towns pay different amounts for different items. These items can also sometimes be used in side quests, so keep that in mind if you have a pretty good stash of cash and acquire more animal items. <br /><br /> There are other money making ventures such as poker, blackjack, liars dice, and five finger fillet. Not to mention the cash rewards you get for doing the random good, and some not so good deeds.<br /><br /> Speaking of random deeds, the random events that occur in the game is something that really makes this game stand out from the crowd. Rockstar calls this the "dynamic event system". As you wander this vast expanse, you will see characters and the animals interact with each other. People talking, working, or even fighting. You'll even see some stuff that looks like it came strait from Fox's "When Animals Attack". Which isn't new to the free roam world. In <a href="http://www.rockstargames.com/IV/">GTA4</a>, fights between random characters were common. But to add to the realism of the game, you can intervene if you so choose. If you do choose to, you gain notoriety and usually cash. Or instead of aiding a helpless victim, you may be ambushed by thieves, or asked to aid in the capture of some escaped prisoners from a prison transport gone bad. <br /><br /> The mode of transportation across these western plains are not limited to foot and a trusty steed. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr6DU79geWkoprTLCgb27d7lLePIkWN0HXZ_d9ug8sGpxrKOP84Y9_eCrdowAGDBgCY2YPq0RA4E6sXAIGcHSuDUDPorS8xnB2Ozy4zMe0sXn1GH4OYji6y7jWJy6AmlhQWDs8ZQ672Oe/s1600/Stagecoach+shoot.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdr6DU79geWkoprTLCgb27d7lLePIkWN0HXZ_d9ug8sGpxrKOP84Y9_eCrdowAGDBgCY2YPq0RA4E6sXAIGcHSuDUDPorS8xnB2Ozy4zMe0sXn1GH4OYji6y7jWJy6AmlhQWDs8ZQ672Oe/s400/Stagecoach+shoot.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482415814869755266" /></a><br />While these both work, there is more. First, there are many kinds of horses to choose from. Some are faster than others while others will wear out quicker. Better horses can be purchased or, if you are up to a challenge, you can try to catch a wild horse and break him to make him your own. You also have the option of stage coach which you can either drive or ride as a passenger. And of course there is the train. While on the train, you can sit and enjoy the ride, or you can challenge your shooting skills by trying to take down animals (or people if you choose) while propelling through the hills and plains.<br /><br /> Multi player is another aspect of this game that can stand alone and do just fine. Instead of being John, you start off as one of the basic characters you can choose as your own with some basic weapons. Unlike the single player mode, everything is based on experience points and leveling up. As you level up, you can unlock new characters and new weapons. As you play, you will find weapons dropped by other players and by random characters, but the only ones you keep permanently are the ones that are earned. You can have your friends or even random players in the room join your posse. You can roam the free world warring with others online or do missions. Which brings me to the only part of this game that I have a big problem with. Spawn killing. It's awful. It happens in every online multi-player game. But this game gives them a big helping hand. When in free roam, it's not that bad. You do re-spawn in the relatively same area, but it is spread out. But try and do a mission, and it's a completely different ball game. While doing missions in free roam, you have specific re-spawn points. And once some d-bag finds it, you may as well stop, exit multi-player, and start over. I was doing a particular mission and one of these wonderful players that should have met their early demise in stomach acid found the spawn point. All he did was aim his shotgun at where I would spawn and it was all over. When you re-spawn, you gun is holstered, so you have no chance at defense. I was spawn killed 24 times before I gave up on the mission I had spent the last 20 minutes trying to do and had to exit multi-player. Hopefully, this is something that will be addressed in the future.<br /> <br /> So let's take a look at the break-down of this game....<br /><br />The Graphics of this game are great. You truly feel as if you are in the wild west.<br /><br />The Sound is just as good. From the action scores down to the all most cheesy western music. You almost expect Clint Eastwood to walk onto the screen. <br /><br />The controls are very fluid. At first you will want for a quick single button for changing weapons, but after some practice you will come to like the weapon change system. <br /><br />Replay value of this game is high. With the sandbox style and multi-player, you will be playing this game over and over.<br /><br />Multi-player is great aside from the spawnkilling.Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-73035854032228439492010-05-29T14:44:00.000-07:002010-05-29T15:33:22.508-07:00HealingWell, here I am, a week after my surgery and starting to heal. First off, I was wrong about the two incisions on my back. I have one four inch long incision going down my lower back with 15 staples keeping it closed tight. The procedure itself is called a Double Lumbar Discectomy. My surgery took about two hours, but 40 minutes of that was them trying to intubate me. It turns out that I am part of a small minority (4% of the world population I am told) that has a small throat and can be intubated in the normal way. Aside from that, the rest of the surgery went fine. I spent the next 48 hours in Beaumont's ICU due to my low oxygen levels. <br /> Now, let me take a quick moment to mention care that I received at Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak. This was hands down the best hospital experience I have ever had. You could not ask for a friendlier and more professional heath care facility. Every measure was taken to make sure I was as comfortable and as happy as possible. Even though it is an hour away from me, Beaumont is my families new hospital of choice. <br /> Anyways, I was only out of the hospital about 24 hours when I noticed that my feet were swollen to almost double their size. I seriously looked like Fred Flintsone. I called up my surgeon and he instructed me to get to the nearest emergency room a.s.a.p. so off I went. The nearest hospital to me is Genesys, which is about eight minutes away, but I have to be three seconds from death before I will enter that hospital as a patient. The next closest hospital was McLaren Hospital in Flint, so we headed there. When I arrived, I was greeted with "We are busy as hell and we have 40 patients back here. You aren't that bad, so you're going to have to wait.". If they are busy, that's fine. If there are people in worse condition than me, that's fine. But to make that little speech my welcome is not. The main concern was a blood clot and secondary was CHF (chronic heart failure), yet it was hours before anyone even came in to start my work-up. After many more hours, they had ruled out blood clots, but my oxygen was dropping very low, so they decided to admit me. After hours of trying to get some kind of answer as to what was going on and why I was swelling, I still knew very little, so I decided it was time to transfer down to Beaumont where I had a much better chance of survival. So, with ten new holes in my arm (does anyone at McLaren know how to start an IV???) I was taken by ambulance to wonderful Beaumont where I spent another two days. But staying at Beaumont is a step away from staying at a resort, so it wasn't that bad. Plus, my wonderful sister in law works there and kept me company when she could and brought me a late night snack (Thanks Jackie!!!).<br /> Come to fine out that the swelling was a result of another condition I have called Angio Edema, which is another story in itself. It was triggered by the pain medication I am on, so it's kind of a catch 22. Get rid of the pain and keep the swelling or get rid of the swelling and keep the pain.<br /><br /> Now, the most important part of all of this is did the surgery work? Well, I don't know. After waking up after the surgery, the first thing I said was how wonderful it was to feel my foot again and have no pain. Well, the numbness is slowly coming back and the pains started again last night. Now, around my incision is very swollen, so we are thinking that the swelling might be pressing on the disks that were altered and causing the same symptoms. I won't know if it fully worked until the staples are removed and the swelling goes down. I will try to make another post when thing s start to get better.Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-5897205662080297522010-05-05T07:57:00.000-07:002010-05-05T08:19:22.425-07:00Another Stepping Stone On The Path to RecoveryFor anyone who has been following my blog for some time, my path to recovery has been a long and trying. What was supposed to be a two month hiatus from the outdoors that I love has turned into a long and painful voyage that has lasted over half of a year and the end is a long way off. As I write this, I am 11 days away from having surgery on my spine to try to correct what a simple four foot fall and a little gravity has done. I will be going to Beaumont Hospital where they are going to make two incisions in my lower back. They are then going to remove a small portion from three of the disks in my back, then put me back together. This will be the first major surgery I have ever had, and I have to say I am a bit frightened. But I have high hopes that this will put me on the right path back to the outdoors. While I have enjoyed all of the new video games I have been able to play, I am looking forward to the time when I can spend hours on end deep in the woods or wadding in a marsh. After I recover from this surgery, I will be going back in to have them fix the damage to my ankles. Anyways, I just thought I would give an update as to what is happening and thanks for reading!Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-27225737133490131532010-04-26T11:35:00.000-07:002010-04-28T07:11:28.516-07:00Tropico 3I have been awaiting Tropico 3 for the Xbox 360 for some time now. I've had it in my <a href="http://a.tellapal.com/a/RDAiFN">GameQ</a> since the day they put out a release date. After two months of waiting, I finally got that square white envelope in the mail from <a href="http://a.tellapal.com/a/RDAiFN">GameFly</a>, and I went straight to playing.<br /><br /> Tropico 3 is published by <a href="http://www.kalypsomedia.com/en-us/index.shtml">Kalypso Media</a> and developed by <a href="http://www.haemimontgames.com/">Haemimont Games</a> and was released on February 16, 2010. The ESRB is "Teen" for Alcohol and Tobacco Reference, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence<br /> <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsE-V52C6KtpOKFXoFmcYkBtX67-cboeEWjoaQbViUYjfk-3aq66NQIQveAPMEMu12Zd3vg9dRqpuiZykvMSi6HZwawpZjh-tNXDLLMhd6_K8h_VTWndnQWnUiXaDb8CXVT0pLKM9COQnM/s1600/f0dhxg88981202.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 225px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsE-V52C6KtpOKFXoFmcYkBtX67-cboeEWjoaQbViUYjfk-3aq66NQIQveAPMEMu12Zd3vg9dRqpuiZykvMSi6HZwawpZjh-tNXDLLMhd6_K8h_VTWndnQWnUiXaDb8CXVT0pLKM9COQnM/s320/f0dhxg88981202.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464925288552638658" /></a> <br /> <br /> The game is set during the Cold War in the Caribbean and you have just came into power as "El Presidente" of a tropical island. It starts out just like almost every other sim game out there. You have a very small population and a very small village of some kind. You might have a farm or two, a few shacks, and a shop of some kind. It is then up to you to build your newly acquired island nation up and lead it into prosperity, using whatever means necessary. While building your empire, you must keep a balance between the happiness of your people, your economy, political and religious factions, along with trying to keep both the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. from coming to your shores with guns drawn. There are also the natural elements such as hurricanes and earthquakes. In these respects, it is a lot like many of the other sim games that have come before it.<br /><br /> What separates it from many of the others is how you go about doing many of the activities and actions. You can play any way you chose whether you want to play the "man of the people" role or Castro himself (yes, you can be Fidel Castro) or anything in between. You can bribe anyone in the game, send your military after them, or arrange for an "accident" to happen. A major portion of your score comes from you Swiss bank account, which you can siphon into from most of the monies that come through your palace. You can be very successful at either end of the spectrum, but the game makes it very easy to follow in the footsteps of Karl Marx or even Hitler, if you so chose.<br /><br /> They did a pretty good job at designing the islands, which there are many to choose from. You really get a tropical feel while playing. You can make it a remote tropical getaway or a five star resort filled with luxury hotels, casinos, and more. <br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoK4IFUdw9U3I91OieZYlttOCfR160V0EA9XMlO-S7ou9VYDe-pJGUwNS4DNTyKzGukR3Z6t4r039Y7iFimdyfFdLnGmaEwBRk3q6QOz33fXQKu0A7rVeE1uYl38IgTCXT5CkOa0DK_oy/s1600/shot05.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 256px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivoK4IFUdw9U3I91OieZYlttOCfR160V0EA9XMlO-S7ou9VYDe-pJGUwNS4DNTyKzGukR3Z6t4r039Y7iFimdyfFdLnGmaEwBRk3q6QOz33fXQKu0A7rVeE1uYl38IgTCXT5CkOa0DK_oy/s320/shot05.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5464930812752327074" /></a> <br /> <br /> The sounds of the island help add a tropical feel along with the music, but it's nothing you will be humming to yourself later.<br /><br /> The controls can be a bit frustrating at times, especially with not having the option to invert the "Y" axis. The type is a bit small and can be a bit hard to read, so if you are playing on a 32 inch screen or smaller, you will have to be right on top of the TV to know whats going on. One of the biggest fails was the road mapping system. There are many times where you will spend what seems like hours trying to get roads to line up, instead of automatically finding the best layout like many other games.<br /><br /> There is a campaign made with various objectives set as well as a sandbox mode for free play. At the end of a campaign, you have the option of continuing after the objectives are met, which is nice. There is also a tutorial mode which is helpful, but does not cover all aspects of the game, just the basics. But with a little online searching, I had all of my questions answered.<br /><br /> All in all, this is an aggravatingly fun and addictive game. You will find yourself cursing this game but unable to put the controller down, at least for a while. I would consider this to be a great "in between game" (that game you play when you've played five continuous hours of Modern Warfare 2 and you need something to refresh your brain before you kill someone because of that damn kid that wouldn't stop using a noobtube) and a good game over all with a moderate replay value.<br /><br />HINT: The strategy that I have found to work the best is to establish a farm or two for food, then set up a tobacco farm and a cigar factory. This will get the money starting to flow. Then build a logging camp, a lumber mill, and a furniture factory. Follow it up with a pineapple farm and a fisherman's wharf. And you should have some cash left (or you should earn some at the end of the month from the docks) and build an oil rig (if there is one close by) or an oil refinery. Everything aside from the farms and lumber mill will put you into debt a bit, but it will start making money quickly and the farms and wharf will help to feed your population as the game progresses. Keep a close eye on your food supply as your population grows, because your people will start to starve quickly.<br /><br /> Something else I found helpful, if you are trying to develop as much of your island as possible, is to construct at least two more construction offices the second you start to make some money, and keep building them as the game goes on, increasing their pay as you go. The construction workers tend to be very inefficient. There is nothing you can do to help this, as it is simply how the game was programmed. This will keep your projects going.<br /><br />Over all, I would give this game a 7.25 out of 10.<br /><br /><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPZOciA4MboKfwKtDaF3iOdj9l9KUae2vMkU6cN1mg4aKPPCE9z7TUQyrtW8w4jYVUyMMrdpaV_vrU2t0d8X1EdzzAy0_qEYgwaXFC9AgDq_42Tpvfa5QS623uzwO_JqZ1gPn_FPDlEUs/s1600/Tropico3+33.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLPZOciA4MboKfwKtDaF3iOdj9l9KUae2vMkU6cN1mg4aKPPCE9z7TUQyrtW8w4jYVUyMMrdpaV_vrU2t0d8X1EdzzAy0_qEYgwaXFC9AgDq_42Tpvfa5QS623uzwO_JqZ1gPn_FPDlEUs/s320/Tropico3+33.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465186952260664978" /></a> <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />A day at the beach in Tropico</blockquote><br /><blockquote><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUa6uabkn50NwoBSCbsyfuJyjLBr1NdNtpuyOm7tpczKWx36GF2X6viqpy6QqZdsupouZPjD4f68EOD3wNLtZ1H-mD1ofNNPrSg-D9Z_uUfdJ_m_Cyf30NFGSrXAc6VQ3OyJIZ6ctWePW/s1600/Tropico3+16.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 222px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbUa6uabkn50NwoBSCbsyfuJyjLBr1NdNtpuyOm7tpczKWx36GF2X6viqpy6QqZdsupouZPjD4f68EOD3wNLtZ1H-mD1ofNNPrSg-D9Z_uUfdJ_m_Cyf30NFGSrXAc6VQ3OyJIZ6ctWePW/s320/Tropico3+16.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5465188768107804770" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />You have to appreciate the detail in this game. It truly gives you that "Havana" feel</blockquote> <br /><br /><br />Here is a list of the achievements you can earn in the game - <br /><br />El Prez 101 <br />Learn how to run a Banana Republic - 5gp<br /><br />Presidente for life <br />Prove your governing skills on 15 different islands in Campaign mode - 50gp<br /><br />Frequent Flier <br />Build an Airport - 10gp<br /><br />Call me Tropifeller <br />Build a Skyscraper Hotel - 5gp<br /><br />License to Kill <br />Issue 5 kill orders in one game - 5gp<br /><br />Generous Leader <br />Bribe 10 citizens in one game - 10gp<br /><br />You Saw Nothing <br />Arrange 15 "Accidents" in one game - 15gp<br /><br />A little something <br />Have over $20 000 in your Swiss Bank account - 10gp<br /><br />Pension Fund <br />Have over $50 000 in your Swiss Bank account - 20gp<br /><br />Filthy Rich <br />Have over $100 000 in your Swiss Bank account - 30gp<br /><br />Tropican Fiesta <br />Finish a game with overall Happiness of your citizens above 70% - 40gp<br /><br />Viva la Revolution! <br />Finish a "Rebel Yell" Sandbox game. - 10gp<br /><br />Tropico Tycoon <br />Construct 3 different industry buildings in one game - 20gp<br /><br />Bureaucrat <br />Issue 200 edicts - 30gp<br /><br />My People Love Me <br />Win 80% of the votes in Elections - 20gp<br /><br />Nephew Sam <br />Make an alliance with the US - 10gp<br /><br />Comrade Presidente <br />Make an alliance with the USSR - 10gp<br /><br />Curse of the Llama <br />Survive 10 Hurricanes and Earthquakes - 40gp<br /><br />Coup de Grace <br />Suppress a Military Coup - 20gp<br /><br />Red Wire, Green Wire <br />Deal with a bomb threat - 20gp<br /><br />The Negotiator <br />Resolve a hostage situation - 10gp<br /><br />Agent 00 <br />Establish Secret Police - 10gp<br /><br />It's Just a Flesh Wound <br />Survive an assassination attempt - 20gp<br /><br />In the Ivory Tower <br />Address the people from the balcony of your Palace - 10gp<br /><br />Honest Politician <br />Fulfill an Election Promise - 20gp<br /><br />Black Gold <br />Earn $100 000 from Oil export - 35gp<br /><br />Fruitas LTD CEO <br />Become a leading exporter of tropical fruits - 10gp<br /><br />El Commandante <br />Finish your mandate on 5 different islands in Campaign mode - 30gp<br /><br />Let There Be Light <br />Build a Power Plant - 10gp<br /><br />Homes for Everyone <br />Have population of over 250 and no Shacks - 30gp<br /><br />Maximum Security <br />Arrest 20 citizens in one game - 20gp<br /><br />Man of the People <br />Finish a game with respect of all factions above 70 - 40gp<br /><br />Accomplished Dictator <br />Lead 10 different islands to prosperity in Campaign mode - 40gp<br /><br />Tropican Utopia <br />Finish a Sandbox game in God mode - 5gp<br /><br />Tropico and Beyond <br />Finish an online Challenge - 20gp<br /><br />Free Elections <br />Finish a "Free Elections" Sandbox game - 10gp<br /><br />Elitist <br />Construct 1337 buildings - 50gp<br /><br />Top Exporter <br />Earn $1 000 000 from industry in a single game - 30gp<br /><br />Viva El Presidente! <br />Win a battle against the Rebels - 20gp<br /><br />Iron Fist <br />Suppress an uprising - 30gp<br /><br />Architect <br />Rush the construction of 5 buildings - 10gp<br /><br />Guest of Honor <br />Make 10 official visits to buildings - 15gp<br /><br />High Praise <br />Praise yourself in an Election Speech - 10gp<br /><br />Heavy Traffic <br />Construct at least 1000 meters of roads and 4 Garages - 30gp<br /><br />Distinguished Service <br />Decorate a soldier with a medal - 10gp<br /><br />Metropolis <br />Construct 200 buildings on one island - 25gp<br /><br />Militarist <br />Have more than 20 soldiers and generals in one game - 20gp<br /><br />Paradise Island <br />Earn $1 000 000 from tourism profits in a single game - 40gp<br /><br />Tourist Resort<br />Build all Tourist Attractions on one island - 10gp<br /><br />If you play games like I do, <a href="http://a.tellapal.com/a/RDAiFN">GameFly</a> is for you. Follow the link and get a 2 game free trial!<blockquote></blockquote>Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-25920489516084572452009-12-13T19:40:00.000-08:002009-12-13T20:06:37.406-08:00Bring On The ICE!!!!!Well, it's that time of year again! The chill is gone from the air and has been replaced by the bitter cold breath old man winter. And that can only mean one thing... ICE FISHING!!!! There is nothing quite like sitting on the ice first thing in the morning with a hot coffee and a wet line. And it can't happened quick enough. <br /><br />I have been out to a few lakes here locally to check ice conditions and my findings are good. We have had nice cold temperatures and very little snow, so the ice is coming along nicely. One of my favorite early season spots was about 2 1/2 inches thick, clear as could be, and hardly any snow on the lake. And with conditions like we are supposed to be having for the next week, we should have good ice.<br /><br />For the past three weeks, I have been getting my equipment out from it's hiding spots and ready for the first ice that will be here soon. My rods are ready, my gear is clean and ready, and the "Bucket of Wonder and Awe" is ready for another season. Now, all that is left is the wait....Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-68830152881285093932009-11-13T09:53:00.000-08:002009-11-24T06:44:23.715-08:00Sometimes, It's a Long Hard HuntThis hunting season has been very slow for me. With my injury that happened just three days before early goose season, getting out and about has been quite the chore. But it is always worth it. I have never had a hunt where I said "I wish I would have just stayed home". But, this past week, I came very close.<br /><br />A friend of mine made his way up from North Carolina to do some Michigan duck hunting. He moved away from Michigan a few years back, but the waterfowl hunting out by him just isn't the same as it is here in Michigan. So, a couple of months ago he called me up and said he wanted to make a trip up here and told me to keep an eye out on the duck reports so we could have an awesome hunt. I was pumped when the time grew near.<br /><br />He arrived in Michigan and took a quick power nap, then called me up for an evening hunt. He had always wanted to hunt the <a href="http://www.geneseecountyparks.org/holloway.htm">Holloway Reservoir</a>, a place where he grew up fishing. I had never been there, but from what he described, it sounded like a duck haven. After a little research, I found a few forums that talked about the hunting out there, and there were a few success stories. Game on. <br /><br />We got to the primitive launch site and dropped the boat in. It was pretty rocky, so we walked the boat the first 50 or so yards. After that it was smooth sailing. We reached the other side of the reservoir and found our spot, but the water level was very low. Time to test out the <a href="http://www.muddybuddy.com/">Mudd Buddy</a>. We zipped across the remaining water until we got within 30 yards of where we were going to set up, then the mud changed. It went from sloppy mud to thick clay-like mud. So we got out again and pulled the rest of the way. We set up on a little point surrounded by cattails and a nice cross wind. After setting out a small spread, we brushed up the boat and got ready. everything was perfect and in place. But one thing was missing. Ducks. It was two hours before we saw our first birds, and they we a faint vision on the horizon. Every duck from then on followed the same flight path. <br /><br />I was scanning the horizon when my buddy said to me "Hey. Wasn't that cinder block over there under water when we were setting decoys?". "I hope not" I replied. There was only about 30 minutes of shooting light left, so we watched to see if the water dropped any more. Then, he said he needed to use the little boys room. Now, anyone that has any experience hunting knows that the second you go to relieve yourself, whatever you are hunting will come out at that exact moment, stick out it's tongue and wave, then make it's way back out of sight. I told him that the second he stepped out of the boat, the ducks would come in. But he really had to go. Sure enough, the second his foot hit the water, a pair of woodies came in from behind. He scrambled back into the boat, but we were made and the pair got out of there. And that was the extend of our action. Last light came and our hunting was over.<br /><br />But the story does not end there. Oh no, not at all. As we looked out of the boat, we noticed that more of the cinder block was indeed showing. The reservoir was being drained while we were in it. And when we stepped out of the boat, our boots hit ground and not water. It took almost 30 minutes to get the boat moved over to water that was float-able. As we made our way to our spread, we noticed that some of our decoys we actuality starting to tip because the keels were touching the bottom. Not good. Now for the trip out. Now, keep in mind that I am freshly out of a cast and am not supposed to be walking without a brace, let alone walking through a marsh dragging a boat. we wound up dragging (not floating) the boat probably around 100 yards or so. We finally reached float-able water and jumped in. We are now home free. Well not quite. We made our way back through the canals looking for our launch. But it was no where to be found. We drove up and down those canals, but just could not find it. Then it hit us. We had to drag the boat when we put it in because it was too shallow. And since the water had dropped, that canal was probably land locked. After some searching, we found another primitive boat launch and parked the boat. My friend then had a nice little walk to try to find the other boat launch and his truck. What a night. Then, to top it off, we were standing on the back of his tilt trailer to get the boat loaded and I stepped on one of the tail lights instead of the frame. The light had no chance against me and instantly broke.<br /><br />All in all, I was glad to get out and hunt somewhere new. But, I was real close to saying those eight little words....Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-78669835282283496812009-10-25T15:08:00.000-07:002009-11-13T12:39:14.243-08:00My First Regular Season Duck Hunt/MacGyver BootFor those of you that haven't read my previous blogs, I have been down for the count since a few days before early goose season with a broken leg. I have made it out a few times but, because of other complications, I was only able to get out a few times. And it was on a pond in my buddies back yard. It was fun, but it's just not the same as actually getting out in the field.<br /><br />Well, I got a call from my friend Mike and he asks if I want to head out with him and another good friend, Randy. From my reaction, anyone around must have thought that I had just gotten a call from the Lotto Commission. I quickly told him I would love to go, and he gave me a time to meet them.<br /><br />I went up to my hunting closet and started to get all of my gear together. It felt too good to grab my duck jacket, my trusty auto-loader, and my blind bag to go hunting and not just to move them. But then I came across a problem. While we were going to be hunting from shore, any waterfowler will tell you that at some point, you will get wet. I am still wearing an immobilizing boot, and it will not fit in or around it. I had to make something that would not come off and would be waterproof, and not just for a bit. The weather channel was calling for rain for the rest of the day, so what ever I did had to last. But what could pull of such a feat? Duct tape? Even better. <a href="http://www.gorillaglue.com/tapes.aspx">Gorilla Tape</a>. MacGyver, eat your heart out. I made a single layer "boot" out of this stuff and it worked like a charm. It rained all day and I even took a spill at the water's edge, yet my foot was dry at the end of the night. So, add Gorilla Tape to that list of thing's to keep in the blind bag.<br /><br />On to the hunt. We set up on the shoreline of a small lake that is a local favorite for ice fishing. Mike and Randy had been out squirrel hunting and noticed a good number of wood ducks on the back side of this lake, so they decided to check it out. After a little scouting, they picked out a few good blind spots, and a new hunting spot was born. After throwing out a small decoy spread, we sat back up in the weeds and began the wait. And the majority of the night was just that. Unfortunately, we were hunting a small lake that backs up to a larger lake. And on that larger lake were some over zealous duck hunters. So, most of what came by us was moving at mach 5 and on a mission. Over all it was a good spot, it was just the wrong time. And there is no such thing as a "bad time" in the blind. There are just those that you get to pull the trigger a little bit more.Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-30592664517352619192009-10-22T18:19:00.000-07:002009-10-22T19:05:50.331-07:00Another UpdateIt has been some time since my last blog entry, so I figured I should put up a little update. Since the last entry, I have gotten a few new casts, putting my cast count up to eight. I guess I am a little hard on casts. I even had the nurse that put most of my casts on threaten me with a pink cast if I were to break any more. She kept true to her word. My seventh cast was neon pink, which my daughter loved.<br /><br /> My leg is healing wonderfully, with the only complication being that I lost most of the feeling in my left leg from the knee down. The feeling is coming back, though. The numbness is only in about half of my foot, from the middle of the foot to the toes.<br /><br /> I am also now out of the casts and into an immobilizing boot, which I will be in for another month or so. After that I have an appointment with a neurosurgeon to address the nerve issues. Yeah, not gonna happen. Color me old fashioned, but I just don't trust someone cutting and manipulating the nerves around my spine.<br /><br /> As for now, I am still pretty much out of the hunting game until I get the okay from my doctor. I was able to get out for opening day of waterfowl season. Once again, my good friend Brent came to the rescue and took me out to a blind that overlooks a pond behind his house. We didn't see a ton of birds, but I did get to pull the trigger plenty. I unfortunately shot the worst I have shot in a long time. I am going to chalk it up to the lack of practice this year.<br /><br /> Hopefully, I will get the okay to get out before the firearm opener here in Michigan. On a different note, if anyone has experience modifying a boot immobilizer to fit on the outside of waders, please email me.Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-47734145862604360612009-09-30T13:59:00.000-07:002009-09-30T14:46:40.253-07:00It Feels Good to Get OutWell, last week I got yet another new cast, and this one was going to be my salvation. I was getting a walking cast that I could actually walk on. I have had a walking cast for a while, but it was just because I kept breaking them and they needed something that could stand up to the awesome power the is me. But this one was for real. And when the doctor came in and told me, I couldn't help but grin ear to ear.<br /><br /> The second I got home, I started making the plan to get out. My brother in law was out hunting, so I called him to make sure that we weren't going to be hunting the same land. He told me he was actually heading in and going to grab his son, and that they would swing by and pick me up. Rock on.<br /><br /> So I gathered up all of my gear and waited. I felt like a kid in bed on Christmas Eve. I must have gone through my gear a dozen times while waiting. Then I heard the car pull up in the driveway. The closest thing I can use to describe my actions was they were similar to that of a dog that knows it's master just came home from work. I had completely forgot about my leg. I had not taken any pain medication as I did not want to go into the woods with a firearm while feeling those effects. But, for the moment, the pain could not have any farther from my mind.<br /><br /> As we are getting ready, my brother in law got a phone call. It was his work, and guess who was called in? Well, it looks like it's going to be just my nephew and myself. We can do this. So, my wonderful wife drops us off in the back of <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?type=SPRK&id=492">7 Lakes State Park</a>, and we make our way into the woods. I can feel my heart pounding to the point where I can hear it. We cross the wood line into the woods and pick out a nice log to sit on and wait. After about 25 minutes, we move to another spot. After another 25 minutes and nothing, we move again. The rest of our night went about the same. We would wait 25 minutes or so and move to the next spot, seeing the occasional hunter and a few crows. By the end of the hunt, we had made it all the way to the front of the park, and we only saw one chipmunk. <br /><br /> The next day, I was in more pain than I had been in for a long time. And it was more than worth it. Not only did I get a young hunter out, but I myself felt like a new hunter going out for the first time.Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-33113505202288306662009-09-20T13:28:00.000-07:002009-09-20T15:36:21.058-07:00A Quick Update And A RealizationFor those of you that have been following, I had an incident that left me with a cast that will be here for most of the hunting season, if not the entire season.<br /><br /> Well, I now have my third cast on. It's a walking cast that I can't walk on. Kind of a cruel joke if you ask me! But I destroyed my last cast, so that had to give me something that could survive my daily abuse. On the good side, it is healing according to plan. So, as of now, no surgery is needed. Thank God for that!<br /><br /> To make things easier, and to make sure that there is no movement of the bone fragments, I have been put in a wheelchair that I am using 90% of the time now. At first, I had this idea that I would be more able to head into the woods with my new wheels. Well, I had a rude awakening the other day. I went to a local carnival with my family like we do every year. And moving around on the pavement was not bad. But when my daughter wanted to go to the kids game tent, everything changed. It was on a grassy lot next to the parking lot, and let me tell you, soft ground is a whole different ballgame. Every divot became a little wall that I would have to try to maneuver over. Every little soft spot seemed like I was sinking in tar.<br /><br /> I have said a lot in the last few weeks how much respect I have now for those men and women that have life challenges (the majority much worse than mine, and permanent) and still get out and enjoy the wonderful gift of the outdoors that God has given us. And I don't want to sound like a broken record, but I can't help but give more praise to those men and women. I find out more every day about how hard things can be and how many things I have taken for granted.Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-74932311387428939032009-09-18T05:16:00.000-07:002009-09-18T05:24:54.080-07:00The Hard HuntIn my last installment, I expressed how I was feeling about my situation and how it is affecting my hunting lifestyle. Now, while I still have those feelings, I am also in awe. When it comes down to it, my plight is rather small. I have a broken leg, and nothing more. I can still move around with the use of crutches, or a wheelchair, if the going is rough. And, although I will be in this state for the majority of the hunting season, come next season (God willing), I will be healed and in tip-top shape for my hunts.<br /> <br /> What put me in awe was a group of people that I met last year at a hunting expo that I had a booth at last year in Imlay City, Michigan. The group is called <a href="http://www.wheelinteam457.com">Wheelin' Team 457</a>. Their mission statement is, “to provide the physically challenged with indoor and outdoor sports and recreation”. They also strive to spread awareness. Now, the gentlemen that I met weren't in a cast like I am. They were limited to the use of a wheelchair and two of them had slightly limited use of their arms. And they were talking about a goose hunt they had been on! We talked for a bit about what they do and hunts they had been on. You simply can't help but be inspired. These guys have the passion that hunting is really all about. <br />And they represent that passion. They embody the true spirit of hunting and sportsmanship.<br /> <br /> I used to take for granted how easy it was to simply go out for a quick hunt. To know what will be involved every time you hunt, and that it will never get any easier, and still have the drive to do it time and time again is something I can only hope to have for the remainder of my days.<br /><br /> On a different note, I am hopefully getting a wheelchair that's big enough for me (that's a whole other story) so I can get out into the woods here in the next week. Wish me luck!Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-30355476840496056042009-09-02T19:09:00.000-07:002009-09-03T05:31:10.562-07:00Early Season BluesWe all have our "thing". For some people it's shopping. For others, it's gambling, or alcohol, or newborn babies, or any other number of things. It's that thing you live for. The one thing that, no matter how bad things are going, will lift you up. Make you whole. For me, that one thing is waterfowling. Now, don't get me wrong. I love hunting and the outdoors. But there is just something about waterfowling that makes me whole. I would even venture to say that it borders on a religious experience.<br /><br /> And nothing has driven that thought home any farther than this week. If you have read my previous blog, you know that I had a mishap with a deer blind and broke my leg. So here I sit. First two days of early goose season. I should be in a blind with good friends. But I am not. And, from what they and their pictures tell me, this is the beginning of an awesome season. Mike and his group have put down more that 30 birds in the last 34 hours, one of them with a band. Now, I don't want this to sounds like I am angry. I find some comfort in knowing that they are out enjoying the sport that I love so much. But I can't help but to be jealous. <br /><br /> In the last 48 hours, I have felt a void that I have not felt in years, not since I started hunting. I guess it is true about what they say about "not knowing what you have until it is gone". And it's not even gone. It has simply been delayed. I know that the cast will be off by firearm deer season, so I will have some regular season waterfowling to do. And if my cast "modification" idea works, I might even be able to be in field by mid next week. But that is still a week away. A week of a two week season.<br /><br /> To pass the time, I have tried to read up on decoy spreads, shooting tips, and any other information I can bring up on my computer screen. If I can gain more knowledge about the sport that I am missing, the I will be all the better when I recover. But I still find my mind drifting to despair. I know you probably think this sounds like a little kid throwing a tantrum. And you would be right. That's what I feel like. Our adult lives are based on what we can control. Your entire being revolves around what you make happen, be it the littlest detail or a life altering decision. And while it was my bonehead move that put me into this predicament, I fell as if I have lost all control. Like maybe there is something I am missing. Something I can be doing to make this better. But in the end I know that I just have to be patient. When this is all said and done, there will be more seasons. This is not the end, but it sure does feel like it.Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-32059964706878832362009-09-01T04:12:00.001-07:002009-09-01T11:17:31.690-07:00Getting Ready For Deer Season; Season is Already OverThis past weekend, I headed north with a friend of mine (and two new friends) to work on some property that we are going to be hunting this year. Now, for those of you that know me, I have never shot a deer. In fact, I have never even seen a deer while deer hunting. When I am small game hunting, I dang near trip over them, but never when I am chasing the great Whitetail.<br /><br /> We started off by tilling up a few small plots (maybe 1/3 acre) that had been planted with clover earlier, but he didn't remove the oak leaves before he tilled, making it very acidic. Unfortunately, about half way down the trail, the drive belt snapped on the tiller. So, the rest of the day was up to us and our trusty rakes. Fun. After the leaves were picked up, we laid down a hefty helping of lime, followed by more clover, another random blend, then some neutral fertilizer. On to the next plot.<br /><br /> The next one wasn't nearly as bad. No leaves here. The clover here is coming up pretty well. The problem we were having was lack of sunlight. We had to remove some trees, but which ones? The problem we faced was the types of trees we were dealing with. The majority were white oak and cedar, with a few poplar in between. The poplar can go no problem, but the white oak and cedar are two major attractants for deer. So, after careful consideration, we cut a select few, making a few funnels with the fallen trees as we go. Now it's time to cut the shooting lanes for this plot. Next to this plot is the shooting house called "the condo", mainly because of the room you have to move around, and the Lay-Z-Boy chair that has replaced the overturned bucket. Part of this trip was to install another window on the one side so you would also have a shot into the food plot about 40 yards away, as well as the on in front of the shooting house. After an hour or so of clearing, we are good to go. But just to make sure, we all pile into the shooting house to check for ourselves. And it is in the next 30 seconds that my season ended before it even started.<br /><br /> As everyone piles out of the shooting house and down that ladder, someone made the comment about being careful coming down the ladder. Which is always a good idea, but how bad could you really get hurt falling from this thing? The top step is only at five foot at the most. So I start to make my way down. The, the next thing I know, maybe four foot off the ground, I'm falling. I don't know how it happened, but it did. I tried to bring my legs down, but my right foot became caught in the ladder, leaving my left leg the only one to break my fall. And that it did. The second I hit the ground, I heard the "crack!" come from somewhere in my lower leg. My buddy yells, "what the hell just happened?! Did you fall?". To which another friend replies, "yeah, he did. I tried to catch him, but it happened too fast.". "Are you all right?". Not wanting to ruin the rest of the work we still had before us, I replied, "Yeah. I'm fine. I just need to move around so it doesn't get stiff. I can walk this one off". With the adrenaline and initial shock, the pain was not bad at all, so I just kept working. But after a bit, each step became harder and harder, until eventually it was too much and I had to sit the rest of the day out. The other guys worked like madmen trying to get the rest of the work done so we could get out of there, and after a couple more hours, all of the work was done. Well, everything aside from the window because Brent forgot to bring the hinges and enough OSB (I told you I wouldn't let you forget that move :)). After that, we made our way back down south, with a little side trip to drop me off at one of the local hospitals. So, I sit here writing this on opening day of early goose season with a cast that will be with me for quite some time and my broken tibia. But all is not lost yet. I'm working on an idea for and epoxy coating and Mossy Oak Duck Blind burlap for the new cast I get next week. Wish me luck...Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-65944752673189825332009-08-27T11:12:00.000-07:002009-08-27T16:37:02.105-07:00Scouting... From Your ArmchairOne of the most important pieces of the successful hunting puzzle is scouting. You can have every other aspect of your hunt down to a perfect science, but if you aren't where the game want to be, your chance of success is slim at best. And that is why every year we hit the woods and waters to observe. To try to pick up any indication of our game's everyday rituals so, when season comes, we can be in that right spot at the right time. <br /><br /> But where do we start? Starting is often where a lot of us have the biggest problem. Between work, family life, and many other commitments, we find it hard to go out and pick a piece of land and just start looking and even more so if you are scouting state land. <br /><br /> Now, there is nothing that will replace getting out into your prospective hunting areas. But you can eliminate a bit of leg work from the beginning of your scouting. And it can be done from the comfort of your home or office on a coffee break or commercial break on your favorite outdoor channel. Cyber Scouting is quickly becoming a popular form of early scouting, if not part of the norm. With programs such as Google Earth and MapQuest, You can get a good idea of the lay of the land. You can find where a field meets a a forested area, or a natural funnel in the middle of that prime deer spot. You can also see the elevation and where the good vantage points may be, along with noticeable landmarks, should you decide to check the area out further. And for those hunting state owned land, some programs show the hunting land boundaries and parking areas. Some programs also show coordinates so you can punch them into your GPS.<br /><br /> While this will not replace the actual footwork of getting into the woods, it will speed the process along. It can also provide that little bit of needed motivation to get out to do your scouting. I know that once I see a spot that looks prime, I want to check out the new spot so bad, it feels like waiting for Christmas morning. So pull up a chair and start scouting!Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-55792944194619651002009-08-14T18:48:00.001-07:002009-08-14T19:36:10.962-07:002009-10 Michigan Waterfowl Dates & RegulationsThe waterfowl season is fast approaching, so its time to start making our plans on the water and in the fields. I just received this email from the Michigan DNR today, outlining this up coming season...<br /><br />Michigan duck hunters will enjoy three opening days this fall as the<br />Natural Resources Commission set waterfowl seasons at its meeting<br />Thursday in Lansing.<br /><br />The seasons, which were recommended by Department of Natural Resources<br />biologists, correspond to the recommendations of the Citizens Waterfowl<br />Advisory Committee, which met Aug. 8.<br /><br />Duck seasons will run Sept. 26 - Nov. 20 and Nov. 26-29 in the North<br />Zone (Upper Peninsula), Oct. 3 - Nov. 29 and Dec. 5-6 in the Middle<br />Zone, and Oct. 10 - Dec. 6 and Jan. 2-3 in the South Zone.<br /><br />There is an open season on canvasbacks this year as well as expanded<br />opportunity for scaup. The daily bag limit is six ducks to include no<br />more than four mallards (no more than one hen), three wood ducks, two<br />redheads, two scaup, one pintail, one black duck and one canvasback. <br /><br />Early Canada goose season opens Sept. 1 and runs through Sept. 15<br />statewide, except for the Upper Peninsula and Saginaw, Tuscola and Huron<br />counties, where it runs through Sept. 10. The daily bag limit is five.<br /><br />Regular goose seasons are Sept. 16 - Oct. 30 in the North Zone; Oct.3 -<br />Nov. 9 and Nov. 26 - Dec. 2 in the Middle Zone; and Oct. 10 - Nov. 12<br />and Nov. 26 - Dec. 6 in the South Zone, except for designated Goose<br />Management Units (GMU). The daily bag limit is two.<br /><br />In the Saginaw County and Tuscola/Huron GMUs, the goose season is Oct.<br />10 - Nov. 12, Nov. 26 - Dec.6, and Jan. 2-31 with a bag limit of two.<br /><br />In the Allegan County GMU, the season is Nov. 28 - Dec. 21 and Dec.<br />28-Jan. 17 with a bag limit of two.<br /><br />In the Muskegon Waste Water GMU, the season is Oct. 13 - Nov. 14 and<br />Dec. 1-12 with a bag limit of two.<br /><br />Elsewhere in the South Zone, the late season is Jan. 2-31 with a bag<br />limit of five.<br /><br />Hunters may also harvest other geese during the regular and late goose<br />seasons in their respective zones. The bag limits are 10 snow, blue and<br />Ross’ geese in combination; and one white-fronted goose or one brant.<br /><br />Hunters are also reminded of the Youth Waterfowl Weekend on Sept.<br />19-20. This hunt is statewide for licensed youths 10 to 15 years of<br />age. Youths must be accompanied by a parent, guardian, or someone 18<br />years or older. The adult will not be allowed to hunt waterfowl and is<br />not required to have a waterfowl hunting license. The daily limits are<br />the same as those allowed for the regular duck season.<br /><br />To learn more about hunting opportunities in Michigan, visit the<br />DNR’s Web site at <a href="http://www.michigan.gov/dnrhunting">www.michigan.gov/dnrhunting</a>.Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-16987934910615376182009-07-23T20:19:00.000-07:002009-08-13T10:10:16.068-07:00My Newest Venure: Bass Fishing!I have always considered myself a fisherman. Never pro or an expert, but I knew enough to hold my own. Boy, was I wrong. All of these years I have spent a few weekends here and there drowning worms with the occasional walleye trip in between, and even then it was more about hanging out and having fun than fishing. Ice fishing has always been fun, but it's a whole different ballgame. Not anymore.<br /><br /> Two weeks ago, I packed up the car and headed to the great northern wilderness of Mackinac (Mack-e-naw) to join fellow Pro-Staffer Tim Ford and Mike and Mike from the Up North Journal for a weekend of salmon fishing. Unfortunately, half way there, I got a phone call from Mike saying that both of the boats that the charter service we were using had broke down. Bummer. But not to worry, as Mike always has a plan B. "We'll just do some inland fishing," he said. Not what I was hoping for, but it's better than sitting at home, right?<br /><br /> First off, I had forgotten how beautiful the northern woods of Michigan are. Whoever coined the phrase "Sportsman's Paradise" couldn't have been more right. When I stepped out of the car, it felt like a wave of tranquility ran over me.<br /><br /> We all gathered in the cabin and talked about what the next day's plan's were going to hold. And after we had a game plan, we headed out to the local outfitter to pick up a few supplies. While we were there, we met up with our newest field staff member, Dan Block, from Escanaba. We then headed back to the cabin and I had the pleasure of watching, for the first time, "Escanaba In Da Moonlight". If you haven't seen it, finish reading this, then get to your local video store and rent it. You'll be glad you did. And, you will see our field staffer Dan Block in the first 10 minutes! But now, onto the fishing.<br /><br /> 5 a.m. came early the next morning, but we were all ready to go. After a bit of a drive and our usual breakfast at the golden arches, we arrived at our first lake. We fished there for about four hours, throwing everything we had. Not much happened. We landed a few small pike and a small mouth bass. We were all getting hungry and Dan had to make his trip home, so we broke for lunch. After a little debating, we picked another lake that looked like it could show some promise. We were told that there was an abundance of pike in this lake, so we switched gears and set up for predator fishing. We got off to a slow start, but after an hour or so, I got our first strike on a green BuzzFrog. A minute or so later, we had our first bass of the day in the boat. Rock on. Then about 20 minutes later, I got another hit. And another bass. Time to switch tactics. Tim and Mike start throwing out plastics. Now, I have bought plastics in the past, but I have honestly never used one. And up until that point, I had never know how to fish plastics. I had always thought that they were fished just like regular worms. That's when Mike showed me the beauty of the "Texas Rig". He handed me a Zoom white Horney Toad, showed me how to rig it weedless, and that's when the fun started. I was suddenly able to cast into places that would have brought me only headaches before. They also taught me about letting the lure drop for a second after it came over top of a lily pad. Watching it drop into the lilies and having to rely entirely on feel was awesome. Colors also play a big role. While white was hot in the middle of the day, Watermelon Seed was on fire towards dark.<br /><br />I have found yet another venture to get me into the outdoors, and I am better for it. I also learned more important lesson about bass fishing. When setting the hook, one of the most important elements is reciting a certain word that somehow complete the act of setting the hook. So, in ending, BOOYAH!!!Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-48130231078567061242009-07-13T18:28:00.000-07:002009-07-16T07:22:34.411-07:00My First Tukey HuntSome people might call me a green horn when it comes to hunting. While most people get their start in the outdoors at a young age, I did not hear the call of the wild until later in life. So, to me, some of what I experience in the woods is done so through virgin eyes. I experience the same wonderment and awe that is felt by a child on their first hunt. That is the reason I never turn down the opportunity to hunt something new. And most recently, that new thing was turkey.<br />And, as most of my new adventures, my good friend Mike Adams was there to show me the way. Our first morning, we make our usual stop at the golden arches, then head over to the hunting grounds. As we are getting our gear on, I hear the distance thunder of a gobble. Commence adrenaline application. Now, we are hunting in an area that I<em> thought</em> I knew well. Yet, as we head in, I'm already noticing new things. As we entered a large, open field, we hear the thunder again. I can feel my heart starting to beat faster. But we are a bit behind schedule, so we start to pick up the pace. As we head into the woods, we hear a few more gobbles, and we start moving even faster. At this point, we are being less than stealthy. After debating a few different spots, we settled down in front of a fallen oak tree with Mike sitting on a crook in the top of the tree and myself kneeling behind it.<br />That's when we heard them sound off. We had thought that we were within maybe 150 yards of their roosting tree. We were wrong. Somehow, even after all the noise we had made coming in, we had made it to within 40 yards of their roosting tree! And they were none the wiser. Mike started in on the calls and then we sat in anticipation for a second or two before they started to talk back. It was game on. They made their way to us in no time flat, sounding off the whole way. My heart felt like it was going to start breaking ribs. Then, when they got about 20 yards away from us, they stopped. We were rushing in so quickly to set up, we did not notice the flooded timber between, directly in front of us. And turkeys are not fond of water. They would look at our decoys, then pace in a small circle, then stare our decoys down again. And the whole time this was going on, I was in a position where I could not see a thing! This went on for about seven hours (it was really more like ten minutes).<br />It was at about this time that I was starting to feel the pain of sitting perfectly still for so long in a kneeling position. I quietly asked Mike let me know when it was clear for me to move, and he just kept telling me, "not yet". After what seemed like another seven hours, he whispered, "Okay. You can move now. Just try to keep low," as the turkeys were looking for a way around the water. So I quietly hopped over to the other side of the tree. And that's when I saw my first turkey up close. I mean, I was close enough where I could see their eyes. I was two seconds away from going into total meltdown. I just wanted to pull that trigger so bad, I could taste it.<br />But I did not have a good shot. Mike could have possibly taken one, but he said he wanted to see me take my first gobbler, so he declined.<br />That's when nature stepped in. On a ridge about 150 yards off, a hen started to yelp. And that was it. Check and mate. Those toms were off like a rocket. Turkeys 1 and Hunters 0.<br />So, we go to check out another spot down the road. On the way there, we saw a tom in a small clearing off of the side of the road. We quickly pull over and set up in a field not too far away from the other, and Mike starts in with the calling. We listen, but hear nothing. After a little looking around, that tom is no where to be found. Off to the next spot.<br />We took a small drive to see if we can spot any in a field that we normally see them in. As we pass, time stops. There he is. A boss tom that would be a prise for any hunter. Just standing there in all of his glory. We spin the truck around and head up to an old access road to start our hike in. This is going to be tough, as the land we saw him on was private property, so we are going to have to call him to us. And big turkeys, just like every other prize animal, don't get to be that big by being stupid. They are smarter than the rest. That's how they have made it this long. After a nice hike up the back of this property, we find what looks to be another old access road, and our target is at the end of it and just off to the side. So, once again, we set up. Mike starts in with the calling. He threw everything he had at him. Nothing. This one lives for another season.<br />I went out again with Mike, once with his son, and a few times by myself, with the same results as that first day. But I learned a lot, spent time with good friends, and most of all, it was quality time spent outdoors!Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-11951135850114099912009-05-18T09:14:00.001-07:002009-07-13T16:15:47.896-07:00Second Annual Houghton Lake Ice Fishing TripWell, it's been a while since I have last written, so I have alot of catching up to do! And the first story that I would like to tell is about our trip up to <a href="http://www.visithoughtonlake.com/">Houghton Lake </a>for another stay out on the ice and the adventures that come with it. This year, my good friend Mike, along with his sons (and equally good friends) Mike and Jake accompanied me on this winter camp out. We started out our trip early Friday morning with a break from the norm and went to Tim Hortons instead of our normal Micky D's breakfast befor our two and a half hour drive. We arrived at <a href="http://www.houghtonlakefishing.com/">Lyman's on the Lake</a> where we checked in and bought all of our last minute supplies and bait. They helped us load all of our things onto the shuttle they provided and we made our way out to our home for the weekend. There was a pleasant surprise this year, as Lymans added a second set of bunks on the other side of the shanty. We got set up and started to rig up our poles and tip-ups with eager anticipation to the fishing frenzy we were about to take part in. After about an hour, we started popping holes in the ice with our new StrikeMaster power auger (we HAD to get a new toy for the trip) and set our tip-ups around the shanty.<br />But lets backtrack for a second. Before we had left, we decided we were going to play a game called "group tip-up". The rules of this game are pretty simple. Every hour or so, a new tip-up is chosen out of the group and deemed the "group tip-up". During that time, anyone who sees the flag spring on that tip-up can get it. If more than one person notices, they can do anything in their power (within reason - we don't want any one getting sevely hurt) to prevent the others from getting it first. The first person to get their hands on the tip-up gets to reel it in.<br /> Now, back to the fishing. It's about here is where I would like to tell you that we brought them in left and right. That it was all we could do to keep bait on our lines. But that's not how it happened. Along with us came a low pressure system that killed all the fishing on the lake. There we a few flags here and there, but none in our camp.<br />Combine that with the near foot of snow that came down in blizzard conditions, it just wasn't a good weekend for ice fighting. But we still had a good time. We made the best of all of the time we spent inside our shanty. We ate like kings, told and retold stories, and made some fond memories. After all, isn't that what it's all about?Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-8540631721425087212009-01-19T14:50:00.000-08:002009-01-19T15:39:47.386-08:00Awesome Fish Recipe: Fish Crack!Well, I have been saying for some time that I would give you guys (and gals) my wife's awesome fish recipe that I have dubbed "fish crack". It's pretty simple and the first time I made it, we had five kids over and all of them loved it (and for my kids, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">that's</span> a feat!). <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">In fact</span>, I only got a few <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">pieces</span> that first time she made them. The kids got the rest! So here is the soon-to-be world famous "fish crack" recipe....<br /><br /><br /><br />Fish Crack<br /><br />(Oven-Fried Fish Fillets)<br />Prep Time: 10 min<br />Cook Time: 20 min<br />4 servings<br /><br />4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter<br />2/3 cup crushed crackers (I use Ritz)<br />1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 1-ounce)<br />1/2 teaspoon dried basil<br />1/2 teaspoon dried oregano<br />1/4 teaspoon garlic powder<br />1 pound sole, scrod, perch, blue gill or other mild-tasting fish fillets<br />Lemon wedges<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees F<br /><br />Melt the butter in a 9 by 13-inch pan in the oven. While it melts, combine everything else except the fish in a pie pan. Dip the fish around in the melted butter, dip each piece in the crumb mixture, and return it to the baking pan. Bake the fillets for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the fish flakes with a fork. Serve with lemon wedges if like.<br /><br />These are also good fried, just not as healthy. Same process, just fry 'em for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Make sure you have the grease good and hot! Enjoy!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5293152637545050562" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaiPm4wYHH8mGGLzMV9WGAA3wwZFYAImgzv0dZFgSmSsAzCgo0yQVs0l1LZjFpwG6vEhc-yTBzj8WaSKH_SAzyp8yFRftVYxPXlxbHYRAoDzoMLAdrD-GS600UK6H8EY7YoleYuxJMWiJt/s400/fishandchips.jpg" />Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-86311390315892925902009-01-04T07:27:00.000-08:002009-01-04T08:05:34.571-08:00First Limit of the Year on the Ice<div>Last weekend I was really craving some fish so I decided to go find a cure for my hunger. I headed out to <a href="http://www.dnr.state.mi.us/SPATIALDATALIBRARY/PDF_MAPS/INLAND_LAKE_MAPS/OAKLAND/LITTLE_SEVEN_LAKE.PDF">Little Seven Lake</a> in Holly to try my early morning luck. The walk out was less than fun because of the foot of snow on the ground. To make it even better, it was very warm out for this time of year, so the snow was thick and heavy. As I made the trek out to the ice, I noticed a lot of wet spots on the ice. I set my gear on the shore and made my way out with my spud. I avoided the wet spots and made a zig-zag pattern across the ice, checking every 10 feet or so. A solid 4 inches in most spots. So I went back and grabbed my gear and went out to my spot and set up. I cleared out an area of snow five foot by five foot and cut my hole. The second I broke through, water poured out, and the rest of the day I was standing in about 3 inches of water. Thank God I bought those new insulated rubber knee boots! When I finally got set up, I pulled out my trusty pan fish ice , tipped the teardrop with a waxxie, and sent it on it's way to work. I found bottom, reeled up about a foot, and let it set. Then, the first strike of the day. A nice gill. Teardrop back down the hole. This time, it didn't even have enough time to reach bottom. Another bite. And another nice gill. I repeated this process for about two hours. After the first 15, I started to get picky about what to keep. "Nothing under seven inches," I told myself. About two hours is all it took to limit out for the first time this ice season. I was home by 10am and ready to feed my addiction for fish. My wife found a new recipe for fish that I have dubbed "Fish Crack" because of it is possibly one of the simplest and best recipes I have ever had. And that recipe will be on here soon, I promise.</div><div> </div><div> My Limit from Little Seven</div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5287468921489738514" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9zStLjdq9JzVn1z-qqoxoyFElM5Eao2uypXwZQ68E6r43iBTxY3BySVS2b8VMl1nL2DFuRBMExDKmj2PGgVYBAt1zTwwiLrfA25KMrW5URMaznmwj1zoJWllvxZd3aAXUyQwh9lF5Jz5Z/s400/PICT0002.JPG" /></div>Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-45456161312764719062008-12-19T17:27:00.000-08:002008-12-19T18:44:51.164-08:00First Ice!!!Well, the time is here to start fishing the hard waters of Michigan! I headed out to a local lake to test the ice and see if my season of ice fishing could start. I ventured out on Little Seven Lake in <a href="http://www.michigandnr.com/parksandtrails/Details.aspx?id=492&type=SPRK">Seven Lakes State Park</a> and was happy to find 4+ inches of good, solid ice! It was only an hour or so until dark, so my time was limited. I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">popped</span> a hole in the ice, set up and sat down. For the next hour, it was all I could do to keep my hands warm because I never had enough time to get my gloves on! Now when I went out, I didn't think I would find good ice, let alone find a hot-spot on the first hole. I was pulling gills up as fast as I could put the line back down to the bottom. Out of the 30 or so fish that I caught, 15 were <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">definite</span> keepers along with a 15 inch bass, my first taken through the ice. But, I didn't feel like cleaning any fish that night, so everything made it back to the hole.<br /><div></div><div>A couple of days later I went out to Big Seven Lake <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">and</span> found a solid 5+ inches of good ice, but lady luck wasn't with me that day and I went home with an empty bucket.</div><br /><div><div>Then this past weekend, I decided to take my two youngest out on the ice with me. I was also accompanied by Mikey from the Up North Journal. We decided to hit Little Seven Lake again and try our luck. I got my kids set up and, at first, the bite was slow. We really didn't have any action for the first hour. But then things picked up and the spring <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-error">bobbers</span> on the end of our rods were starting to earn <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">their</span> keep. In between bites, the kids were taking turns spinning in circles on the buckets and making snow angels, as well as a quick game of "<span id="SPELLING_ERROR_5" class="blsp-spelling-error">fishball</span>" (it's just like football, just with a frozen fish). </div><br /><div>Every couple of minutes they would come back over to the poles and fish for a second before finding another game to play. One of the times they came back to fish, my daughter, <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_6" class="blsp-spelling-error">Caitlyn,</span> was holding the rod and the tip bent right down. She <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_7" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">fought</span> and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_8" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">fought</span> like it was the last thing she was going to do. After a minute or so of reeling, I saw the flash of silver in the hole. When she <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_9" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">finally</span> pulled that fish out of the hole, I couldn't have been more proud. My daughter had pulled her first bass out of the ice. At only 12 inches, we had to let him swim away, but not before a picture and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_10" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">alot</span> of praise. Later that night, I cleaned the fish and tried a new recipe. But that will have to wait until next time...</div><br /><div></div>The kids and <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_11" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">their</span> catch from our day on the ice<br /><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281693967221682898" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQXnkeiBqb9FTz9j1p6QnHnC-_QREbPxkCvW3mNqRD_DqW0hplbcJcxJTQq1PHRS41x7N4Zl5arWu4383RLbn8IBwb-RVmobiQEDrOt-s8JAJRzO0XOg7HK48QBv_-dnvCxgmsyn4W232a/s400/Kids+Ice+Fishing+(16).JPG" /></div></div><br /><p><span id="SPELLING_ERROR_12" class="blsp-spelling-error">Caitlyn</span> and her first bass</p><br /><p></p><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5281694490871621970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEiFcRoIGQUq3epejJ5Pd8IDcCEVjNOjbgmvvVgS9NfLznbB8wW4dQPToL3VNVcnzR2NXSIee8w3hyphenhyphenaKkTFNimFV2gys8OkLabHQQhFabK58Jp9rf12yvUlONTVd9OzWdQZnSermS1w8w7/s400/Kids+Ice+Fishing+(7).JPG" /><br /><p></p><br /><p></p>Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-23489307300641101582008-12-07T09:35:00.000-08:002008-12-07T10:48:51.542-08:00Another Recipe: Disturbed Duck (or goose)<div align="left">After posting that last recipe, I decided to start to put some more up from time to time. Here is one of my favorites. I got it from my good buddy Mike at the Up North Journal. The <a href="http://www.duckhuntingchat.com/viewtopic.php?p=592219">original recipe</a> came from one of the forums on <a href="http://www.duckhuntingchat.com/">duckhuntingchat.com</a>. This is a very simple recipe with very few ingredients. And it can be done with eaither duck or goose breasts. I changed the recipe a bit, so here is my version of "Disturbed Duck"......</div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><br /><div align="left"></div><div align="center">Disturbed Duck<br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5277117860062356258" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-FREqX4PzpMLdf1ZufmmTJWeDnNMdKl1jovLxPt9GZx9Q3Yy7WvsmL9pu3a5P_maVVT-kwvZlEWx6xMt5XrPvAwwSr9xzWhnd4PUHL52W_AaRukJxqWIJVM4zY1O9UTThydViiN25wPbR/s320/1212007076.jpg" /><br /></div><div align="left"></div>Here is what you will need.....<br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">1 duck breast</div><div align="left">Teriyaki (I use Veri Veri Teriyaki)</div><div align="left">Soy Sauce</div><div align="left">Worcestershire Sauce</div><div align="left">Olive Oil</div><div align="left">Any kind of instant rice or noodles (I like the chicken flavored rice or the teriyaki rice)</div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left"></div><br /><div align="left">Start off by taking a duck breast and clean it off really good. Then cut it into thin strips (approx. 1/3in. x 3in.). Then mix 1/3 cup Teriyaki, 1 tsp soy sauce (I use the low sodium stuff), 1 1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce, and 2 tsp olive oil in a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to medium and whisk until thoroughly mixed. Start your rice or noodles per directions on the box. Put the breast strips in the sauce pan with the teriyaki mixture and cook on medium heat until you start to see the strips turn grey and blood just starts to come out of them then flip them over. Cook only for another 2 minutes or so. Duck is very easy to over cook, so watch it carefully. If you want, after you flip the breast strips, you can add a variety of whatever you want. Broccoli, sesame seeds, onion, and water chestnuts all work well. Use your imagination! Let it cool for a minute then pour it over the rice or noodles. You can make this as lavish or as simple as you like. I really enjoy these right before I go on a hunt because it is simple and quick, but very filling.</div>Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-90637898905742745482008-12-05T13:03:00.000-08:002008-12-05T14:06:17.938-08:00A Great Salmon Recipe: Maple Salmon<div>Over the past three weeks, I haven't been feeling 100%, so I haven't been out in the <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_0" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">field</span> a whole lot. Then, I have spent the better part of this past week getting various tests done, most of which required fasting. As of last night, I hadn't eaten in almost 48 hours, but I was still <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_1" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">restricted</span> because of another test, and could only eat off of a very limited menu. No meat, vegetables, butter, dairy, fried, or fatty foods. I was not very happy with my <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_2" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">choices</span>, but then I <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_3" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">noticed</span> at the bottom of the list that I could have fish! Rock On! So I dug up some old <span id="SPELLING_ERROR_4" class="blsp-spelling-corrected">recipes</span> and found a great one that is simple and delicious....</div><div><br /></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong></strong></div><div><strong>Maple Salmon</strong><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 140px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 140px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5276424243058174498" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfoyF8ng1hoMxUlzI_a6vSFWDfCN70SzPoZAgNJj8qHX0hg5tRmrP_kMfrzQ0g_dSe6KWUIe9xQM2dYF1ywIvr3KWPEfQY57XuWQr1iCX_N8OP0Xjgn1vTCu3ZMBkpSzqIRdzj9S3d3I5M/s320/Salmon.jpg" />Ingredients:<br /></div><div>1/4 cup Maple Syrup (if you want, you can cheat and use imitation)</div><div>1 pound of Salmon (I use fillets, but you can use stakes; just keep them under 2in. thick)</div><div>1/8 tbsp Ground Black Pepper</div><div>1 clove Garlic (minced)</div><div>1/4 tsp Garlic Salt</div><div>2 tbsp Soy Sauce</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Mix together the soy sauce, maple syrup, garlic, garlic salt, and pepper. In a shallow baking dish, place the salmon and coat with the syrup mixture, cover, and place in the fridge for 1 hour, turning once. Preheat the oven to 400F. Then, place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until easily flaked with a fork.</div><br /><br /><br />Simple as that. Easy and oh-so delicious. And it's healthy to boot!Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5802552664486332676.post-40817051280709203502008-11-09T05:11:00.000-08:002008-11-12T18:46:16.716-08:00Another Great Waterfowl WeekendA couple of weekends ago, both of the Mikes from the <a href="http://www.upnorthjournal.com/">Up North Journal </a>and I spent most of the weekend waterfowl hunting and it was great! We started out Friday night on <a href="http://www.lakeponemahmarina.com/index.php/map">Lake <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Ponemah</span> </a>on a little island that I have never hunted off of. Every time we have been out, someone has been out there, so we just go somewhere else. As we are first getting set up, I noticed a couple of mallards making <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">their</span> way off of the island, right where we were about to set our blind up at! Well, at least we know that there are ducks here!<br /><br />After about 30 minutes, our decoys are set up and the blind is finished. We plop down and get ready for the onslaught. Nothing. It wasn't until an hour later that we heard a flight of geese coming in. With the gun mounted camera rolling on Big Mike's gun, Little Mike and I are laying in on the goose calls (well, I'm putting as many clucks out as I could manage while Little Mike throws out his champion calling skills) and they are <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">coming</span> right for us. There were three groups in the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">incoming</span> flight, and the last group was looking promising. They started to veer <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">towards</span> us but they were not going to commit, so when they started to come overhead, we let loose. The lead goose dropped, but the rest kept flying. And that was pretty much the end of that night of hunting. But, around here, one is better than none. And, after <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">reviewing</span> the video and audio, we came to the conclusion that it was my bird. Add some more to the freezer.<br /><br />The next morning, we headed out to another local lake that is only a few miles down the road from me. Big Seven Lake is in the middle of <a href="http://www.michigan.org/property/Detail.aspx?p=G10162">Seven Lakes State Park </a>and is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">definitely</span> our local waterfowl hangout. We were out on the water by 5:30am and set up with about 20 minutes to spare before first light. Right off the bat, the ducks were flying. This was going to be a good morning. After a few fly-<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">bys</span> that snuck past us, we had a pair fly in and circle around. They decoyed a little short and landed on the outside of the spread and swam in. When they got within range, we jump up to get them flying, but they just sat there. So we started yelling. They just sat there. Then we started throwing sticks. They just sat there. What was going on?!? No matter what we did, they just sat there and stared at us. So, we got out of the blind and started <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">splashing</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">towards</span> them. Nothing. It wasn't until I got about 15 yards away did they even start to get up. I took one and Little Mike took the other. A mallard and a hen to start the morning off. The rest of the day was action packed. Birds were flying all over the place. We called a few in, but for the most part we were pass shooting. Or should I say pass missing. We didn't get anymore birds that day, but it was still a good day.<br /><br />The next morning we headed out to the same place. Set-up was done with 20 minutes to spare again. Right at first light we had a flight of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Wigeon</span> come in from the west and they came in fast. They decoyed perfectly. Little Mike took the first one in. When he brought it up, it was perfect. A good sized body, perfect color, and just a few pellet makes in well hidden areas. With in the first five minutes, he decided that this one was going to be mounted. A while later another flight came in and Big Mike drop the middle one like a rock. We are pretty sure that Little Mike got one, but he managed to fly off. After two trips out in the boat and a walk around the island, we couldn't find him. But it wasn't from a lack of trying. We now had a Black duck to add to the count. After that, it was another day of throwing steel. I think in the next year, I'm going to join up with a <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">sportsman's</span> club that has a trap course.<br /><br />So, all in all it was a good local weekend with some birds put in the freezer.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLR1I150pIb8CuIVZw_s8MObdSb6eHJbcUXfJrHE2kmYU4N52Sa6T1-HdiJt2NB5qO7yNcwRY9yWbWrj0O1NHSajS2EuDUGisB7EnFbtsg1BxITRNfXyyPEEv8GXQ3v7cNgkZNlsGvsDa/s1600-h/Ducks,+ducks+and+more+ducks+(6).JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5267965413067107746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOLR1I150pIb8CuIVZw_s8MObdSb6eHJbcUXfJrHE2kmYU4N52Sa6T1-HdiJt2NB5qO7yNcwRY9yWbWrj0O1NHSajS2EuDUGisB7EnFbtsg1BxITRNfXyyPEEv8GXQ3v7cNgkZNlsGvsDa/s320/Ducks,+ducks+and+more+ducks+(6).JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br />"Little" Mike and I<br /><object style="WIDTH: 536px; HEIGHT: 349px" height="349" width="536"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CidcFWLEZPg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CidcFWLEZPg&hl=en&fs=1&rel=0&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999&border=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="349"></embed></object>This is the Video "Big" Mike made of our waterfowling weekend....enjoy!Chuck Parrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15827143883967677894noreply@blogger.com0