When Terry Moore of the Amarillo Globe-News
called last week to invite me to do some crane and
goose hunting, I knew I would weather it through the close of
another whitetail season. With all my concerns over bagging a trophy
buck this year, migratory hunting had been slid onto the
back-burner, and frankly, it was time for a change of pace. Anyway,
three months of being fooled by whitetail deer should be enough for
any man. It was high-time to allow some other species of wildlife to
outsmart me.
Yes, Terry's invitation was an
opportunity to move on to new vistas, and the hunt he had arranged
sounded like something you would hear of a Dukes Unlimited banquet.
Not only had he secured the services of a guide, but the guide he
located hunted over mounted birds. According to Terry, the
outfitter, Mark Meissenburg, has been operating Panhandle's Best,
Inc., guide and taxidermy service for the past seven years. As a
taxidermist, Meissenburg mounts hundreds of waterfowl specimens each
year, and by combining his craft of taxidermy and his love for
hunting, he has created the kind of decoy spread that dreams are
made of - over 100 fully mounted replicas of sandhill cranes, Canada
geese and snow geese.
In true hunting fashion, we
all agreed to meet in the middle of the night, because as any good
waterfowler knows, all well-planned hunts should begin at some
unearthly hour. Since I had a one-hour drive, my trip started at
four, and when I pulled up to the rearranged meeting place in
Plainview, I was half asleep, but still ready to hunt.
The pair I was meeting were in a rig that looked like something you
would see at a NASCAR event - a 4x4 Dodge pulling a 8 x 20 foot
enclosed trailer. As we made our way down the farm roads southeast
of Plainview, my mind wondered on all the hunting goodies stored in
that trailer. As an avid crane and goose hunter, I have experimented
with many different types of decoys, but the idea of hunting over
fully mounted sandhill crane and Canada goose mounts had my blood
pumping.
About the time we pulled up to our
designated hunting field, a cold, wet fog began rolling in that ha
cut the headlight visibility down to about 50 years. The fog
blanketed the plowed corn fields, but it didn't impede the progress
of our group. When Mark cracked open the trailer the smell of
mouth-balls and dried grass drifted into the breeze, and as my eyes
became accustom to the shifting light I saw row upon row of Canada
geese lining the inside of the trailer. Suddenly, it occurred to me
just how interesting this hunt would be.
As delicate and graceful as the decoys ere, they were nevertheless a
snap to set up, and after about 45 minutes we had a spread of dekes
that looked foolproof. After Mark had the spread set up to his
satisfaction, he went on to construct a prefab, above-ground blind
that was one of the dries and most comfortable I have ever been in.
And as the darkness was just beginning to wane, we were in place and
ready for some action.
However, as the sky began
melting into a milky haze we still had not even heard the all of a
crane or goose, and gradually the talk turned to what the birds
would do in fog like this. Would they stay on the roosting lake late
or begin their daily feeding routes as usual? As the morning
progressed, it became obvious the birds were socked into the lake.
But Meissenburg's patience turned out to be the key ingredient for
this hunt, and about ten, the fog began to lift and the birds began
to fly. Before too long, a string of about 30 Canada geese spotted
the decoys and began swinging towards our position. They were coming
low and fast, totally fooled by the decoy spread. On their first
pass, they flew so low over the blind that you could actually feel
the wind as they whistled by. Meissenburg held us off from shooting,
and after a few more passes the birds landed in the decoys not 15
yards from the blind. It was the thrill of a lifetime to be that
close to a bird as beautiful as a Canada goose, and an experience I
will never forget.
The effectiveness of Meissenburg's decoys and
calling ability allowed our group to harvest five Canadas and 12
sandhills. Overall, I can say this this was one of the best guided
hunting trips I have ever been on. Even though the birds were
somewhat contrary early in the morning, Meissenburg's patience and
superior equipment made the difference. But even if the decoys
wouldn't have brought in a bird, it would have been a good trip.
Just being out in a blind with someone who display Meissenburg's
knowledge and enthusiasm about migratory hunting is a good day'
education.
If you are interested in seeing
first-hand what a professionally run migratory hunt is all about, I
would encourage you to give Mark a call at Panhandle's Best, Inc. He
will provide a day a you will never forget!
~ Mike Bowlin
Lubbock Avalanche-Journal , 1996
