2022 - 2023 DUCK SEASON

[SpinnerMan]

The dog I had before Triggers mother was named Ann and she tore her cruciate ligament... I had it fixed at Oklahoma State University, TPLO surgery it worked great, but wasn't cheap...
She tore the other cruciate on her other leg a few years later and I tried the band, it only lasted about a year, she was a big dog weighed about 90 pounds... The band might work better on a 60 lb dog... Wishing you and Abby the best of luck on whatever decision you decide to do...

I had TPLO surgery on my dog. The vet was very good and very honest. As you note, it is not cheap. He assured me she would come out of it 100%, which she did. He also warned me that after you have one that there is a high probability that they will tear the other because they are favoring that while the first was injured. And like your dog, mine tore her other ACL. I did another TPLO, which worked great, but shortly after my dog developed some autoimmune problems. Her legs were 100%, but this autoimmune thing we never got under control and spent a third fortune and ultimately she got what was most likely cancer from the mix of the autoimmune problem and all the drugs to try and keep it under control.

We love our dogs and invest a lot in them. It's a hard decision, but based on my experience. If you do one TPLO, are you prepared to do a second? I was and I never regretted that. I just had no way to know that after I finally got her back into fighting shape and should have had years more of hard hunting, she'd get hit by a third thing that would hinder her for the last few years of her life.

Good luck. Hope it works out. The surgery really does get them back in full from my experience and everything I have heard. Mine and 5 stand sound like pretty much the same outcomes. Is it worth 2? Then get it done. If not, it's a tough decision, but nothing wrong with that decision either.

[MARSH BEAR]

Date: Friday, Jan 13, 2023

Hunters: Larry and I, with Joey

Temp: Low 40's, wind N 15 - 20 mph

I drew blind 9 this morning, which is usually a decent blind. Joey was alone and drew blind 6, another good blind, but much more difficult to get to. Joey was whining about hunting alone, Larry and I went with him in his boat. Joey put out 2 wind sock looking duck decoys on a pole with wire supports which made them look like they were flying. The ducks did not like them - we had most of our in coming ducks flare off them. This morning had a wind chill factor and I don't shoot well with a lot of clothes. Larry is 75 and not as quick on the draw as he once was, he had a few opps that he did not shoot. A blind to our north was banging away, but came up 2 shy of a 3 man limit.

Totals: 5 - greenwing teal, 1 - pintail, 4 - spoonies

[MARSH BEAR]

Date: Saturday, Jan 14, 2023

Hunters: Larry and I

Temp: Low 40's again but 1/2 the wind of yesterday

I drew the number 6 blind, and Joey knows I don't like it offered me the number 10 blind he drew. Our 10 blind is the easiest blind we have to get to, and prior to this year one of our best blinds. It was a rather slow day, and we were caught looking the wrong way a few times, and a few times working ducks were banged out by other blinds. We should have had a limit, but Larry let a few groups pass thinking they would come back around - NOT

Totals: 8 - greenwing teal, 1 - gadwall

[MARSH BEAR]

Date: Sunday, Jan 15, 2023

Hunters: Larry and I

Temp: upper 50's wind little to 8 mph SSE

Larry and I went to our number 7 blind, which has been our best blind this year. I told Larry he is a jinx, because we had almost nothing all morning, I shot only twice and Larry did not shoot, he had the opportunity once but was too slow to get a shot off. We have very few big ducks and the teal have found all the "safe" places to sit. I am about ready for the season to end.

Totals: 1 - greenwing teal

[DComeaux]

The luck of the draw.

[Darren]

With but a few exceptions, seems like it's been a pretty solid season for ya MB.

[MARSH BEAR]

Date: Friday, Jan 20, 2023

Hunters: Jeff and I with his dog Rhet ( a black poodle)

Temp: 52 degrees, wind NE 10 - 15 mph, partly cloudy

It appears all the dumb ducks are dead and the smart ones still around. We put out one mojo, and did not matter if it was off or on, nothing really decoyed in. 96.47% of the ducks we saw were teal, they would come to the far edge of the decoys then turn, catch the wind and were gone. Our shoot to kill ratio was not very good.
Jeff's dog is only 16 months old, and I was impressed with his marking of ducks and the use of his nose. Jeff has caught a lot of grief about his choice of duck dog.

Total: 6 - greenwing teal, 2 - pintail

[MARSH BEAR]

Date: Saturday, January 21, 2023 (my wife's birthday)

Hunters: Joey, Keith, and I with Joey's dog Sugar

Temp: Rained hard about 5:00 am then quit until 11:15, wind NNW 15 mph

Joey put out his wind driven sock type duck decoys, and I think the ducks flared off of them all morning. All of our shots were far, and the wind carried the dead ducks to the far end of the pond, Sugar was plenty tired at the end of the hunt. I was not very proud of my shooting this morning.

Total: 11 - greenwing teal

[MARSH BEAR]

Date: Sunday, January 22, 2023 - my last duck hunt of the season

Hunters: Joey, Keith and I

Temp: 50 degrees, wind NE 10 - 15 mph, cloudy to clearing

Same ole, same ole, ducks appear to be coming into the decoys then flare off. Joey did not have his sock decoys out today, and did not make much difference. We have ducks in our marsh, but they are not moving. We went to the local grocery store yesterday afternoon and a Joey knows said they hunted 3 blinds west of Hackberry and finished in 10 minutes, 15 minutes and 30 minutes - he said the 30 minute blind to limit could not hit anything.
Abby is almost 9, I don't think I will have her ACL repaired, the vet she still may be able to hunt next year on a limited basis.

Totals: 11 - greenwing teal

[DComeaux]

What would we do without the green wing?