jraducks

We did Gumbo one year and it was a big hit. Also did some jambalaya that year. The last four or five I have gone to had steak or Chicken (or both) catered by a local restaurant. A fish fry is pretty easy but time consuming when cooking for a bunch of folks.

Thank you Blackdogs! Tucker, that picture is priceless!

Oh, that makes a little sense but why isn't dell censored? Haha

Take duck breasts marinate in Dale's/Italian dressing for 4-6 hours, split them down the middle then stuff with Jalapeños and creme cheese, wrap with an A P P L E bacon and put on the grill. Cook until medium/medium rare. why in the world is A P P L E-on the censored list?

Here is a couple pictures of Buck, he is ideal size (58-62 pounds during the season) for how I hunt. He is big enough to retrieve geese but small enough not to be a hassle while hunting.

I bought my dog at a little over a year old as "started" since I did not have the time to bring up a puppy at the time. I don't think there is any issues with having someone else train your dog whatsoever. HeckI didn't even see my dog until he was a year old and he would walk through fire to make me happy now. That dog lives in the house, sleeps in the bed, eats when I eat, etc..he is part of the family and when the trainer/guy who raised him comes hunting with me the dog pays him no attention. My dog knows i'm the boss and your dog will know that too if you decide to have him professionally trained. I worked for a trainer and out of all the dogs I have seen trained, none came back because the bond between owner and dog was not there. Just something to think about. If you have the time, by all means do it yourself. If you don't have the time/patience there is nothing wrong with letting a pro handle it. Your dog will know who is boss in the duck blind, I promise. With all that being said, I will be training my Chessie when I get him since I have more time available now a days. I may send him off for a couple months if I get bogged down in the training but I am going to do majority of it myself. Look into Smartworks books/DVD's too.

Anytime! Dogs are a pretty personal choice like shotguns or clothing choices are. I have a lab and he is great but when my buddy finds a suitable mate for his Chesapeake I get first male pick of the litter out of them so I will be trying the Chessies out. I have seen his dog do 800 yard blind retrieves on snow geese several times when we have our big goose hunt. Pretty cool dog and a great temperament. I hunted over 50 days this year in 4 states and had at least one dog on every hunt, we had 11 or 12 on our big goose hunt. To me, watching the dogs is what its all about! Don't forget the initial price of the dog is minor in comparison to "upkeep" on the dog over the years, meaning food/bills/etc. I wouldn't trade it for a thing though! Find a breeder and offer to help out, most are very welcoming to people willing to throw birds or clean kennels for them.

I have a lab from a reputable kennel in Mississippi. He was $1,000 at 8 weeks old then add training, food, vet bills, kennels, etc it can add up! I don't really keep up with what my dogs "cost" because personally I don't care. They are my buddies! I have the Lab who is my hunting dog and then I have an 85lb doberman. They are essentially my children so they are somewhat spoiled. Right now one is on the couch with me and the other is on his bed. They both live in the house and I am gone 12-16 hours a day sometimes and they're fine. But I digress... You can get a dog from a backyard breeder for $250 and it could be a very successful dog but I would recommend saving your money for a few years until you can afford a dog with proven bloodlines with certified eyes, heart, EIC, hips, etc. I would hate for you to get and invest what money you have on a dog that gets hip dysplasia at 2 years old. Unfortunately these days reputable breeders are asking $650-1,000 a "certified" puppy but I think the peace of mind is worth it. One thing I might suggest since you are young is try and find a breeder/trainer in your area and VOLUNTEER to throw birds or wash kennels for him as a sort of payment plan for a pup if you can't afford one. You will get some GREAT experience this way and he will also be able to help you with the training. Since I am in Mississippi, can't really help you on local breeders but i'm sure if you dig a little bit you can find one or two in your area.

Great company based out of Mississippi. I've had nothing but good dealings with them as well. Majority of my waterfowl clothing are Drake products.

Congrats! You'll love it!

Hey bud we did get off on the wrong foot. I have apologized but will do so again. I appreciate the kind words and I will join you for a drink! **** man, get down to Mississippi and we'll drink one and shoot some ducks and geese. Same goes for you Idaho, I harbor no ill-feelings toward either one of you. I am done though with this thread, it's been fun. If y'all get down to Mississippi let me know, i'll be happy to sit down and drink a beer with you.

There isn't much discussing going on here Idaho. It has run it's course. What do you want me to say, this is getting old? I apologized to Leftie early on in the thread, then you waited several days to stir it back up. You need to revisit your theory on internet bullying, your starting to fit the profile yourself!

HAHA! Ok! If you would like to give me a piece of my own "medicine" go ahead. I can take it. I firmly believe if you are looking for a certain answer don't post the question because the majority of folks get their feelings hurt on the internet when people disagree with what they want to hear. Leftie even mentioned he vented in the wrong spot. Sorry leftie if I hurt your feelings disagreeing with you, I will try and take a more sensitive approach when answering your further post. Glad you got to let loose on me Idaho, you know maybe get it out of your system for the next internet bad guy.. Glad you had your fun.. I Am far from a bully, I am on several internet forums and this is the only one I have ever been accused of being that, GO FIGURE... I hold myself accountable in real life and on the internet so save that little spill. This is the only post I have been a part of on this forum where someone has gotten their feelings hurt, perhaps I was in a bad mood? Perhaps I have seen that same topic turn into a pecker measuring contest too many times on different forums or maybe the way he worded it, he was looking for a confrontation or I perceived it that way? Maybe, maybe, maybe...Could of been a lot of stuff huh? You can call me a bully or whatever you want but I assure you I am not that. I'm done, this has run it's course. Have a great day!

Boy, you don't quit do you? I said PM me if you want to continue it, this is not a discussion it is you beating your chest. I guess the "Mallard with 20 gauge" thread kept you busy for a little bit huh? Give me a break.. It is obvious by what you quote from my posts, you are looking to get a rise out of me. You know on most of these threads, you start out speaking the truth, then end up looking like an ass. You don't know when to quit. Like saying you will call the game wardens on ol' splash? I do not condone hunting illegally but please when you make that call record it! I would love to hear a real game warden laugh in the face of an "internet warden" with all your sleuthing abilities! I find this site has it's "elite", apparently I am not liked by them hahaha! Give it a rest dude..

Idaho, If you knew anything about me or ever met me you would know I am friendly, I just don't sugar coat stuff and speak my mind. It is a little hard to display emotion on a web based forum wouldn't you say? I am not a bad person and I am not sure if I should be offended or honored you went through all my posts with a fine toothed comb but didn't touch anyone else's? I will tell you this, I have done alot more for that organization than donate $50 bucks a year so while I may go by what my buddy who is a regional chairman or a wildlife biologist friend tells me, I form my own conclusions based on what I have PERSONALLY seen too. I don't simply regurgitate what I hear or see on the web-blogs like I have seen countless other times on this subject on other sites. I believe this post is dead and has run it's path. If you would like to continue this conversation, feel free to PM me. For the second part, I own two Chevrolets.