First - I apologize for the website being down over the last several weeks - we have been having a few bugs here and just recently decided to move to an different server.  I hope the transition will be smooth, but they almost never are.

In any event - honkers?  Let's talk honkers!  Birds are here in good numbers and move on the way!  If we could just get rid of the 70F weather - perhaps conditions would improve.  Next Saturday starts the 2008 goose season - which from all indications, should be a good one.

Snow goose numbers here in Central Jersey are essetially null - I havent personally seen any flocks, but some of our guides have indicated small numbers roosting on local horse ponds.

Well, we are about 3 weeks or so away from the start of the migratory season and I can say for certain that the Canada geese have made an impressive showing here in the center of the State.  We have been seeing thousands of birds ditching into mainly corn fields - beefing up and putting on some fat reserves for the rest of the year.

Ducks?  Not much from what I have seen, but typical for late in the first split - if the cold weather continues - we hope this will change.

 I have noticed a lot of fields going almost immediately over to winter wheat.  Prices must be high so our farmer are maximizing their yeilds.  This may have an impact on the snows in Nov ( which have yet to show up) and may help later in the season when they pick thru everything and then switch to green OR may move them farther south.  Only time will tell.

 In typical fashion - Sept proved unpredictable - at times paying off big, sometimes a skunk and yesterday - muddy!  We had scattered birds on our hunt farms and during the morning our clients Mike and Rob managed eight birds - half being big birds and the other half being "little guys". The little guys came in with a lone snow goose, who will be in serious trouble if he tries that again during Nov!  Mud in the field was almost chest deep in some areas for Twister, so we are glad we had a dog to do the "dirty" work.  The afternoon "looked" promising for a grass field - which in the last weeks has'nt held a single bird.  SOS guides Dave L. and Larry V. found several hundred birds and we thought we would be set for a smack down during the afternoon hunt.  Well, that proved wrong as the locals hit the road back to the roost and never returned, while a nice group of small birds from the North was coaxed into the spread and we made short order out of them.  So long September!

 Here - Larry V. holds a nice lesser.

I picked up a fresh shot bird this afternoon after hitting a local field with the crew and enjoying several nice flocks of birds. I was a little late while speaking with the farmers wife and was interupted by gun shots from the spread......"Sorry - gotta go!"

Anyway - I believe we now have some migration birds in the local flocks. We shot some little guys, but most striking was the one bird. Absolutely beautiful plumage - smooth breast feathers and real sleak looking wings - no stank and no pin feathers.

Second - While crying and getting on the train to go to work this morning I observed several big flocks over the train stain that I have not seen in recent weeks. Additionally, there were several other flocks in the area this evening after legal.

Right on time - the best Sept hunting is here NOW and will soon be over.

Saturday may be the day!  Perfect goose weather and birds!

Report abound from across the field and vary from a complete "Smack Down" to " scratched out a few".  It doesnt take these birds too long to get smarter.  Today they flared hard on blinds that were not perfectly camo'd and whenever a lead honker landed out in the dirt and we neglected to spook it out of the field - it acted as the kiss of death - attracting every other flock right to it while passing our spread of 3 dozen full bodies - Such is Septermber season!

Twister was smiles this morning!

Finally - BIRDS - We have been at it for about a week now and we have been scouting hard.  Today we ran traffic on a crab grass/hay field and worked some birds into the spread despite having no wind and with very warm temperatures.  Course - Sept changes every day and birds today does not necessarily mean birds tomorrow!  We still have some options and now with the rain behind us, perhaps some cooler tempertures and even better hunting.  NOT BAD - Three bands today - all locally banded NJ resident honkers!

A typical Sept goose with warm temperatures and inconsistent birds.  Our opener we entertained friends from Avery Outdoors, Zink Calls and Outdoor Life and ended the day with 13 birds - sunny - hot and no wind.  Twister has now assumed full time bird responsibility and to say he hates the heat is an understatement.

A face full of feathers on a warm Sept morning - on a retriever could love that!

Well, the season will soon be upon us!  Now with grad school over and done with, I can actually concentrate more on waterfowling@!  It looks like the next several weeks coming up will give up temps in the mid 80's which really isnt too bad.

I am getting a LOT of calls for Sept hunts - remember Sept birds are VERY unpredictable!  VERY - it seems like we either hit a homerun, scatch out a few or go home completely empty handed during Sept as the many variables including heat, crops and bird numbers seem to change on a day to day basis.  Still we do our best for our clients.  Fields are limited compared to Nov and Dec, so even with the liberal limits in Sept, unless I have a real strong field - I do not like to book for Sept.  What I will do is take reservations but I do not require deposits for Sept.  If I have a hot field, I go down the list and make the calls for guys who may be interested.  Again - these are WILD birds, so there are no gaurantee for opportunites, but we do our best because we want our clients to return.

 If you want a better opportunity for succes - book a Nov or Dec hunt.   If you book during the month of Aug - we will give a 10% discount and honor our 2007 hunt prices at $200/gun.  After Sept 1 - prices are $225/gun.

 What are the season predications? - Looks like another banner year for birds and we are awaiting the final regs from Fish and Game - due the end of Aug!

It is with great sadness that we advise of the passing of the matriarch of StormOutfitters.  On July 26, 2008, due to complications from Osteosarcoma, MHR Atwater Seaglass N The Storm MH  “Stormy” was laid to rest.  She will be deeply missed by our family and by all of our friends and clients who had the honor to have hunted with her.

She delivered without question and without fail.  Stormy was by many accounts, the “Perfect Storm”.  She embodied the spirit of a great hunting retriever.  She retrieved with style, grace and beauty. 

While writing this, I recognize that she is responsible for most of the friendships that I have developed over the last decade.  I can never repay her for that.  Stormy was the constant protector of our home and family.  She was unbelievably intelligent and made me as her trainer and handler, look much better than I really could ever hope to be.  She could read me instinctively in the field and together we worked as a great team.  She loved most to duck hunt, but often would refuse a photo opportunity for want of a belly rub or a scratch behind the ear.   She had impeccable patience and blind manners, took casts on blind retrieves without question and took the most perfect of lines.

Stormy protected her pile of birds from all canines who dared to think they could taste a sniff.  She was no match for any goose on land or water and was the nemesis of groundhogs across the state.

Most importantly, she was my best friend.  She will be deeply missed.

Well - just about on cue every year, come Jan1 someone throws a switch and the birds just seem to go a little more into the "hard to get" category.  What is a guide to do?  We get tough and we scout harder and we deploy all the tricks of the trade!  Hunt from the past couple weeks below have been a challenge, but more than anything, our clients have been just an absolute pleasure to share the fields with!  So, as we wind down on the migratory season - we say "THANK YOU!"

Jimbos Crew! and a boys first goose hunt!

An easy shot!

Infested!

Frank T and the boys!

Mike -Wayne and Storm!

RandyLyne-Randy and Raider!

The HARDEST WORKING GOOSE GUIDES IN THE STATE!