Conditions for the hunters were very extreme with heavy snow falling ahead of their arrival. Canada geese and mallards were feeding heavily in drought-stricken cornfields that were left standing due to their lack of profit in the region. The hunting was done from pits in large spreads of nearly 300 goose decoys and several dozen mallard decoys. The first day was slow for geese, but the last few hours saw a buzzing of mallards and the shooting was fast and furious minutes before sunset.
"The enthusiasm that Greg displayed in less than ideal hunting conditions was exemplary of the enthusiasm he carries over into his work," said show host Mark Kayser. "It was an absolute pleasure to spend time with him in the field and it did not take long for me to realize how deserving he was of this trip."
A massive cold front moved in that evening for the second and last day of the hunt. In fact, during the evening duck shoot Canada goose decoys were blowing head over tail feathers across the field, but it didn't bother the ducks one bit. The next morning winds were blowing at more than 30 mph with temperatures dipping below zero and subzero windchills. "We hung in there pretty good but man, what a wild ride it was!" quipped hunt recipient Greg Hall.
Despite the severe weather, the goose shooting was phenomenal with both lessers and greaters settling in the decoys. For Greg, the chance to catch a break from teaching special weapons tactics was a treat, regardless of the weather. And the time spent in the pits between flights of ducks and geese… was a time for sharing jokes, tales and war stories.
TruckVault's Xtreme Hunts will launch on the Versus network, with show host Mark Kayser at the helm, in July of 2008.
