Yikes with Sykes
Sunday October 5
I was in an up beat mood after chasing Huns and Sharp tails in southern Saskatchewan for a week. I will return to these grounds later in the trip when the grouse have bunched up and the white fronted geese are fat and excellent for roasting. Daughter, Cate was back safe in San Francisco after her Oxford University Studies. She and the two boys traveled with me many times during there home schooling years they all appreciate the warmth the Prairies exudes. Catherine is an independent strikingly handsome woman being 6’ tall a little less than 130 lbs. She is becoming a scholar with wide breadth of writing and analytical skill. Our two sons are immersed with engineering courses at the University. So it was just I and the two dogs that were traveling this year. I love being alone not having a schedule and spending time where I wish. Ellen was busy with a new analysis project and the hunting dog were ready and so was I for the cool season to change the ducks from drab color to mating plumage. I would visit around the Quill Lakes with friends until the 2 week and if the weather held go up north to the wolf poplar black spruce country to camp deep in the bush hunt ruffed and spruce grouse, and be alone. I could return to the central part of the province to shoot geese and ducks when the northern greenhead and snow geese blanketed the pot hole and the decoy shooting is fit for a King.
I meant Sykes while fly fishing Oregon. He asked me to visit his waterfowl lodge in Saskatchewan close to my traditional duck hunting area. Sykes was short on good help although he had a talent Mennonite cook his guides were locals and didn't until Sykes trained to determined if the geese were feeding or ready lift off and stage to the next larger pot hole. I agreed to introduce him to some of my farmer friends and show him the Quills but I couldn’t hunt or guide for him as I was very busy this fall. Still he wanted me to come up and stay with him and give him some advice on hunting strategy. And so I arrived around the first week near my hunting grounds. Sykesd was in the midst of his frrrirst gruop and to working 12 hours a day. He was nonstop but most important knew how to deal with clients and Sykes.
This year the spring rains and runoff had recharged the soil and there were pothole filled with ducks and geese as I hadn’t seen in 20 years. The farmers had been draining the shallow slough and seeding them for so long that when the rains water did show it ripped a new river down to a basin lake and flooded out vacation homes at Fishing Lake My farmer friends around the Quills all tell me that the ducks were back and like the 1950. They were dead on and the shooting esp. later in October was nothing but spectacular
The duck population around the Quill had exploded and so I would take some time to visit Sykes before the real Duck shooting been in the 3 rd week. Sykes is a one man operation with energy to match. He enjoys the center of attention and is very charming his clients. I enjoyed him and stayed in the background as he showed some very good hunters a very good series of hunts. I arrived at the d3ewveloing lodge after s fall dinner at Henedon. I was filled with home cooked garden reared veggies, ham, and deserts. When I entered Sykes place they were being served desert of apple crumb pie and the aroma hit me as the door swung open. Sykes was at the table, Filson hat lifted well above his brow and the quietkly introduce me to his group of family duck hunters from the Bay area. I would watch with amusement for the next week as Sykes and these close knit group of duck hunters day after day enjoyed to the fullest what the Quill had to offer.
The outside of lodge was in development but the inside was taking shape as a first class destination for the hunter. I thought it might need a woman touch but that impression quickly faded when I enter the lodge to a vaulted ceiling supporting a rock façade fireplace and an impressive clockwise twisted juniper tree that anchored the bar. His dinning room was wonderful; rich color and the mud room w big and warm. Sykes was the chief, court jester and guide wrapped into a single human. He was well on his way to build a first class lodge within an hour of the world’s finest goose duck hunting assuming the water and pot holes stay filled. He had all the equipment from go devil Jon Boat to dozens of Zinks coffin blinds, big foots and field duck decoys to lure the duck hordes. Sykes wanted me to help him scout which I did towards Foam Lake and the Quill but I could not take money and I was way to involve with other commits to begin the process.
