New wood duck boxes from the Nicollet County Conservation Club

Thank goodness for 4-Wheelers!

Skating with the Duck Dynasty Stars from the Club.

Swan Lake Flight . . .let's go!

 

Pilot Jon Guentzel getting the airplane ready for its Swan Lake flight.

 

 Pilot Jon gives me a lesson. . ."Keep your horizon level!"  Jon did an excellent job!

 

 "There it is!  Swan is straight ahead!"  

 

East side of Swan Lake, looking West!

 

 

 

Swan Lake Flight

 

Over Sunday and Poor Farm Bay looking South.

 

North Landing Currier's Bay.

 

Over Poor Farm Point looking at Nelson's Point. . .Monson Island is just on the right.

 

Northwest Side of Courtland Bay.

 

Over South end of South Bay looking North.

 

South side of Swan looking North. . .Brook's (Barber's) Island centered in the picture.

 South side over Pehling's Bay.

Check out this video!

Aerial movie on the North side of Swan Lake.

Old Style

Need an Old Style Lager?  Morning on February, 19th 2012. . .Got to love Swan Lake!

Currier's Bay viewed from West Point on Block's Point

Looking at Currier's Bay from West Point on Block's Point.  February 19th, 2012.

Looking at Block's Point from Currier's Bay

Looking at Block's Point from Currier's Bay.  February 18th, 2012. . .on Digger's dock looking East.

SURVIVOR - Swan Lake – 10-29-2011

There is a reason for everything. . .And, this is a good one! We have amongst ourselves two really special guys. . .And, I couldn’t be more proud!!!!

Bill Zimmerman and Rob Haas decided to go back out duck hunting Saturday evening during our Halloween Hunt Weekend to see if they could add a few more birds to their bag. They decided to secure Grass Island (the most sought after blind) located in South Bay on Swan Lake in Nicollet County, MN.

After careful speculation. . .they selected the west side of the island and placed their canvas back decoys and soon settled into the blind. After an hour or so, they heard what sounded like swans calling. . .but listening and being very quite, they heard a banging noise as well. Rob grabbed his binoculars and scanned the west horizon towards Hackberry Point. It wasn’t long before both Bill and Rob knew this was no Swan Song! Rob stated “I see a canoe that has capsized with a guy in the water!” Without hesitation, Bill fired up the outboard motor and said to Rob. . .”Keep your eyes on him. . .Let’s Rock!”

Once out of their blind Rob said “Bill, I don’t see him anymore!” No, other words were said. . .and they aimed their boat right at the capsized canoe. . . Once they got closer to the turned over canoe, both Rob and Bill could see that this gentleman had made it over to a muskrat house within the cattails holding onto a gas can. At this time they knew this man was in real danger and could easily tell that he was in the stage of hyperthermia.

Both Bill and Rob were able to get a hold of him and started pulling him in feet first since he wearing waders that were filled with water. They continued pulling him until his rump was on the edge of the boat and with a grab of his upper dorsal they had him in the boat. As luck has it, this man still knew where he was and asked if they could get him back to Nelson’s point. . .Bill said, “You guide me and I will get you there!” Now, mind you from the location where the canoe capsized (near Hackberry Point) to Nelson’s Point is at least 1 ½ miles. Crashing through the waves as they headed North, it seemed like eternity for both Bill and Rob and now they could see that this elderly gentlemen was turning a light color blue and realized time was not with them. Arriving to Nelson’s point, they motored up to a dock near Hagdaul’s cabin and with the help of other hunters from the cabin, they were able to get this soul inside. . .stripped him of his hunting clothes and started drying him off with towels.

While being dried off this elderly gentleman made the comment to both Rob and Bill. . .”I have shrinkage!” Bill stated, “We are all just guys in the locker room. . .no worries!” Afterwards, they placed him near the stove and wrapped him in blankets. While he was warming up, he asked “Who are you guys?” Bill, said, “We are Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure!”

Both Rob and Bill stayed with him amongst other hunters at the cabin, to make sure he was going to be all right. They later learned that this man just had a couple of strokes recently and that he forgot his heart medication. God Bless our two really special Guys and God Bless the Swan Lake survivor!

Youth opener. . .Kevin, looking toward the east from Goose Point. (Currier's bay viewed).

No help from Dad or Grandpa! After the birds were cleaned. . .we cooked them. . . "Ducks in the barrel". (Cooked them over an oak wood fire!) Yum!

Youth Opener 2011

Steven and Kevin's birds after a really warm hunt! Almost 90º. . .made hunting more like a day at the beach! Some really good shooting from the boys this year!

The Barn and Crystal Farm's

Built in the 1930's after a fire destroyed the first barn. . .lumber was taken from the woods on Block's Point cut from the saw mill.
My Dad "Robert Larson" made comment many times that he and his Sister "Joy Edwards" sat in the lawn and watched the builders erect the new barn (at this time my Dad was only 6 or 7 years old). . .Robert Larson said that this was the first time he met Herb Volk from St. Peter. He was one of the young men erecting the barn.

Diver Hunt Nov. 7th, 2010 - Group Photo

From left to right. . .Howard Putz, Pat Conroy, Blake Hayden and Dale Larson.

Cackler Blind - South Bay - My friend Richard Theissen

Nov. 7th, 2010 - South Bay diver hunt.

Hangin' out. . .Bag from the 11-07-10 hunt

At the cleaning station.

November 7-South Bay - Diver hunt

Cackler blind in South Bay. . .Pat Conroy returning to the blind after retrieving a downed bird. Does it get any better than this?

Steven and Kevin with their bag of ducks. . .Really a great start for the 2010 duck season. A total of nine birds! Not bad for their second season.

Nice. . .We are ready. . .we will keep picking. . .who is going to clean the birds?

Comes with the days hunt. . .time to clean! No problem! These really are some nice birds!

Well, looks like Dad (Bill) has the honors! Boys. . .this is how it is done. . .See, you start here!

These birds look tasty! Is the grill ready?

Yea. . .Breakfast of Champions!

South Point's new WL 2010 Drag King

The new WL 2010 Drag King being tested by the Lead Engineer, Ken Weertz after the 1st stage of manufacturing was complete. The WL 2010 Drag King was design using two W8 x 15 beams with stabilizing/skid angles to maintain proper material drop off at low elevations in the road during operation.
After 20 minutes of planning. . .Manufacturing Specialist Dale Larson performed the welding, while the Lead Engineer took on the roll as Senior Quality Control Manager to ensure proper weldments were to specification. Careful measurements were taken and a super structure jig was used to speed up the manufacturing process.
There are no plans for the Patent as of yet. . .3 years of testing on the South Point road will be required before all of the field testing including the Solid Works models can be submitted.
Click on the movie above for a complete seek peek at the new WL 2010 Drag King!

Cabin 1

Cabin 2

Cabin 3

Cabin 4

Cabin 5

Cabin 14

Cabin 13

Cabin 12

Cabin 11

Cabin 10

Cabin 8

Cabin 7