Reviewing the Fenix UC35 2.0 Flashlight

 Over the last 5 or 6 months I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know the Fenix UC35 2.0 1000 lumen s flashlight.

Fenix UC35 2.0

The newly designed Fenix UC35 2.0 is the best light I’ve touched period.  I own several great lights from other manufactures but the UC35 2.0 raised the bar in my opinion.  The light has worked well on the way to the deer stand and also has been very handy traversing muddy river banks while heading to the duck blind. 

Wood Duck Hunting-Western Kentucky Lake Barkley

 

 It almost feels like cheating now that I’ve not had to purchase the expensive batteries after extended time in the woods or on the water.  The USB charging feature is hands down the only way I’ll go if and when I need an additional light.   Another nice feature of the UC35 2.0 is the battery level indicator on power up.  I’ve not run into a low power situation yet using the light and the power up indicator helps ensure I don’t.  The light offers 6 different modes of varying brightness from low intensity 800h run time to get out the tanning oil bright as the sun mode.  I typically use the light on the 3^rd setting and I’ve been very happy with the performance.  This light is easy to shift brightness using the 2 button format.  The end button works as the on/off control and another smaller push button controls the brightness.  I find this much better than having to click through all the modes to turn on and off the light.   If you find yourself in the market for a well-built feature packed setup give the pocket sized Fenix UC35 2.0 a try.

Snow Goose Hunting- Northern Arkansas

         

Lyerla Lake Duck Hunting

Duck Hunting at Lyerla Lake Farm. Left Joe Perkins, Jeff Slaughter, Keith Slaughter, Tim Bond and Shelby Byrd

 Over the years I had several preconceived notions regarding duck hunting.  It seemed to follow one basic thought, 4 am in a boat on a frozen lake or river. Over the last 12 months I’ve got my feet wet to the basics.  And yes I literally got my feet wet but that’s story for a different time.  Our adopted family in Kentucky are about as big into waterfowl hunting as it gets.  These guys sit around in the deer stand and day dream about opening day of Duck Season.  I’m sitting on the couch looking at fresh pictures off the game cameras and they are finely tuning duck calls.  It’s not that deer hunting does not interest the guys but it’s more like a burning passion for the winged creatures.  It’s a love hate relationship that you can only understand when you’ve watched a buddy fluent in the language of the duck blow on a call for 5 minutes.  It’s a fine art and you can spend the rest of your life watching videos and reading books on mastering the technique of luring weary birds to your spread.  The caller might start off with a “Greeting Call” and then move on to the “Feed Call” and if neither work they may fall back to a “Come Back Call”.  The Come Back is more times than not followed by a few explicit words that may or may not be directed at the ducks as they fade from vision.      

I will take this time to document one of my favorite experiences from duck hunting this past year.  A friend invited several of us on a trip to Southern Illinois to the middle of the Mississippi river flyway for a waterfowl experience.  By this time I’d been duck hunting on Lake Barkley in Western Kentucky a few times with brothers Jeff and Keith Slaughter and looked forward to the experience.  We would be going on a weekend hunt with Greg Kline on the Lyerla Lake Farm.                                

We struck out from South Alabama on a seven hour drive to meet up with friends in Western Kentucky.  From Kentucky we headed North West and three hours later arrived at our destination.  The hunting farm is a half a mile and a busy train track away from the Mississippi River.  It’s a beautiful farm that supports many different styles of hunting: flooded corn fields and flooded timber represent the basic theme with some dry cut fields offering plenty of variety.  The farm is located on the edge of its name sake Lyerla Lake and just outside a wildlife refuge.     McClure, Illinois is the nearest town to the farm and is very small.  We found great accommodations across the river in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Mississippi River Frozen at Cape Girardeau, Missiuri

Our first hunt we went unguided to a beautiful pit that backed up to a small lake.  The setup was in the middle of a large cornfield, and directly in front of the pit and out a couple hundred yards was the large and beautiful Lyerla Lake.  The Kentucky brothers donned hip waders and immediately changed the setup of the pond to allow a proper flight/landing area for incoming ducks.  This was something I never considered, it’s common knowledge among experienced hunters to move the decoys to accommodate wind direction.   You want to create a space for the approaching birds to zero in on and feel safe when gliding in for a landing.   15 short minutes later and the sounds of duck calls were echoing through the large tank pit.  These tanks are dug into the ground and work perfectly for an epic hunting setup.         

Jeff and Keith worked several groups of ducks coming out of the big lake.  Some would tilt their wings and shift direction a little to get a better look but seemed to have other ideas.  We saw deer running across the fields and other animals feeding along.  Several more ducks buzzed us but not in range.  Tim spotted ducks in the distance and the guys fell in with calling and apparently made quite the impression on a group of Gadwalls.  Two birds peeled off the rest of the group and made a fatal approach to the spread of decoys floating on the small lake.  When the sun finally dropped below the horizon we made our way back to the rustic barn with 6 dead gadwalls and a diver duck.  We dropped every bird we could bring in range. 

Greg had some fine pork steaks hot off the Traeger Grill and some spicy river bottom baked beans paired nicely with a fresh slice of white bread.  I’ve tried emulating the meal a few times over the summer but have not got the same flavor yet. 

I don’t have much experience to draw from but here are a few observations I took note of from the hunting base camp.  This particular camp was housed in a huge and I really mean huge old barn.  The open area when entering the barn offered a great area to park trucks out of the elements.  Nothing like changing boots in a graveled dry area.  The site offered a drying/hot room for leaving wet gear to dry overnight.  And it had all the other needed accommodations for a great experience.  The large barn had quite a history and was once the home to a horse made famous in western TV shows. 

Day two was a guided hunt and we setup in the dry pit.  This pit is located in the middle of a rather large cut bean field.  We saw thousands of ducks flying high over leaving the wildlife area shortly after dawn.  The morning started a little slow but was very enjoyable.  It’s an experience watching high flying flocks of snow geese heading south.  Groups of speckle bellies flying high overhead would offer a distraction as the guys pulled out several different types of calls trying to get their attention.  

Shortly before lunch the skies cleared a little and the sun peeked through the clouds.  With the sun came the ducks.  We dropped a couple of mallards and things started to pick up.  We dined in the blind on pizza graciously provided by Greg and no one stayed sitting long for lunch.  The ducks were flying and we all looked towards the sky.  We ended the day with eleven mallards and I’d started understanding the draw to this sport.  My good friend Joe warned me duck hunting was a consuming habit.  

 

Restocking the blind with stalks

Day 3 goes down as my best experience of the trip.  We trekked into the field before daylight and the pit setup was astounding.  It filled the bill on exactly what I would expect a world class setup to look like.  Picture a flooded corn field with a long narrow pond stretching in front of the blind.  Dean was our guide on this hunt and with him was a top of the line bird dog.  The dog’s name was Chief and he was of the Chesapeake Bay retriever breed best I could tell. Chief was a well-educated and good mannered dog.  If my dog could read I’m sure he would bite me for saying this but it was my first real experience hunting with a high caliber retriever.  

I guess I never really gave it much thought on how a dog would find a down duck in a lake or flooded corn field full of scent from other kills and duck activity.  But it’s amazing to watch.  Dean would give him the signal to retrieve the bird and off the dog would go.  Dean would blow the whistle and the dog would stop and look back at him for a hand signal for direction.  Motion to the right and the back and the dog would run to the right and further back from the blind.  When he got closer Dean would blow the whistle again and redirect.  We kept Chief busy all day and brought back our limit of ducks in several different varieties.  

Shelby Byrd

As I reflect on the last year and the experience I can say it is a must try hunting experience.  I’d also have to say don’t expect me to be selling my deer gear anytime soon.  I think both Duck and Deer hunting offer a great complement to each other.  Duck hunting is more of a time to fellowship with friends and share stories while in the blind.  Whitetail deer hunting is a time to disconnect and get away from it all.  But I’m planning to head back North in a few weeks to attend the annual Kentucky Duck Blind draw and maybe try our luck at few Teal if time permits.

Thanksgiving Hunting Trip

Shelby had great luck in Christian County Kentucky hunting this year and brought home a beautiful 9 point buck. He saw so many other big bucks that he wanted to take us for the last weekend of their gun season.  Thanksgiving day 2017 was much like every other: woke up, started some cooking and turned on the Macy's Day Parade. We had a busy day of eating ahead with going to the Byrd's at noon for lunch, and my mom's at 3 pm for an early dinner. I feel full already. I was cooking fresh turnip greens from our garden (will share the recipe later) and mashed potatoes. Shelby makes the coleslaw and it is so yummy!  He made us some of his delicious BLTs for breakfast. After we wrapped up all this epic eating we hit the road to Athens, Al where we will spend the night.   I keep thinking I can't believe we have eaten all this yummy food today and then will drive 4.5 hours. Sleepy time!

We got on the road at 5:40 pm and made our first stop at 7. After all the food we ate today we still had to stop and get snacks!  My little family is so cute and we are such a compliment to each other. We drove along singing to Chris Stapleton and talking. And then they surprised me:  they are taking me to Antique Archaeology tomorrow in Nashville!!  Omg I am so excited. I love American Pickers and even though I know Mike, Frank or Dani D will not be there I am still hopeful 😉.  I can't wait to see it!

It was everything I thought it would be!  The building had this amazing smell like real tobacco (not a cigarette) bourbon, something smoky, and aged leather. It was awesome!  I found a shirt to remember my surprise and just wandered around.  

After a bit we got back on the road - destination Pembroke, KY. As soon as we got there we got into our hunting gear and loaded up the Polaris. Jeff and Keith had just gotten in from their duck blind and we visited for a bit. Jill and Kaitlyn were Black Friday shopping. We left and drove to the land we were hunting and dropped off a blind for the next morning.  Shelby drove us around showing us all the places he hunts. He wanted to take us to the spot by the old tobacco barn and it was beautiful. I wish I could paint - it would be a perfect addition to the wall.   Of course, it would also make some beautiful pieces of reclaimed art too!  I was in my own tree stand and my only gun was a video camera. Shelby and Emily were in a stand nearby. This trip was her opportunity to kill a buck. Right before dark I could hear something walking down the hill to my right, sniffing and eat as it went.  It was just dark enough that I could not see what it was. We decided to call it a day and head back to the Polaris. On the way back to the house we decided to grab some Ferrell's burgers. Yum!  I don't get to Kentucky often enough and when I do, I want some Ferrell's. They did not disappoint! We got to visit with Jeff, Jill and Kaitlyn for a bit then it was time to get to bed.  We had an early morning and Jeff and Keith were heading out early as well.  

Shelby took us to his other stand and we were sitting in a ground blind. The temperature was not as low as we would have thought but the wind was fierce!  This girls likes to be warm and also to sleep when hunting. Both were tough this morning.  I was bundled up but sitting on a folding dove stool. Every time my head dipped forward as I tried to fall asleep I would startle awake. You will see this is a theme today. Emily told me that 'you aren't supposed to sleep when you hunt' and then she took a one hour nap. Lucky child.  Daddy wrapped her in his super warm Sitka jacket and let her lean against him. I believe I even heard her snore a little but rest assured she was not sleeping while hunting.  We saw a couple of squirrels and they were fun to watch.  When they would bury a nut they would cover it, pat it down and cover it with leaves, the whole time looking around like they were being watched. Don't worry little squirrel, I will stick with my snacks. 

After we packed up that blind we rode around the land. There was a beautiful cemetery with a newer grave dated 1876. It was under a beautiful tree that had dropped lots of fall leaves. The sun was coming through the trees and dappled the ground with light-very peaceful for sure.  Shelby then wanted to show us another spot they hunt so we left to ride around. We walked down a pretty steep hill that we could not drive the Polaris down due to the washing.  There was lots of deer tracks and rubs on trees.  There was even a spot pretty messed up that looked like it may have seen a fight.  We saw something run away from us through the trees when we walked down but did not get a good look.    We walked around and looked at this pretty creek then headed back. After a little more riding we climbed a hill and looked out over this beautiful valley. Oh my, Gods country is so perfect!  I need a cabin there.   I do not even drink coffee but may start if I had a porch with that view.  Well, I will probably stick with hot tea. 

We decided to go get some lunch and found the best spot, the Plow Point Restaurant in Lacy, Kentucky. The food was great and the service was so friendly!  We liked it so much we planned to come back that same night for dinner with some of our Kentucky Framily (friends that are like family). I love food and it seems like most of our trips anywhere either start because of food, involve certain food in the plans, or we find great food that demands a return trip.  

We went back in the afternoon for our last hunt-we have to head home in the morning. We went back to the spot with the old tobacco barn. I was once again back in the single tree stand. This time Emily painted my face, she called it Camo Cheeks, with some  paint Shelby had. That was fun.  Girls can wear makeup in the woods!  We did not see anything again except for squirrels but it was still beautiful. We had a very interesting moment - I was dozing a little (big surprise right) and a tree to my left dropped a limb. With a loud crack it split and fell and hit the ground with a fun sound.  Poor Emily was scared I had fallen asleep and fell out. Thank goodness that did not happen. Scared me awake for sure!  Watched some squirrels hiding their treasures and listened to some birds singing. At dusk we heard something coming down the hill again and sniffing and eating.  I never saw it but it sure ran off when we came out of our stands.  It was a bittersweet walk and ride back since this was our last hunt. We did not see anything but the family time was amazing.  We met the Slaughters at the Plow Point and had another great meal. Mr. Alton and Mrs. Rita were there and Kieth. Good meal with good friends. 

Shelby decided that on the way home we would make some fun stops instead of a straight drive. We chose Lynchburg, TN where we went to the Jack Daniels Distillery. Such a cute little area. We did the Dry County Tour where we learned how it all came about, and how it is made.   It was a fun little detour.  We went to the little town square and shopped around. Got the same recommendation from 3 different shops-go to the Barrel-house BBQ for lunch and have the Grilled Cheese Crack sandwich.  Wow!  Grilled pepper jack cheese on Texas toast with pulled pork and their house made habanero BBQ sauce. Um...yea it was fine!  Emily got BBQ nachos that were pretty amazing too.  It was a fun stop that most people may not think about because you would assume it is all about whiskey drinking. It was just fun to learn about and of course the food was a great perk. Barrel-house BBQ you are now on our list!

As we began our 5 1/2 hour trip home I decided that I was wrong about quick trips out of town.  I usually worry about a long drive in a short time (8 hours each way in 3 days) but this was great. I definitely am changing my view of a long haul in short period of time and we will do this again.  I can't wait to go back to Kentucky and see our Framily. We will miss y'all and hope to see you soon!

Jennie