My lab is super gungho when it comes to retrieving ducks.

Last Saturday she made an incredible retrieve in the Snake River, swimming about 75 yards in current to get a downed bird. Her retrieves always amaze me.

We got her from the pound and she's an AKC lab. It took a lot of training to get her in shape but she's been a super dog over the last three seasons.

Then something strange happened on Saturday. We shot a goose. We hardly ever goose hunt and it was her first experience with a Canada goose.

Shortly after shooting hours opened for duck hunting on the Snake River near Walters Ferry on Saturday, there wasn't a duck in the sky.

It was a windy, cold day on the river and hunters thought conditions would have been perfect with the cold snap. No so. A couple of veteran hunters of the area, scouted the area Friday and saw lots of waterfowl. But they were puzzled why Saturday was so slow and why the ducks disappeared after the storm front moved in

It's Friday morning, and I know someone is putting a stalk on a mule deer buck right now. It's eating me, but I have some stuff to wrap up this morning before I head into the backcountry.

Deer signs are looking good. There's a decent number of bucks in Unit 39, and there's snow in the forecast, which is pretty rare for this early in October. We're usually dealing with sunny, warm weather and yellowjackets.

I had a question from a reader about the bull elk that was living out along Warm Springs Avenue near Harris Ranch for the last year. It was in Idaho Outdoors this morning.

People were speculating whether he was still alive or had been killed by poachers.

Well, good news. "The elk is doing just fine. I have seen him two out of the last three evenings," says William C. Lindner of Boise.

Lindner says the elk is continuing to live along the Boise River and nearby areas. Lindner watches the elk constantly.

That's good to know.

Gov. Butch Otter's idea of charging a mileage tax to raise money to repair state roads will be a big hit to hunters, anglers and other recreationists.

If you're an angler who likes to go to the Lochsa River or the South Fork of the Snake River from Treasure Valley, you would take a hit and pay an extra tax for that trip. We're talking 600 to 700 miles round trip after you do your running around up and down the river on U.S. 12.

If you're a hunter who likes to travel across state to go elk hunting, you'll pay extra.

The Peregrine Fund’s World Center for Birds of Prey will celebrate its annual open house Oct. 12 with reduced admission prices, special activities for kids and outdoor flight demonstrations by falcons and hawks.

I went to this last year and it was pretty cool, especially seeing the birds up close. Makes for great photos.

I know, Friday is the opening of deer season and Saturday is the opening of duck season, and it's going to be a busy weekend. If you're going to out of town, this might be something for other members of your family who will stay home.

If you're planning to hunt the Rapid River country near Riggins, you may experience delays.

Reconstruction work continues on the trail, and stock users can expect 1-2 hour delays through Friday, which is opening day of deer season.

The trail will remain open to foot travel. Work on the trail will continue through November. The contractor will notify the Forest Service on the Friday of the week preceding anticipated trail closures.

The Idaho Department of Fish and Game is seeking information about the person or people responsible for the killing and wasting a bull moose.

The moose was killed on Sept. 26 or 27, north of Fairfield in the Rosetta Creek (Forest Service Rd. 471) drainage of Big Game Unit 44 near Warswick Hot Springs.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Citizen’s Against Poaching Hotline at 1-800-632-5999 or the Magic Valley Regional Office at 208-324-4359. Callers may remain anonymous and a reward may be issued for information leading to a conviction.

There is nothing that scares the heck out of paddlers than trees across the river and blind curves.

I mentioned the downed tree in the Boise River upstream from Glenwood Bridge that surprised some canoeists and other floaters this summer. It's in the section of river if you float from Americana Boulevard to Glenwood or from Willow Lane to Glenwood.

The Boise River is a dynamite river to float in the fall because of all the colors, but don't get hung up on a log.

One paddler, Judi Steciak, reported Monday that those floating the Glenwood-to-Linder section should be aware of a downed tree blocking the entire south channel around Eagle Island, above the Eagle Road bridge. It's near the small weir marked on the river map in Ron Watter's guide to flatwater paddling.

She said the river bends to the right just below the tree.