DAN SIMMONS Sportsman's Quest MORE COLUMNS SPECIAL TO THE PVT Drew Calvert holds a pair of water fowl he bagged recently. Advertisement

There is a bit of chill in the air this December morning and a hunter's thoughts turn to ducks and geese.

It's true, water fowling in the southwest isn't like the Canadian prairie potholes, or even the mid-west, but dedicated sportsmen can always find an occasional pond or fallow field that can provide an opportunity to ambush a few birds.

If one is willing to travel a bit, some very respectable shooting can be found along the Colorado river where California, Arizona and Nevada share river frontage, marshland and some fine agricultural areas.

This is the area my hunting pal Drew Calvert and his friend Tim Williams hunt each year. They hunt the river bank on the California side during the early hours with a good set of deeks and primitive blinds. They then pass shoot the Arizona side in the evening as the birds leave the river for marshy areas and fields to the east.

When we talk about primitive blinds, we're talking about finding some cover and building it up a bit. On one occasion Drew tells of sharing the blind with something that started "hissing and growling."

He got out of there faster than a blue wing teal that's been busted as it comes in to visit some friendly decoys. It turns out that some unnamed territorial beast didn't enjoy being awakened at "O-dark-30."

It took him a while to settle down and build a new blind, but he managed to get his limit of Canada geese with his Beretta and Remington's new 3-inch goose loads. Tim shot six banded birds that began their journey from Wyoming and followed the river south -- not bad for a desert hunt.

If you are inclined to go a bit further afield, Texas is hard to beat. Jason Higgins, another of our hunting lodge members, traded a champion bred lab pup for a 4-day guided duck and goose hunt down near Abilene.

Jason is originally from Maryland and knows the Chesapeake well. When he moved to Nevada he hunted waterfowl at Overton, Paranagut and the Key Pitman reserve. That shows the limits a real hunter will go to meet his traditional heritage.

Then came Texas where a waterfowl hunting license includes not only ducks and geese, but several tags for deer and even turkey.

Jason hunted ducks for three days in livestock ponds -- limited out, field hunted geese from pits on the fourth day -- limited out by 10 a.m. He was then asked by his host Steve Carrigan, "Wanna go deer huntin'?"

Two hours in a tree stand and he had a nice 2X2 forkie, then a little later a 4X4 from a stand a few miles away.

He missed the turkey.

Oh yeah, and the pup he traded earlier got to hunt with his sister and mother; they all showed their championship blood lines. This hunt was not a bad week's work in anyone's book, and Jason's freezer is well stocked for the winter.

The hunting is still out there but in our mobile society with an ever growing population, and ever increasing efforts to limit hunting opportunities, you may just have to travel a bit. And, travel is good. While in Texas Jason dropped down to San Antonio and met up with his wife for a little vacation and dinner on the River Walk. They also visited the Alamo, still a symbol of our freedom and heritage.

Water fowling? You bet. My kit is packed and my favorite Ithica Featherweight side-by-side shotgun is ready. Let's get out there; I'll meet you at the lodge.

Events

* The Safari Club International Desert-Las Vegas Chapter banquet will be held Jan. 17, at the Rio Convention Pavilion. For more information call Dave Small at 702-383-0321.

* The fifth Annual Grand Slam Club/Orvis Hunter and Outfitter Convention is Feb. 18-21, at Bally's Las Vegas. There will be exhibits, auctions, seminars and hunts. For more information go to www.wildsheep.org.

Recipe of week

Drew Calvert has displayed his culinary skills following many a fishing trip, and he does pretty good job on birds too.

I am sure his wife Anna taught him most of what he knows (this should get me an extra piece of pie next time I'm invited to dinner).

Here is one of her favorites, and mine too. The gin, which is made with juniper berries, mixed with the crushed berries adds a unique flavor.

Anna's Three Onion-Stuffed Goose

One 5-lb goose; For the cooking liquid, mix together: 2 tsp ground black pepper; 2 tsp salt; 3 bay leaves; 10 juniper berries, crushed; 2 15-oz cans chicken broth; 1 cup gin; 1 onion, thinly sliced. For the onion stuffing: 3 Tbsp butter; 3 Tbsp olive oil; 2 stalks celery, finely chopped; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 2 shallots, minced; 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced; 3 green onions, sliced (including green part); 1 cup sliced mushrooms; 2 tsp sage; 1 tsp thyme; 1 tsp ground black pepper; 1 tsp salt; 1/2 cup white wine; 1/2 cup chicken broth; 4 cups bread crumbs.

Mix together ingredients for cooking liquid and set aside. Saute' stuffing ingredients - celery, garlic, shallots, onions, and mushrooms in butter and olive oil until onions are soft, add sage, thyme, salt and pepper, cook for another two minutes; add white wine and broth and simmer for 10 minutes. Mix in bread crumbs; stuff mixture into goose; place stuffed goose in roasting pan, pour cooking liquid over top; cook for one hour at 375 degrees covered with foil. Baste with cooking liquid at least 5 times; remove foil cover, cook for another 50 minutes basting frequently; turn oven temperature up to 450 degrees and roast for an additional 10 to 15 minutes to brown skin.