Veteran's Day Ducks 2.0

As I finished my drive home from Cochrane's with my buck on the tailgate, I got a call from my insurance guy, who's property we hunted last year and harvested those canvasbacks. He had not allowed me to hunt there yet this year because his son was bow hunting and he didn't want us in there. No harm no foul, it is his property. Well, it just so happened that his son was going to be out of town Friday (Veteran's Day) and he said we could go ahead and hunt out there if we still wanted. I called Dad right away and told him the situation and that if he could swing it, to change his plans. An affirmative answer and we were game on for another Veteran's Day duck hunt.


We got out to our spot at first light, and as usual for this spot, we busted a large number of ducks, geese, and the elusive swans. As I set out our decoy spread, Dad took the car back to the road. This year we did not have nearly the weather in our favor, and we had a blasting sun in our face. We made it work, and were still successful in our morning's hunt. A pair of low flying honkers made the mistake of flying directly overhead. I was able to lay the smack down on the first one, and somehow, the other was able to fly away unscathed. We were able to decoy some mallards but they kept skirting our setup and dropping in to the east. One group came in a little too close and I was able to drop a pair. Mocha was able to retrieve both birds, but it was considerably laborious for the old hound. Dad smoked a drake that dropped right into our spread and I jumped another skirting bird. There were two blown opportunities on my part in which I did not get BB shells switched over fast enough for one, and they came in right overhead, and then into the sun the second. Swans....I was not sick to my stomach but close.


Once the wind died down, and I mean glass slough dead, the action ceased completely. We ended up calling it a morning shoot and we took some pics of our morning success.

I decided that with the fleeting chance at a swan, I would take Dad back home, and return to the slough. This way Dad could get to Cochrane's for an evening in a treestand, and I would have a chance at an afternoon bird or two. Again, the wind died down, and there was nothing happening. The only other opportunity awoke me from a nap as I heard ripping wings above me. I awoke with a snap to see a grand greenhead with wings cupped and feet down. I didn't even stand up from my chair.


BOOM!


If I had stood up from the shot, I could have caught him on the way down. He splashed into the water in front of us and Mocha just looked at it. She took two steps, picked it up and dropped it at my feet.

I sat the remainder of the afternoon without so much of feather. I then get a call...Landowner wants to know how the morning hunt went. I told him it was slow but I was still out here waiting for an errant bird. I was informed that his son was getting into the treestand right now, and that he thought I would have been done and long gone by noon..... I haul ass collecting my gear and decoys and again, do not bother to drive the car to the corner where I could load up and go. I collect and run. I was beyond gassed and dragging the deer seemed like a walk in the park compared to the wader slogging, decoy bag hell I was enduring. From call to car took less than 20 minutes for a 45 minute job. I really hope I did not cook my goose on this one, but I guess we will have to see.


Lesson learned: have the parameters of permission SPELLED OUT. I am not a man that can interpret gray very well...


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