Sunset on Interloper

After return home from our widgwall hunt, the usual post-hunt rituals began. I cleaned birds while Dad tidied the kitchen, and made us food; today was hash. With the birds dressed and cleaned, a little food in our bellies, and some seriously droopy eyes, a quick snooze was in order.


Before we let our afternoon slip away, I again got the green-light from the Mrs. to have an evening hunt. Because of the mud and slop from the morning, I was tired, and to top it off, I ripped a sizeable hole in my waders. Whatever hunt we decided, it just needs to be an easy one. With an easy drive, and easier walk, and SAND to wade in, Interloper was the evening choice. We still had four ducks left to our daily limit, and we didn't even scratch the surface of our honker quota. To top it off, I still have my swan tag, so this spot was prime.


I let Dad do the decoy work and we settled into a patch of dead sweet clover. Our goal was to see some cool stuff. It didn't even matter if we shot more birds. We watched as small ducks ripped around the slough in front of us, and flocks of geese waved their way through. About 45 minutes before the end of legal, I look to my right to see a flock of canvasbacks come around the corner of the point we were on. These big beautiful birds were low to the water, but just too far out to shoot. As they passed by our spread, they wheeled around at the last second and were feet down ready to drop in. With three shots, Dad and I each drop a bird from the flock. Lou grabs Dad's first as I finished my bird off; I don't need a diving lesson with Lou today...


With two massive birds, this was the icing on the cake for an already fabulous day of waterfowling.

As the sun was nearing the horizon, Dad and I heard some honkers behind us. With not more than five seconds to reposition ourselves they were above us. Again, even with two guns emptied, we were only able to drop one of the pair. With a giant SPLAT, Lou circled the bird, but Dad inevitably had to collect the goose. What seemed like a big bird turned out to be the largest goose we have harvested since Rachel and I moved up here.




This was yet another LEGENDARY day on The Great Prairie.

With light fading fast an legal shooting over, we collected dekes and gear, and headed back to the car.
I cannot express in enough words or merely even the correct ones to really give this kind of a day enough justice. This day, this fall so far. We are mid-season and have already done things I never thought could happen. We have had hunts so great I couldn't even have day-dreamed them better.


This waterfowl thing has taken a strangle hold of me, and I love it.




Stay Tuned