Scouting Pays

With the opening weekend under our belt it was time to get serious and find some serious birds. The normal field we have hunted in the past was in cover crop, and with a picked corn field to the north, it was hard to compete. This was compounded by the fact that the majority of the fields in the area had not been picked yet, this cornfield was funneling a load of birds. With a little bit of research, some door knocking, and using my infant son as bait, I was able to get permission for the cornfield. As the landowner mentioned there were others that had permission as well, I knew I needed to capitalize as soon as possible. I called Dad and told him we were to take a Friday to beat the crowd. With a day of planning, we were able to get out to our spot, set up, and ready to go by first light. When you do the leg work it truly pays off. Our hide was great, our spot was perfect, and we were able to pick out drakes left and right. Lou was on top of retrieves and behaved enough in the blind I didn't want to kill her. This was a banner day on the prairie. Dad and I would alternate between pairs and small flocks. There was no need to end this amazing day early. As the sun rose in the east, a sizeable flock pintail made a swing right across our spread. At first I thought we had missed our chance at the beautiful birds, but our hide and spread was too much to handle. The flock pulled loop before dropping feet in front of us. Dad was able to make an immaculate shot on the biggest drake in the flock and I was able to pull down a pair of drakes in the mix.

When we talk about great hunts, it is impossible to leave days like these out. We don't need a limit of ducks to enjoy ourselves, but it is a spectacle when we do!

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