PDA

View Full Version : I waited 19 years for this day



huntwriter
10-06-2008, 06:32 PM
It took me 19 years before I went duck hunting again. This morning I drove to the Nicola Lake ready for a few hours of duck hunting action. The previous week I scouted a few locations in the reed fields along the shoreline and prepared a few natural duck blinds. An hour before daylight I was on the lake gliding silently into the first set up with the boat and started setting up the decoys. Then I headed the boat to a place I prepared beforehand, away from the decoys and blind, where it was well hidden from the ducks view. Arriving at my blind, made up of reed and cattails, I just had time for a quick coffee and setting everything up.

Right at dawn the first mallards came in but then turned away again well out of shooting range. These birds are hunted heavily and that made them weary of decoys and duck calls. Eventually these two ducks came along and I took them. A bit later five Canada geese came in but never close enough for a shot. All in all I had a great morning on the lake.


http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g221/huntwriter/SHS%20Forum/duck_pair.jpg


http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g221/huntwriter/SHS%20Forum/duck_othmar.jpg

These are the first ducks I have taken without my father on my side. After he passed away I tried to hunt ducks and got so emotional that I turned around without firing a shot. It was not until last years that I felt comfortable hunting ducks again. After relearning duck calling I felt ready to head out this morning. For the first time I really enjoyed hunting ducks on my own and I will head out again sometime this week. My father was the only duck hunting partner I ever have had. He was an expert at it and all I know I know from him and it just never felt right to be without him doing what he loved so much. Now I am ready to carry his legacy on, and in honor of that I dedicated these ducks to my dad.


The equipment used on this hunt:
Lowe L 1436
Mossberg 535 ATS Waterfowl 12 gauge 3 ½ magnum
Federal Premium Ultra-Shok 3” #3 steel.
Advantage and ASAT camouflage
Flambeau duck decoys
Knight & Hale and Primos duck calls.

Crazy_Farmer
10-06-2008, 06:35 PM
Great writeup and way to get out there after all that time.

rishu_pepper
10-06-2008, 06:49 PM
Good sir, I have the utmost respect for you. I'm glad you took the first step towards duck hunting again. Now it's time to carve out some new memories to go alongside those old cherished ones. :)

Marc
10-06-2008, 08:17 PM
I'm trying to decide what the second duck is. It kind of looks like a hen mallard but it has grey feet and a blue /gray bill. Gadwall maybe?

Marc
10-06-2008, 08:29 PM
OK I change my mind, it looks like a female pintail.

huntwriter
10-06-2008, 11:26 PM
I have been wondering too Marc and then I arrived at the same conclusion after checking images of different ducks. I too think it’s a pintail hen.

Mr. Dean
10-07-2008, 12:13 AM
Congrat's HW. I hope that you enjoy them.

Ian F.
10-07-2008, 05:50 AM
Hen/Eclipse northern pintail
Hen/Eclipse green-winged teal

huntwriter
10-07-2008, 09:18 AM
Thank you Ian F. for confirming my guess. I am still not 100% about waterfowl identification. There are a lot of green winged teals on the lake. But I was not sure at the time what they are and so I only shot one. Fast little buggers. I didn’t want to exceed the bag limit in case there is a restricted bag limit on them like on the pintail, canvasback, goldeneye and harequin.

One thing that I realized yesterday morning is that I need to spend more time trap and clay shooting to keep up with these fast flying green-winged teals. (Lol)


Other than that I enjoyed it very much and I will be doing a lot more waterfowl hunting in the future. I have gained permission to hunt Canada geese on a farmers field this year. I am anxious to see how that will turn out. Frankly my goose calling sucks. As hard as I try it seems I am not able to produce the proper sounds.

Any tips on geese hunting from our esteemed waterfowl experts here would be greatly appreciated.

Wolfman
10-07-2008, 09:37 AM
Very nice!

Couple of beauty ducks there too eh?

I bet it feels good to be back out there!


Wolfman

Th0r
10-07-2008, 02:44 PM
It is nice to overcome barriers and enjoy what is supposed to be pleasurable.Good for you.

huntergirl270
10-07-2008, 03:43 PM
Thankyou for sharing your story with us. Brought tears to my eyes.
Again, thanks :smile:
Sherry

huntwriter
10-07-2008, 05:39 PM
Very nice!

Couple of beauty ducks there too eh?

I bet it feels good to be back out there!


Wolfman

You bet it feels great. I am hooked again. Another good excuse and option to be out and about.


It is nice to overcome barriers and enjoy what is supposed to be pleasurable.Good for you.
Thanks Tikka67, I never really viewed it as a barrier more like that I just missed my dad to be there too. I have had a tremendous relationship with both my parents, to the point where they not only were parents but best friends too.


Thankyou for sharing your story with us. Brought tears to my eyes.
Again, thanks:smile:
Sherry

Sorry huntergirl for bringing tears to your eyes. That was not the indention. It is a happy occasion for me, and one more way to remember my parents. Both of them were avid hunters and fishers. I am the only one of the children that choose to adopt the outdoor lifestyle and I always regarded it as pleasurable duty to carry the legacy on. Everything has come full circle and I couldn’t be happier about it.

I wanted to go waterfowl hunting again tomorrow but the weather changed. It got a lot cooler over night. With the weather change my hunting plans changed too. Tomorrow I am heading out to look for that buck that evaded me persistently the last few weeks. The pre-rut has kicked in and that might give me a chance to meet up with him.

rbduck
10-07-2008, 08:57 PM
Congratulations to you Sir on a well deserved( and long) overdue hunt. My father was my guide to waterfowl hunting also. I haven`t hunted with him in over 30 years either but he is by my side when I do hunt.
You also have a couple of might fine meals in your near future.

Ron:mrgreen:

Johnnybear
10-08-2008, 06:46 PM
Very nice story Hw. Very nice ducks too. I love the calm (and coffee) before the action. Congrats to you for getting back out there. I always enjoy your posts. Thanks for sharing.

Jb

huntwriter
10-08-2008, 07:26 PM
Very nice story Hw. Very nice ducks too. I love the calm (and coffee) before the action. Congrats to you for getting back out there. I always enjoy your posts. Thanks for sharing.

Jb

Thanks for the kind words. I always try to be early, be that on top of a ridge, in the treestand or as here in the duck blind. This gives me time to shed my everyday live and become one with nature.

Johnnybear
10-08-2008, 08:47 PM
Thanks for the kind words. I always try to be early, be that on top of a ridge, in the treestand or as here in the duck blind. This gives me time to shed my everyday live and become one with nature.

I hear ya brother. One of my buddies that I hunt with always asks why pick me up at 5 in the morn?????