Well headed out again this weekend this time I was set to try to get set -up and waiting before shooting time. Got up early around 4:30am, which wasn’t too hard and not really early as I get up around that time anyway for work. Packed up the gear in my trusty steed and headed out to Timmys, with my thermos filled I was all set. Got there still dark and plenty of time to get ready, shouldered all my stuff and deeks and started the hike out.
Had my blind set up and decoys in the water, with still 20 minutes before the official gunshot I sat down on a somewhat dry spot and had a coffee. While I was waiting, I hear a duck land 20 ft in front of me and commence to have a conversation with his newfound plastic friends. I sneak a look at time and my phone and it’s still 7 minutes to go, I ‘m hoping he will hang around…. Nope, flies away 2 minutes before time, I guess he got tired of being ignored.
Pretty quiet for the next hour a couple of real high fliers but that it, another hour goes by and I see a couple coming by, call to them they circle around but fly behind me and I loose them, next thing I know they have landed of to the far left of my shooting area away from the decoys. I slowly turn, they are not more than 20yds from me, I raise the gun all set. I give a little hoot and rise up a bit for the shot, they don’t move? Just as I was going to yell again, a bunch I hadn’t seen as being transfixed on those two circled and start coming in locked, In a split second I decided I would try for the ones coming in and hopefully get a shot a the others after, probably not the best decision. I pivot around to line up and my movement flares them I let off two panicked shots a miss and the ducks are gone. Its amazing how quick they move, I turn back hoping to see the other two but they exited stage left but three others were coming in view either circled around or got spooked I got my last shot away and instantly dropped a widgeon. I go off to try to find where it came down and after 25 minutes of searching, I find it.
After I get back to the blind, I think wow nothing for a few hours and then they all come out of nowhere in 3 minutes. Not too much happened for the next hour or so as it was getting sunnier and the flyby’s were getting higher and deaf to my calling of lack of skill. A few minutes more and I think to myself I will call it quits when I see three more coming in fast I give a few calls they tilt a little towards me but still to high and fly over, I keep calling hoping maybe they will circle, they did! problem was they were teals, fast and close they buzzed right by me and before I could even raise my gun they were gone. I called again quicky and to my amazement they came around again but seemed even faster and lower, no way to get a shot away and instead of sticking the landing they just buzzed the tower again and were gone.
With that I decided to call it a day.
Last edited by FishandSticks; 12-20-2023 at 08:09 AM.
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