a mixed bag – The Bright Side of The Road

Wow. That is really all I can say about this morning’s duck hunt. I have been looking forward to this day for weeks, and it was well worth it! My dad and I hunt every Wednesday during the season at a great spot in the heart of South Carolina, and it rarely disappoints. We also hunt there with a good family friend, Sandy. He is a lot of fun to have in the blind!

The morning started off nice and cool, about 40* at 5 am- perfect duck weather. After coffee and donuts ~~bright~~ still dark and early, we loaded up our gear and headed to the blind around 6 or so to put out decoys. Since legal shooting time wasn’t until 6:30, we got to sit and listen to the ducks flying around us, quacking and squeaking and making all of the various noises that different ducks make. You would be surprised at how many people think all ducks just quack! Listening to the ducks in the dark really gets your adrenaline pumping, and you can’t help but grip your gun in anticipation. You can’t quite gauge how far away they are until you hear one light on the water, and then you can barely make out the ripples it’s landing makes. I can’t quite decide if it feels like seconds before the sun to come up enough to see, or if it feels like an eternity. You wait quietly, patiently biding your time until the moment arrives.

Finally, it was shooting time. Guns loaded, we all kept our eyes sharp for the slightest movement within range. For a bird with a brain the size of a walnut, they sure are smart enough to know where a blind is and what one means. For nearly 15 minutes, we watched ducks fly into the pond, cup up to land on the water, and then flare off about 80 yards from the blind. By the end of those 15 minutes, there must have been 75 ducks rafted up, floating together at the other end of the pond. But, I guess that’s why they call it hunting! Sure enough, ducks started to come closer and closer to the blind. Then- BOOM! It really heats up around the blind. The next thing I know, we have 6 ducks down and in the bag, thanks to some savvy shooting and some great retrieves by Dixie. The most exciting part for me was exactly what I had knocked down- 2 drake mallards and 1 hen mallard. Despite all of the duck hunting I have done, I have never shot a drake mallard, much less two within 5 minutes of each other! After a minute or two of high-fiving and general excitement, it was back to business for the rest of the morning. Shooting would speed up and slow down, but a mixed bag of birds flew, and that’s exactly what we came home with. All 3 of us ended up with our limits by about 9:30. The different species we killed included mallards, ring necks, blue bills (lesser scaup), ruddy ducks, and one hen red head. Each species makes different noises, and certainly flies differently, so it is always neat to see how they come in and determine how you will have to take a shot to knock one (or more!) down.

After such an exciting morning, I unfortunately forgot to take pictures of the final headcount before Sandy left with his loot. I did manage to get some good shots during the hunt, though! I know- it should be the opposite, with more “after” shots- next time, I promise! But, until then, I will leave you with this morning’s photos. Enjoy!