[Note: This post was supposed to go up last Friday, but was delayed due to some epic technical issues… All fixed, now!]
This weekend. This weekend marks the end of duck season. And what a duck season it has been! I have two hunts, maybe three left, and plan on getting the goody out of each one! We had some slow times thanks to an (unusually) balmy winter, but right into January the cold weather finally arrived. My next two hunts were in some chilly, chilly weather, and they were… Awesome.
Can you believe we are almost halfway through January? And that there are just a few short weeks left of duck season? I know! I feel like it just started. That’s probably also why I am just now posting about our post-New Year’s hunting (at least that’s my excuse). I kept thinking it was “just last weekend” but that’s clearly not the case!
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Heat and fog were definitely the theme around Christmas and New Year’s here in good ol’ South Carolina, and our post-Christmas hunt was certainly no exception. Changing up the scenery, we headed northeast of Columbia to family friend’s property where my dad and some pals have a weekly duck hunt. It has been a year or two since I’ve been able to hunt there, and this one was a fantastic way to come back.
With all of the rain the region has gotten in the past few months, water levels are extremely high and many of the roads are simply not drivable. That also means that the pond levels are a foot and a half to 2 feet higher than normal… Yes, I think you can see where this is going.
Did the holidays absolutely fly by for anyone else? Seriously, did Christmas and New Years even happen? If it weren’t for some awesome hunts (with photos to prove it), some great gifts and gear, and the terrifying memory of a bad hangover (thank you, Castaways), you’d think they never happened! But, like I said, I have photos to prove it.
Oh, and quail.
But! I completely forgot to tell you about seeing a deer in my last post. Crazy! In the middle of the duck hunt, I looked across to the bank of the pond and thought, ‘Wow, did someone bring a Great Dane as their bird dog?” No kidding – a nice sized doe was trotting past the pond. Odd, and the first time I’ve ever seen a deer while duck hunting.
The fun doesn’t stop there, either.
Well, the second split of duck season is officially (well) underway, and I must admit… I LOVE IT. Despite this insanely warm December weather we’ve been having (because who wants to have to bring a Thermacell in the duck blind, right?), even the slow mornings are so much fun.
Can you believe that it is already DECEMBER? Seriously! Where did November go? Whizzed past in the blink of an eye, if you ask me! And, since November is, in fact, over… Well, so is the first split of duck season here in South Carolina. Luckily, I was able to duck 3 times during that time, and it was quite a successful adventure!
Not a hunting or fishing or travel adventure, but something entirely different. Some of you may know (or have already seen), in fact. I am excited to announce that I have started a stationery company (and Etsy shop), centered on my love of the outdoors – Wilderness Paper Co.
At long last! I finally finished the 2014-2015 duck season video. I have to say, it was a pretty good season. From the bull canvas back to fast and furious hunts, I love having this video to relive it all. And, having the photo above from earlier in the season posted by the Outdoor Channel was just the icing on the cake. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
I knew it. I called it last week. Duck season hasn’t been over 1 week, and I am already wondering what to do with my weekends… And Wednesday mornings. Duck hunting is so much more fun than working in an office. And don’t act like you don’t agree with me. I am already missing the layers of clothing stuffed into my waders, the mega-pack of hand warmers that is no longer, and the exciting feeling of refilling my shell belt at 5:30 am before a hunt.
