That’s right- the title of this post does not lie. Unfortunately, I was not the one who made the amazing shots! Yesterday morning (Wednesday) was yet another awesome shoot. My dad, Sandy, and I each got our limits, and we were finished by about 8:30. But… I must ask… Do you ever have those mornings where you just cannot hit the easiest birds? The ones to which even the most novice shooter would say “Oh, wow, that was easy” after? I must have missed 3 or 4 birds that were 20 yards away from me. Pie shots! I might as well have jumped out of the blind and grabbed them. Then, just when I think I won’t hit anything all day, I smoke a duck overhead at about 45 yards. Ultimately, though, I did get my limit. Sandy, on the other hand, shot like a champ! As soon as birds started flying, he was on his game. I had just shot a ring neck and sent Dixie my dad to go pick it up (hehe, it’s like having 2 bird dogs! Love him) when I hear two consecutive shots go off, and two big splashes. Sandy had just shot a double. And if that wasn’t enough, with his very next shot, I hear two more splashes. One shot. Two ducks. Now you tell me- how often can that happen?! I immediately went over to give him a high five. At least someone was shooting like a rockstar. Of course, there is always dead-eye Otis. My dad is one hell of a shot, and I never miss an excuse to brag on him!

My bag included 3 mallards, two ring necks, and a blue bill. My dad and Sandy had similar bags. We had a few minutes of downtime in the middle of the hunt, so I snapped some silly photos. Enjoy!

Oysters the night before the hunt

Dixie watching some ducks on the water

View from behind the blind

Essentials

Can you see me in all my camo?

Oh wait. There I am.

My limit

Favorite of the morning! Thanks, Dixie…

Most people don’t get excited when their alarm goes off at 5 am (unless you are my dad) and they go outside to find that it is 45* and cloudy/raining. In fact, I think most would much rather jump back in their warm bed and sleep for another few hours. Not duck hunters! When I woke up Wednesday morning, I was even more excited than usual. It was one of those days I like to call “duck-y,” when the windy weather has moved in and it’s cool, extra cloudy, and looks like the sky could open up at any minute. I absolutely love the way ducks fly in the wind, even though it makes hitting shooting them a little more sporty! While the cloud cover made it too dark to see until nearly 10 minutes after legal hour, 6:47, I could hear the sound of ring necks (more scientifically, ring-necked ducks) flying all around us. Duck hunters- you know what sound I am talking about. Like a jet off in the distance, except its a duck 50 yards away. In the wind, when those ring necks set their wings and glide, they even look like little baby jets. Whether its a group of 4 or a group of 40, you can almost always hear them before you see them. Add that sound to mallards quacking, teal squealing, and a medly of other ducks squalking their breed’s signature tune, and you have yourself quite a morning symphony.

Over all, the hunt was a success. Between the 3 of us in the blind, we ended up with 6 ring necks, 3 blue bills, and 6 mallards. Not too shabby! Sorry for the lack of pictures… Between the ducks flying all around us, and the rain picking up towards the end of the hunt, my camera was hard pressed to make it out of the blind bag. Here are the few I was able to snap. Enjoy!

“Duck-y” morning view

That is one thick blanket of clouds

Part of our harvest

Ring-necked baby jets

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!

Just before sunrise

Decoys, sunrise, and a glimpse of a duck whizzing by at the top of the frame. (Sorry for the blur!)

At last we can see clearly!

Fall colors

First two in the bag! Drake and hen mallards.

Here come Dad and Dixie with my 3rd mallard!

Weapons of choice.

Duck blind staple.

Dixie was ready for some more action.

Such a beautiful morning

Best hunting pals 🙂

Well, it’s finally here- DUCK SEASON! This is definitely one of my favorite times of year. Fall is in full swing- the leaves are changing and tree lines everywhere have become so colorful, they look like they were painted on a canvas. I love the cool crisp mornings that give way to afternoons with some of the best temperatures for enjoying the outdoors. There is also something about getting up early and getting into the duck blind before sunrise, being able to see your breath and catching quick glimpses of ducks darting through the air before it’s light, and hearing them on the water mere yards from where you stand. Adrenaline starts pumping, and you know you only have minutes before you can pull the trigger and start the hunt. Not to mention the rush you get when you make a perfect, clean shot and the bird folds, falling to the water with a loud splash. I know that moment is just as exciting, if not more so, for the dog you have with you in the blind. That’s their chance to jump straight in the water and make their retrieve- exactly like they were bred and trained to do. But, as we all know, it quite often does not go quite so smoothly! I am sure I will have plenty of stories about Dixie, my dad’s black lab, as the season goes on.

In light of this years duck season, and since I won’t have a hunt to write about until Wednesday, I decided to do a recap of past years’ hunts and how much fun I had on all of them. Even when it was 11* outside… Or when I went for a accidental totally voluntary swim in 35* water. You better believe I was wide awake after that little swim! There’s nothing like dumping 5 gallons of icy water out of your waders. My dad has definitely not let me forget that one.

Enjoy the photos!

Early morning view over the decoys

Dad, Dixie, and me after a rainy morning

Through the marsh grass

Green Wing Teal

Taking a little snooze when things get slow…

Even this mallard’s fall couldn’t break through the thick ice!

Dad and me. Awesome morning.

Our loot from the morning

My first pintail!