Challenge issued

If you read this and you do not reply, you will forever be cursed with scoter breath!


Post 5 things that have brought you joy while duck hunting that would not be commonly associated with "success" in the field.


Here are mine. Not in any order and not exclusive of other joys, just the first 5 I thought of:


1) Mataboy in general. From the under armor scene (below) to our "GOIN TO LAKEOKEECHOBEE" dance to his baldhead ballerina antics, that guy was a blast to hang out with.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuoY...pwAUfws3NPHINg


http://youtu.be/1OmXRHE1Rao?t=2m10s


http://youtu.be/A1OanoxQtfc?t=4m53s


2a) This hair:


Have you seen my batheball?!
http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ps657bd175.jpg


2b) This hair:


http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ept2009287.jpg


3) Hunting with Buzz. Buzz sleeping in the layout boat while flocks of bills and redheads fly over him. Buzz getting pwned at the prank wars (don't trust his hand sanitizer). Buzz jamming out to country music.

http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ps102f2ca6.jpg


4) These goofy decoys:


http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...hunting017.jpg

5) This:


http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f3...ps9f1b3ded.jpg

6) Six. Because this list (just like duck hunting), shouldn't be taken too seriously:

My goose calling "skills".

Number 1 through 5: The big poop I take between first light flight and 9 O'clock flight. Pure heaven.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by CocoZoo

Number 1 through 5: The big poop I take between first light flight and 9 O'clock flight. Pure heaven.

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Good one!

1) the views
2)not beng able to find paddles and using a water ski and 2x4 with a bard nailed to it
3)when my buddy fell in the river
4)when I fell in the river
5)when our canoe sank

1) Sharing blinds, with pup and pops
http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/...ps601bd162.jpg

2) Dogs that start to vibrate as soon as the guns are raised
http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/...ps5ff610f1.jpg

3) And explode out of blinds when birds are downed
http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/...psb6da3f22.jpg

4) Or catch a few ZZZ's between volleys
http://i1323.photobucket.com/albums/...pscdc737ec.jpg

5) Knowing we'll do it all again another day!

1. The knowledge that when you turn a flock (or single for that matter) around and they cup up you are actually communicating with the animal kingdom.

2. The time I forgot the paddle and had to push the Jon boat with a stick like Huck Finn, only to have the wind kick up and make it impossible to get back to the blind.

3. The time my brother in law dropped his waterproof flashlight into the swamp setting up and we just watched the light slowly disappear before we burst out laughing.

4. The time I shot a goose in the field and realized all 30lbs of dead weight was coming straight down ontop of me, so i tuck and rolled layout blind and all.

5. The Duck Season eve camp out!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stevedigs04

5. The Duck Season eve camp out!

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Duckmas Eve! :)

Wow, I understand all of that now..first time goose this week and was very exciting just calling them in and having them turn.. Communicating with animal world... so right of a statement. Looking forward to my top 5 after this season.

1) 40+ Years of waterfowl hunting
2) Hunting Bluebills in the middle of a blizzard, limiting out and then just watching flock after flock landing in the decoys
3) Taking new hunters out for their first Duck or Goose hunt.
4) Watching the sun rise over and over
5) Waking up after a nap in the blind and seeing more decoys than you started out with.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JMatthews

5) Waking up after a nap in the blind and seeing more decoys than you started out with.

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That's pretty much standard with all my hunting :)

1) Sun rise over the marsh
2) Watching hunting dogs do their thing
3) The sound of a ringneck's wing cutting the air
4) Breaking ice
5) the first sip of coffee and puff of a cigar once the first light action dies down

1) Listening to my bud WHINING about my dog getting his truck seat wet after she retrieved our ducks all morning . Next time out he retrieved his own in his underwear . true story .
2) Seeing bro-inlaw flip the canoe .
3) Going around pond with the dog to retrieve what I thought were cripples on opening day yet nobody shot any ducks but dog found a limit hiding in the reeds and all were alive without a pellet in them .
4)Getting stalked by a bear in the tag alders retrieving a duck .
5) Having my daughter at age 2 working the dog to retrieve ducks downed .

TD

1) The look on my sons face when I tell him I just found us a field holding birds for the next morning
2) The anticipation on my sons face while we pack the gear for a weekend up at sinkers
3) Listening to the old man tell stories to the fellas while the action has slowed down
4) The sweet smell of a cap'n black red on the boat ride out at 0 dark 30
5) Enjoying a coffee and cap'n after the dekes are set and awaiting LST

hard to narrow it down to 5 John....

1) Every opening day in the blind with just me and my wife.
2) Florida Hunting Trip. Hands down one of the best hunting adventures I've ever had or ever will have.
3) Sharing the blind with good friends - John, Steve, Chris, Rugys...and the stories we talk about. This is time well spent.
4) Watching a new hunter that I've introduced to the sport drop their first bird with my old 870.
5) Duckmas Eve - Following the DR tradition.

SOOO much more to list but this is off the top of my head.

1: My BILs first duck ever. A beautiful male wood duck. And more to the point him stripping down to his tightie brighties and braving the fifty five degree water to recover said duck. My brother and I sat on the hidden canoe and laughed our hind ends off.

2: the comraderie between our group. And the B.S. weve got it all from the cocky younglad to the joker and even an old timer.

3: the whoosh of wings in the dark prior to legal light.

4: As others have said the missing paddle, no boat or hole in the front of my brand new dingy that had just enough propulsion i couldnt paddle againgt it.

5: time spent with family and friends. We all deer hunt solo and the duck hunt lets us converse and have a good time while still getting a snack.

1) The dark thirty boat ride
2) Sitting in the blind waiting for legal time, listening to birds flying over, while sipping on a hot coffee.
3) Watching the sun break the horizon
4) Letting a flock make several passes before calling the shot with feet down and wings locked
5) Hot breakfast in the boat blind.

S.

1) waking up to my alarm with no snooze button required. when that week I had hit it everyday for work...
2) canoe ride or walk out in the dark
3) sun rising where very few people get to take it in
4) the smell of gun powder on a fresh fall morning
5) the sounds of birds, either quacking, honking, flying or landing. add to this the sound of gunfire, and im in heaven.

basically I like the whole process, it takes a lot of work and commitment but its all worth it, and I anticipate it every year!!
good luck out there and play safe!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Buzz Killington

3) Sharing the blind with good friends - John, Steve, Chris, Rugys...and the stories we talk about. This is time well spent.
.

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The stories huh ... if I come up with a list here, it would have to include during a story I was telling when the mallard came around and into the decoys from behind, unnoticed to us, I shot it and sent the dog without even breaking my sentence, and kept right on with the story, didn't even get off my stool ... I don't even remember the story I was telling, but I remember the look on your face.

5)Getting my 9 year old talked into joining Dad in the blind last fall.
4)Watching my 9 year old scoop that first duck out of the water.
3)Continue to watch my 9 year old as he strokes, pokes and otherwise inspect said duck.
2)Observe and listen to him attempt, better than Dad, at calling on the calls at a recent outdoor show.
1)Number 1 success, having him tell me this morning as we loaded the car to go skating, "Sorta like going hunting, but hunting's more fun, when are we going again?"

1) The smell of coffee and swamp water at the same time
2) Watching my buddy trip in the dark
3) The screech of a wood duck
4) Having ducks circle me for a landing
5) Having waterfowl fly over me when it has been dead all day as I'm eating or don't have a gun with me at that exact moment

5) Sharing a blind with two of my uncles for only a few short years before dementia changed everything.
4) Begging mom to let me go hunting with dad, and getting the "YES" !
3) Watching a new hunter get his first duck.
2) The setting of the decoys in the early morning and waiting in the blind with good friends trading stories and digs.
1) Being called a true sportsman by my uncle who was a man of few words, a "legend" in local hunting circles, and a mentor to lots of new shooters/hunters over the years. That was my biggest "success" in my mind.

I only have 1

Goose hunting with my 10 year old last year.

- The look on a newbs face when we are driving on the river in complete darkness.
- Heading to our spot in pea soup fog and my daughter asking me should the last three buoys all have the same numbers....
- The sunrise in the marsh.
- The sounds of the hens just before sunrise.
- The look on our faces after emptying two guns and not a bird down.

The reason none of the above are numbered and the most important one....#1 hunting with my daughter!

Looking up and thinking it's safe put the gun down and unzip and all hell breaks loose

I liked the duckstar song :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Gadwall

The stories huh ... if I come up with a list here, it would have to include during a story I was telling when the mallard came around and into the decoys from behind, unnoticed to us, I shot it and sent the dog without even breaking my sentence, and kept right on with the story, didn't even get off my stool ... I don't even remember the story I was telling, but I remember the look on your face.

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I remember that hunt quite well =)

5. The 30-45 min after the decoys are set up and u get to sit an enjoy the peacefulness of the early morning as u wait for legal shooting time and reflecting on how lucky we truly are.
4. The sound of your buddy's gun just going click because he forgot to reload or somebody took the shells out his gun.
3. Being the first one to realize that the only two birds of the morning are megansers and letting a father and son duo nail them and brag about how good of a shot they both made until you present them with their two prized megansers.
2. Getting out for an early season hunt with my wife and twin 9 year old boys....very few hunts all of us together because my one boy is in a wheelchair and he doesn't handle the cold at all.
1. Getting to take my wife on her first duck hunt as a new hunter.
The best part is just good times and good memories with friends and family. Always alot of laughter.

1. turning my first big flock of honkers.
2.getting my first banded goose.
3.enjoying every hunt with my wife.
4.showing up at my blind to see that a beaver had used it for a home base and build a house all around it.
5. realising that full body decoys are better than having just shells on the ground!

scud

putting the boat in at 3 am when the water is calm as glass

putting the boat in at 3 am when the wind is howling and we're second guessing whether to go or not

sleeping in till 6 am... then having breakfast with the boys ... just to launch at 9 ..and have fun anyways

watching a lone mallard cup up , called in by a 5 year old, blowing on a call like a fox forty whistle and actually hitting it... " you got it dad... YOU ACTUALLY hit it" thanks son... lol

taking a young lady for her first heritage day hunt... first hunt ever ... watching her run out of shells, one duck shy of a limit.... loved every min.