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October 1st, 2020, 02:21 PM
#1
Son does it to me Again
So, we weren't able to get out for our Southern Duck Opener so we had to wait until the Sunday morning.....
530 rolls around and I'm chasing him out the door to the Jeep, canoe loaded on top from the night before...Love that canoe, was owned by his great grandfather, his namesake and mine for that matter.....Not the bright green anymore but spray painted camo with leaf stencils that the boy and I did years ago....shotguns socked, ammo, hearing protection, snacks and coffee, God, don't forget the coffee....
Wes and I get to a spot I had been scouting for a while, usually quite a few ducks around but this morning the wind wasn't quite right and it was quite warm for a late September morning, but then everybody knew it's been warm lately....We paddle to our spot amongst the reeds and some muskrat lodges, pitch out the decoys, set the spinner and the rippler and then we wait.....
We keep watching the time and it's finally legal.....but still fairly quiet....not much doing....had the birds been too shot up the morning before? We were both kind of second guessing our spot when some mallard pop out of the reeds across the pond from us, too far and already on the water.....nuts.....
Not too much later some more birds are heading our way but at last minute they spot the live ducks and cup their wings and we're left to watch again....not much later though one lone duck comes up the creek in range..."You got him Wes?".....Bang was the reply and we have our first bird, a young mallard drake.....we paddle out to retrieve our prize and wouldn't you know, ducks are going over our heads headed up creek.....
Wes asks "Why don't we jump shoot them?" So he rides in the front and old Dad gets to paddle the canoe up the winding creek, through a few bends and past an old duck blind left long ago in disrepair now....the stories it could likely tell.....After a bit of paddling we're in the canal a ways and Wes at the front of the boat says, "I hear ducks ahead" Sure enough as we round a bend there's a couple more mallards paddling around....They break to fly and Hawkeye Wes shoots again..."Bang" and not just one but both ducks go down, a couple of mallard hens with one shot.....in the reeds....So Wes suggests he stay in the boat with the gun and Dad the dog gets to wade in the reeds to get them.....
So we have 3 birds with 2 shots and none from my gun....we paddle out and set back up again....
After a while with no birds, dawn has broken and the day has started...we decide we were happy with our haul so we load up and head home.....
No shots by Dad, but the kid is more addicted than ever, so I consider it mission accomplished....won't be too terribly long and I'll be the one hoping he takes me hunting with him....but not yet anyway....
Hope everyone had a great opener, I know I did....
TurkeyJohn
2020 opener Sunday.jpg
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October 1st, 2020 02:21 PM
# ADS
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October 1st, 2020, 02:47 PM
#2
awesome. even better when we can involve our kids. best when they do all the work for us!
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October 1st, 2020, 04:36 PM
#3
Great memories and a new hunting buddy for life.
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October 1st, 2020, 04:43 PM
#4
That is an awesome way to start the season
Congrats to the both of you
"Everything is easy when you know how"
"Meat is not grown in stores"
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October 1st, 2020, 08:24 PM
#5
Has too much time on their hands
"Give a man a fish and he eats for a day, Teach a man to fish and he eats for the rest of his life"
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October 2nd, 2020, 11:08 AM
#6
Congrats bto you and your boy