Duck Blind Anticipation

It was an early Kansas morning, well before sunrise. We put the boat in the water at same place we used on our scouting trip the day before. It should not have been surprising, but we could not get over how dark it was! What little moon we had was hidden behind cloud cover and there was nothing on this stretch of water to provide any light at all. Luckily, I had the sense to use my GPS to trace our travels the day before. I had a spot light, but everything looked so different in the dark! The spot light pierced through the darkness like a knife, if only to provide tunnel vision in the black expanse. I honestly had never navigated primarily with a GPS unit. I should mention that the manufacturers warn not to do that as you open the screen. Well, let me tell you, I was darn glad to have it with me! There was tension in the air as our spotlight and flashlights hopelessly search for landmarks and danger.

Slowly we made our way to our target location. Our decoys were strategically deployed, and our guns were loaded. I breathed a sigh of relief that we found it and that we were set up by "shooting time". We had not seen a duck in the air since the sunlight began to flood the region at the magical 30 minutes before sun up. It was time for the traditional morning Pop Tart. I opened the package and glanced at my two comrades. Both of them were leaning forward, guns tightly gripped, quietly tense with the anticipation of the first feathered visitor. It was 7:39 AM. The stench of the swamp water was hardly appetizing, but I didn't want to break tradition and jinx our hunt! So of course I had to sink my teeth into one of my favorite brown sugar pastries. I looked to the stern and there was my lab, Gunner, also at attention, scanning the area for birds. He knew what we were here for!

Just then I heard Randy whisper, "There's three overhead." The onslaught of duck calling broke the silence. I was not fooled by the three mallards trying to distract us. It seems that every time we stare at a flock that we think might come in, we will have some visitors fly in over the spread. Sure enough a small squadron of dinners banked hard outside our decoys. One of the smaller ducks turned our way. It cupped right into the gap in the decoys we created as a landing zone. I quickly threw my gun to my shoulder and my Benelli barked loudly. Splash! The first duck of the morning was taken. Fetch'em up I commanded and Gunner was air-born! Gunner retrieved my first widgeon of the trip, a beautiful drake! The anticipation was over and the hunt was on!

During the next 20 minutes the shooting was fast and furious! Both Gunner and his Dad, Hunter, were busy as multiple ducks hit the water from several flocks. Hunter has a nick name, "Sleepy", because later in the day we commonly have to wake him up to tell him that there is an opportunity to retrieve. In his defense, he is nine and a half years old. After the "death wish" ducks poured into the spread of decoys, and the sun rose in the sky, it was a little tougher to get a shot. The ducks were circling, closer and closer and closer. This provided duck blind anticipation part two! Here was our group again anxiously anticipating the deadly mistake by one of these flocks. A different kind of anticipation. Then suddenly, swish, here they come! Without seeing the feathered invaders, I heard the unmistakable sound of their wings as they banked in from around the corner. That was all the warning I needed! It was identification on the fly! Bang and a beautiful green winged teal spiraled to join the fish. There is nothing quite like the anticipation in a duck blind, especially when you know they are coming, but you're not sure when or from where!

Green Wing Teal