12 Minute Hunt

5 In the South

Had trouble starting extra motor so I got to the pond alittle late. While setting out decoys many birds were landing in the pond,,, about 4 pairs. After setting up the decoys and hiding the boat my alarm went off signifying that it was shooting time and I still have 40 yards before I got to my choosen hid where I had placed my seat.

As I was getting close to the Hid I noticed that many birds kept landing 75 yards to the East of me just behind the blind in 7. I wadded cross the pond and stood there amoung flattened toolies looking for a place to hid, then heard wing beats over head looked up and there was a pair of mallards 15 feet over my head, bammo, bammo #1 bird down but two shots. Came back from picking up the bird and coninuted to look for a place to hid and again heard wings over my head, looked up and there were 4 mallards 15 feet over my head, bammo, bammo got #2 tried for a double but missed. Walking back with this one I kept my eyes in the air and as soon as I got back to my wide open spot in came another pair, bammo, bammo #3,,, but two shots again!!! Walking back eyes in the air to my pile of shells "my now Hid in the open" in comes another pair, bammo got him, finally #4 is a one shot bird... At this point I was roasting and needed to take some closthes off from running around,,, heck its only been 9 minutes and I should have a legal limit of Darke Mallards. I pealed down my waders and had one arm out of my jacket when wings over head again,,, went up to shoot bammo bammo nothing fell,,, it was a clean miss. Trying quickly to remove the jacket and get to my base layors it happens again, this time when i have my wool shirt off, bammo bammo another clean miss,,,nothing!!! Ok,,, I am not lifting my head or looking up until I am all put back together, fortunately nothing came over head while I was doing this. Everything back on with just the right amount of comfortable one shot shooting attire I continue. Four dive into the pond and land 20 feet from the wing flapper but they are 50 yards from me. How can I sneak these things,,, then in comes another pair they circle twice wide of all the decoys to the West of me, I mouth call and they head straight at me 15 yards bammo #5. While walking back with this one now that Im done, in come another pair right over the top of me 10 yards bammo #6 down. After picking this one up I get back to my shell pile and start disposing of the shells when in comes another pair and the drake plops in the water 10 yards from me... How can I pass up my favorite water head/shot for the perfect eating bird,,, bammo #7. Time check,,, its only 7:05am I've only been hunting for only 12 minutes!!! Nice morning, my only complaint is it went by too fast... I unload, lay the gun on the pile of birds and pick up the last toss him near the pile and walk straight to the boat with out a gun,,, too much temtation and I've already shot more shots than the entire club.

With everything in the boat I head back to the boat dock and the current time is 7:20am. The balance of the morning was spent moving the new beds in my room then loading the old beds in the truck. Then I was off to start the tractor that wouldnt start earlier in the week. Got it started and proceed to disk for the next 3 hours! So about Noon I head back to the shed when I see BB comming in. He asked how i did i said, it was a 12 minute all Drake hunt... With two bonus birds!!! All green!

3 in the North

Bill & I shot 3 in the North. The morning was very slow, could have shot some teal but due to how quick they dart in and out I said I wouldnt shoot them unless they were on the water. Then we had a group of about 12 dive bomb us which we didnt shoot at until one came back around and landed on the water. Bammo, done! From there we had a single Drake Mallard work the pond came over 35 yards, one shot Bammo got'em. The next drake was all Bills as he was very ancious to warm up his barrel, true to form,,, bammo toast. The next drake came over us 40 yards flying very fast,,, I doubled up my lead, bammo toast. Intersting to note it was a single pellet under the chin that brought him down and no other pellet marks were any where on the bird.

3 Drake Mallards and one Drake Greenwing Teal.

We did not pass up any Mallards we shold have had.

Opening Day 2, 04

On this morning I am to hunt alone, durring the draw I selected Discovery which is at the North West side of the club. I was actually at a place called New discovery which is slightly south west of Discovery.

The area I wanted to shoot had no cover so I had to settle for a clump of bent over Bull Toolies. It was a slow morning realative to yesterday but I knew I could get a few birds here.

Finaly 3 came in, feet down ready to land and with my over and under I took two shots and downed both drakes. While walking out to get the birds I had to dart back into the toolies cause another single was comming in to land with a pair 50 yards behind him. I let him land right next to me in the pond and continue to call the pair in. When the Drake "in the air" was 20 yards out bammo, I had him, then I turn on the bird that was taking off of the pond bammo, I got him. 10 minutes had gone by and I had 80% of my mallard limit. But no banded birds???

1 hour later in came a very none comital drake, he would not approach me straight on, always off to the side. On his 3 pass I took him, first shot was a miss, the 2nd shot was a wing shot and he came down very very alive. I ran over to were he went down in the layed down toolies and found a whole with blood and feather all around but the feathers were a hens? Damit, I shot a hen,,, I started lifting up toolies to look under them up found nothing. Then I though I need to go at this systemactically, row by row. 10 minutes into this search I sae it swimming 5 feet away from me. I had already layed my gun down so I through my body in the air like a sky diver, splat... Did i have it was it under me,,, no, then I felt my upper right hand move. I looked up and sure enough My hand was on the broken wind,,, gottoem. After doing the neck thing I held him up and saw that it was a young imature drake. "young drakes always have feathers that look like hens". I held him up to inspect the feet and there was my reward,,, a band. Getting my self wet and muddy was well worth this.

A perfect 5 drake mallard limit, I was the first hunter in.

Opening day 04

October 30, 04

This day couldnt have come any quicker, the excitement and energy was something any on looker could feel.

We shot the south east center of the club at a place called Smith Special. I was there with my father Bill and friend Joe who was an associate shooter this year. With two boats to hid and 4 dozen decoys to place we were pressed for time,,, or so we thought. After decoys were set and boat hidden we gathered at the one blind in the pond, seven minutes to go and there were Mallards all around us, groups of 5, 10 and too many pair to count. Birds were trying to land in our decoys. Wings wistled over our heads 10 feet above us and many were ploping in the water around us. For a few minutes we watched in awe as this was month nature at her finest... Bill ask "time check"Joe "2 more minute", Bill "ok lets get settle, Joe you take the blind and Kevin you go over there. Over there meant find a fitting place to hide your self so the birds could see you. Now, these Tooles are 12 footers so ya have to do some house cleaning before you can see anything and if the birds flar you know it by a toung lashing from Bill from across the pond...

The first pair that come in splits apart, the drake dives right into the pond and lands next to Joe but he cant see this because he has a 8 foot hight beaver dam between he and the bird on the water. The drake on the water quacks keeping his gal well aware of where he is and she does a final approach just over Joe at 10 feet,,, Bammo "she done" the drake takes off the water and I bammo, put him to sleep.

The next is a group of 3 birds, they past one, twice and on the 3rd go round I say shoot them to Joe. Joe gets green and Bill gets green. The last bird was a hen and was not shot at.

About 45 minute have gone by and serval pairs and groups have gone over Joe with out a shot fired. "Why arent you shooting at those birds that are coming right over you" Joe say he cant really seen them till they are right on top of him so he and I switch position, Sun is barly up now.
I'm in the blind now a group of two come right over the top of me "very shootable" but I let them go to Joe and Bill since is see 3 more following them in close be hind. By the time Bill and Joe start shooting my bird are right over me and I take one shot down she comes,,, yup it a hen! Looking into the sun plays tricks on you sometimes thought it was a drake.

Several more birds give up to us but the most memoral moment I had was of a single drake mallard flighing over head at 20 yards. I take one shot and the bird freezes in mid air and slowly fell out of the sky,,, head shot.

At the end of the day we had 13 Green and 2 hen, its was another great opener shoot.http://greenhead2004