Part 1 - https://duckboats.net/community/threads/decoy-rig-contest-winner-part-1.355040/
Late in the season I realized that driving the hour to the Hudson might not be necessary every time. I got on Google Earth and looked for nearby ponds that were on public land. I located one right near my home and set out, Mossberg in hand, with my brother along who was visiting. As we stalked through the forest, we saw a flock of ducks on the water. As I belly-crawled forward, my excitement built. I popped up finally, the flock took flight, and I fired. A duck fell! This pond was deeper, and I had no waders. My brother took a picture as I waded out in my boxers, chest-deep, to retrieve my prize. It was my first black duck! And more importantly, it was my first foray into finding my own spots.
Before the next season I made several investments and scouted every local body of water I could find for anywhere that looked “ducky.” My first investment was a pair of waders. I added a few more decoys. And then, after much saving, I purchased a Benelli Super Black Eagle II. Following this, I went to a weekly trap league with Bruce and learned to hit what I was aiming at with much more regularity. Lastly, I purchased a used kayak on Craigslist, which opened up a whole new world for me.
My success rate increased significantly. I continued to learn from Bruce, and he trusted me enough to loan me some of his decoys so that I would have a respectable spread. My kayak, bow and stern, was piled high with bags of decoys, burlap for makeshift blinds, and whatever else I would need. Some of the spots I had scouted produced, and some did not. Eventually I brought Bruce to the spots I had found and was able to return a little bit of the favor, producing ducks for him.
As the seasons went by, I acquired more gear and more knowledge. Waterfowling became my driving passion in the outdoors. I ranged widely in my scouting during the off-season. I joined a local rod and gun club that had two swamps on their land. There was one other waterfowler in the club, and he and I connected after meeting while we were setting up on the same point in one of the swamps one morning. We decided to hunt together that morning rather than spread out. Another day, during the late season, I was out in my kayak on the Hudson and was returning to the launch, empty-handed. Another young waterfowler was there, scouting. He struck up a conversation with me and we ended up becoming friends and sharing many hunts together. My waterfowling network was expanding.
The highs and lows of waterfowling are what continue to excite me. I can do everything right and end up with no birds. Or everything can go wrong and I can still somehow come home with enough for a meal or two. There is an endless learning curve. Every time I go afield is different. There are countless unique memories that I have made on the river or in the swamp. One morning out on the Hudson in my kayak I had gotten tired of dodging ice flows and paddling against the tide. It was cold enough and the tide was out sufficiently that the shoreline was frozen so I tied a bow line on and dragged my kayak along the shore. Someone must have seen me and could not make sense in their mind of why someone would be out in the winter, dragging a kayak along the shore so they called the coast guard. A cutter came up the main channel, stopped directly across from me, and observed me for a while. Eventually they left, satisfied that I was just some crazy duck hunter.
I do not believe I will ever tire of seeing the swamp wake up in the morning, all the songbirds migrating through, the beavers slapping their tails, and the occasional otter that thinks my decoys are play toys. Out on the river it’s like Christmas morning every sunrise, where any species of duck can be migrating through. Conveying this genuine excitement to another person is only possible if they too have experienced these same thrills.
As my waterfowling has progressed I have made it a point to pass it along to others. I have a young friend who asked me to mentor him in waterfowling. As Bruce had done for me, I loaned him decoys, showed him how to set them in a U or W shape, coached him on calling and effective shot ranges. As his season progressed, I gifted him a set of brand new wood duck decoys, which he badly needed. He’d call me up after each of his solo hunts and tell me what went right, what went wrong, and what he’d learned. We talked everything through and he began maturing as a waterfowler.
I similarly have taken other folks out into the swamps. My boss accompanied me one morning, to see what I am always talking about. He took his first bird, and I went to his house for dinner and cooked it for him and his family. My sister harvested her first bird, a lone goose. Various other friends have joined me, some asking me to go again and some enjoying it but thinking that getting up at 3:00am to wade through a dark swamp is a bit nuts.
I am not the type of person to ask for a handout. I believe in earning what I have and take a certain amount of pride in being self-sufficient. If I cannot afford something I go without. However, as you so generously offered your rig and stated very valid reasons for passing it along, I wanted to toss my hat into the ring. I can promise that your rig would see a whole lot of use if it makes its way to the Hudson Valley with me. The divers would enable me to finally be able to hunt the special late season on Long Island, something I have only been able to do with Bruce and his meager spread of Bluebills. I also am greatly attracted to the idea of hunting over cork decoys, likely from my reading of all of the old-time waterfowling literature I can find, as well as the fondness for them I have read about from the members on Duckboats.net.
The decoys that I might not have a specific use for would find homes with Zack, my duck hunting mentee, as well as Matt, a friend of mine who seems to be taking an increased interest in waterfowling and who has asked to accompany me on opening day this season. Being able to take the rig of divers when Bruce and I head down to Long Island would be magical. He is newly retired and still going strong with his waterfowling. We continue to hunt together frequently and have furthered our friendship by turkey hunting together and went out fishing this Labor Day Monday on Long Island in a combination fishing and duck scouting trip. Your decoys would not be relegated to a dusty shelf in a garage. They’d be hunted hard, cared for, and appreciated.
James
Late in the season I realized that driving the hour to the Hudson might not be necessary every time. I got on Google Earth and looked for nearby ponds that were on public land. I located one right near my home and set out, Mossberg in hand, with my brother along who was visiting. As we stalked through the forest, we saw a flock of ducks on the water. As I belly-crawled forward, my excitement built. I popped up finally, the flock took flight, and I fired. A duck fell! This pond was deeper, and I had no waders. My brother took a picture as I waded out in my boxers, chest-deep, to retrieve my prize. It was my first black duck! And more importantly, it was my first foray into finding my own spots.
Before the next season I made several investments and scouted every local body of water I could find for anywhere that looked “ducky.” My first investment was a pair of waders. I added a few more decoys. And then, after much saving, I purchased a Benelli Super Black Eagle II. Following this, I went to a weekly trap league with Bruce and learned to hit what I was aiming at with much more regularity. Lastly, I purchased a used kayak on Craigslist, which opened up a whole new world for me.
My success rate increased significantly. I continued to learn from Bruce, and he trusted me enough to loan me some of his decoys so that I would have a respectable spread. My kayak, bow and stern, was piled high with bags of decoys, burlap for makeshift blinds, and whatever else I would need. Some of the spots I had scouted produced, and some did not. Eventually I brought Bruce to the spots I had found and was able to return a little bit of the favor, producing ducks for him.
As the seasons went by, I acquired more gear and more knowledge. Waterfowling became my driving passion in the outdoors. I ranged widely in my scouting during the off-season. I joined a local rod and gun club that had two swamps on their land. There was one other waterfowler in the club, and he and I connected after meeting while we were setting up on the same point in one of the swamps one morning. We decided to hunt together that morning rather than spread out. Another day, during the late season, I was out in my kayak on the Hudson and was returning to the launch, empty-handed. Another young waterfowler was there, scouting. He struck up a conversation with me and we ended up becoming friends and sharing many hunts together. My waterfowling network was expanding.
The highs and lows of waterfowling are what continue to excite me. I can do everything right and end up with no birds. Or everything can go wrong and I can still somehow come home with enough for a meal or two. There is an endless learning curve. Every time I go afield is different. There are countless unique memories that I have made on the river or in the swamp. One morning out on the Hudson in my kayak I had gotten tired of dodging ice flows and paddling against the tide. It was cold enough and the tide was out sufficiently that the shoreline was frozen so I tied a bow line on and dragged my kayak along the shore. Someone must have seen me and could not make sense in their mind of why someone would be out in the winter, dragging a kayak along the shore so they called the coast guard. A cutter came up the main channel, stopped directly across from me, and observed me for a while. Eventually they left, satisfied that I was just some crazy duck hunter.
I do not believe I will ever tire of seeing the swamp wake up in the morning, all the songbirds migrating through, the beavers slapping their tails, and the occasional otter that thinks my decoys are play toys. Out on the river it’s like Christmas morning every sunrise, where any species of duck can be migrating through. Conveying this genuine excitement to another person is only possible if they too have experienced these same thrills.
As my waterfowling has progressed I have made it a point to pass it along to others. I have a young friend who asked me to mentor him in waterfowling. As Bruce had done for me, I loaned him decoys, showed him how to set them in a U or W shape, coached him on calling and effective shot ranges. As his season progressed, I gifted him a set of brand new wood duck decoys, which he badly needed. He’d call me up after each of his solo hunts and tell me what went right, what went wrong, and what he’d learned. We talked everything through and he began maturing as a waterfowler.
I similarly have taken other folks out into the swamps. My boss accompanied me one morning, to see what I am always talking about. He took his first bird, and I went to his house for dinner and cooked it for him and his family. My sister harvested her first bird, a lone goose. Various other friends have joined me, some asking me to go again and some enjoying it but thinking that getting up at 3:00am to wade through a dark swamp is a bit nuts.
I am not the type of person to ask for a handout. I believe in earning what I have and take a certain amount of pride in being self-sufficient. If I cannot afford something I go without. However, as you so generously offered your rig and stated very valid reasons for passing it along, I wanted to toss my hat into the ring. I can promise that your rig would see a whole lot of use if it makes its way to the Hudson Valley with me. The divers would enable me to finally be able to hunt the special late season on Long Island, something I have only been able to do with Bruce and his meager spread of Bluebills. I also am greatly attracted to the idea of hunting over cork decoys, likely from my reading of all of the old-time waterfowling literature I can find, as well as the fondness for them I have read about from the members on Duckboats.net.
The decoys that I might not have a specific use for would find homes with Zack, my duck hunting mentee, as well as Matt, a friend of mine who seems to be taking an increased interest in waterfowling and who has asked to accompany me on opening day this season. Being able to take the rig of divers when Bruce and I head down to Long Island would be magical. He is newly retired and still going strong with his waterfowling. We continue to hunt together frequently and have furthered our friendship by turkey hunting together and went out fishing this Labor Day Monday on Long Island in a combination fishing and duck scouting trip. Your decoys would not be relegated to a dusty shelf in a garage. They’d be hunted hard, cared for, and appreciated.
James
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