Duck Hunting Memories?

Jon Yenulonis

Jon Yenulonis

Well-known member
I'm sure this has been done before, but would anybody like to share a funny thing that happened to them while Duck Hunting?


Recently, while hunting solo at my local State reservoir, I took some time to reflect on some of the not necessarily duck related things that I witnessed while Duck Hunting that I would've missed if I stayed home. When I returned home later that afternoon, I had a conversation with my Wife telling her that's one of the things that I really enjoy about just being out there.


I have so many memories I could probably write a book.


A couple weeks ago, My buddy and I were hunting and had a modest spread of Diver Dekes set out twenty or so yards out in front of the blind. We had been watching several loons swim around out in the lake. At one point, one of the big birds swam into the decoys and dove. When it came up, it breeched right under one of the Herter's Bluebills. Not only did it make a commotion, we could actually hear it collide with the foamer. Poor loon probably had a headache afterwords. It was rather comical though.


One time, many years ago, I was hunting in a bay on the earlier described lake when I had a doe deer swim across the bay and get tangled up in several of my goose decoys. She didn't really panic, as I thought she would, but rather just continued across the water until she reached shore. She very easily stepped out of the mess and strolled up the bank and out of site as if nothing ever happened. Unfortunately, I had to spend valuable hunting time retrieving my toy geese and resetting them.


Or the time I was hunting in a blind when the water over the previous days had risen to about a foot and a half up over the floor of the blind. I couldn't move it all myself, so I decided instead to just hunt out of the newly sunken blind. Heck, with the blind being completely surrounded, I could put the decoys all around. I had been watching a little grebe swim around most of the morning. Out and about, sometimes right in amongst the decoys. I was just sitting there during a common lull, when a commotion in the blind got my dog's startled attention. Come to find out this little grebe had apparently swam thru the open "doggy" hole in the front of the blind and was suddenly staring at both the dog and I. This one wasn't so calm. After considerable panic on it's part, it must've found the way it came in because it disappeared then reappeared back out in the open water. Non the worse for ware however, as it continued to feed nearby for a while before eventually swimming off.


Anyone else?


Jon
 
Dead calm day and no birds flying.... except for a Ruddy Duck we let land. It promptly fell asleep and kicked itself in a circle inside our decoys for the rest of the afternoon.

Opening day used to be at noon in MN. A buddy left to meet us while it was still dark, but a 3 hour drive for him. When he got there, he was late by almost an hour. What happened? "Potty emergency", had to make a stop at a road side slough, then cut his t-shirt. Funny! Then he spent 15 minutes trying to get his waders on before we realized he had the shoulder straps latched and between his legs.... they wouldn't pull up because the straps were stuck in his crotch. We managed to get out and kill our limit, so it was a good day with good humor. After hiking back out we found we were the last folks at the parking lot, and that buddy who had left before sun-up had left his lights on had a bad battery. We now call him the Human Rain Delay.

Most of mine involve a spot too deep, a plug forgotten, an anchor forgotten, a lost flashlight, a wrong turn, etc..... OR the few times it works like a dream with 30 minute limits, picture perfect doubles, and incredible dog work. However, it would seem the first set of events has a very solid lead in sheer number of occurrences :)
 
Last year a friend and I were hunting a place in cattails that was approx. 60yds X 90 yds in size. That morning it was completely frozen over so we busted a hole at one end that was about 25yds X 25yds. Early that morning a group of G.W. Teal came swooping in and we knocked a couple down but one glided off on the other side and took refuge in the cattails. Didn't see the point in trying to send the dog after it with the ice and all. About an hour later we hear a faint tink-tink-tink-tink on the edge of the ice and see a River Otter walking on the ice along the edge. When it got to the point where the wounded teal had entered the cattails, the Otter went into overdrive and dove into the cattails. We hear a commotion and the teal comes running/flying out with the otter in hot pursuit. My friend and I both shoot and try and finish off the teal but apparently it wasn't hurt too bad because it flew off and the otter and us were all left empty handed. First time and probably only time we had an otter try and assist us with a retrieve!
 
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Had a gator bite & spit out a teal decoy during early teal one year.

Saw a doe swimming across a large bay, bet she was tired.

Lots of osprey catching mullet every season.

Redfish tailing in the decoys on MS Sound, one of these days I am going to tire a hook & line on a couple of decoys and catch me a nice winter redfish.
 
I once was hunting (with tom scholberg) on one of the days where the birds were really moving through, and had lined up on a pair of drake bluebills out of a huge flock flying right through the decoys.

That morning I had grabbed my duck gear and saw two shells on the washing machine, I figured the wife had grabbed them out of a pocket before putting the clothes through the wash.

I lined up and pulled the trigger. sizzle, thoomp.

turns out she had washed them before putting them there!

I still think of that moment every so often and wince. Those were some nice drake bills. Maybe I will get them next year.
 
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I was hunting once from a shore blind, and directly from over head (must have been in a tree) came a hawk nosediving toward my decoys. I had a spread that included: blue bills, canvasbacks, mallards, and for all of you that turn your nose up to it: Coots. And, wouldn't you know, the hawk hammered one of the coot decoys, his talons grasping helplessly. I swear I saw him shake his head as he flew off empty-handed.
 
Last year in a coastal marsh I had a sea-run brown trout tailing through my decoys.

Watched a harrier swoop over two flushing teal. The teal decided they'd be better off down in the rice and dove back in. The harrier followed them in, and after a few seconds, one of the teal flushed again. We never saw the harrier again, so we assume he was in there eating.

Lost a crippled goldeneye to a harbor seal before I could catch up to it. Next day the same thing happened, except it was an eagle picking up a downed mallard.
 
Had either "The Jersey Devil" or a pterodactyl fly inches over my head while picking up decoys in a marsh one evening. After an expedited decoy retrieval and some investigation from the security of home, I was relieved to learn that the vocal great blue heron was indeed not powerful enough, nor interested in eating me.
 
My old hunting buddy Pat said "meet me at the Goose blind tomorrow at 5:30 am, I'm spending the night at my girlfriends". He got out of his truck decked out in Yankees hat, shirt ,jacket, and pants. He apologized that he forgot his camo gear.
As soon as we sat down in the blind six honkers came in no more than six feet above the blind. That was the start to a very busy morning.
My comment was... they must be Yankee fans?
Ken
 
My old hunting buddy Pat said "meet me at the Goose blind tomorrow at 5:30 am, I'm spending the night at my girlfriends". He got out of his truck decked out in Yankees hat, shirt ,jacket, and pants. He apologized that he forgot his camo gear.
As soon as we sat down in the blind six honkers came in no more than six feet above the blind. That was the start to a very busy morning.
My comment was... they must be Yankee fans?
Ken

Nope, Red Sox fans, swinging in to crap on that all Yankee gear. LOL.
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My wife is not from a hunting family and she was always concerned about me taking our sons hunting. My oldest was 4 and I had gotten him a camo coverall and Elmer Fudd hat for Christmas. He wanted to go hunting so with great reluctance, my wife she finally consented to let him go. I hunted a swamp close to home so he got dressed and grabbed his Orvis double barrel cap shotgun and we hopped into the Jeep with our Golden retriever right behind.

It was a sunny day and we walked down to the edge of the water and sat down on a log behind some bushes. I put out a half dozen goose decoys. Not more than 20 minutes after sitting down a pair of Canadas came down the length of the marsh right to the decoys. I picked out the biggest bird and in the process of thinking about the shot my wife's voice cut in and said "What if he gets Bambi syndrome?" I couldn't stop the shot but did not swing on the second bird as the first dropped. As soon as I heard "Dad shoot the other one!" I knew I had a duck hunting buddy.
 
Paul, Do you remember how we got the stuck wad out????? The details do get lost sometimes, we all really should write them down. Kinda like how did I get out to the spot that morning??
 
just had a good one happen a few weeks ago it was a great day birds flying we had a pile in the blind. decided to start cooking so we busted out the charcoal and grill.my buddies dog was guarding his ducks and making sure each feather on the head was just right. then I noticed he was looking under the bench rather then on top where the pile was located. I get down on a knee look under nothing but a few drops of blood I say to my buddy your crazy dogs licking the blood again. so now about 20 minutes go by with Merl the dog with his head under the bench I say what the hell are you doing this time I lean against the back wall looking through the crack behind the bench WTF. A mallard is crawling its way to freedom just like in the movie shawshank redemption of course as soon as it was spotted the duck takes off UNDER!!! the blind so now me my friend and the dog are bouncing off side to side looking to see where its going to pop out we stomped jumped banged but never saw it pop back out. then my buddy says go get a stick and swing it around under there so with the blind being brushed I make a little hole get a stick under there and start swinging I see it. It runs to the back I run around to the back it runs to the front I run to the front then its in the center I am on my belly in the mud finally it goes to a corner and I was able to get a hold of him. lucky enough for us no one was around to see all the action and we where the only ones getting the good laugh. Lesson learned pay attention to the dog and make sure your ducks dead before you put it on the pile.
 
I launched my boat with the plug out. Got so rattled retrieving it and draining it that when I re-launched I forgot to unhook the cable--and towed the boat forty yards up the gravel before I realized what the racket was. Parked the truck, got out, looked the situation over and decided to muscle the 600-pound boat, 90 pound motor and all to the water. I was a lot younger then. The progress was in inches. Young fellow showed up to launch his boat stepped out and watched before saying quietly most folks back the boat INTO the water. It's lot easier that way. You know, I said, I bet you're right...
 
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