Ron Smith
Active member
As the sun crept over the horizon it found us with 4 green winged teal floating in the decoys. It was a great start. Our youngest son to my left and our oldest on my right and good eats out in front. Our middle son could not get down here the night before to make this Father/Son hunt complete. Sitting in the comfort of seats in the boat it was easy to wait out the next flight. Almost an hour later and one of our teal bobbed up and down in the water. Suddenly it moved about 6 feet and then disappeared. A short while later they all started bobbing here and there , then another one went down. We never saw what it was but we were thinking it was an otter. It had been nearly and hour since we had seen a bird and even though I knew it was a risk to drop the blind and drive the boat to get the teal I figured if we waited any longer all our green wings would be gone. We made the decision, unloaded the guns, dropped the blind just in time for 3 dozen teal to float over the decoys. A few fluttered back and forth wanting to land inspite of us being out in the open. You gotta love teal. With another flock heading towards us we sat down and reloaded just in time to scare them real bad. It is amazing how ducks can fly through a wall of #4's being thrown out by three 12 gauges and keep flying. Anticipation was high as we pulled the blind back up but it was time for Austin's morning nap and out he went. It was now up to Micah and me to defend the decoys from the onslaught of blue winged teal.I looked to my right at Micah. He is a husband, father of 4, a police officer and a very busy person. It hardly seem like it has been over 2 decades since a little 10 year old sat next to me in the airboat, a Savage 311 cradled in his arms, bagging ducks. I now join legions of old men that speak of how fast the years pass. With Micah's busy schedule (shift work, off duty details and a big family) it is difficult to find a day to duck hunt together but somehow we do. Wave after wave of BWT come to our spread and we drop some more before all the shooting shook the cob webs from Austin's head and he sat back up and reloaded. When the smoke cleared and the ducks were picked up, we headed back where Micah's kids and his wife were waiting to go for an airboat ride. She loaded the SUV with kids, gear and provisions and towed the airboat to meet us at the ramp. We made quick work of loading the mud boat and cleaning the ducks and launched the airboat. I grabbed my camera as Micah hit the starter button and the O520 came to life. I captured an image which is very similar to another airboat at the same ramp 25 years ago when Lisa and I would take our little family on propeller driven slides through the Glades. Life goes on. It was a short leap from looking in wide eyed wonder at our baby laying in the bed between us to the days we were holding his babies. I suspect we will blink our eyes again and be looking into the faces of our great grandchildren.That evening, after airboat rides were complete and naps were taken everyone gathered for a campfire in the back yard. Dinner was white cheese pizza, iced tea and grilled teal skewers for appetizers ...a new combination for me. I looked at the faces aglow in the fire light and reveled in the conversation being shared ... some of of which was about duck hunting. A lot of family bonding over the years has happened while floating in a South Florida marsh. 
