Good Morning with Kyle

mike braden

mike braden

Well-known member
Kyle was very insistant on going with me this morning even though the weather was going to be in the low 20s. I knew that it was going to be a productive day and hopefully a quick one. I bundled him up like to the boy in the Christmas story movie. I woke him up at 5:30 and before you could sneeze, he was ready to go with two pairs of socks on hand warmers inside the foot area of the waders for extra warmth, 4 layers of clothing with an old jacket of mine that is way too small for me and his waders for extra comfort.

Yes, even through all that clothing, you can see a smile that would make any Dad proud.

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I always try not to shoot hens but when Kyle is with me I do try to keep the excitement in it for him and I always stress that we should be shoot the drakes over the hens whenever possible. This hunt lasted only about 30 minutes and then I had to get him home to get ready for school.

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Pork Roll, Eggs and English Muffins....The breakfast of NJ Duck Hunters! Kids are awesome!!!!

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You mean he looked just like Randy in the Christmas Story? Very cool. Loved those pics. It indeed was a great hunt.
Al
 
Mike,
that first shot is the happiest bank robber I have ever seen. Boy that was a cold one and he looks like he is on top of the world. Great job showing the kids the treasure that is out side of the tv game room, waiting for them to go out and get.
 
Gene - I know that you get to share these memories with Luke often as well.

Bill - I do my best to teach them stuff especially the wildlife. I always remind myself to slow down, take a minute and explain it in terms that they can understand.

Mike - Kids are cool.

Al - Yeah he kinda reminded me of Randy. Couldn't remember the name but I did get the right movie. He was bundled up fine and we weren't out long at all. It's a day that I am sure that I will never forget.

Bob - Yeah, I laughed at that one. You see these white teeth through all those hats. It really did make his day...and mine. Now he's saying "So, when we eating duck"?
 
Mike, excellent job on that hunt, definently worth the extra effort! What is the make of that boat??? Would love to see more pics of it when you get a chance. And hey, get that little girl out there as well, maybe when the weather is a little nicer. Thanks for the great post. - Jim B1
 
The girl hunts too...My youngest son Landon is 2 1/2 so he has to wait another year or so. I've had all my kids out when they were 3. These were early season, warmer days with proper ear protection of course. I am 50% and I do not need them to be as well.

This was two Saturdays ago. The bay was a bit choppy and windy but I wanted to take the kids out for and hour or so. We only had a 10 minute ride so it wouldn't be too bad. We did see a lot of ducks flying but they all had somewhere else that they wanted to be.


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The TDB was plenty warm and good for a few laughs with Laurel and Hardy, my comic relief. No we didn't get any ducks but it was a fun day out. My daughter said " Daddy, how come everytime you blow the duck call the ducks fly away?" I almost fell out of the boat laughing.


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Even though I am not perfect....she loves me and I'm in no hurry to walk her down the isle and give her away.


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Jim - The boat is a Marsh Rat from Mallard Marine. David Boys is the owner. HIs father David Sr. is the one that designed the boat. I cannot say enough positive things about it. I love it! For the areas that I go to that are too shallow for a boat with a motor, it is the perfect boat for me. I even use it in the bay on calmer days. I am going to try to use it as a layout boat with some long lines. I have one of Ira's seats and the cockpit opening is so big, that you have plenty of room.

This if from the Mallard Marine site.

The Marsh Rat

Lightweight – 68 lbs.
  • Stable – wide 43" beam
  • Towable – rides high and dry
  • Hideable – hides in low cover
  • Tough – made of durable polyethylene
  • Safe – meets U.S. Coast Guard regulations
  • Fast – moves quick/paddles easily
  • Economical – retail $599
  • Versatile – use as a layout boat, marsh boat, field sled, decoy carrier, ground blind or as a back-up craft!
The boat comes in Camo and grey. It has 4 holes for mud poles and with 2 mud poles in place the boat is very stable. My friend bought a final attack and they do not paddle or pole well. He is usually 60-70 yards behind me as we are paddling out. I really really like tis boat.


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Who is that masked man? Congrats Kyle and Mike. Looks like a great time. The smiles always tell a great story. Taking a future hunter out is a great feeling.

Bill V
 
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