15 air miles from the Snake River which was the closest "unfrozen" water.....6" of snow on the ground and temps below 10 degrees....Debby was with me and had gone to the truck early to get warm...when Buddy and I walked back to the truck she had the motor running and the heat on....snow had fallen since we parked the night before so the ground under the truck was bare of snow....as I walked up to the truck from the rear I "thought" I saw something brown "leave" from the front of the truck...low to the ground and fast....didn't think much of it and got in the truck cab to get warm.....
Five minute later a hen Mallard, (if she was hurt it wasn't obvious from her flight or landing), flew towards the truck, low to the ground like hawks and owls often do, and landed about 10' from the front of the truck, mantled, and promptly walked under the truck...
I looked at Debby and she had the same, "did I just see a duck fly up to and then walk under the truck"?, look on her face....I opened the door, leaned out and looked under the truck....the hen was sitting, her head already tucked under her head under the muffler.....
She left when I got out an hour later to hunt again but Debby said she came back almost immediately.....
Now you tell me two things....
First--what the ehck was a duck doing fifteen miles from water to begin with
and
Second--how did she know that the muffler would be warm?
(and if someone says that she was flying over, saw the truck, knew it would be warmer under the muffler, and dropped down for a rest then I may never shoot another Mallard as long as I live cause thats a SMART duck.....
Steve