As the title suggest that is exactly what mother nature did for us. Unsure if Thomas would even be able to hunt youth season, because of three baseball games this weekend, a cold front pushed through leaving highs below freezing and strong winds. Under any other circumstance Thomas would be bummed about not getting to play baseball, yet the news Friday night that all games had been cancelled brought a smile to his face.
The season for us was quite duckless. Plagued with record mild temps we never saw any big pushes of ducks and most hunts were ones of low expectation. The type of hunts you go on simply because the season is open.
With the green light to hunt Saturday Thomas said he wanted to hunt "The Tupes." For several years now I've been letting Thomas pick the location of the hunt. Truth be known I think he needs to start picking the location during the regular season because his batting average is better than yours truly.
3:30 a.m. seems to come earlier after the regular season ends but I managed to roll out of bed, wake Thomas, and hit the road. Temp was 35 degrees and falling. Cold front rolled in overnight with STIFF North winds. We made the normal boat run and walk from the river to our destination. In the dark I had managed to grab the wrong decoy bag, as one normally doesn't see ringnecks in a beaverdam swamp, but luckily there were a few gadwall decoys in the mix.
First flight was delayed by heavy clouds and low light, but it didn't take long before I knew it was going to be spectacular. Now this particular spot has been known to produce a gadwall or two over the past decade but mallards are in the minority. Evidently the neighborhood went upscale during the break in hunting pressure because we were COVERED UP IN MALLARDS. I mean it was a sight I haven't seen in Alabama since high school. Mallards outnumbered gadwall 8-1 and were were on the X. Group after group hit the pocket in front of us. Thomas picked up his first ever double on mallards. It didn't take long before he had three mallards down and only needed one more.
A pair of ducks came in quick and he folded one with a single shot while the other flew away 15 yards close, untouched. Now I'll ask everyone here what do they think would happen when a 12 year old kid has three mallards down and a pair comes in. Without me saying a word (truth is in the excitement I forgot he was at three and didn't advise him to hold off) he made positive ID on the drake and took the last one on his limit, no more, never even a doubt. After the bird splashed I asked him why he didn't shoot the other, he said "That was my fourth mallard." I told Thomas he demonstrated something that grown-ups have difficulty with, that being personal restraint. Damn I was proud and gave him a hug.
We stayed most of the morning hoping to fill out his limit but were not successful. It's a rare day you wish a duck wasn't a mallard but that's the way it was this day.
For the afternoon we hunted the little hole that I've written about. The one we've been clearing and have high hopes of getting control of the water to dry the place out and plant food plots. The morning hunt couldn't be topped but we were swarmed by hooded mergansers and decoyed mallards as well.
I'm still a bit tired from yesterday's events but it looks like we are heading out again. Regardless of today's action yesterday still feels good. I told Thomas that the action he'd seen in the morning was something he'll be able to tell his kids about. It was that good.
I'll leave you with the below pictures from yesterday. Pete Revicki made the two black ducks for me. They look good in pictures, in the hand they are even better. They are going to be a regular part of my rig for a long long time. Thanks goes to Pete for the pair. I can't stop looking at them for the lines are so clean and the paint so subtly perfect. You sir make a fine black duck.
The season for us was quite duckless. Plagued with record mild temps we never saw any big pushes of ducks and most hunts were ones of low expectation. The type of hunts you go on simply because the season is open.
With the green light to hunt Saturday Thomas said he wanted to hunt "The Tupes." For several years now I've been letting Thomas pick the location of the hunt. Truth be known I think he needs to start picking the location during the regular season because his batting average is better than yours truly.
3:30 a.m. seems to come earlier after the regular season ends but I managed to roll out of bed, wake Thomas, and hit the road. Temp was 35 degrees and falling. Cold front rolled in overnight with STIFF North winds. We made the normal boat run and walk from the river to our destination. In the dark I had managed to grab the wrong decoy bag, as one normally doesn't see ringnecks in a beaverdam swamp, but luckily there were a few gadwall decoys in the mix.
First flight was delayed by heavy clouds and low light, but it didn't take long before I knew it was going to be spectacular. Now this particular spot has been known to produce a gadwall or two over the past decade but mallards are in the minority. Evidently the neighborhood went upscale during the break in hunting pressure because we were COVERED UP IN MALLARDS. I mean it was a sight I haven't seen in Alabama since high school. Mallards outnumbered gadwall 8-1 and were were on the X. Group after group hit the pocket in front of us. Thomas picked up his first ever double on mallards. It didn't take long before he had three mallards down and only needed one more.
A pair of ducks came in quick and he folded one with a single shot while the other flew away 15 yards close, untouched. Now I'll ask everyone here what do they think would happen when a 12 year old kid has three mallards down and a pair comes in. Without me saying a word (truth is in the excitement I forgot he was at three and didn't advise him to hold off) he made positive ID on the drake and took the last one on his limit, no more, never even a doubt. After the bird splashed I asked him why he didn't shoot the other, he said "That was my fourth mallard." I told Thomas he demonstrated something that grown-ups have difficulty with, that being personal restraint. Damn I was proud and gave him a hug.
We stayed most of the morning hoping to fill out his limit but were not successful. It's a rare day you wish a duck wasn't a mallard but that's the way it was this day.
For the afternoon we hunted the little hole that I've written about. The one we've been clearing and have high hopes of getting control of the water to dry the place out and plant food plots. The morning hunt couldn't be topped but we were swarmed by hooded mergansers and decoyed mallards as well.
I'm still a bit tired from yesterday's events but it looks like we are heading out again. Regardless of today's action yesterday still feels good. I told Thomas that the action he'd seen in the morning was something he'll be able to tell his kids about. It was that good.
I'll leave you with the below pictures from yesterday. Pete Revicki made the two black ducks for me. They look good in pictures, in the hand they are even better. They are going to be a regular part of my rig for a long long time. Thanks goes to Pete for the pair. I can't stop looking at them for the lines are so clean and the paint so subtly perfect. You sir make a fine black duck.
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