Hi Ed,
Yes, if you spent time at Bodie Island, waiting for the draw of blinds, you probably did meet Billy Daniels...you may have met another hunting partner of mine, Jay Johnson. Jay is the guy who actually surveyed and drew the small map of the blinds and trail distances from hwy 12. You may remember the map I am referencing. He too is a very passionate hunter. He loved to drag a lot of decoys out into that marsh...seems like we never had enough.
You know something?..I actually looked forward to and enjoyed those mornings standing there with the other hunters waiting to draw a blind. There was always a social aspect of it, a rekindling of old acquantances not seen since the end of the previous season..I don't know if I can adequately explain it, probably not. But it was a renewal of sorts. Guys there bleary-eyed..some of them sipping coffee from the 7-Eleven, or eating a biscuit. I was always glad to see a familiar face or hear a familiar name there. One of the delights that I recall about it, too, was the occasional young lady who was there to hunt with a husband or boyfriend. Seems like I never saw a woman there who wasn't very pretty, all dressed up in waders and camo.,. and I enjoyed meeting and hunting with new people there. The Rangers were friendly and helpful for the most part, I think. There was some who were lesser liked than others to be sure, but mostly they were very friendly.
Unfortunately, the hunting conditions at Bodie Island have deteriorated to a very poor state. There has been lots of overgrowth into many of the ponds, some to the extent that they are now dried up and overgrown with phragmites reeds. The last time I checked, out of 20 blinds only about half are even huntable.
Thanks for your reply. Have a great summer.
