Good morning, Carl~
I cannot provide you with the candy you so richly deserve, but....
We opened on Columbus Day weekend here in our Southeastern Zone, but got off to a very slow start. Enough ducks around but Bad Luck put very few in front of our guns. Things started picking up Thursday morning, though, when a visiting friend got pretty good shooting and 2 Woodies in the first 45 minutes or so.
The next morning, my partner and I each got a couple of birds and the unquestioned highlight was when a small bunch of Wigeon visited us. They flew a wide circle around us, each bird in studied unison with its flockmates. Between their elegant silhouettes and the Blue Angels-like synchrony, they gave us a sight we will remember for a long, long time. We came out on the third pass and each brought one home with us. Neither of us had shot at Wigeon in this area over our decades here in dairy country.
This morning was crystal clear with dropping mercury and a brisk northwest breeze. Two bunches of Mallards stooled right in at shooting time, not into the rig but into their favored corner of the farm pond. I had to sneak around and push them about 45 minutes later. I approached the birds by walking up a streambed and then emerging through a gap in the tall dike - almost as if it were made with ambush in mind. Complete surprise and mayhem ensued - and 4 remained with us.
I did not have the camera with me most days - but these should give a sense of the glorious Autumn we are enjoying this year.
So, instead of the early season frustrations, we are now smiling, carrying around both vivid images and that wonderful, unequalled feeling of well-being that comes only after fine times afield. Tomorrow, though, is the last day of our first half. And, we are expecting a hard freeze....
All the best,
SJS