Early Season Duck Hunting

        Usually when I get invited to duck hunt it is mid-January and cold as a hell. Needless to say, I was pretty excited when a friend I met through the shop invited me to do some early season duck hunting this past weekend. The plan was to hunt a small creek for some Wood ducks and maybe a few Mallards.

       It was a really pretty morning. Clear and cold. Temps were a bit lower than I expected them to be but with a few layers of fleece, wool, and capilene I was pretty comfortable. We set out a few Wood duck and mallard decoys and found a comfortable place to sit and wait for it to get light.
 


 A group of Wood ducks came in shortly before first light. They came in so quietly and fast that I wasn't really ready for them. By the time I got my shotgun to my shoulder, Sean had already dropped one and my shots weren't very effective. It was the first time I had shot Wood ducks and even though I didn't connect, it was an awesome experience. I felt extremely lucky to be invited to share this morning with a good friend. It was a lot of fun to watch Seans' dog "Doc" retrieve the downed bird. Not to mention how beautiful the wood ducks were. It was a great way to spend and early October day.

       -Luke