There is nothing I enjoy more than taking my shotgun and faithful dog for a walk in the woods and flushing a grouse, woodcock or even a rabbit. The trouble is those woods open to hunting are much fewer than when I was young. All those country homes that border farm fields and stands of timber have filled some of the best thickets. From those homes extend a safety zone and there went some of the best small game spots.
Back to waterfowling… We scout our prey, arise at what often seems a few minutes after midnight, launch or boats or pull trailers into a field, set the decoys in accordance with whatever the wind may dictate, remain motionless in full camouflage including a facemask or face paint, and imitate the ducks with perfectly blown calls. During all this our faithful dogs lie at our sides. For most of us the shots, when we get them, aren’t easy. When we do bag a few ducks life is good. If we don’t we’ve still been hunting and akin with nature which is the important thing. If that included being in a duck boat we have faced mother nature and she let us return to our homes and families. If you hunt from a duck boat long enough you’ll have a few experiences that you’d like to forget.
Yes, waterfowling is complicated and for most of us better pursued as a group than alone. With others we find kindred spirits and enjoy their camaraderie. The seasoned fowlers guide the younger ones in their gunning. There are also many lessons in life passed on as we sit in our boats awaiting the ducks. For many of us this sport is much like a military operation or playing on a football team as we did but a few years ago. I’d like to think it is like are ancient ancestors hunting as a group to kill a mastodon.
As I write this I await an older fowler to give the okay that the ice has receded enough on Lake St Clair so that we may safely scull toward the rafts of Canvasbacks. To do so we’ll have to pull our sculling boats over a couple hundred yards of ice to reach open water. Our fowling of today shall not be much different than that of decades ago. Weather, boats, equipment, and friends. And if the weather requires sane persons to remain ashore our group shall meet to tell tales and discuss our next hunt.
Last edited by MarkOue; 01/05/08 08:22 AM.
