Renewing the Bond
This week I renewed my bond with the marsh. There's something magical about watching and listening to the marsh waking up. Those that don't hunt don't understand it. It's a value we hunters have. Its a connection to the natural world that we are a part of. Being a part of the O-dark hours of morning and watching it go from black to gray to sunny is a special experience. It starts off with dead silence and complete darkness. As a little light starts to arrive the birds begin a few morning notes of their songs. Woodducks let out a few "weep weep's" and the geese warm up their vocal cords.
I try not to add too much noise. I try to keep my paddling silent as a I churn a few strokes from my blade and a few plunks from my decoys hitting the water.
As the sun keeps coming up a few teal can be heard whistling by along with a few woodies. A distant hen mallard lets out a few quacks to let us know she's happy and looking for friends. The opening of hunting hours came and went without me firing a shot. It took me a bit to get on my game and to be willing to disturb the peace. After a few ducks whistled through my spread and pair of geese came well within range, but for a reason unknown to me didn't even incite a flinch from me. Sometimes I'm almost too patient when it comes to wanting a closer shot.
These are the moments that make getting up way too early for a normal person worthwhile. I shot my first ducks of the season and got to watch Olive make her first solo retrieve. The last two seasons she has hunted with Drake, but his better days are behind him and will only see limited action this year. Olive got a little too excited on the first shot and jumped out of the boat right away. The enthusiasm is a good sign, but she will have to get used to hunting with me because not every shot results in a retrieve. Drake used to stare holes in me when I shot and there wasn't anything for him to fetch. Olive will learn. The second opportunity for me gave Olive her first opportunity. She brought back a beautiful woodduck. I was very proud and loved on her after I pulled her back into the boat.
We also managed to jump shoot a mallard. From my Backwater I was able to drop my paddle, pick up my shotgun, and drop the mallard with a single shot. I didn't attempt a double because the mallards are in eclipse plumage and our bag limit in Wisconsin is a single hen mallard. I'm an OK duck identifier when they're in my hand, but have room for improvement for duck ID on the wing. I also got a double from my Backwater while hunting over decoys. The boat is more than adequate for doubles- nary any movement.
Enjoy the below pictures from my hunts, but please don't live vicariously through me. Get out there yourself!! Take a kid or a buddy hunting for the first time.
Olive with a duck
I felt bad. She got some lily pad roots wrapped around her and really slowed her down. It looked very hard. But she slept well at night.
It's about the simple things in life- sunrises in the marsh, a skiff, shotgun, and some coffee to enjoy while soaking it all in.
Olive with our hunt's booty.
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