Youth Day
Being his last year eligible, my little bro in law asked me to take to try to kill a gadwall. In years past I've taught him all about ringnecks on youth days. They are around in decent numbers, and finding some to hunt near the house is usually pretty easy. But he's killed them and after seeing a few gadwalls I had killed this year, he had set his mind on one.
With a good bit of my puddle duck hunting being dependent on weather and disturbance from private impoundments hunting, I really wasn't sure I could one in front of him. I began thinking about where the best place would be and was clear I would have to head east. I rode down to an area the Friday before and watched the evening flight. It wasn't impressive by any means but there were some teal and a few big ducks. With a decent wind forecasted, maybe we could decoy a few.
I called my hunting partner to see if his nephew wanted to go.
We agreed to meet at the ramp and give it a shot.
At first light, teal were buzzing over head, far too erratic for the young fellas to connect, but they had fun trying.
After the initial flight, things slowed and we all took our seats.
An hour passed and a few pairs of big ducks started to move. We decoyed a few groups within range for adults to kill, but I knew we were probably gonna have to light some ducks for any real success.
About 8:45 (seems to be my magic hour this year) 7 greenwings appeared out of nowhere and buzzed us close. When they passed over head, I teal quacked and peeped a few times and they swung around. I told the boys to get ready but just like ducks will do, they lit just out of range.
While I was begging them in with peeps, our attention was solely focused on them.
My partner reached over and tugged my coat and pointed to his left.
Somehow 50 bluewings had lit and were sitting happy as clams right on the edge of the decoys.
How on earth 50 ducks can come in that close and hit the water without being seen, even more heard?
I usually hear the lone blackbird flies 200ft up.
We whispered to the boys which ones out front were drakes and told them to pick one. "On 3 stand to shoot, and after that pick another when they flush."
When the smoke cleared, a single drake lay dead, and 2 more very much alive, scurried into the grass.
6 shots at 50 ducks, at 45ft.....1 bird in hand.
A handful of pairs worked us over the course of the next hour and a half, but none would fully do it right over the decoys.
When time came to pick up, I headed off to get the boat. About halfway into my walk I heard my partner calling.
I turned around to watch 3 gadwalls lazily swirling over them. They made several passes, and when he finally hit the gadwall beeper, it was all they could take and I saw them disappear below the grass line.
Shots rang out and I saw 2 birds climbing out.
Had he done it? Did he get one?
I hurried to the boat, uncovered it and motored back to the hole.
My partner and the two young bucks were all standing with smiles, particularly my little bro in law, Jay.
He pointed over to the edge of the grass and a big drake gadwall laid belly up.
I was proud as I could've been and happy that I have the opportunity to take him to do things like this.
I get the feeling he needs me more than I realize sometimes. My father in law suffered from Lymphoma 2 years ago and is incapable of doing much with Jay. I have to remind myself how much a boy needs to learn in his teens, and I hope that I can set a good example for him, in areas where his father can't.
I think hunting helps us both.
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Be proactive about improving public waterfowl habitat in South Carolina. It's not going to happen by itself, and our help is needed. We have the potential to winter thousands of waterfowl on public grounds if we fight for it.
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