Short but fun season

[abarill]

I moved from northern GA down to Orlando mid-summer for a year-long internship following school. The internship keeps me busy, and when I moved down I figured I wouldn't have any time for hunting. I left decoys, boat, waders-everything but my shotgun at home. I sold my riverhawk a week before moving down, now I wish I hadn't done that. But you can only be inside for so many hours a day before needing to explore...

I found this pair in late summer at a nearby WMA. They could care less I was so close. I never got a chance to go hunt there, wish I could have.
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After being here for less than 2 months, I realized I needed any kind of boat I could afford. My good friends dad sold me his kayak at a ridiculously low cost. He told me when he lived down here, he too realized he needed some kind of boat, and really hooked me up. Thanks MP!

Shortly after I acquired the kayak, Hurricane Irma rolled through. It really messed up the rivers and lakes, the floodwaters took forever to go back down.
This is a picture of a tree stand about 5ft from the water
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Season was fast approaching, and I happened to find an estate sale looking to get rid of "several old foam decoys with weights" on craigslist. Called the number, went to the middle of nowhere about an hour away and picked up 50+ Herters that were beat to hell. When I started carving a few years ago, I told myself that I had enough decoys and if I wanted more, I would have to carve them. Well, this was WAY too good of a deal to pass up.
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Kayak and decoys:
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So I was in business.

I had a really awful case at work, and needed to get away. I had not shot my shotgun in about 8 months, and right at shooting time this girl came screaming over my right shoulder. Didn't even hear the gun go off, I just picked it up and she folded first shot. I cannot describe how much pressure I felt leave my shoulders. I have always hunted with my friends or in areas I scouted with friends. But this was different- I found a spot in another state by myself, set up how I wanted, and luckily was in the right place.
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Stayed until late in the morning, and this guy came right to the whistle.
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It was a really cool morning.
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I sat still for about two hours, and I decided to walk around and explore. Made it 100ft from my spot to watch a group of mottleds trying to decoy, but then they saw me and promptly left.

Final pic for the day:
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The main goal I set for myself was to bag a florida mottled while here. After a really disappointing hunt, I decided to go explore, and found an area that a group of them frequented.