North by Northwest

**Five Oh** · 11-16-2014, 11:26 AM

We spent the better part of the last two weeks road tripping across the US, hunting some new spots and states. The hunting was hot and cold, with several tough days, uncooperative birds and wind that didn't work for the bodies of water we were on at times. We had other days though, where we couldn't keep the birds out of the decoys, even if we were standing in them laughing. It wasn't my most productive trip of the last few years, but we hunted some places I'd been wanting to check, stayed in sketchy places and found a little diner in the middle of nowhere that had the hottest waitresses in the whole state and the best food for dirt cheap prices. We hunted everywhere from mountain lakes to buck brush, marshes to a little puddle in the middle of the woods. Even had another buddy fly out and hunt a few days, although he missed the best front. We also picked up a few trophies.

We both saw him at the same time, on my buddies side of the boat. As he had just scotch doubled, twice, on the last two groups he gave me first shot. I bet he wishes he had that one back. This is the sixth band the old girl has picked up in the last few years, she's been a good luck charm.

INFORMATION FROM OUR FILES:
Species: Mallard
Date banded: 08/14/2008
Banding Location: 7 MI ENE OF IMPERIAL (NORTH END OF WETLAND), SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA
Age: HATCHED IN 2007 OR EARLIER
Sex: MALE

Also ran up on these. We had four guns that morning, and everyone was having the polite discussion on who they thought had killed the pair that came in first. Four shots had gone off at the same time, so in unison that no one realized the others had shot. I quickly bowed out when I saw the single approach, and took her with one shot as she was coming from behind, dropping her into the blind.

It was a lot of hours in the truck, and I won't know if we spent more money in license fee's or gas until my statement comes in Monday. It was all worth it though. In three and a half weeks, I'll be headed out again. You boys can have Arkansas, the next time I cross the Mississippi I'll be heading north of Memphis.