To swim or not to swim...That is the question

[MC]

7:50 AM...two birds hollering along a dry ridge in a swamp slam full of water. Standing on the bank of the main creek; now turned small river. I know this stretch of water well and know there is no place within 600 yards that isn't over my head at normal water level, much less after this past week.

Knowing also that the wife is expecting a baby and due any minute, this is likely my last hunt of the season. I drop my satchel of calls and "stuff". Pull out the slate that I would reach for if my life depended on it and my mouth calls. Put the cell phone in the ziploc my sandwich was in and put it under my hat, held the 870 over my head and waded on in. Made the swim and hustled to a big water oak.

I called, they responded. They called, I responded. We went at it up until 9:30 when they gobbled their heads off headed up the ridge and into a cutover across the property line. Twice I watched them strut in to 50 yards but they just would not come past a blowdown I needed them to. I probably should have slipped up 15 yards but of course the view is always much clearer out the rearview mirror.

Might I add, the swim back sucked much more than the swim across...mostly due to the fact that I didn't have to make multiple trips to get my bird and gun across.

In case you were wondering, swimming a blackwater creek the first weekend in April isn't for sissies...hopefully all my "equipment" will return from wherever it drew up to in a couple days.

[cut em']

Dammed if you do. Dammed if you don't. I don't blame you for trying.

[JABIII]

Been there and done that more than once. As to the water temp, one time I had to cross a gut that I knew was only 4 footish and I wouldn't have to swim. I stuck my leather wallet in my mouth, like you put the gun in the air, and went in. Upon recovery on the other side, I took my wallet out of my mouth and, apparantly, just at nad deep- I had bitten down. My wallet looked like a leather bitedown from a civil war patient who was having his leg sawn off. I didn't get that gobbler either, lol.

Good luck with the birth!

[GobblerHntr]

That takes a lot of balls to do that! Way to go for it. Hate that it didn't work out for you.

[Rem11-87]

Sometimes you have to make that call. About ten years ago in college, I was hunting a gov tract by darlington that was only opened on wenesday and Saturday. I worked a bird wenesday that got hung up on a large deep ditch. I went back saturday and he gobbled on the other side of the ditch. I said what the hell and went across. It was about bellon button deep in the middle. I found a good tree and hit the call and the bastard was on the side I started. I had to go back across the ditch and set up. I finally killed him. It was cold that morning also, and what made it really worse was the fact he took his time getting to me.

Sometimes, you got to go for it. Congrats on the baby.

[DMP]

You got to do what you got to do. Good luck with him and congrats on the baby.

[Wolf]

7:50 AM...two birds hollering along a dry ridge in a swamp slam full of water. Standing on the bank of the main creek; now turned small river. I know this stretch of water well and know there is no place within 600 yards that isn't over my head at normal water level, much less after this past week.

Knowing also that the wife is expecting a baby and due any minute, this is likely my last hunt of the season. I drop my satchel of calls and "stuff". Pull out the slate that I would reach for if my life depended on it and my mouth calls. Put the cell phone in the ziploc my sandwich was in and put it under my hat, held the 870 over my head and waded on in. Made the swim and hustled to a big water oak.

I called, they responded. They called, I responded. We went at it up until 9:30 when they gobbled their heads off headed up the ridge and into a cutover across the property line. Twice I watched them strut in to 50 yards but they just would not come past a blowdown I needed them to. I probably should have slipped up 15 yards but of course the view is always much clearer out the rearview mirror.

Might I add, the swim back sucked much more than the swim across...mostly due to the fact that I didn't have to make multiple trips to get my bird and gun across.

In case you were wondering, swimming a blackwater creek the first weekend in April isn't for sissies...hopefully all my "equipment" will return from wherever it drew up to in a couple days.

did you kill something? You said that you had to get your bird across.

[duckcommander727]

7:50 AM...two birds hollering along a dry ridge in a swamp slam full of water. Standing on the bank of the main creek; now turned small river. I know this stretch of water well and know there is no place within 600 yards that isn't over my head at normal water level, much less after this past week.

Knowing also that the wife is expecting a baby and due any minute, this is likely my last hunt of the season. I drop my satchel of calls and "stuff". Pull out the slate that I would reach for if my life depended on it and my mouth calls. Put the cell phone in the ziploc my sandwich was in and put it under my hat, held the 870 over my head and waded on in. Made the swim and hustled to a big water oak.

I called, they responded. They called, I responded. We went at it up until 9:30 when they gobbled their heads off headed up the ridge and into a cutover across the property line. Twice I watched them strut in to 50 yards but they just would not come past a blowdown I needed them to. I probably should have slipped up 15 yards but of course the view is always much clearer out the rearview mirror.

Might I add, the swim back sucked much more than the swim across...mostly due to the fact that I didn't have to make multiple trips to get my bird and gun across.

In case you were wondering, swimming a blackwater creek the first weekend in April isn't for sissies...hopefully all my "equipment" will return from wherever it drew up to in a couple days.

did you kill something? You said that you had to get your bird across.

He said the trip was worse cause he didn't have tto make multiple trips to get gun and then bird. But congrats on the boy!

[Wolf]

sorry I was a little sleep deprived when I read that.

[FrogMan]

Waded into a swamp once with a buddy to get to "that high dry ridge in the middle"-- 150yds from where we edged in the water was belt buckle deep and warm... that's when we noticed just how many snakes there were.... that sucked bad enough but when the big lizard showed up I was OUT!!

[duckcommander727]

Waded into a swamp once with a buddy to get to "that high dry ridge in the middle"-- 150yds from where we edged in the water was belt buckle deep and warm... that's when we noticed just how many snakes there were.... that sucked bad enough but when the big lizard showed up I was OUT!!

S.S.S. But if you don't mess with them they won't mess with you. Unless there babies or around. When I was younger I used to hunt the swamps of florida with my ex step dad I was to young to shoot. But the damn alligators and snakes were thick. They don't bother me much. We once ran up on a mama lizard with babies. They was everywhere and I went down to play with one at my feet. My step dad jerked me up and we hauled ass. That was scary for an 8 year old boy. sorry for the hijack.

[BigBrother]

The empty handed swim back...ugg.

Been there, done that, got the tattoo.

Also swam it back with a bird, and another to retrieve a bird shot on the other side.