Boy it’s great to be retired.  Going duck hunting with an old friend we call “Gattlin”.  He likes his duck hunting and today he should get his limit in short order.  The next storm isn’t coming in until Friday, but there should be a lot of ducks milling around today.

More to come later!

Bears Butt

Nov. 2011

As expected Gattlin arrived early, all excited to get out into the swamp and kill something.  I was too, but I did not expect him to be THAT early.  Anyway, we ate a bit of breakfast that he brought and had a cup of coffee, and then we went.

A beautiful day!  But not necessarily one you would go out of your way to go duck hunting on.  Pretty much a cloudless sky.  Warm, temps hovering in the mid 40’s.  Very little wind.

We got the box bailed and the decoys set, and settled in for an afternoon of, well sitting.

Except the ducks would have nothing to do with that!  Frank had not been duck hunting in two years and was a bit rusty.  He had his limit by noon!  NOON I say!

I had none by the time he dropped his last one.  So, here I limp along shooting and shooting and shooting.  The ducks were very cooperative, coming in, flaring perfectly and flying off unscathed!  What in the heck is going on?  I feel like an Edjukateer here!!!!  I fire, they flare!  I shoot, they duck!  I bang, they swang!  I pop, they poop!  I could not get anything to touch them birds.  Frank offers me his shotgun, but the stock is too long.  I can’t get it to my shoulder and be able to get my cheek down on the stock.  I’m back to my 20.

Another duck is swinging right into the decoys!  I jump, I aim, I shoot, it FOLDS!  YAHOOOOOOOOO!  Finally I have bagged a duck.  I look at Frank, “Did you shoot?”….he did not.  YIIPPEEEE!  I finally have a dead duck!

Frank offers the other side of the blind!  OK, I’ll take the seat.  Here comes two.  There coming.  There coming.  There they are…”Take em Zoonie!”  I’m up, I’m on one of them, I shoot……dang!  (chuckling in the background)

What in the He** is going on.  The other day I could not miss, today, I can’t hit my A** with a scoop shovel.

Finally, at 3:30 our limits are filled!  Thank you Lord!  The embarrassment went on for far to long a time.  I feel humbled.  At least for now.  But Edjukateer, don’t you think for a minute I won’t give you more grief in the future about your own shooting abilities.

I guess there is one consolation.   Back at the truck we counted how many shells we shot……Gattlin…AT LEAST 40!!!!  Me…..18!  I guess that’s the difference between a bolt action 20 and an auto loading 12!  Thanks for the fun time Frank!  There should be another before the lake freezes up!  Let’s hope so anyway!

Bears Butt

Nov. 16, 2011