Day 19

Or the day I like to call "Fred G didn't want me to shoot at ducks today."

Being as I had an extremely important meeting this morning at work I was unable to go for the morning hunt. We had decided to try an afternoon fly out at the Old New spot and boy, was that a good idea. Driving out to hunt in the afternoon seemed a little weird but we packed light and fast and had an easy walk out. We set only 6 blocks out in the high water area off the shore and took up spots standing in water about knee high. It was clear as a bell and we called hard for ducks to come in. I was standing about 20 yards to Fred's left when the first two came in low and fast towards the decoys. I shouldered my gun and readied myself for the right shot when, BLAM, Fred G. took both greenies with one shot. Okay, okay, I thought, good shooting and all but I could have had a shot too.

As he was retrieving that duck about 20 mallards flew right in looking for a place to land. No dice. They wanted nothing to do with us then and flew off. Missed chance #2. A little later 4 ducks are coming right over Fred's head and into the spread near me, I raise my gun and draw a bea..... BLAM, Fred G shoots again and the ducks scatter, missed chance #3. Kind of circumstance eh? So then he suggests we move out to a floating log near the end of the low water and I agree, seems there are more ducks in that area. So right as I get there 2 big fat Greenie fly into and touch down at the area I was just in. WTF? Missed chance #4 So at this point thinking the conspiricy is on I just go back to the spot I was in before and Fred stays by the log. Another Greenie comes in and BLAM, another duck downed by Fred.

So I know what you are thinking at this point. 'Well Bob maybe you should be quicker on the draw'. 'Perhaps you should scout your spots better'. 'Maybe it just wasn't your day'. 'Man what a crybaby'. To this I only have one reply, the last shot of the day was mine. I waited and called and a nice greenie floated into the decoys, saw something he didn't like and lit off. I took a shot and barely missed, feathers flying. He flew off into the afternoon sunset and I felt great.