Idaho: Day 3

Or as I refer to it, 'Day of Many Ducks'. Or maybe, 'Looking for Columbus'. Or perhaps, 'Should I have shot?'
So here I am in my third day of hunting in the great state of Idaho. I set out knowing that the colder weather is starting to drop into the area. Rain and colder temps were in the forecast but after the last couple days of weather I didn't know who to believe. After all, Al Roker is still fat even after he got skinny. When I walked out to start the truck in the pre-dawn darkness I saw stars overhead. Forget the rain gear. Then on the drive out I had downpours of rain. Should have brought the rain gear. Then as I arrived, the stars again. Genius. I collected my gear and took the walk out to Anderson with an extra shell in my pocket for the Cougar.

Set up was a breeze and this time I brought along the motorized decoy because the wind, although in the forecast, is never a guarantee. My blocks looked good but there was barely any action before the opening bell. Usually I can count on at least a couple ducks flying overhead before sunrise. The whistle of wings is a good omen for ducks flying later in the day. Hmmm.
A light rain started to fall as the darkness broke and soon the wind picked up to a nice healthy whip.

It didn't take long for the ducks to fly. Mostly they were divers and I'm not prepared to have my first duck of the year be a bottom feeder. After all I only shoot Greenies. Some hen Mallards droped into the fray and I honestly thought I should have taken a shot at them as they circled around into my zone. I let them drop right into the decoys and act as live bait for the real prize waiting around the corner. Six unknowns came from the right and I almost shot again before I realized they too were divers. Where is Greenie for Heston's sake? The hens left and 20 geese passed left to right with some ducks mixed in. I called them with a higball call and to my surprise three more hens dropped right in without me knowing. "Okay", I think to myself "where is Greenie?" My motorized decoy is working great and the ducks that do pass by are looking my way but it was still not for another hour that the first Drake came my way. Of course when he did I was going for a second layer of clothing and I looked like a big moving bush with flailing arms and a bad haircut. Damn. It took another 20 minutes and more divers before greenie came circling from the left. One pass over the spread and, with my safety off and my trigger finger ready, he dropped into the water just outside my range. Bastard!

About this time the sun came out and the wind died down. All the sounds of the morning quit and the flying soon stopped just as quickly as it started. All in all I still thought it was a great morning what with all the birds flying and the shots I could have taken. Should I have taken the first bird of the season? It is worth $5 after all but I really want the first duck to be a Greenie. A $10 Greenie no less. I hope the the Portland chapter has the chance to make the big money with first duck being that their season is only days away and I have yet to even shoot my Benelli.
Only time will tell.....

GBCH