I Only Go For the Exercise!

I decided to go scouting on Saturday in order to knock out another smooth greenie limit on Sunday.  Mo and I hit the road and glassed everything up to the Swan Lake viewpoint.  We even went for a walk near Medimont in order to enjoy the weather and get a look into some hard to see areas. There were quite a few birds in the marshy end of Medicine lake, but everything else was devoid of life.  It seemed like everyone was hunkered down in the hard to scout areas out of sight. No matter, I had a spot, and I know it rarely gets hunted.

I woke up, rolled out of bed, and started getting dressed.  It hit me then, half dressed, standing in the nearly dark living room. "Go back to bed, that spot is a mucky mess and there is no cover.  Plus, it seems like nothing wants to work it if you blow the morning fly", thanks brain.  I stood there motionless at 4:30 for five solid minutes.  I was already up, the pan was warming up for bacon, and the kayak was loaded.  I should go, this spot was loaded with mallards and gooseys and I'm going to be busy this week so I should get out while I can. My can-do attitude won, and I was out the door a few minutes later.

I arrived at my spot, launched the kayak and started paddling.  Soon I ran out of water, and discovered that I could drag the boat through the mud as long as some of my body weight was supported by the boat. Every step was up to my knee in thick smelly mud.  After 200 feet of sweating and slowly dragging I set out my twelve blocks and covered my boat up with nasty grass from the muskrat hut I was wedged against.  Ten minutes before shooting time the jerks out at Hidden Lake and Killarney decided they couldn't wait any more and started what would be almost continuous shooting for the next two hours.

Once the sun came up it became obvious that I was a picture perfect representation of that classic "turd in a punch bowl"look.  Birds wanted nothing to do with me, and as the sun came up it would only get worse.  I packed up my gear and dragged my way back out into the lake.  I moved my setup down to a slightly less terrible location and hung out there for a little while, but the birds knew what was up so I packed it in for the day.

On the way home I swung out to Bull Run and drove all the way back to the end of the road. Here I was greeted with the sight of several acres of wetland completely covered with mallards. I thought about leaving them, but I know the weather is going to change very quickly. So, once again I did the boat drag, this time at least it was on dry land. I scared up the most birds I've ever seen in one place and set out a six block spread.  Everything moved out to the center of the water and left me alone.  Board, tired, and soaked in sweat, I did the long haul back in and finally went home.

Today was a reminder that some places don't get hunted because they are terrible and almost impossible to hunt.  I almost scouted that Bull Run area the day before, and it turns out my theory about everything being in hidden areas is correct.  I could have taken ten more minutes and done the homework the day before, and I think it would have resulted in today  being one of craziest days ever.  Today did reinforce the importance of proper concealment, scouting, and listening to my own brain.  Birds are educated, cautious, and sticking to out of the way areas, at the same time the water is dropping and the grass is starting to lay down.  The winter snow blast is coming, we'll see what happens next.