Bob D. Day Three at Killarney.

So obviously you can see my results for the day.  I'd have to call it a success because this is the first and possibly only time I will have shotten a DRAKE widgeon.  He sure is handsome. 

Clider was supposed to go with me today. We had planned a day of hunting to offset our busy schedules and, with the best of intentions set a mid week Wednesday as our time to go escape from the world around us.  Clider has been out a few more times than I have and his scouting reports are always helpful but when he called and told me he had to cancel due to work obligations, (something Fred G. knows all to well) I decided on a closer trip.  Killarney is not far and I hadn't been there this year.  I figured the kayak and I could get to the other side of the lake in no time and be ready to hunt with little trouble.

I was of course wrong.  After I put the boat in the water I picked a spot on the horizon that I knew was the other side of the lake where we had had success before.  I started paddling and with my headlamp off could clearly see where I was going.  Before long I got to the jetty that denotes the close side of the river channel and to my surprise it was massive.  The water level was lower than I have ever sen it before.  I had to paddle almost all the way back to the boat ramp to get around the jetty and out into the lake.  Great.  After a good 15 minutes of extra upper body workout I was in the clear and out to my spot.  I set a nice spread and built a perfect and comfortable blind.  The ducks were sure to come in shortly.

Nothing.  Nothing at all for at least the first hour of shooting time.  Nothing quacking, nothing flying, nothing at all.  Then the Russians showed up.  They set out from the boat ramp by paddling their boat until the water got deep, loudly speaking their Commie language and laughing, until the motor was started.  After that they fished from spot to spot until they crossed in front of my blocks 500 or so yards out.  Then the sun finally broke the surface of the water and ducks came in. The first set surprised me but the second did not.  The widgeon came with a group of 5 and I winged him with my second shot.  I waited, not moving and spooking him to swim away, he finally came back to me and just as I was ready to put him down the mallards came in.  Dropped the Greenie with one shot, finished the Widgeon with the second and missed another on the third. 

Then nothing at all.  for 2 hours.  I pulled up and as I ate my sammy on the tailgate the Communist fisherman came back to port.  Turns out they were rather nice, we chatted aboot fishing and hunting and water levels and such.  Then I left.  day 3.