Idaho: Day 13.

So here it is, almost the end of the year and I finally had a day off to go-a-hunting. Dallas had to work yet again selling cars for the MAN but I had tuned enough skis and helped enough adolescent snowbaorders replace binding screws that I could take the day off. And what a day! I packed up the Volvo (Sweedish for truck) and headed for the lake. The roads were mostly clear and a light snow had started to fall. Unlike PDX, my town is sorely lacking in the white stuff. I arrived about 1/2 hour before shooting time.

My slough was still not frozen and is likely the only open water around that is not a massive and deep lake. Good news. As I made my way through the grasses and brush to the point, I was feeling good about my chances for the day. Rounding the corner I about shit my pants as the mornings complete silence was broken by, I don't know maybe 15, mallards taking flight from the water just behind where I normally sit. You may think it's a light pleasant sound but ask any H7HT member, birds taking flight near you are both loud and violent. They even wanted to circle and come back to the spot but it was still way dark and not even close to shooting time. I set down my pack and went out and threw 2 sets of 5 decoys into the water about 20 yards apart and just up from where I would sit. Walking back to my pack I about shit again as 10 or so of those mallards jumped up from the water for a second time. Boy they seemed to like my spot.

The light came up and I heard lots of geese flying behind me but, as you know, I can't hit a goose to save my life so I ignored them. I was waiting for Greenie. It took a while but soon enough a lone greenie flew into and landed in my spread. I jumped up and waved at him as he sat in the water. Deciding he had better places to be he jumped up also. Mistake. I folded him like a China-Man at the laundromat. Expert status: Bob D. rules.

About 40 minutes passed with nothing flying. My blocks were getting a sheen of snow on them now so I waded out into the water to knock the snow off them so they wouldn't appear "catatonic in a closet". Mistake mine. A Drake and Hen flew in looking for a place to land and almost considered it even with me in the water, without my gun. Lesson learned. I went back to my spot and called them like crazy but they were gone. Another 10 or 15 minutes passed and I hoped that that was not my only other chance. I didn't have to wait long.

From behind came the sound of whistling wings, lots of them. I knew the spot looked good so I stayed as still as possible and about 10 mallards circled in from behind. After the first pass another 15 or 20 joined them and all of a sudden there was tons of ducks flying and quacking and looking to land, all mallards. The first greenie dropped into the spread and then the rest started to dive in also. I picked up a greenie feet down and wings locked and leveled the Benelli right on him. Blam! 3 1/2 inches of steel dropped him right in the decoys. I was so excited about what I had just witnessed I totally forgot about the other 2 shells I had in the gun and the fact that I could continue to shoot at the others scrambling to get the hell away from me. I just watched in amazement at what was happening. It was right then that I missed my BFF Fred G. more than I have since I left Portland. He too would have loved that moment in time.

Of course he and Cliffy both would have missed.

As I retrieved my second greenie of the day I stood in awe of what I had just seen. With the "Expert" status clearly locked up I went back to my spot and took the picture you see here. And of course while I was doing that another duck flew right over my head and quacked at me as he bolted away. Another 15 minutes in 5 more mallards came by and circled my blocks. One greenie landed way-out and the others flew off. I tried to entice him over my way but he really seemed to like the water where he was. After 15 minutes of working him and also keeping my eyes on the skies I finally got up and started walking to where he was. The water line was far enough below the ice shelf that he could not see me until I was about 50 yards away but when he did he made like Pablo, and Cruised. That was it for the day. Final count for Bob D. 2 greenies. Brings me to 4 greenies & 1 hen pinny. Expert!
GBCH