Written By: Josh Webb
Ask a duck hunter who they regularly hunt with and you will immediately get a list of names and a description of each person in the group. It seems that there is always one guy that is never on time and another guy always has the newest gadgets. Most duck hunting circles also have the guy who is a legend in his own mind when it comes to finishing ducks in hole time after time. And you can’t forget the guy who always has enough snacks to feed a small army. But regardless of how each man fits into the group, there is another hunting partner that is always optimistic, always on time and does not care how many cool gadgets you have. This partner is there to hunt and they will always enjoy their time in the field no matter how slow it may be. And, oddly enough, this partner never fires a shot the entire season yet they are eager to help pick up every duck that falls. Why does this partner sound different? Well it is because they are a different breed of hunter than everyone in the group. And if you haven’t guessed by now I am referring to our four legged companions, our beloved gun dogs.
Ducksouth member Joel Williams recently went through the dreadful process of losing his faithful hunting companion, Canton. However, looking back on her long life, Joel vividly remembers many of the days they shared together in the field beginning with the early months of her life. “She was the reason I joined the West Mississippi Hunting Retriever Club. That really helped me get her up to par that first year.” And for her first year as a part of the hunting group Canton earned her stripes quickly as they used to her to help retrieve downed snow geese following the MS Ducks goose hunts. “Those days would account for hundreds of blind retrieves and that gave her a ton of experience” Williams shared.
As seasons passed, Canton continued to get better and better. More ducks were shot and retrieved and countless geese were brought to Williams’ side all because Canton wanted to make him happy. She carved out her spot among the regulars and handled herself in her own special way. Some even claim that her personal way of dealing with people was a bit mean, especially if you invaded the space of her kennel. But that is just another quality that made Canton unique. She was a lady, she was a hunter, and she was serious about everyone knowing where she stood on the issue. And after her recent passing you can bet everyone who had the privilege of hunting with her will miss her dearly when daylight breaks on opening day this season.
Buddies are easy to find, but true friends are rare. Joel Williams had a true friend in Canton. She never let him down, she was always ready to go and there was never a bad day in her eyes. Canton was special to everyone she encountered. She made life around the Williams’ house more fun and made the hunting even more enjoyable. It should also be made known that a portion of her ashes have been set aside in a small tin can and will placed inside a decoy made by a fellow hunting partner of Williams’. “She will be able to hunt whenever she wants.”
“The remainder of Canton’s ashes will be spread across the hole where she had her last hunt”
