How were you introduced to duck hunting?

[jstanard]

I started to ask "What's your favorite duck hunting memory", but as I tried to answer my own question I realized it would be nearly impossible. I've been hunting with my father for about 24 years. As I look back, no particular memory stands out as a favorite. Instead, all 24 years are rolled up into one happy moment - The orange and black sunrise starting to turn purple as shooting hour arrives, a crisp breeze on the back of my neck, the whistle of wingbeats overhead, Dad whispering "keep your head down" and "get ready".

The first time I can remember being taken hunting was when I was seven or eight. I was too little to carry a shotgun, but I was not without a weapon since I brought my trusty Daisy BB gun. Dad brought me to his hunting hole - a rice field in Belzonia (I think).

One scene stands out from that first hunt. I could barely see the sky out of the pit we were in, but I knew when the birds were close as I could see Dad getting ready. Before the third shot rang out, I was already climbing out of the pit to run after the duck that I saw fall. On the third shot, another duck fell, and in amazement, I shouted TWO? It never occurred to me that it was possible to hit more than one duck at a time.

My job was to retrieve the ducks and (of course) shoot them with my gun to make sure that they were dead. I never missed.


My daughter is almost five now, and she asks me all the time when she is going to get to go hunting with me and Paw Paw. My twin sons are five months old, and I look forward to the day when all five of us can sit in a blind together enjoying the sunrise, feeling the cool breeze on our necks, and hearing the whistle of wingbeats overhead.

Shhh. Keep your heads down! Get ready!

[ February 28, 2002: Message edited by: jstanard ]

[MSDuckmen]

It is great to go back and remember the beginning and I think I do it more than most. I was introduced to hunting by my older brother who himself was not a hunter. I think he did it because his friends were into it and once they moved on he simply stopped.
They were deer hunters and squirrel hunters and I never remember them ever talking about anything else so I suppose that is all they hunted.
I got out of the Service in 78 and had bought 30 acres of land in Byram that was connected to the Peal River and had several ducks on ponds that were on the place. I must have killed a limit of woodies everyday of the season that first year and loved it. Then an old high school friend introduced me to a group of guys that had just started duck hunting and we hit it off right away. We searched high and low for places to hunt, we were hunting the Reservoir near Jackson and had a good morning on woodies and scalp and had actually killed a couple of mallards. Talking to the game warden we found out that if you wanted to kill mallards the delta was the place to go.
Been hooked ever since, never looked back and have bought more land and leased more places in the Delta than I care to remember.
I never had a mentor to point me the right direction it was all learned by the Hard Knocks method and that is what has made me and the guys I hunt with what we are today.
When you do it the hard way you miss out on some early teaching that would help you learn the right way to do something but it also makes you a stronger hunter with a deeper appreciation of the sport. I guess that could be argued but I know what we do and I see very few others reach for that level of hunting.

[bwm]

I have 4 month old twins, boy and girl. I myself can't wait until they are old enough to sit with me and my father as I have done all of my life. I think that excites me more that just hunting with long-time friends. I will get to experience what my dad has always experienced and see why whenever we make eye-contact he just smiles from ear to ear with a glow in his eyes. As far as an intro to duck hunting, I will never forget the first and last times that I went. Don't think that there is enough typing space here to describe it all.

[crow]

I was at my buddy's Dad's store in Yazoo City one Saturday afternoon in 1966, and a customer came in and was telling us about all these ducks he had seen in a brake in a field off River Rd. Mr. Thomas called the landowner and got permission for us to hunt that afternoon. Neither Hudson nor I had ever hunted ducks before, just rabbits, deer, and squirrel, but Mr. Thomas told us how to do it. We were just 15 and couldn't yet drive, so he took Hud and me to get our guns and boots. All we had were knee boots and #6 shot, and didn't know any better. Come to think of it, that would make a good title for a country music song...I can just hear it now, "Just had knee boots and #6 shot, but we were 15 and, Man, we were hot..." But I digress. Mr. Thomas dropped us off at the road and, told us where the brake was and that he'd be back at dark. I bet 1,000 ducks got up off that brake when we walked over the rise and, of course, we unloaded on them from about 100 yrds. Didn't cut a feather, obviously. We stayed until, actually, a bit after dark and killed mallards, wood ducks, teal, whatever flew in there. We didn't know a lick about limits, shooting time, decoys, waders, but we knew we were having big fun! Obviously, we stuck with it and learned a bit through the years about ethics and the right way to do things. There was no one to teach us, but we were hungry for it and a pretty quick study. Most every weekend of every season after that and all of every Christmas break, you could find us hubcap-deep in gumbo riding the delta in Hudson's 58 Biscayne, looking for ducks. I'll never forget that afternoon, or how far we've come from those naive boys. But, I also am most aware of how close we still are to the direction in which their hearts were taken that day.

"Been a long time since I rock and rolled"

[judge jb]

they built a water-shed lake in the 60's close to the farm. i kinda introduced my self when it started attracting ducks. i mostly ambushed em while on a rabbit hunt... even the beagles learned to sneak to the water...haha.... that was the days when a hunt would result in a mixed bag of game at the end of the day... and one dog would hunt every thing....

judge jb

[luckyduck]

Well, I hate to say it but it was last season. I know I am still a rookie but hey it is never too late, right. I went with a buddy of mine in SW Mississippi on his lease. Heck,we even brought our girlfriends. It was December 16, 2000. We headed out before sunup (with our women) on the four-wheelers. It took about 10 min to get to the blind. We tried to drive up to the blind and let the girls out but it took them a little long to get off the four-wheelers so unfortunately they died (the 4wheeler). We had to push them about 100 yds back to dry land. I thought wow what a way to start. Anyway we go to the blind and settled in to what turned out to be a great day. It was about 10 min before shooting time and the birds were flyin great, we had birds landing all over us. I was getting very excited, heck even the girls were. Well, to make a long story a little shorter we killed our limit of Greenheads with two grey's a piece in about 1hr. We would have had our limit sooner than that if we could have hit the birds. It was my first time and I was way to excited to even aim at them. [img]images/smiles/icon_razz.gif[/img] Well, about 10 min after we got our limit we were sittin their drinking some coffee when a group of 7 greenhead circled us and just kinda hovered over the dekes in front of us about 20 yds away. Wow, what a site, all we could do was watch. I wish I had brought my camera. Needless to say that got me hooked. My friend sayed, that was one of the best hunts he had been on. But our second hunt was January 1, 2001 and I won't go in to details but it was 3 of us and we limited out on greenheads as well. My friend told me that he was going to have to start bringing me more often b/c I was some sort of lucky charm, but I had to get back to school and B-Ball took up most of my time. I did make one more hunt that year but there was so much ice that the ducks just flew by we did manage to get a few early though. Well, I am almost considerd a Duck Hunter now, but I haven't triped and fell in yet. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] HEHE Oh well maybe next year. I also want to say that I enjoy this site. Thanks!!

[img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img]

[gator]

it was in monroe la. w/ some baseball buddies...i was telling them how i didn't think i would enjoy what i called at the time "glorified dove hunting" and that i had turkey hunting in my blood...well, about that time they told me to shut my fat mouth and a single pintail fell into the rice...he didn't make it out of the hole...i didn't have a la. liscense so i just got to watch but i was mesmerized...watching those guys w/ the calls and the dogs...well, i was hooked and hundreds of miles and dollars later, i don't think i will ever be able to thank those guys enough for letting tag along, run my mouth, and be introduced to my passion...justin

[Doc & Nash]

It was ten or eleven years ago when me and a buddy where in the Wally world in Senatobis buying shelld for his gun so we could go deer hunting the next morning. We ran into a individual who had drank more than we had and he suggested that we go hunting with him in the morning, I asked would be still hunting or running dogs and he about fell out of his britches. That was when he told us he was duck hunting, so we agreed and drove to Marks, MS and went on our first hunting expadition with Mr. Jack Butler.

That was the last time I saw him, Talked on the phone numerous times but never had the chance get up with him again, Oh yea, the first duck I killed was this huge greenhead Flambau, I sent plastic every where, seems one had come aloose and floated across the duck hole and it did not stand a chance.

[nomsduckhunter]

Well, I don't type well enough to tell all I would like to but here goes. I started hunting when I was about 11 with my brothers Stevens 16ga single shot. I would go to the store and buy 3 or 4 shells at 12 cents apiece. Then it was hunting, rabbit, squirell, dove or anything edible. The only time I saw ducks was when we floated the river catfishing. We always had a .22
with us for snakes. You can guess the rest. I met my best friend about 20 yrs ago and he said we outta duckhunt this year. I've hunted with him ever since and we've had good hunts and not so good hunts but never a bad hunt. Over the years Rick has become my best friend and the best hunting partner you could ever want. He introduced me to an obsession and I'll be forever grateful. Thanks Rick!

[Anatidae]

December 27th, 1964 at Chalkley Field (SW Louisiana) with my oldest brother. 'Hunted out of a 2-man pit.

I remember it was real foggy. I heard what sounded like thousands of geese, but only saw 2 specklebellies that Perry called-in using his voice. I remember my shock when he only got one of the pair. But, reading his journal entry: <BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote

Two specks came-in but flared pretty good way out. My slide was back and I couldn't fire. I pumped one shell out into the mud, killed one and missed the other.

I must have distracted him. 'Can't imagine 'what' flared'em [img]images/smiles/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img], but I have a perty-good idea. But you know, he never let-on that anything bothered him 'cause I was SO excited about getting to go and having such a good time just being with him. That's just the way he was. I was 10, then and it's just like it was yesterday.

I re-live that day, everytime dawn breaks on a foggy morning.

[ March 02, 2002: Message edited by: Anatidae ]

[featherduster]

I guess I have shot ducks for quite a few years if I include woodie shoots on the creek as a teenager. But what really got me started is a good friend Brock Long. September about 5 years ago some hurricane blew into the gulf and sat over Hattiesburg for about 2 days. Brock asked if I would like to go on a teal hunt and I said sure. Bought stamps got gear and away we went. Canoed into a hole a little after legal shooting time in pouring rain and steady 25 mph winds and stood in water waist deep with no waders. We only killed 3 between us but it was exciting and something new. Since then I guess I've read, studied, and tried to improve ever since.

[Big Lou]

I was just six years old and full of excitement when my grandfather took me hunting 30 years ago on Lake Theriot south of Houma, La. I can remember that day like it was yesterday. I had a single shot .410. we had paddled the pirouge out to his blind and set the decoys out. It was really cold that morning as we sat in the blind with the wind at our backs. he was telling me in french about the ducks and what I would look for before shooting. I hit one grey duck and shot three pool-due on the water. Boy was I hooked after that. We had a many hunt together whenever I could get back home. I sure do most thoose days and him. I'm sure if there are duck hunting and fishing in heaven he is doing it! [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Judd Irland]

I had just turned 4. My Dad and I went to the Outer Banks of N.C. to snow goose hunt. I was so small that Dad had the dekes over one shoulder and me over the other. Carried me the whole way in. After he set out the dekes, he realized that the guts had fallen out of his goose call. He was using his voice as best he could, and me being 4 and wanting to be like Dad, I copied him as best I could. To make a long story short, my voice was a good bit higher, so he told me how and when to call. I'd like to say we killed a limit but I just don't remember if we did. I do know that we got at least one because I remember Babe retrieving one. I'll never forget the pieces of that hunt that I recall, and I'll never carry a snow goose call, don't need to. I still have the one Dad gave me that day! [img]images/smiles/icon_smile.gif[/img]

[Swamp Rat]

AH!! It was in the late fifties and I was not quite 10 yrs old and my dad would leave
out long before I awoke and return later in the morning with his 8 Ducks(the limit then)
He hunted on the Miss river and the off shoot sloughs and always had a mixed bag. As he dressed them I was nothing but questions ! He never got irritated. He never got tired of all of my "can I go's" and
then my day came. I realize now thst he was waiting for a day that would not be to hard on me. We had to walk a good way as the Nash Rambler with snow tires and a roof rack full of decoy bags was not a mud hog. We got to his blind which was under a small barge that was 1/2 buried in the sand and kind of sticking out on a ledge. He dug around under it some sort of a cave like affair and there he metered out the justice to all thst came close enough.
I guess the most amusing thing was this city slicker friend of his that was better at anything than anybody else. No matter what the topic "Jim" was the best at it. Well Jim had been begging to go to show them how duck hunting was done and dads friend had heard about all he could stand so Jim got an invite.
Well on this morning Dad and I ( me just tagging along with no gun) John and Jim headed down the river bank to the blind. This day the mud was pretty bad; worst than most days and along we went. Everyone sharing in the decoy transport even me with by bag of three paper mache mallards: Dad, John and Jim all had bags as well. When we got to the blind ol'Jim was tuckered down to a nub; I mean he was beat, to beat to be any trouble, or any good; Dad and John put out the dekes and set about to hunt. jim was not up tp it right at first. I quess he was embarrassed because the walk almost killed him and Dad and John seemed pretty fresh.
I will have to attest that Ol Jim was not as
smart as he thought he was, as he never did figure out that the bag he carried had all of the heavy wooden hand carved cypress
decoys and the others had the paper mache ones. Even I knew that!

[mississippi_duc_htr]

I hunted with a friend of mine a few times in the mid 80's never really got he bug though. I got laid off from work in 94 and he was working 2nd shift. He called me one night and asked if I wanted too go again I told him sure so he blew the dust off the few dekes had left and picked me up the a couple of days later about 4 in the morning. Just about time it got light enough too see the bank on the other side of the pot hole we were hunting. A group of what I think were teal buzzed the decoys. They were so fast and all we really heard was the freight train of ducks (well @ least it sounded like one) that came by us in the predawn light. Couldnt even see em. I looked over @ him and said what the Hexx was that. He said I think it was teal. He hadnt even finished what he was saying when 5 gads dropped in on us a splash was all we heard and had too look hard to make em out It was still about 10 min before shooting time so we strained our eyes too see em. Needless to say the got up and left before shooting time. I dont know what snapped in me but that was all it took. I was hooked and have been ever since. I wish I knew why it didnt hit me until that day and not the few times we went before but I have often thought about all the days that I missed in the years between. I love it and there is no other hunting sport like it as far as I'm concerned. [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] [img]images/smiles/icon_biggrin.gif[/img] I have though cussed him more than he will ever know for getting me into this crazy sport, You all know duck hunters aint right in the head to do what we love to do, and go through all that we endure to do it. Aint nothing like it in the world !!!!!!!!!

[ March 01, 2002: Message edited by: mississippi_duc_htr ]