What was your best hunt ever?

[Uncle Judd]

Here's mine.

Public land. We're set up and sipping coffe before 5AM, enjoying the light show. Bout 45 mins before shooting light, 2 men and 3 preteens set up about 75 yards from us, sideways to the wind. Sun comes up and the ducks are committing suicide on us. These guys dont call at our ducks and we reciprocate with the few birds that worked their dekes. By 7:15 we were halfway to a 6-man limit, they had 4 or 5 birds.
About that time 5 "hunters" came in about 150 yards directly downwind of us. I cant say they set up since they didnt have a decoy or a call. They all had shotguns and LOTS of shells. Needless to say, they busted at every duck that looked at us. We shouted down to them, "Do you guys mind?!?!?" OF course the answer was, "*!@# you. You dont own this swamp!!!"
Well, we figured out that they didnt even look skyward unless we called. Hmmm...... We may have "accidently" peppered them when that next flight was silently lured in...I mean with 18 shots at those 2 ducks it was bound to happen right? They'd shot alot for 2 hours but for some reason they decided to try another spot right after that.

How is this my best hunt you ask? I'm just about to get to that..

Shortly after the yahoos left, we were putting ducks on the water---fast. Suddenly, I remembered our neighbors: I had to remember them because they hadnt made a peep in all this time. We invited them over, and those boys practically walked on water getting over to our spot. That's when I realized the Dad's had brought no guns, just the boys.
The Dads and the rest of my crew went over into the trees to socialize, leaving just me and my call and three 10 year olds. I called in flight after flight and these lads could shoot. They finished off all our limits, laughing and arguing over birds the whole time. I swear I'd never thought a 10 year-old's chest could swell as big as theirs did. Made my whole year being a part of that.
That was my best hunt ever and I only fired 3 shots...and they were pepper spray.


TAG!!! YOU'RE IT!!!!!

[Marty N.]

I have two hunts and really hard to chose between them.

The first, I was 6 years old kinda big for my age buy not big enough to wear a pair of hip boots. So my Dad carried me in on his back and put me in the fork of a tree and tells to only shoot in one direction, that being the far side of the tree that he is standing beside.

He and my Grandfather work a big flock of birds. To this day I swear there must a been a 100 birds in that flock (probable only about 10) and they all landed on my side of the tree. Me and that ole' 410 single shot wacked a drake mallard about 10 yards from me and out of that tree I went crashing through the water chasing that duck from here to there, with my Dad and Grandfather laughing at me the whole time.

Well I caught him and drug him back to my Dad and he took my picture and it is on the mantle at Dad and Mom's house. Every time I see that photo. I remember that day, so does Dad, he had to carry me out to get into dry clothes so I did not freeze to death. The only duck killed that day was mine, belive me I can still see the green on that ducks head as he lit just like yesterday.

The second story hasnn't happened yet, but it will this year. My son Michael is going to have his first Duck Season this year and it is something I have been waiting for since before he was born. To take my Son to the Duck Blind and pass on to him the lessons and stories and joy of waterfowl hunting is something that I will treasure for ever.

Marty

[Skeeter]

Judd, that is a really great story....i freakin hate yahoo's like that, and had to encounter 'peppering' a couple of dim whits last year too....really, really hate that...when you can make a couple new friends and a memorable hunt at the same time, that is priceless too....i also hunt public waterways, and i can surely relate....

as far as best hunt?

opening day of the first hunt a noxubee in 20 something years....i was hunting about 2 miles down the road on a shallow lake about 3 acres big....3 hunters, 2 pintails, 3 canvasbacks, 1 banded greenhead, and 6 other greenheads added....not even a limit, but man, i will never forget that day...

D

[Anatidae]

It would be hard to top one morning's hunt we had this year in SK.

Honkers and ducks bombing a barley field about 2 miles from the house. Ducks were almost landing 'on' us.......250 at a time. Geese working well.....close shots. 'Killed 2 honkers in one shot. Picked up 16 and 16 in about 1-1/2 hours.........then..............the big flocks (ducks) started hitting the field, and it was non-stop video action for the next hour or so....birds everywhere! I mean, I would be tracking one group and another group would go through the screen and I'd pick them up. Just layers upon layers of birds trying to get down on the ground. I missed some of the best video opportunities because I couldn't get high enough out of the blind to always see the viewfinder without being too obvious, lack of familiarity with the camera and because my fingers were numb.......but fortunately got some good shots. I can't even estimate how many birds worked that field, but it's safe to say it was probablyin the range of 7-8K ducks and 4-5K honkers. Just wish I knew how to operate a camera, better.....I'm learning.

If you find this hard to believe.....I'm sending 'Tunica' a copy of the tape, today. Maybe he can find something on there that will look half-way decent on here. I've got one clip where I just stuck the lens of the camera just above the lids of the blind (hunter's view - straight-up). Nuttin' but the sky and a piecee or two of stubble.......then one of those 'waves' of ducks comes through the picture at about 30 yds high.......and you hear the sound of all those wings. I've got one of 2 geese that almost took my hat off, landing next to the blind.

That's a day to remember, right there!......and it wasn't because we got our limit, but that we were so close to so many birds.......it just absolutley mezmarizes you.

[Trip]

A few years ago when the river got so high they had to close deer season inside the levee, maybe three years ago. Anyway, I had been on several good hunts that year but this particular day my Dad was with me. We made our way in the boat through the woods to one of the holes we knew about and got set up, but couldn't get a duck to look at us if we tried. After a little while we decided to pick up and move, so we motored through a little open spot we saw and it turned into this perfectly round hole just off in the thick stuff. There was a big ol oak in the middle of the hole and the top of someone's deer stand was just barely sticking up out of the water. We set up on the other side of the tree and after about a half hour the ducks showed up. At one point we had 50-60 mallards on the water swimming in the dekes all around the boat. I remember my Dad looking at me and I can't ever tell you when I've seen him smile so big. We just nodded our heads and stood up out of the boat and the woods just roared with ducks trying to get out of those woods, while we were steady pumpin shells. We ended up with our limits and had one of the best talks I think we've ever had.

[QUACKADDICT]

Several years ago, my duck buddy and I took our sons with us to our friend's place in the Delta. He and I sat in a blind together while the boys sat in another on the other side of some flooded timber. Their blind was in rice stubble and ours was overlooking cut beans. All morning long we could hear them "wasting" shells and "sky-busting." We got some shooting, but not like the boys were having. My buddy and I were both sitting in the blind mapping out the severe butt chewing we were going to give the boys for "sky-busting" when I heard my son yelling, "Daddy! Help me!" Needless to say, I thought that he had fallen in the water and was in serious need of my help. So, I yelled back, "What's wrong?" His reply..."I need help toting all these ducks and geese. They are too heavy for me!!!!!!!!!!!!"
The smiles on those two boy's faces are still with me today and that's why that was my best hunt ever.

[Double R 2]

They're all great.

[deadbird05]

my best hunt so far was my first. I went with a buddy on his property and we had to wade for what felt like three miles through waste deep water. After we got there i was thinking that this duck hunting thing wasn't what i thought. to make things even better the ducks weren't even flying that day. About five minutes after sun set, could barely see 40 yards in front of me two greenheads came in and landed within two feet of me. i probably could have grabbed them if i wasn't startled. well they flushed and i shot one. I only got one duck but it was worth every bit of it. That duck to this day is the biggest greenhead i have ever seen.

[champcaller]

one youth weekend a few years back. it was in a flooded fish pond. it was just me and my dad and the mallards just poured in the whole time.. couldnt have been better

[GET-N-RITE]

About 4 or 5 years ago everything locked up in TN so I decided I would sleep in the pit and keep the pump running all night where we would have open water well nobody wanted to hunt, so I called a few of my friends and busted ice and kept the water running. That night all we could hear ducks and geese rafted up on the refuge so I thought beings they were rafted on our side that we would do good. Well we did, we shot big groups all morning and had our limit of ducks and geese by 10:00.....My dad and the rest of the members called and I told them that I took the red ace but I was going to stay and try it again. We limited by lunch 3 days in a row before all of the members found out that us kids were smoking um. I took one hail of a cussing and didn't get to hunt there for awhile but they never had anymore days like we had so I didn't care.

[mudsucker]

The next one!

[Goodwin]

My most memorable hunt was when I was in college in SC. Me and two friends were hunting on Lake Murray. We set up on an exposed gravel bar in the middle of the lake that had some larger rocks also. We set out about 4 dozen ringneck/bluebill deeks and about a dozen mallards. We all laid down flat on the bank and covered up with some burlap. At first light we didn't see much and wind picked up to at least 30mph. After about an hour we picked up 4 greenwings and 1 bluewing. Then the divers started dive bombing us. Mostly bluebill but a few ringnecks mixed in. It is amazing how fast those things can go with a tailwind. I had never had to lead a bird that far before. When you missed you could see your shot spray the water cause they were buzzin by just a few feet off the water. We finished our limit out with divers and I had never been so happy...didn't think shooting divers would get the blood pumpin but it certainly did that windy day.

[DUCK-HUNT]

Public Land
Mid December..
Morning started like it usually does on our public land adventures, plan on leaving the house at 2:00 am but by the time all members of the hunting party arrive, gear and dogs are loaded it ends up being about 3:00am before we actually hit the road. Tales of the night before start circling around the truck and the laughter begins...(leave this part to the imagination). We arrive at local biscuit joint everyone has their own ritual some like the normal sausage and biscuit others like to be creative like a steak biscuit and funyuns?? yeah i know sounds disgusting but they swear by it. Get within 300 yards of the put in spot and everyone starts getting nervous asking.. You think anyone's in our spot? Is that truck lights? Hurry up..! Well we made it boys no one is here.. High fives start because we know of the things to come, feel like we've already accomplished the major part of the hunt getting there. Everyone is hesitant to enter the cold morning air outside the security of the truck but we do it anticipating that first flight of birds falling into the spread. We unload the boat and get our gear and dogs and head out into the darkness down the trail we've walked down now for many years. We navigate through the timber to the area we plan to hunt and get out of the boat and get each of our hunting areas situated like each of us wants it. Get the dog stands latched and get D and ACE ready to do what they do best. Two of us get in the boat to go place decoys and of course everyone has the best way to do it.. with all suggestions taken into account the decoys are placed and now we wait for legal shooting light. Those of us who call break out our calls and get them warmed up to awake everything else that was still sleeping. When day starts breaking ducks are everywhere.. I meen everywhere. D and Ace are shaking with anticipation. Lots of big groups are being seen. First big group starts to work our spread all big mallards. We pick out the green in the bunch and the wackage begins 7 down all greenheads.. D and Ace go to work one after another they get all the birds picked up..(what a beautiful sight seeing your dog and one of her pups working so well together). High fives all around. Wait here comes another group.. Second group in knock down all green again and a bonus jewelry...!!! Buddy starts his celebration dance( Funniest thing I've ever seen and all caught on video ). Next group starts working and we are laughing now so hard that we can't stand it because we are having such a good time. Let about half the group land to get the rest in and anyone who duck hunts knows the other half decided not to so the ones that are already on the water leave with them. Well the next few groups are small and we take only green out of these too. Last big group that comes in we killed like 8 out of it.. dogs start retrieving birds while everyone is high fiving and hugging and someone notices a cripple trying to swim away looks to be a hen or gadwall no one could tell or confess to who shot it so one of my brothers good friends finishes it off. I can't remeber what dog went to retrieve it but brings it back ''Black Duck'' we go nuts again!! We can't believe it. We finish up our limit and pack everything up and head out with memories that will last a lifetime 6 people, 2 dogs, 1 band, 1 black duck, full six man limit by 11:00am on public land an unreal morning.

[Locked Up]

Don't know about the BEST, but my happiest was 2 years ago. I was hunting a beaver pond off the river close to home for a quick shoot. It had been holding alot of woodies. That afternoon I got there about 15 minutes before they just started pouring in. I shot 2 times at the first group killing 2 drake woodies. Sent the dog for the 1st and as she was retrieving it I glanced at the other that was laying about 30 feet in front of me, and there it was BLINGING. I was so excited that I couldn't wait to send the dog, I ran and got that one myself. FIRST BANDED DUCK!!!!!!