I love to see pictures and read stories of kids hunting so I thought I would share one of my 7 year old from this morning. We live in GA but do a good bit of hunting in Mississippi and Arkansas. My son and I were blessed to have a friend let us hunt a field in Tallahatchie Co earlier this year which was my sons first duck hunt out of the state of GA. We had a great time and he killed his first 3 ducks, all hen shovelers. Actually, the only ducks we killed were shovelers, but it's a trip I will never forget. He wanted to mount one so bad but I told him we will put all the ducks he kills this year in the freezer and at the end of the season we will pick the one that is the best "trophy" and I will get it mounted for him (I am still getting his first duck mounted, he just doesn't know it). Since then, he has killed 2 more ducks before today, both hen woodies. Both times he would say to me "is it a mounter?" when the dog would bring it back. I would say, "another hen, but let's keep at it and you will get you a nice drake." He won't get to go back out west again this year so our only hope to get a duck to mount is in GA which is easier said than done. Duck hunting here is just not good for the most part but we do have some ducks around when the weather is cold up north so all hope was not lost. While out and about yesterday, we saw a couple of ducks on a lake we can hunt. I assumed they were hoodies because I have killed some there before. My son went nuts and some how talked me into setting up this morning on 10 ducks we saw on a 3 acre lake. Well, of course, an hour after daylight, no ducks. I told him it was time to go home to get ready for church and I could tell he was disappointed. All of a sudden, he grabbed his gun and said ducks! Before I could get my gun up he had shot twice and killed one duck dead and knocked another down. I was blown away. The one that was alive was only about 25 yards away so I told him to kill it, which he did. I sent the dog, wondering the entire time she was retrieving what the heck the duck was she was bringing back. I was amazed to see a beautiful hen redhead in my dogs mouth. So, I lined her up to the brush where the other duck fell praying it was the drake. It was, and he is just stunning. When my son got the duck in his hands, he looked at me and said "I think this is a mounter". I could hardly speak. So, he is now getting 3 ducks mounted, his first shoveler and both of these redheads.
I have hunted ducks for 30 years, from Canada to Mexico and a lot of places in between, and I can't think of a better year of hunting that I have had. I have not killed many ducks, but my son has killed 7 and has become one great little duck hunter.
Thanks for reading and take a kid hunting with you when you go. The reward of sharing something like this with a kid is something you will remember forever.
Can someone please tell me if it is normal for a hen redhead to have that much white on its head? I have never seen one colored like this.
