At 3:45 A.M. the rain fell so hard that I could hear it through a couple sets of shingles on the roof as I got out of bed and looked out the window.
I knew I was done sleeping and just decided to gather my gear, quickly check the tide, and make a run for it.. Sometimes I just feel like I can't sleep for a reason. Today was like that,
a last minute thing.
The coffee in my cup was hot and black and was starting to kick in as I tried to keep the rig on the winding road.
The river was swollen and churning with debris, and no matter how many times I return to her, she is always new, mysterious, unpredictable and when she wants to be, dangerous.
I arrived at the chosen launch location & Alex waited in the rig as I undid the straps on the Duckbomber.
I must be old fashioned, but I wear WWII German wool army pants, 2 layers of wool socks, about 3 polypro undershirts and a surplus Army wool sweather that is honest to god, an inch thick.
It has a button up extended neck that comes all the way up to my nose.
All this gear is important, but the most critical component of all of it is my W.W.II. wool hat.
It is a special hat that I think is actually the inner lining of a Bomber Pilot's flight hat.
It has a strap to hold it on and a Long flap that covers the back of my neck.
I've forgotten it once or twice, and just felt naked without it.
I've got a set of bomber goggles, and other gear,
but that particular hat is mission critical to any mission I take the Duckbomber on.
I arrived at the launch and Alex was finally awake.
He got up and stretched and I threw on his flack jacket.
This is his 10th season hunting with me.
He is an old dude and has been on hundreds of missions.
A couple of other folks rolled up just as I am ready to get the boat in the water.
I hear them wish me well, "You going out there all alone?" an older fellow asks. "I'm not alone, I've got Alex my Duckhound" I say,
and we wave back to them.
Although we may really be strangers, we are all drawn to the darkness at the rivers edge, Have black dogs that we depend on, boats that we depend on, and wives that probably wish we'd take up an indoor hobby that is practiced after sunrise and before sundown.
The motor fires up and I hit the lights and check that my life vest is snapped on and secure.
Alex Gets up on the bow, turns back and gives me the go ahead and we roll into some of the hardest rain and hail I have ever experienced in my life.
Fortunately water was smooth.
I followed the bends of the river, past pilings and markers and through rafts of birds that were asleep out on the water.
Made my way through channels and got to my spot.
I got my first run of Decoys out, and was working on finishing up my last couple of Goldeneyes on the 2nd line,
somehow, I got in a tangle.
not just any tangle, but a tangle the likes of which I have never experienced in my entire life.
It was time to hunt, I could hear the guns off on faraway beaches and I started to get kind of steamed.
Alex was ready, but I couldn't hunt over a set with crisscrossed lead lines and all manners of decoys that looked like they were in some sort of tangle.
Finally I beached the boat and pulled all of it back up,
and re-did the whole thing.
I bet it took me nearly an hour.
Birds were landing in the spread as I was pulling it in,
Alex was getting impatient and I was angry with myself for making such a total fiasco out of the morning.
Eventually, I just stopped looking up at the birds flying a dozen yards away, they were only adding insult to injury, and I knew that i could sort it out, that I'd get the tangles undone, and do it right.
We'd still do ok.
At last, we were ready.
We had a nice shot at a drake and I fired,
It cartwheeled like only a diver going 45 miles per hour can do. Alex was on it.
Good boy!
A few minutes later a trio of birds swooped down on us, I wasn't ready and they doubled back.
A drake locked and dive bombing straight in.
Alex was back in after it.
He took off like a puppy... I called him to bring the bird to me, and he did, I said "Drop it" He did. Then he grabbed it and ran about 50 yards away from he with it full tilt, Dropped it again, and turned standing over the bird to look back.
I said, "Come on Alex" so he came right to me... Minus the bird.
I grabbed him, touched noses with the old boy and looked into his eyes and said, "you go get that bird."
He ran back, picked it up and brought it right over!
The morning was getting better.
Soon an otter decided to check things out.
He was very interested in the decoys.
And of course, no real hunting dog would refuse to perk up a bit with a "sea cat" swimming around..
Soon we had more visitors,
It can be tough to pick out a drake when the lighting is like this.
Sometimes I have to let flock after flock pass by until my eyes can see things plainly.
Guess life is full of opportunities. Things can slip right past you, situations that are perfect, or at least better than could be expected. And a guy can be asleep at the switch.
Glad Alex can keep me on my toes.
If I cant see, then I watch where he watches, and more often than not. He alerts when there is an opportunity knocking.
He let me know just in time as a lone drake bombed in from the East.
Here is a side by side of a couple of Greater Scaup, (green heads) and a Lesser Scaup (purple head and about 3/5 the size.
Was a pretty good day. Despite the tangles and the angles and the Otters.
There is one last part to every hunt I do with Alex.
We have a tradition, that we stop off at the market on the way home and he gets a corn dog, or a chicken strip.
He even comes and sets his head on the little space between the drivers seat and the passenger seat.
As we drive up the hill to the market, Alex taps the console with his paw. Today he did a double tap.
I pulled over and got out and pushed the door open at the market.
The lady behind the counter said "Its the duck guy, grab a corn dog for his hunting dog."
I went up to pay for some coffee and the corn dog, the lady took it out of the case and put it in the bag... she said "be careful, it is hot" It had just come out of the fryer.
She took 50cents for the coffee and I asked, "what about the corn dog?"
She said, "it's on the house, I like folks that treat their dogs once in a while."
I tipped my hat and thanked her.
I knew I was done sleeping and just decided to gather my gear, quickly check the tide, and make a run for it.. Sometimes I just feel like I can't sleep for a reason. Today was like that,
a last minute thing.
The coffee in my cup was hot and black and was starting to kick in as I tried to keep the rig on the winding road.
The river was swollen and churning with debris, and no matter how many times I return to her, she is always new, mysterious, unpredictable and when she wants to be, dangerous.
I arrived at the chosen launch location & Alex waited in the rig as I undid the straps on the Duckbomber.
I must be old fashioned, but I wear WWII German wool army pants, 2 layers of wool socks, about 3 polypro undershirts and a surplus Army wool sweather that is honest to god, an inch thick.
It has a button up extended neck that comes all the way up to my nose.
All this gear is important, but the most critical component of all of it is my W.W.II. wool hat.
It is a special hat that I think is actually the inner lining of a Bomber Pilot's flight hat.
It has a strap to hold it on and a Long flap that covers the back of my neck.
I've forgotten it once or twice, and just felt naked without it.
I've got a set of bomber goggles, and other gear,
but that particular hat is mission critical to any mission I take the Duckbomber on.
I arrived at the launch and Alex was finally awake.
He got up and stretched and I threw on his flack jacket.
This is his 10th season hunting with me.
He is an old dude and has been on hundreds of missions.
A couple of other folks rolled up just as I am ready to get the boat in the water.
I hear them wish me well, "You going out there all alone?" an older fellow asks. "I'm not alone, I've got Alex my Duckhound" I say,
and we wave back to them.
Although we may really be strangers, we are all drawn to the darkness at the rivers edge, Have black dogs that we depend on, boats that we depend on, and wives that probably wish we'd take up an indoor hobby that is practiced after sunrise and before sundown.
The motor fires up and I hit the lights and check that my life vest is snapped on and secure.
Alex Gets up on the bow, turns back and gives me the go ahead and we roll into some of the hardest rain and hail I have ever experienced in my life.
Fortunately water was smooth.
I followed the bends of the river, past pilings and markers and through rafts of birds that were asleep out on the water.
Made my way through channels and got to my spot.
I got my first run of Decoys out, and was working on finishing up my last couple of Goldeneyes on the 2nd line,
somehow, I got in a tangle.
not just any tangle, but a tangle the likes of which I have never experienced in my entire life.
It was time to hunt, I could hear the guns off on faraway beaches and I started to get kind of steamed.
Alex was ready, but I couldn't hunt over a set with crisscrossed lead lines and all manners of decoys that looked like they were in some sort of tangle.
Finally I beached the boat and pulled all of it back up,
and re-did the whole thing.
I bet it took me nearly an hour.
Birds were landing in the spread as I was pulling it in,
Alex was getting impatient and I was angry with myself for making such a total fiasco out of the morning.
Eventually, I just stopped looking up at the birds flying a dozen yards away, they were only adding insult to injury, and I knew that i could sort it out, that I'd get the tangles undone, and do it right.
We'd still do ok.
At last, we were ready.
We had a nice shot at a drake and I fired,
It cartwheeled like only a diver going 45 miles per hour can do. Alex was on it.
Good boy!
A few minutes later a trio of birds swooped down on us, I wasn't ready and they doubled back.
A drake locked and dive bombing straight in.
Alex was back in after it.
He took off like a puppy... I called him to bring the bird to me, and he did, I said "Drop it" He did. Then he grabbed it and ran about 50 yards away from he with it full tilt, Dropped it again, and turned standing over the bird to look back.
I said, "Come on Alex" so he came right to me... Minus the bird.
I grabbed him, touched noses with the old boy and looked into his eyes and said, "you go get that bird."
He ran back, picked it up and brought it right over!
The morning was getting better.
Soon an otter decided to check things out.
He was very interested in the decoys.
And of course, no real hunting dog would refuse to perk up a bit with a "sea cat" swimming around..
Soon we had more visitors,
It can be tough to pick out a drake when the lighting is like this.
Sometimes I have to let flock after flock pass by until my eyes can see things plainly.
Guess life is full of opportunities. Things can slip right past you, situations that are perfect, or at least better than could be expected. And a guy can be asleep at the switch.
Glad Alex can keep me on my toes.
If I cant see, then I watch where he watches, and more often than not. He alerts when there is an opportunity knocking.
He let me know just in time as a lone drake bombed in from the East.
Here is a side by side of a couple of Greater Scaup, (green heads) and a Lesser Scaup (purple head and about 3/5 the size.
Was a pretty good day. Despite the tangles and the angles and the Otters.
There is one last part to every hunt I do with Alex.
We have a tradition, that we stop off at the market on the way home and he gets a corn dog, or a chicken strip.
He even comes and sets his head on the little space between the drivers seat and the passenger seat.
As we drive up the hill to the market, Alex taps the console with his paw. Today he did a double tap.
I pulled over and got out and pushed the door open at the market.
The lady behind the counter said "Its the duck guy, grab a corn dog for his hunting dog."
I went up to pay for some coffee and the corn dog, the lady took it out of the case and put it in the bag... she said "be careful, it is hot" It had just come out of the fryer.
She took 50cents for the coffee and I asked, "what about the corn dog?"
She said, "it's on the house, I like folks that treat their dogs once in a while."
I tipped my hat and thanked her.
