1/22 Last hunt of season for me.

valetroutfisherman

Ten Pointer
Piedmont hunt.
Well like the title says this is my last day to hunt before the end of the season. I've got to work tomorrow through Saturday.
All in all it was a good hunt. Even though I didn't kill any ducks today.
And gosh it was cold my mustache and goatee froze up oh, it was 18 degrees when I went out this morning
Since the water was down on the river I was hunting, I had to go to an alternate Cove. Now I was in a 15 ft gheenoe with a trolling motor. All the small coves had a thin layer of ice. Now I found a nice little open spot that I was able to tuck my Gheenoe behind the tree and pull it up on the bank. I set me up a few decoys, a couple ripplers, and 2 flock a flickers. The wood ducks started flying right at first shooting light, I really enjoy listening to them as they fly, I was able to call two of them in but they surprised me they came in on my left, and my decoys were at my front right, the wood ducks came in about 10 minutes apart, only about 20 yards from me and about 30 yards for my decoys. I think they were going to scope out the decoys. Anyway I was kind of exposed to the, Ducks where they , so when I reach for my shotgun, hanging on the the tree they busted me and I shot and missed.
About 9 I left to do some further scouting down stream on the river. I jumped two wood ducks and then 4 more wood ducks. Then I jumped a group of about 20 to 30 mallard of course all these ducks saw me before I saw them but I was happy to see them in our area. And of course since I was under trolling motor I would not have shot at them anyway. It was just good to see some ducks.
Great morning to be out hunting, listening to the woods ducks, and all the rest of the wildlife oh, heck I even saw a big deer.20190122_085926.jpeg20190122_085857.jpeg

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CountryRN

Twelve Pointer
That's the way it goes. You were braver than I. I ended up sleeping in this morning and was unable to go this evening also. I plan to get out there in the morning but have no expectations.
Just keep in mind - there's always next year.
 

Greenhorn

Six Pointer
What a duck hunter always has is....hope. Hope fuels the fire. Getting out there is a good thing. Ducks are the icing on the cake. Some hunters turn it into an identity/ego/numbers thing. They miss the point, in my humble opinion. I went with a group of 5 the other day and it was more of a social thing. It was a good reminder of why I let this sport drive me crazy. I enjoyed hanging out with everyone, but I would have rather just had 1 good friend, or my daughter, or be by myself for that matter. There is a spiritual connection in duck hunting. I call it my 2nd church. But, by going through that, it was a reminder of how that was versus how it should feel, at least to me. It was good b/c sometimes I lose sight of that when it starts to feel like a grind. I learned a lot this season, with that being another great lesson. This season was bittersweet, as most are. But, there is no sweet without bitter.
 
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