First and last hunt this year

dobber

Old Mossy Horns
Work and life kept me away from duck hunting for the last few years but got an invite to go out this morning, figured what the heck. Cool temps, was sitting just about 30 and wind from the north. As we dropped the boat in i couldn't help but feel that we were going to be in for an interesting. A small 14' aluminum boat makes a lot of noise breaking through 1" of ice, and can do so with the help of a little 6hp outboard for several hundred yards. I sat in the front of the boat wondering when the ice was going to slice through the aluminum, but it held and any Titanic songs that came to me were held deep within.
We had some decent waves rolling in 2-3' and within the first step off the boat my buddy had one breach his waders, decoys out, anchors set and a leap of faith out of the boat i went.
Lots of birds flying, a few shots but it had been so long since i had been out i just didn't connect, my guess is shooting behind them, just not enough lead.
All in all a good morning, nice to be out and not at work
 

DuckyDave

Eight Pointer
Contributor
I had same question--why last hunt? I have great memories as a kid breaking ice in front of canoe killing ducks with my buddies...
 

dobber

Old Mossy Horns
@Gmac and @DuckyDave I am the forums token foreigner (and back bacon smuggler) up here in Ontario Canada, that ice will only get thicker and will make it impossible to get out without risk of ripping the boat apart
 

DuckyDave

Eight Pointer
Contributor
@Gmac and @DuckyDave I am the forums token foreigner (and back bacon smuggler) up here in Ontario Canada, that ice will only get thicker and will make it impossible to get out without risk of ripping the boat apart
Thanks for the warning. As teenagers we didn't care that the ice shredded our canoe paddles to splinters. And getting stuck (this was 35 years before cellphones) gave us bigger tales to tell. But that's part of the fun, eh?
 

Hydemarsh

Six Pointer
It is nice to have you visit us "dobber". I have always wanted to hunt ducks in Ontario, divers in Lake ST Claire. Would a foreigner be welcome there or would locals make your life miserable.
 
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