The Privilege of Hunting

It's mornings like these that fill me with gratitude. I expected some success with this hunt as I had gotten permission from a landowner on promising private ground, but what we found was something you could only dream of. And to this day I still do...

With our decoys and pup all packed up, it was time to hit the road. Well... actually it was past time. We were running late. We got to the hunting spot while it was still dark, but didn't give ourselves enough time to get everything set up. As I was setting out decoys, ducks started flying in. I threw out 8 floaters and headed for cover! I found my wife standing in the spot we chose to set up our hide. Once both of us were still and the sound of water splashing from our footsteps stopped, we heard the glorious sound of ducks.The sunlight was revealing groups and groups of ducks piling into this little slough. A heavenly choir of quacking, wings beating, teal whizzing by, and feet gliding across the water filled our ears. We stood there knowing that we could be shooting but choosing to enjoy the moment. Smiling at each other... Taking it all in.

After a while, we decided to start our hunt. Beautiful morning with a nice sunrise to accompany the diverse duck species flying in to our small spread. My wife had never hunted a good muddy-bottomed slough before. She quickly learned how the mud can grab you and pull you in. We didn't bring the pup out to the slough for fear that she wouldn't be able to sit quiet, so I was the fill in duck dog for the day. Ducks were coming in from all directions giving us a variety of shots. We ended the morning with a mixed bag two-man limit.

Before heading out, we stopped at the landowners' door and thanked them for a great hunt... and a great hunt it was indeed. We sure are grateful for the opportunity given to us by these generous landowners to have made this long-lasting memory on their ground.

It's getting tougher and tougher to gain permission to hunt on private land these days. Unfortunately, lack of integrity and respect in some members can be portrayed on the whole hunting community. Like any sport, it's vital to hold yourself to a high moral standard. Let this be a reminder that having the ability and opportunity to hunt public and/or private land is a privilege that should not be taken for granted. Next time you step out into God's country, remember to have respect for the land and resources you're walking on, and carry yourself in a manner worthy of the privilege.