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About fifteen years ago, I was out duck hunting on the lake in my duck boat with my dog alone early one morning as the sun began to rise above the horizon.
It was an absolute freezing cold high wind blistering day with whitecaps all over the lake and the wind howling down from the north into my ears. I was frozen to the bone and shivering, waves were crashing against the side of the boat and sending cold water splashing onto me. One by one, my four dozen decoys were floating away in the rough water. I wondered what in the world was I doing out here in the dangerous mess alone with my dog?
I looked far down the southern shoreline to my right and could see a small speck of something skirting over the tall reeds bordering the edge of the lake almost 3/4 of a mile away. I watched as the speck grew larger and larger and realized it was a flock of duck heading my way.
I crouched down low with my dog and peered over the gun rail towards the low flying flock of ducks headed up the shoreline my way. When they entered the edge of decoys, I rose up onto my knees and fired my Browning Citori over-under 12 gauge 3" magnum with #2 steel twice, emptying both barrels.
Unbelievably, three large ducks smacked down into the waves about 50 feet in front of me. My English Springer Spaniel jumped over the gun rail and into the raging white water and picked up one duck, then went out for another and came back with a second duck in his mouth. I grabbed him and started up the motor and idled out into the rough water to pick up the third dead duck.
Looking closely at the three dead ducks, I suddenly realized that I had two beautiful Pin Tail Drakes and Pin Tail hen, which was exactly two Pin Tails over the limit..... :shock: :shock: :shock:
I am an ethical hunter and I knew the local game warden and absolutely did NOT want to caught with an illegal duck limit, but also did not want to wantonly toss two of the ducks wastefully back into the lake to make me legal again......
I snuck back to the boat ramp and winched the duck boat onto the trailer and sneaked out of the parking lot as quiet as possible.
Then I immediately headed over to the local taxidermist's office.
Those three Pin Tails are all mounted in a wonderful collage of driftwood and ducks on the wall of my living room.
I've gotten a couple of doubles here and there over the years, but never a triple like that on a day like that, it was AWESOME!
I'll never forgot that morning out there alone against the elements.
Here is my dog, Amos:
Here are some of the ducks:
It was an absolute freezing cold high wind blistering day with whitecaps all over the lake and the wind howling down from the north into my ears. I was frozen to the bone and shivering, waves were crashing against the side of the boat and sending cold water splashing onto me. One by one, my four dozen decoys were floating away in the rough water. I wondered what in the world was I doing out here in the dangerous mess alone with my dog?
I looked far down the southern shoreline to my right and could see a small speck of something skirting over the tall reeds bordering the edge of the lake almost 3/4 of a mile away. I watched as the speck grew larger and larger and realized it was a flock of duck heading my way.
I crouched down low with my dog and peered over the gun rail towards the low flying flock of ducks headed up the shoreline my way. When they entered the edge of decoys, I rose up onto my knees and fired my Browning Citori over-under 12 gauge 3" magnum with #2 steel twice, emptying both barrels.
Unbelievably, three large ducks smacked down into the waves about 50 feet in front of me. My English Springer Spaniel jumped over the gun rail and into the raging white water and picked up one duck, then went out for another and came back with a second duck in his mouth. I grabbed him and started up the motor and idled out into the rough water to pick up the third dead duck.
Looking closely at the three dead ducks, I suddenly realized that I had two beautiful Pin Tail Drakes and Pin Tail hen, which was exactly two Pin Tails over the limit..... :shock: :shock: :shock:
I am an ethical hunter and I knew the local game warden and absolutely did NOT want to caught with an illegal duck limit, but also did not want to wantonly toss two of the ducks wastefully back into the lake to make me legal again......
I snuck back to the boat ramp and winched the duck boat onto the trailer and sneaked out of the parking lot as quiet as possible.
Then I immediately headed over to the local taxidermist's office.
Those three Pin Tails are all mounted in a wonderful collage of driftwood and ducks on the wall of my living room.
I've gotten a couple of doubles here and there over the years, but never a triple like that on a day like that, it was AWESOME!
I'll never forgot that morning out there alone against the elements.
Here is my dog, Amos:

Here are some of the ducks:
