Southern Opener by Michael Spaeth

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Southern Opener

~ Michael Spaeth (10/2/2006 @ 3:35 PM)

Can't win em' all:

That pretty much sums up the southern opener. We arrived at our honey hole in the Northern Kettle Moraine around 7:30. I enjoyed a couple cups of coffee, some donuts and a few cigarettes before we launched the canoe. Paddling out to our spot we kicked up approx. 20 mallards, 20 teal, and 10-20 wood ducks. It got the adrenaline going and I was excited for shooting time. The forecast was perfect, highs in the lower 50's, mostly cloudy and scattered showers.

But the forecast couldn't have been more wrong. It turned out to be mostly sunny, near 70 and barely any rain at all. We had ducks in the area as well as other hunters creating pressure but for whatever reason they didn't want to land in our hole on this sunny day. We sat on the bog from 9am til 7pm and ended up with 3 BWT and 1 Drake Mallard. Ryan and I each shot a BW. There were a few missed oppertunities but for the most part we just couldn't get them in range.

I brought the car, the decoys, the dog, the boat, Ryan on the other hand was responsible for a few snacks and beverages. So what did he do, filled is cooler with water, Frapuccino, poweraid, oh yeah and 2 beers. 2 Beers for 11 hours; you do math. Actually it wasn't even 2 beers cause he spilt his. 1 1/2 beers in 11 hours ..........hmmmmm.... its one thing to be bored but it is a whole another thing to be bored and thirsty.

There is definetely a few keylearnings here:
1.)bring your own beer
2.)tie a rope to the decoy pole. (Ask Braun)
3.)don't put important tools in the velcro chest pocket on your waders (Ask Braun)

The openers are over and while I've seen better hunting in the past, it is always great to get out there see some birds, practice a little calling and watch my dog put another years worth of training to work.

"Duck hunting without a dog is like duck hunting without a gun. 4 geese 10 ducks this year and only 1 has gone unfound."

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