river hunt # 3 with Dad

last weekend was a barrel burner! I thought I was gonna melt the Browning. Got there on Friday around 3 PM, car-pooled with Dad, that was a fun change. Started hunting around 4 PM. setup a decent decoy spread. The 3 bufflehead decoys work like a magnet on those birds! Dad dropped me off at the blind. It was low tide which makes a huge difference because it is easier to walk around, set decoys, retrieve dead birds without getting wet! Especially when you have waist waders like I do. 

Had a drake bufflehead come right in to the decoys, so I let him have it. "HEY DUCK" I shouted to get him up off the water. He didn't have far to go , one shot with Monarch #4 shot put him down quickly. Belly up floater. What a beautiful bird. The heads are a super pretty iridescent green and purple. The males are roughly twice as big as the hens. The hens are only 8 oz on average, the males are maybe 1.5 lbs. Little birds, in fact, they are the smallest diving ducks. They are called diving ducks because they dive for their food. It is incredible they migrate from the Boreal Forests in Canada from Quebec to Yukon and fly all the way to Virginia for the winter.  

The next morning we get up early. I had made a cornbread, broccoli, egg, and bacon dish that was delicious but I think dad would have preferred microwaved Jimmy Dean sausage paddies again.

For the first time all season, we hunted the blind together. I insisted. There was enough room. First light legal shooting time was SLOW. I mean, zero birds moving or on the water! What the heck is going on? Soon we hear honking and a group of Canada geese fly right over the blind. We both unload, I shot 3 times and dad shot twice. He was using his antique Spanish double barrel 20 gauge 'cause he has shells from Texas to "use up". Good luck bringing down a good with that!!! I figure, why handicap myself? So I shoot 3 inch magnum loads with a 12 gauge! But it was duck shot #4 and didn't connect with any of the geese..........So the morning continued. 

Lots of mystery ducks out on the water way in the distance. I always bring Binocs with me, which dad disagrees with because "what's the point, they are too far to shoot! " Yea, well it lets me know what's going on the water , DUH!!!! 

I take a lap in the duck boat and leave dad in the blind. I must have seen 400 of these mystery ducks, no exaggeration. Hopefully I can move these birds around. No luck. I head back to the blind with Dad. Soon a Bufflhead comes right in to our spread, I turn to Dad "OK DAD GET 'EM"! I do a count down, 3......2......1  go. Dad doesn't go. OK, let's try again 3....2......1 Dad steps out and shoots on the water. A miss. He shoots again, another miss. Must have had lead weevils in his shells!!!!