Duck Hunting and Airboat Etiquette
December 7, 2013
Cool, clear skies and glassy water. We launched at 5:15am and headed to our hopeful “Honey Hole”. The Duck Duo, Kyle and Ryan were up and out by 4:00am in an effort to hit the “Big Duck” spot first. Gotta get out early. There are still a decent number of hunters going out Dyess Ditch in Lakeport, Florida.
Three boats set off in different locations all in search of different ducks. Jack and his hunting partner in search of Wood Ducks and Mallards. Kyle and Ryan in search of the oddities and for us any duck will do. We didn’t end up exactly where we wanted to be but made what we found work. (After forty five years on this lake, lost is not something you admit to readily). We set up in a nice open area full of Lilly Pads and put out a spread of three dozen decoys. Blinded up in a little head to wait and watch. We were soon covered. With mosquitos that is. Where the heck do they come from and how can something so small be so loud? Do yourself a favor and invest in a couple of Thermacell Mosquito Repellants. They’re compact, easy to use and they do the trick. No bites, no slapping sounds. They never know what hit them.
One of the first and best lessons we teach our Peterson “Newbies is to “Be Still” and “Be Quiet”. You can’t see them, but they can see you. Isn’t that why we all wear camo? Moving around in the boat creates small ripples and ruins your element of surprise. Two L’s. Look and Listen. The Petersons are “Good Ole Boys” with a girl or two thrown in. We play hard and act tough. We’re masters at what we do. We’ll share our knowledge but not all the secrets. We live by a code and the teaching starts with our babies. We learn to live off the land. You bag it, you’ll eat it. We master the skills and learn the know how to be smart and hunt safe. Early on we learn to pay it forward because sooner or later it will be one of us that needs a helping hand.
We had a great little spot this morning. Then two airboats came through, shut off and sat there in plain view. Remember fellow airboat hunters, you can’t see them but they can see you. Nobody was dropped off, no floats were put out, no shots were fired. Fifteen to twenty minutes later we had two airboats running back and forth and around and around. Still no floats, hunters out or shots fired. For over thirty five minutes they raced back and forth and then finally shut down and just sat there. Once the sun comes up boys, you look like a Neon Sign. You throw a blinding glare and send a definite message…”Ducks this is where you Do Not want to be”. I am not against Blow Boats. We have one. It’s one of my favorite things and there is nothing else like it. We have had many good times and memories involving ours. Ducking, Frogging, and Gator hunts. Stories for other seasons. Just remember there are unspoken rules for airboats and a Gentlemen’s etiquette for hunting. For a very big lake, it’s a very small world and you are not the only ones in it.
We had a good hunt over by the Spoil Islands. Momma drops the first bird and the last bird. We won’t talk about the ones that got away. Dad did his usual good shooting using a Charles Daley 12 gauge pump today. Charles Daley guns are light, easy to handle and shoot a nice pattern. Jack didn’t get what he was hoping for but scouted another area. Fingers crossed for a Wood Duck hole. Ryan and Kyle out for the unusual birds hunted by Horse Island. They found the Red Heads, Canvas Backs, Ringers, Scaup and Teal. Out in the open, you’ll need to lay low and set out a huge spread of decoys in this area. If you look close you may see one of their best finds of the day. Frog legs anyone?
The birds are late this year, but with the colder weather up North we are seeing more numbers and a nice variety daily. As the season continues be smart, hunt safe and when you bag your
birds you’ll have added a few more good memories with your limit.