DUCKS, DOGS AND DONUTS

A RECIPE FOR A DUCK HUNT


Bill Cooper





“Sit down Pete! Dang it, somebody stepped on the donut bag,” I lamented.
Sounds of rustling paper and the muffled quivering of a cold, wet nose carried through the frigid, damp darkness. It then occurred to me that I had been talking to the wrong end of Pete. He faced south. For some reason in the pitch black of 4:30 a.m., I thought he was facing north.

Pete is my Yellow Lab. He is a wonderful companion, an excellent hunting animal, and an endless source of fun and astounding entertainment. But, at times, he is downright disgusting!

You, too, can enjoy the unrivaled enjoyment of such oddities. Take up waterfowl hunting. You will need a valid hunting permit, a migratory bird card, and a federal duck stamp. The permit and bird card can be purchased at most sporting goods stores, while the duck stamp usually may only be purchased at a U.S. Post Office.

Duck season looks very promising according to Missouri Department of Conservation resource scientist Dave Graber. He said that the region in the north-central United States and southern Canada that produces the ducks that migrate through Missouri had a fairly good number of ponds this year. As a result of increased habitat, several duck species posted significant gains in populations this year.

Mallards are the ducks that waterfowlers revere the most. Their numbers are up 8 percent from last year. However, numbers are 3 percent below the long term average.

Gadwalls showed the biggest increase, with a 30 percent rise in the number of breeding birds and a 67 percent increase from the long term average. Gadwalls are much easier to decoy than mallards, making them a prime target for beginners. This may be the year to introduce a youngster to duck hunting.

Northern pintails, which are highly esteemed by hunters, are up 32 percent from last year, but 18 percent below the long term average. Therefore, the limit remains at one pintail.

Redheads and canvasbacks gained 55 and 33 percent respectively, but remain 47 and 23 percent below the long term average. Scaup are at record low numbers for the second year in a row, and the daily limit has been dropped to two. Loss of habitat is the cause for the decline.

The number of breeding ducks counted this summer was up 9 percent from the long term average. However, the numbers are still 16 percent below the superb numbers of 1999. Experts predict a fall flight of 9.8 million mallards, enough to produce excellent hunting conditions.

The daily limit is six ducks, including no more than four mallards (no more than 2 females), two scaup, two redheads, two wood ducks, two hooded mergansers, one black duck, one pintail and one canvasback. Other species may be taken in any number up to the daily limit. The possession limit for ducks is twice the daily limit.

Identification of species is an important issue when hunting ducks. Outdoor Empire Publishing prints a ‘Wildlife Identification Pocket Guide’ for the Missouri Department of Conservation Hunter Education Program. The company is located at 511 Eastlake Avenue, E., Seattle, Washington, 98109.

Pete knows his place in the duck boat. He sits stoically on the bottom of my short-walled boat, blending in with the assortment of camo cloth that covers the craft. He backs up to the steering console, which provides the perfect camo backdrop. The only problem is the fact that I often stash goodies, such as donuts, in the open space under the console. Pete knows that. If, per chance, goodies get trampled, which spreads their aroma, he looses his self control and makes a fool of himself, all for a squished donut.

My hunting companions for the day laughed heartily. At least they had a sense of humor in the wee hours of the morning.

Rev. Don Carson and his 14-year-old son, “Coot”, (there is a story in that name) joined me for Aaron’s debut duck hunt. He garnered an education about the finer points of duck hunting before the first rays of sunlight blessed the Eastern sky.

Our 75 decoys bobbed in the choppy waters of Little Prairie Lake, just outside of Rolla, Missouri. We caught glimpses of the ghostly figures by the pale light of the moon. The morning scene appeared a bit spooky, but added a touch of adventure to the experience.

“Ducks on the eastern horizon”, I whispered to Don, Aaron, and Pete. Pete perked up; the increased light revealed the donut crumbs in Pete’s whiskers.

“It is still 20 minutes until legal shooting time”, I explained. “But, enjoy the drama that is about to unfold right in front of us”.

Moments later, the sound of whirring wings buzzed overhead. The silhouettes of approaching ducks appeared outside the decoys. On their second pass, a half dozen ducks committed and plopped into the hole in the middle of the decoy set.

Pete heard the birds and sat at full alert, but looked a little unprofessional with the donut crumbs on his face. I was not about to tell him.

Ten minutes needed to lapse before we could begin shooting. Those last few minutes before legal hours can be the longest of the day.

The ducks flushed out of the decoy set much to Pete’s chagrin. He stared at me as if to say, “Why did you let them get away?”

I instructed Don and Aaron to load their shotguns. Shooting hours were only two minutes away and several groups of ducks circled the lake. I was guiding and would do all of the calling.

“Don’t hesitate to shoot, but make sure you have a safe shot and be sure the ducks are over or inside the decoy set,” I said. “If they are outside the decoys, they are too far away to kill with steel shot.”

My hail calls echoed across the lake. One of the biggest thrills to a waterfowl hunter is to see birds respond to his calls. Several groups had already turned to circle our set. We all fidgeted in the boat, anxious for the moment to begin shooting.

“Ducks left”, I yelled. Fifteen birds dropped from the sky at the left end of the set, with their wings cupped.

Aaron swung on the descending birds and fired once, then a second time. The surprised ducks recovered quickly and sped away with all their feathers intact.

“I can’t believe I missed,” Aaron gasped.

“A common error, especially among beginners, is to shoot at the heads of descending ducks,” I told him. “Shoot below their feet. They drop fast.”

I continued the chatter on my Tru-Tone call. “Watch the group coming from the North,” I muttered between chuckles. “Let ‘em pass. They will come closer on each swing. Bluebills. They are fast and most likely will not try to land in the decoys. Get ready – shoot ‘em!”

Shots rang out. Don and Aaron both fired. The birds sped away unscathed. “Fast, huh?” I digged.

The ducks were flying very well. I knew more opportunities would come shortly.

“Hey, hey, hey”, I whispered. “More ducks coming from the north. Get ready.” I quacked through the call. The mixed group of birds turned towards our decoys and swept trough the hole in the dekes. Guns reported and three ducks tumbled into the water.

Don and Aaron traded high fives as Pete took the command “fetch” and leapt off the landing board into the water.

I recognized two of the ducks as bluebills or scaup. I could not identify the third bird, but Pete retrieved it first.

I stared in disbelief as Pete hit the landing board. He had a Redhead in his mouth. In my forty years of duck hunting, I have never taken a Redhead.

Aaron quickly claimed the bird, his first duck, ever! “Had I been shooting, I would have claimed that bird”, I exclaimed.

Aaron was as proud as a peacock. “Dad, can we get it mounted?” he asked

The morning proved magical as the ducks poured into Little Prairie. The father and son team harvested several more ducks, creating a memory that will last forever.

Little Prairie Lake is located just east of Rolla, off Interstate 44. The 75-acre Community Lake is one of two in the state open to waterfowl hunting. When I first came to the area 35 years ago, no one waterfowl hunted there. After I publicized the area, a few hunters began to show up. That is OK. I have made some wonderful friends there.

Other waterfowling opportunities exist nearby. Hunting the rivers of the Ozarks is an enjoyable and different way to pursue ducks.

The Gasconade, in Phelps and Pulaski counties, and the Current in Dent and Shannon counties are two of my favorites. Both attract fair numbers of ducks during the fall migration.

Greg Richardson, of Rolla, hunts ducks on the small rivers. “Caution, is the first order of business”, he instructs. “I will never forget the first time I shot at a duck from a canoe. I concentrated on the bird, giving no thought to the balance of the boat. I brought my center of gravity a little too high and almost rolled the canoe over. Boy, did my heart skip a beat. A dunk in the river during cold weather wasn’t a part of my plans.”

Hunting the rivers is simple, but does take some organization. Take only a few decoys and hunt the sloughs, bays and slack water areas. Use the buddy system. One should handle the canoe while the other does the shooting. The canoe will stay right side up that way.

One last thought. On my last trip, I packed the donuts in a metal ammo box. Just when I thought I had Pete outsmarted, he hiked his leg on the box!