A New, Shared Hunting Experience....

[cstemig]

This morning at set-up time, a boat passed my position and then headed to the shoreline about 100 yards away. I took a chance and extended an invite to them to join me, rather than compete with me. They replied "Sure." It turned out to be one of my best experiences this season.

In the boat were three young hunters, all in their early twenties. They had a bag of used dekes, some new calls, some apps for tutoring their calling skills, and a young, energetic yellow lab. We quickly set up all of the dekes and built some really nice blinds. After that, they used their apps to listen to Jase Robertson tutor them on duck calling. I just smiled inside.

For the next several hours, I watched these young guys try their best to get some ducks. We were bombed with Cans and some Mallards. The gun shots were plentiful....dead ducks were not. Finally, they started to connect and managed to get three nice Bull Cans, a Triple Curled Drake Mallard, and two Ringbills. Their young dog also found two cripples from the day before, hiding in the shoreline not far from our blind. You couldn't have wiped the smiles off of their faces with a chain saw.

The whole experience just warmed my soul. Taking a chance this morning proved to be a good thing. Watching these guys practice their calls, eventually improving their shooting skills, and watching a young dog retrieve was priceless.

[StuStiltman]

I had a similar experience about 5 years ago in sw mn, except I didn't get a chance to hunt with them. I was out hunting with my old man, the day was a bust, back at the landing we were shooting the ---- with some other older guys who also didn't do well. Then a boat loaded with 3 kids (probably 17 or 18) motored up to the landing. I'd like to think it was the same group but its pretty unlikely, anyways they had 7 or 8 ducks, and I think a lab, maybe the same one, who knows. Anyways they were extremely friendly and you could see the pride in their faces after they found out they had a more productive shoot than the other guys (mostly older guys) at the landing. It was fun meeting up with these guys, never saw them again
I've had a pretty good run of shooting ducks with my old man and his buddies, it wasn't until I was in my later 20s that I actually got a chance to hunt with a group of my highschool buddies. I was just a little bit jealous of the 3 kids who had a boat, dog, guns, decoys, a long weekend of hunting, and no adults around to mess things up. Nice post, it brought up a nice memory.

[h2ofwlr]

I wish there was a "like" button for this topic.

[Fish Felon]

Good for you and thanks for sharing...sounds like it was a fun time and good shoot. I'd like to think I would have done the same but I shouldn't lie to myself.

[WALKER]

It sounds to me like Chuck had more fun than the kids.

Good story

[greatwhitehunter3!]

Cool!

[Waterfowlist]

Good story! Thanks for sharing

[get-n-birdy]

A+!

Young kids are just that, young. Their enthusiasm is often trumped by inexperience. Give them a chance and some words of encouragement, with some direction and they will learn.

I seriously tip my hat to you for not just barking about the guys that downwinded you and extending them the hand of friendship!

[Bullet21XD]

I would have ran them off.

No sense giving them a false impression of what duck hunting really is.

[h2ofwlr]

You and Trigger would make for great hunting buddies.