The weather man gave the good news – The first below freezing temperatures for the region of the season. In the pre-dawn darkness, I drove the empty roads of Southern Maryland. I was going duck hunting. I was attempting to use one of the first come first hunt waterfowl blind sites Maryland DNR provides for Maryland hunters on a Saturday, the most hunted day of the week. The one main caveat is being the first one there.
Driving down to the boat ramp, I was second to arrive. The time was 5:00 AM with sunrise and legal shooting time 2 hours away. The first hunters to arrive were heading to my first choice blind site, but there was a second that would serve the morning just as well. Or at least I hoped. With everything loaded into the canoe and the truck parked, I reached behind the seat for my jacket. Whoops, it was not there. I had thought my hunting jacket was in the truck but it wasn’t there. Living in two homes, one has a tendency to lose track on where things are. I was sporting my new neoprene chest waders with my new insulated wader pants underneath. So with only a camo hoodie sweatshirt and waders, I paddled off to my blind site.
I fought the wind setting the decoys. The spread looked ok. The cork decoys bobbed with the slight chop on the water. I covered the canoe with camouflage burlap, taking notice of the worn holes and thinking it may be time to replace the old burlap soon. I sat and waited. The sun arrived and a few ducks flew around. None came within gunshot. The morning wore on. I got cold. The ducks did not arrive.
Not all endeavors result in an exciting tale of adventure. I did not shoot a limit of ducks in record time. I did not flip the canoe and almost drown in the frigid waters. Sometimes, we as sportsmen awake early and head toward field or waters with the best of intensions and hopes of a grand day, only to have nothing of value transpire. Or maybe there is another value of the time spent afield. Time outside watching the eagles, watching the sun rise, watching the decoys bounce entranced in our own thoughts.
Driving home after the duck hunt, I did not feel upset about not shooting any ducks. I did not feel my early wakeup and Saturday morning was wasted. It was just a part of who I am and what I do – being outside paddling the canoe pursuing life. I find it interesting when someone asks if I had “fun” while on a hunt or a fishing trip. I don’t look at it as having “fun”. I feel as if it just where I belong, and being where you belong brings with it a feeling of contentment and fulfilling happiness. If that is fun, then yes I had fun.
