Quack

Had another first-time experience yesterday -- duck hunting. Hunting buddy Dan was kind enough to invite me to join him on Walpole Island, Ontario. For those unfamiliar, this is a legendary location. The St. Anne's Marsh club (currently closed) is the oldest hunting club in North America. Unfortunately right now it's locked in a First Nation tribal dispute so we couldn't hunt it.

Once we crossed the river from Algonac, cleared Canadian customs (surprisingly smooth, considering firearms were involved), and navigated securing hunting licenses, we were ready for some ducks.

Guide Jesse Sands navigated the maze of canals through the marsh to put us on a great pond. The three of us mostly sat and chatted in the blind until dusk, as we saw few ducks within shooting range. Then it all changed.

Important life lesson: Ducks are FAST.

Not fast like a pheasant coming up on flight path. Fast like an F-16 on a strafing mission. These things are hauling ass. For the ones we could see on approach, no problem. But with many, by the time you perceived them, "splash" they're safely in the water.

The coolest part is the sound of a duck screaming down toward the water. There's a "whoosh" that's clearly the sound of a foil (wing) moving VERY rapidly through the air. Unfortunately, by the time you hear it, you probably missed your shot.

Try as I might, when we got a group coming in, I had a very hard time resisting the urge to shoot at the mass. Most experts tell you to pick a bird and target that bird. Hard to do with a dozen ducks rolling in at 50 mph.

A really cool experience. I'll be back. This time with warmer waterproof boots.

-Sean-