Nice Shot

Chose to pass on the Black Friday chaos in favor of Duck Friday on Mitchell's Bay in Ontario over the Holiday weekend. My buddy Dan had set this hunt up and I always enjoy time out in the field with him.

Last year, we hunted this area TWICE and got skunked BOTH times! So there was some retribution in this trip.

One thing I love is the feeling of a really well done shot while hunting. Even when you only get one in an outing, it's such a rush. On Friday, I was fortunate enough to get in two. There's so much to go wrong with a waterfowl shot - consider range, timing, follow-through - that something that seems so simple is actually fairly challenging.

The first came on a crossing group of teal. Both of my hunting companions missed everything. I picked one, swung with the target and BLAM. Got 'em! Even our guide offered up a "nice shot" -- which always feels pretty good. These guys see a lot of shots, good and bad. To get a compliment is pretty cool.

The second "perfect shot" came on a group of 3 inbound ducks. With three shooters, we were able to call our shot (also pretty cool!). Mine came in, locked up over the decoys and started to flare upward for the escape path. Not so fast. Blam and it's Duck Down.

Somehow these missed shots make up for the blown leads (we had a tough day there -- with 20+ mph winds, figuring out how much to lead a screaming diver duck is pretty tough), the too-early attempt, or the Hail Mary thrown at a fleeing duck.

Like so many things, when you nail it with shooting, you know it.

-Sean-