Just for Assa

[RonE]

Went for a short hunt this afternoon, the boat was running very poorly but we got to the place we wanted to hunt. Chose this place because in the past few years it has been covered up with pintails at times. Stopped the boat and deployed the Mexican power poles. Threw out the four dozen decoys (from the boat) and settled in to wait for the birds we scared off to come back.
The birds came back but at the other end of the cove and we waited 30 minutes for them to swim to us. When the ducks were in the decoys and completely surrounding the boat we stood up and shot our four Red Heads with 4 shots as they were rising. The drill was to shoot drakes only and we (believe it or not) did. We had ducks swimming less than 10 feet from the boat, probably 5-600 birds. My friends dog retrieved the four drakes and we put them on the strap.

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After a 20-30 minute incomes a lone pintail drake against the wind, trying to land in the decoys on my side. My third shot of the day and my friends dog, added another duck to the strap. Believe it or not, when I saw the bird set his wings, I said to myself, this one is for Assa.

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Another short wait and here come two more drake pintails and again I thought these are just back ups for Assa, two shots and two down drake pintails. I told my friend to shoot his on the water but he said that his dog would get it. Alas, he should have shot, the duck dove and the dog could not find it. He did retrieve the one I shot and we put another on the strap.

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Because the boat was running crappy, we called the hunt after a 15 minute wait for a couple more sprig. My friend noticed that one of the spark plug wires was shorting to the engine cowling and moved the wire to where it wouldn't arc and the boat ran perfectly going back to the dock. From the time we left the dock until we returned was less than 2 hours but it was cold and the wind was blowing. I'm not used to hunting ducks in adverse conditions such as these. Good thing we brought a wee nip in a flask along with us to fight the chill. It was a great hunt, never got in the water and killed six drakes..........Would have liked to kill twelve but, maybe tomorrow afternoon. Assa, you were the inspiration, do you want me to send one of the pintails to you? If so, PM your address.

[assateague]

Somebody's got to kill them, I suppose. If the world was full of me, those fuckers would be clogging up sidewalks and public swimming pools with impunity. Arrogant, smug little bastards.

[Woody]

Somebody's got to kill them, I suppose. If the world was full of me, those fuckers would be clogging up sidewalks and public swimming pools with impunity. Arrogant, smug little bastards.

curmudgeon