LET'S GO HUNTING

THE HUNT

All the preliminary things had been done with care. .The coffee was strong and hot and the fresh baked biscuits and sausage gravy was more than sufficient to maintain any hunters girth. .The ATV purred down the field road to the blind.. In spite of the down underwear, heavy coats and chest waders it was a little uncomfortable.. A new day was about to dawn.

Everything was in place now. .Just a few more minutes and it would be time. .The guide played sweet music on his old black Olt caller and though the cloudy night gave little hope of seeing incoming ducks the sky was full of the sound of wings, the skake, skake, skake sound of the drakes and the chatter and call of the hen. .If you squinted your eyes just right you could see the spray and hear the splash of ducks coming in to the decoys.

Duke, my old yellow lab trembled with excitement as shooting time approached. .An occasional soft whine and the patting of his front feet could be heard from his perch just outside the blind. .Even though he had retrieved thousands of ducks in his lifetime the fire was still in his bones. .That first retrieve of the morning was near.

"Get ready boys!" the guide said softly as a big drake nearly flew into the blind.. The dark speeding shapes of incoming ducks had begun to have a little color as the morning light gradually increased. .What a sight! .What an experience! .We knew that very soon we would hear the guide announce, "It's time, take em' boys!"

Bob Chesser

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