Your first duck hunt

[anthony m coons sr]

Can or do you remember the first time you hunted ducks? I can! My first duck hunt, I was fourteen years old. Back then in New York State you had to be fourteen to small game hunt. My friends fathers and brothers were life long duck hunters. They took a liken to me when I was young. I always asked them about ducks an hunting ducks. When I hit fourteen in August that year. I couldn't wait to ask them to take me. October came around and they took me on opening day. We went to a near by swamp that they hunted for many years. Remember this is back in the early 70's. I was so pumped and afraid at the same time. I never went before and I didn't want to let my friends father down. As early morning came, the sites and sound of what I later learned to love started. I'm talking about hundreds of teal and woodies and mallards, and geese this swamp had it all. They put me in a blind with a my friends father he was a duck men from way back. He told me to load my gun. I had my dads side by side sixteen gauge spring field.( I love that gun, still have it today.) A few minutes before shooting hours some jack wagon took the first shot on the far end of the swamp. My friends father told me the first shot is yours. The sky got black with teal and woodies from that first shot on the other end of the swamp. Here they come he told me. I raised that double barrel and just pulled both triggers. My partner had a pump and he knew what he was doing. Two birds fell for him and yes I got a bird that I never even seen. I think I closed my eyes from both barrels going off. And almost put me in the swamp on my butt. Duck after duck after duck came and dropped in that swamp. Not for me of course. I got just the one that day. But I was hooked for life. I was wet swamp smelly , dirty and I loved it. I'll always be thankful to those men who took me. Most of them are gone now. But I'll never forget what they did for me. I have taken my share of people over the years duck hunting. Most all of them got hooked. And still hunt to this day. They don't have to be just kids. I learned along time ago. That there are people that want to hunt ducks. But never had a chance to learn how. We have the boats , decoys , guns, and most of all the know how. We are a rare breed, View attachment IMAG0560.jpg

 

[benp]

I’ve always had a love for birds and especially ducks since I can remember. Started collecting feathers when I was 4 or 5 and that went into bird hunting and so on.
My first time going out hunting to target ducks I was probably just turned 13. My dad took me out to a swamp that has a lot of wood ducks on our property and we were going to try and flush them. After walking the hill and not seeing any this particular day I settle on some squirrels on the oak/hickory hill next to the swamp. Using my dads old 16 single shot.

My first duck was when I was 14 and it was in January with cold weather and I was walking the field next to the creek and saw two teal ahead of me. I had a browning silver hunter 20gauge that I had got when I was 13 for Christmas (I paid 2/3) and snuck up on the birds. I wanted to shoot them flying but when I jumped out from the trees they just sat there and started to swim away so I went ahead and shot getting the male and found a skinny dead tree that was about 30 feet long and retrieved the bird. Then took it straight to the taxidermist.

My first “real” duck hunt was later. I believe I got decoys theat year when I was 14 and again at 15. So I was driving after that at 16 so I was probably 16 or 17 when I had a hunt over decoys.
That same spot where I shot the teal is where I set up. My mode of transportation to the spot was an old paddle boat that my sister gave me that I painted camo and used to paddle me down the creek, oh what a site and sound lol. When you don’t have money to buy a boat you come up with something. So I had a group of woodies come screaming in at first shooting light and I could not see them in the tree line so I let them sit until they flushed up and I got a nice drake. On the trip to retrieve him a pair flew overhead and I shot a hen. And that was the end of that duck hunt. Now I have a 10’ and 14’ Jon boat that I use by paddling and a pair of waders. Still have the same decoys except converted the mallards to bufflehead and have made o few decoys. Still use the same 20 gauge and hoping to use the old sweet 16 once I get some shells that it can handle.

 

[anthony m coons sr]

Ben

That my friend was a wonderful start to your Duck Hunting life. Its funny I think I enjoyed duck hunting more when I had less. You had to use your brain more. Finding ways just to retrieve your birds. When you didn't have a dog or a boat. I swam for many birds back in the day. And loved every minute of it. Thank you for a wonderful trip down memory lane .
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