Larry Eckart
Well-known member
In These Times, The Gift of Woods and Waters
Guys and Dani,
"In these times." How weary we are of hearing this over and over and over. Covid, election, unemployment, empty shelves, lines waiting to be tested, lines waiting to pick up food. This year has been a test of our mental, physical and spiritual well-being.
The woods and waters near my home in NC have been a blessing to me as I know your local woods and waters have been for you.
A few thoughts.
Annually I am stunned by the beauty of fall and the reminder of a Creator behind creation. I took this photo while out squirrel hunting in October:
View attachment 6F91DCC6-1613-4963-B45C-7EA64C4BCF4B.jpeg
I've been having fun the last couple weeks doing what I call, for lack of a better term, "cross training": that is, scouting for ducks while hunting deer and scouting for deer while hunting ducks. Additionally, it's satisfying to use both my 16' Lund Laker and 16' Mad River Duck Hunter Canoe according to which craft best suits the occasion.
Saturday, November 14 was opening day of deer rifle season in the central zone of NC. My friend Chris and his son Tim were to meet me at the launch at 4:30 am. As I pulled into the parking lot my phone went off. What the???
Chris and Tim already got their deer... on the road... with their VW Jetta! Fortunately, they both were OK but the Jetta was toast.
View attachment IMG_3220.jpeg
Salvaging what was already an adventurous morning, I picked them up and we reached the launch without further mishap.
We loaded up our gear in my Lund. They use climbing stands; I hunt from the ground.
We had previously scouted multiple times and had specific spots picked out. The week prior to opening day, central North Carolina received 7" of rain. When we arrived at the launch at dark-o-thirty, we found the lake 9 FEET higher than when we scouted! That's a lot of new water! Some of the rubs and scrapes we found were now 4-5' under water! Talk about having to switch gears!
What a blessing it is to use electronics to follow a track safely in the dark to multiple drop off points. I also used my electric motor as we neared each spot. Stealth. Except for the CLUNK of the motor being raised as we came to shore! All boating was done slowly due to logs and debris in the water.
It was my first deer hunt at age 66 except for one misadventure thirty years ago. Despite our anticipation, success was not meant to be. I only got a loud "phew" from a deer that winded me.
Yet the morning was successful: besides just being outdoors on a beautiful day, we found a wood duck hole.
Over the next couple of days, we had great sport as woodies and a few mallards roared in.
View attachment IMG_3217 2.JPG
View attachment A5AAB4AD-39D7-4E6B-AAE3-B023B2ED49C6_1_201_a.jpeg
One of the days we combined ducks early with deer afterwards. This would be old school hunting: no motor, just loading decoys, a tree stand and clothing for ducks and deer into my Mad River Duck Hunter and paddling out into the foggy water. The birds cooperated. When the flight was over, we stepped into the pine tree changing room and switched from Advantage Wetlands to Orange. Once again the deer were smarter than us. That will happen when you are learning a new area. Each time we get skunked we also learn more about new rubs and scrapes and trails given the high water.
Today we were back at it, this time deer specific. I posted myself midway up a high bank overlooking a saddle that included two creeks and oak trees. I found myself imagining deer footsteps over the noise of the brooks. I had a 180-degree view that looked "deery," if that's a word. My only blind side was behind me, east, but that was intentional to remain in the shadows throughout the morning.
I saw a large doe on this trip. It came in, as you probably guessed, directly behind me, out of the sun, like a well-trained WWII fighter pilot. I heard her footsteps but it was too late. She was already close. I slowly turned low to the ground towards my left shoulder. She was over my right shoulder. She blew loudly and all I saw was a tail on the sun as she bounded away from my blinded eyes. Wonderful!
I'm an antsy sort to be truthful. I love to still hunt. I will probably always be a better squirrel hunter than deer hunter. As McQuarrie wrote, "just look at this country," in his story by the same name in Stories of the Old Duck Hunters. Mr. President would call me a "sightseer." I love to be in the woods in the fall sitting or walking, walking when I get too antsy for sitting.
While walking, and I might add, finding a terrific thick, thick bedding area with plentiful sign, I heard a shot from friend Tim. Soon came the text: "I got a small buck." Outstanding! Since the temperature was climbing to 60, it was time call any further hunting and take care of the game provided.
View attachment IMG_3214 2.JPG
View attachment IMG_3215 2.JPG
The second photo above shows Tim, the buck and the canoe. The water in that draw is about 300 yards beyond normal pool. In this case, that made for a shorter drag of the buck!!
As we paddled back with the buck in the canoe on top of Tim's climbing stand, I think I was as satisfied and thankful as he. He comes from a family of 8. The meat will be appreciated.
Tim generously gave me the buck's heart. I flash grilled it for one minute per side with nothing more than olive oil, kosher salt and ground pepper. Such lean meat needs to be more rare than medium rare. With these small strips I could have cut even that cooking time short a bit more. Good!
View attachment IMG_3218 2.JPG
"In these times." In these times I am grateful for the woods and waters, even more so for my wife, family and friends.
As you gather, however you gather for Thanksgiving, I encourage you to offer this prayer: O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and His steadfast love endures forever.
Blessed Thanksgiving to all my Duckboats.net friends,
Larry[font=Calibri, sans-serif][/font]
Guys and Dani,
"In these times." How weary we are of hearing this over and over and over. Covid, election, unemployment, empty shelves, lines waiting to be tested, lines waiting to pick up food. This year has been a test of our mental, physical and spiritual well-being.
The woods and waters near my home in NC have been a blessing to me as I know your local woods and waters have been for you.
A few thoughts.
Annually I am stunned by the beauty of fall and the reminder of a Creator behind creation. I took this photo while out squirrel hunting in October:
View attachment 6F91DCC6-1613-4963-B45C-7EA64C4BCF4B.jpeg
I've been having fun the last couple weeks doing what I call, for lack of a better term, "cross training": that is, scouting for ducks while hunting deer and scouting for deer while hunting ducks. Additionally, it's satisfying to use both my 16' Lund Laker and 16' Mad River Duck Hunter Canoe according to which craft best suits the occasion.
Saturday, November 14 was opening day of deer rifle season in the central zone of NC. My friend Chris and his son Tim were to meet me at the launch at 4:30 am. As I pulled into the parking lot my phone went off. What the???
Chris and Tim already got their deer... on the road... with their VW Jetta! Fortunately, they both were OK but the Jetta was toast.
View attachment IMG_3220.jpeg
Salvaging what was already an adventurous morning, I picked them up and we reached the launch without further mishap.
We loaded up our gear in my Lund. They use climbing stands; I hunt from the ground.
We had previously scouted multiple times and had specific spots picked out. The week prior to opening day, central North Carolina received 7" of rain. When we arrived at the launch at dark-o-thirty, we found the lake 9 FEET higher than when we scouted! That's a lot of new water! Some of the rubs and scrapes we found were now 4-5' under water! Talk about having to switch gears!
What a blessing it is to use electronics to follow a track safely in the dark to multiple drop off points. I also used my electric motor as we neared each spot. Stealth. Except for the CLUNK of the motor being raised as we came to shore! All boating was done slowly due to logs and debris in the water.
It was my first deer hunt at age 66 except for one misadventure thirty years ago. Despite our anticipation, success was not meant to be. I only got a loud "phew" from a deer that winded me.
Yet the morning was successful: besides just being outdoors on a beautiful day, we found a wood duck hole.
Over the next couple of days, we had great sport as woodies and a few mallards roared in.
View attachment IMG_3217 2.JPG
View attachment A5AAB4AD-39D7-4E6B-AAE3-B023B2ED49C6_1_201_a.jpeg
One of the days we combined ducks early with deer afterwards. This would be old school hunting: no motor, just loading decoys, a tree stand and clothing for ducks and deer into my Mad River Duck Hunter and paddling out into the foggy water. The birds cooperated. When the flight was over, we stepped into the pine tree changing room and switched from Advantage Wetlands to Orange. Once again the deer were smarter than us. That will happen when you are learning a new area. Each time we get skunked we also learn more about new rubs and scrapes and trails given the high water.
Today we were back at it, this time deer specific. I posted myself midway up a high bank overlooking a saddle that included two creeks and oak trees. I found myself imagining deer footsteps over the noise of the brooks. I had a 180-degree view that looked "deery," if that's a word. My only blind side was behind me, east, but that was intentional to remain in the shadows throughout the morning.
I saw a large doe on this trip. It came in, as you probably guessed, directly behind me, out of the sun, like a well-trained WWII fighter pilot. I heard her footsteps but it was too late. She was already close. I slowly turned low to the ground towards my left shoulder. She was over my right shoulder. She blew loudly and all I saw was a tail on the sun as she bounded away from my blinded eyes. Wonderful!
I'm an antsy sort to be truthful. I love to still hunt. I will probably always be a better squirrel hunter than deer hunter. As McQuarrie wrote, "just look at this country," in his story by the same name in Stories of the Old Duck Hunters. Mr. President would call me a "sightseer." I love to be in the woods in the fall sitting or walking, walking when I get too antsy for sitting.
While walking, and I might add, finding a terrific thick, thick bedding area with plentiful sign, I heard a shot from friend Tim. Soon came the text: "I got a small buck." Outstanding! Since the temperature was climbing to 60, it was time call any further hunting and take care of the game provided.
View attachment IMG_3214 2.JPG
View attachment IMG_3215 2.JPG
The second photo above shows Tim, the buck and the canoe. The water in that draw is about 300 yards beyond normal pool. In this case, that made for a shorter drag of the buck!!
As we paddled back with the buck in the canoe on top of Tim's climbing stand, I think I was as satisfied and thankful as he. He comes from a family of 8. The meat will be appreciated.
Tim generously gave me the buck's heart. I flash grilled it for one minute per side with nothing more than olive oil, kosher salt and ground pepper. Such lean meat needs to be more rare than medium rare. With these small strips I could have cut even that cooking time short a bit more. Good!
View attachment IMG_3218 2.JPG
"In these times." In these times I am grateful for the woods and waters, even more so for my wife, family and friends.
As you gather, however you gather for Thanksgiving, I encourage you to offer this prayer: O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good and His steadfast love endures forever.
Blessed Thanksgiving to all my Duckboats.net friends,
Larry[font=Calibri, sans-serif][/font]
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