It gets in your blood...

Perhaps it is the sight of a duck, with wings cupped, dropping into the decoys.  It might be the sound of their whistling wings as they pass overhead.  It could be the majestic sight of thousands of geese stretched out across the horizon, as far as the eye can see.  Maybe it is the joy of watching a retriever doing what he was born to do.  Perhaps it is the companionship of good friends.

Whatever it is, there is something unique about waterfowl hunting that has me hooked for life.  I've always enjoyed any type of hunting that put me out in the wild early in the morning as the world comes to life.  Now the morning sky is not only a beautiful portrait painted by God that marks the beginning of a wonderous day, now it is the focus of the hunt.  Now I get to spend countless hours staring at the sky, always on the edge of my seat, always expecting the glorious sight of incoming birds.  Maybe that in itself is the allure of waterfowl hunting, the worst possible outcome is getting to stare at an empty sky for several hours.  Not too much of a downside if you ask me.

I owe a huge debt of gratitue to my neighbor and friend, Tim Moore, for introducing me to the joy of waterfowl hunting.  I first went with him on a duck hunt in December of 2002 as a courtesy and a chance to experience something new.  That first day, hunting in the boot heel of Missouri, I stood waist deep in a flooded field with thousands of ducks flying overhead.  I must admit that I while it was quite exciting, I didn't immediately appreciate the experience.  It was perhaps one of the toughest hunts I had ever been on due to weather and the conditions we hunted in.  However, within two short months I would go on several more waterfowl hunts with Tim that were much more extreme in terms of weather, conditions, and excitement.  It didn't take long for me to realize how much fun I was having and to recognize the potential for even greater adventures chasing waterfowl in the future.

It wasn't long after that first hunt until I was yearning for the season to open once again.  I got myself a Yellow Lab and spent countless hours training him be a hunting retriever.  I spent way too much money on countless decoys that required many hours to prepare and tend to.  My drive to and from work each day was no longer a time for peace and quiet, instead I made intolerable noises while practicing with duck and goose calls.  I built a duck blind to fit onto my father's aluminum boat.  I read as many books about waterfowl hunting and retriever training as I could lay my hands on.  When my eyes grew tired from reading I would pop in a video or DVD about waterfowling.  I spent the next nine months thinking of nothing but waterfowl hunting almost every minute of the day.  In the end, I had nine of the best months I have had in quite some time.  I found a passion, a strong passion, and I'm glad that I did.