Hunting with the Director

On the way out we chatted about the simple magnifico of the greenhead Mallard. The king of ducks, to be sure. And that is what we were hoping to encounter on several creeks I had permission to hunt.

We hunted the `Western Frontier' ... nothin'. Then we went for the `Flats'. Bend after bend ... nothin'. We came up on the `good' bends. Cal and I spotted them about the same time - looked like several `greens' (greenheads) maybe 100 yards on up the creek. Cal said he saw half dozen or so - so I expected we'd get into some good shooting. We backed out and came up on where they were straight on. I debated taking pictures only - but then decided to shoot (with gun) also. Cal could see them before I could - and moved downstream, but by his motions, I could tell there would be birds in front of me also.

Then they flushed ... but they weren't mallards, but Canada Geese. My first shot felled a goose. His first shot felled two. His second shot felled a third, and then he spied a mallard. He fired at it with his third shot and missed. Then the single mallard flew past me, and for a moment my attention mysteriously clouded out the geese and focused on the mallard, like a bee in size compared to the geese getting up everywhere, and, strangely, I shot at it also, also missing. The reality of geese everywhere repossessed me and I felled a second with my third shot. Geese still pumping out from below the bank - I reloaded and missed a fourth shot at the final geese departing.

I knew I had hit two - but what had Cal done for shooting? He said he dropped two with his first shot, and third with his second, and shot at a mallard with his last shot. So, how many birds were down? Did our shooting overlap? There were two geese wounded and trying to escape downstream. I didn't ask any questions - I just shot them dead each - finishing them. Then I got in the creek and threw them up onto the bank. A third bird was dead on opposite bank. A fourth bird was down upstream and across the bank. And Cal pointed out a bird down about a hundred yards out. Whoa! ... FIVE geese down - no overlap. Nice. But no mallard. What a rush. WHAT A RUSH!

And there must be something said about the majesty of a greenhead mallard that will draw fire even when embedded in a flock of twenty or more geese. We marveled. He probably thought he had it made - deploying in a group of geese. But all morning long Cal and I had talked of the magnificence of the greenhead Mallard - so, even embedded in a flock of geese - he mysteriously drew fire. And, somehow lived through it.

I checked again - no mallard down.

That was indeed rare. Apparently the whole flock of geese was in there watering, bathing, doing whatever, without any guards. And that we saw them without busting them was further rare. The adrenaline lasted long in my system.

A shoot Not Easily Repeated.

I went into the water for the geese without waders. After all, the water was a lot warmer than the air. And over the next mile or so dried out and warmed up. Cal and I ended up on opposite sides of the creek, and stayed that way, on the way back. He got slowly ahead of me - so I said we'd meet at the car. But on the way back to the car, crossing a side ditch - I somehow went in really deep - hip-deep. Dang! And fifty pounds of geese and gun made it a struggle to get out, and for a bit I couldn't. In mild panic I looked over to my buddy. One the one hand embarrassed - and hoping he couldn't see me - and on the other feeling suddenly alone in my plight. I got out. We met at the car. We took pictures, did a bit of a tour, and then aborted more hunting to get warm. I think he didn't see me in my embarrassing moment. After multiple cups of hot beverage, and a hot bath, I finally got warm.

I noticed a few days later that my buddy was promoted, to State Director. He will lead our state well.