Shotguns roared and ducks fell in recent hunt

Outdoors

By Jim Darnell

The special early youth hunting weekend opened with a great deer hunting morning — clear, cool, no wind. Thousands of youngsters in deer stands across the Lone Star State were eagerly waiting for first light. Many of them would soon harvest their first deer.

But I was in a duck blind with two of my grandchildren.

It was their season. I had no shotgun. My son Tim and son-in-law Bill Paschall were in the blind with me to help coach 11-year-old Timothy Darnell and 16-year-old Will Paschall. My seven-year-old granddaughter, Demaris, dressed in camo coveralls, was our official photographer.

With the decoys set, we were back in the blind helping the kids load their shotguns. Will was shooting his Dad’s 12-gauge Winchester 1400 autoloader. Timothy owns a 20-gauge Remington 1100 autoloader.

While loading, a nice flock of green-winged teal buzzed the decoys. But it was still six minutes until legal shooting time. To have allowed them to shoot would have taught the wrong lesson. “We abide by the game laws” was the lesson they learned.

With no cloud cover or overcast, there was plenty of light to shoot at legal time (30 minutes before sunrise). Two gadwalls came toward the decoys from the front, swung out to our left, then hooked right over the spread with wings cupped.

Will dropped the first one with his first shot.

The other bird was just hanging over the decoys like a peach ready to be plucked. By now, Timothy was blasting away also. They emptied their magazines but the thankful gadwall flew away. Tim’s young lab, Scarlet, made a dashing retrieve of the dead gadwall.

But Will was happy. He had the first duck of the season. And he had nailed it with the first shot of the season.

Immediately following the gadwall episode, a big flight of widgeons came right into the deeks.

Shotguns roared.

Steel shot filled the morning air. But no ducks fell.

The flock began to climb for altitude and the autoloaders were blasting. But no dead ducks. Like me, I knew Tim and Bill were inwardly groaning, “If only we could shoot,” we all thought.

“Don’t get discouraged,” we coached. “Keep trying. Pull the barrel ahead of the birds. You’ve got to lead them.”

After several more misses, action slowed down. We saw good groups of ducks landing in a cove at the front of the lake, so Demaris and I walked to the front to flush the ducks and keep others from landing there.

Some of the ducks that we pushed airborne flew toward our hunters. Others kept trying to come back and land. I waded out into the cove waving my arms to keep them in the air. Oh, for my shotgun! I had some awesome shot possibilities with ducks right on top of me.

As Demaris and I returned to the blind, we saw a single teal pass by to the left side of the decoys. Will opened fire.

First shot — a miss. Second shot — a miss.

The duck was now a long way from the blind. Then the third shot folded the teal. I could see “hi-fives” being passed to Will.

We were greeted by the news that Timothy had dropped a blue-winged teal out of a flight with one shot. Timothy was excited. Everyone said it was a good shot. Nobody now goes home skunked.

Another duck that had died from earlier volleys was floating far out in the center of the lake. Scarlet couldn’t see the bird so no retrieve. Tim plans to begin work with her soon on blind retrieves.

When a dog can see the bird it’s easy to teach them what to do. It’s natural for them to go get what they see fall. But a blind retrieve is a horse of another color.

The dog must trust you when you send her out. She must take hand signals that direct her toward the fallen bird. She’s a bright, aggressive retriever. It won’t be long and she will have this blind retrieve stuff learned.

These special early weekend youth hunts are not happening only in Texas. Many, if not most, states have adopted the program. It’s a great idea.

It gives the kids first crack at game before they have been shot at and become more wary. Also, with parents unable to shoot, full concentration can be given to helping the young, budding hunter.

Next Saturday, Tim, Bill and I will get our chance.

Jim Darnell is an ordained minister and host/producer for the syndicated television show “God’s Great Outdoors.” His column appears every Thursday in the Daily Record.