Pool 4 Ducks

The southern zone WI duck opener did not fail to dissapoint this weekend!Living here on Pool 4 on and sometimes in the river,so many outdoor oppurtunities exist beyond just fishing.I have never been a diehard waterfowl guy,but after being invited to hunt last years opener by Lenny Jamison,I decided then ,that a duck hunting boat was in my future!

Lenny and his Lab Duke joined up with River Rat Randy and myself on Sat and Sunday for the am hunt.Duke was the star of the weekend saving many a wader mud-muck steps!Thanks for your help Duke!

This pic shows an example of the early plumage of the local birds in our area. The shotgun shown,Benelli Super black eagle II with recoil reduction and weather friendly finish that stood up to lots of mud and swamp water.We were shooting 3 inch #3 and never failed to cycle in some less than ideal enviormental conditions.

Our water levels here are presently very low.This prevented us from using our plan A location.Thank goodness for plan B ! Plan B wouldnt have been possible without the invaluable river navigation experience of Lenny & Randy.

Overall,our hunt was dominated by a mix of blue & green wing teal.A handfull of mallards made their presence,but woodducks where we were hunting were unusually scarce.

The teal were promptly submersed in some italian dressing and wrapped with a piece of bacon and placed on the grill.Results were as I remembered,and the plate was empty in very short order! Trully,one of my favorite fall treats that I look forward to.

Without a doubt,watching the wetlands waking up in the morning is nothing short of awesome for an outdoorsman.I sure hope you have the oppurtunity to share that experience first hand! As always,have a safe & fun hunt this fall!