WATERFOWL LEDGER
aterfowl hunting is by far my favorite pursuit. I love the heritage, I love the camaraderie, I love the measuring of my substance and the depth of my resolve. Southwest Missouri is situated directly between the Mississippi and central flyways and is, as such, not what most people would view as a duck hunters paradise – especially with the majority of my outings taking place on walk in public land. It ain’t much, but it’s honest work.
| Date | Quarry | Animals Shot | Animals Retrieved | Sex (M/F) | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/17/2019 | Teal | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 |
| 11/09/2019 | Ducks/Geese | 2 | 2 | M/F | 0 |
| 11/10/2019 | Ducks/Geese | 2 | 2 | M | 0 |
| 11/11/2019 | Ducks/Geese | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 |
| 11/21/2019 | Ducks/Geese | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 |
| 12/10/2019 | Ducks/Geese | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 |
| 12/18/2019 | Ducks/Geese | 2 | 2 | M/F | 3 |
| 12/19/2019 | Ducks/Geese | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 |
| 12/22/2019 | Ducks/Geese | 0 | 0 | n/a | 0 |
| 1/3/2020 | Ducks/Geese | 1 | 1 | F | 0 |
| 1/13/2020 | Ducks | 1 | 1 | F | 0 |
| 1/24/2020 | Ducks | 1 | 1 | F | 0 |
| 1/25/2020 | Ducks | 0 | 0 | F | 0 |
| 1/26/2020 | Ducks | 0 | 0 | F | 0 |
| 1/27/2020 | Ducks/Geese | 2 | 2 | F | 2 |
| Totals | 11 Birds | 11 Birds | 5 Birds |
| Date | Weather | Temperature | Start of Hunt | Time Hunting | Total Time | Yield/Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/17/2019 | Fair | 80F | 6:29 AM | 03:14:00 | 06:01:00 | N/A |
| 11/09/2019 | Fair | 46 F | 6:12 AM | 05:01:00 | 10:59:00 | N/A |
| 11/10/2019 | Cloudy | 41 F | 6:13 AM | 05:56:00 | 11:18:00 | N/A |
| 11/11/2019 | Cloudy | 31 F | 6:08 AM | 05:30:00 | 08:00:00 | N/A |
| 11/21/2019 | Cloudy | 57 F | 6:27 AM | 05:07:00 | 09:11:00 | N/A |
| 12/10/2019 | Cloudy | 29 F | 6:50 AM | 02:10:00 | 07:10:00 | N/A |
| 12/18/2019 | Cloudy | 43 F | 6:53 AM | 03:20:00 | 08:11:00 | |
| 12/19/2019 | Clear | 51 F | 6:54 AM | 02:36:00 | 07:38:00 | N/A |
| 12/22/2019 | Clear | 51 F | 6:54 AM | 03:02:00 | 08:16:00 | N/A |
| 1/3/2020 | Clear | 43 F | 7:03 AM | 05:57:00 | 14:28:00 | N/A |
| 1/13/2020 | Cloudy | 44 F | 6:59 AM | 01:48:00 | 08:21:00 | N/A |
| 1/24/2020 | Light Snow | 33 F | 6:49 AM | 02:01:00 | 08:04:00 | N/A |
| 1/25/2020 | Foggy | 39 F | 6:51 AM | 02:09:00 | 05:05:00 | N/A |
| 1/26/2020 | Clear | 48 F | 6:48 AM | 02:03:00 | 06:35:00 | N/A |
| 1/27/2020 | Clear | 33 F | 6:52 AM | 02:08:00 | 05:33:00 | |
| Additions | 24:02:00 | N/A | ||||
| Totals | 52:02:00 | 148:52:00 | N/A |
| Date | Mileage | Location | Ownership | Shots Fired | Total Cost | Cost/Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9/17/2019 | 71 | Dade County, MO | Public | 0 | $0 | N/A |
| 11/09/2019 | 165 | Whiteside County, IL | Public | 19 | N/A | |
| 11/10/2019 | 165 | Whiteside County, IL | Public | 17 | N/A | |
| 11/11/2019 | 56 | Lake County, IL | Public | 0 | N/A | |
| 11/21/2019 | 154 | St. Clair County, MO | Private | 0 | N/A | |
| 12/10/2019 | 160 | Henry County, MO | Public | 0 | N/A | |
| 12/18/2019 | 76 | Dade County, MO | Public | 6 | ||
| 12/19/2019 | 76 | Lawrence County, MO | Public | 2 | N/A | |
| 12/22/2019 | 76 | Dade County, MO | Public | 0 | N/A | |
| 1/3/2020 | 452 | Muskogee County, OK | Private | 7 | $146.05 | N/A |
| 1/13/2020 | 116 | Dade County, MO | Public | 2 | $4.00 | N/A |
| 1/24/2020 | 118 | Taney County, MO | Public | 3 | $0.00 | N/A |
| 1/25/2020 | 52 | Greene County, MO | Private | 4 | $1.88 | N/A |
| 1/26/2020 | 118 | Taney County, MO | Public | 0 | $8.48 | N/A |
| 1/27/2020 | 48 | Greene County, MO | Private | 13 | $6.11 | |
| Additions | 1,056 | $37.00 | N/A | |||
| Totals | 2,959 | 71 | $203.52 |
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The Duck Hunt
J
ust as it is true that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord,” it is also true that “to be present in the duck blind is to be absent from your family.” In large part, the choice to chase waterfowl – I mean really get after it – is a choice to be gone, to miss some milestones. I’m as guilty of it as anyone. This last season I crossed multiple states, invested hundreds of hours, and spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars in search of greenheads and honkers. I’ve missed out on more walks to school, more nights in bed next to my wife, and more of my children’s firsts than I care to count.
I Came Here to Have Fun
I
am thankful there is no barrier to the outdoors apart from desire. If I were measured against any other benchmark, I would come up short. I am no great hunter. I’m not a giant in the field of conservation. I can’t track the faintest blood trail or find the smallest sign. I can’t make the longest shot. I can’t sound the most realistic call or train the best retriever…but I can want it. I can desire to be outside in the woods. I can day dream about about sitting in a duck marsh while I’m sitting at my desk avoiding work. I can ache with a desire from the very core of my being to escape to the wild places and fortunately for me, that’s all she asks.
Get Prepared
O
nce again we find ourselves at that stage of the evening where the appetizers are being served, and while they smell and taste better than you could have imagined, it does little to change the fact that you’re starving and at this point you’re not sure if you’ll make it until the main course. Dove season just hit the table and Early Teal is being carried out of the kitchen by the waiter as we speak, but November seems like it might as well be decades away. If you’re anything like me, grateful as you are for the respite from the hunger of the off season, nothing can sate your appetite quite like gadwall & greenheads, the bite of crisp air at your cheeks, and the sound of ice sluicing around your wader boots as you throw out your spread. While that may be true, you might as well do what you can to scratch the itch in another way.