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even
other sportsmen. Yet the waterfowling community (admittedly, I am one
of you), somehow don’t view our actions as strange in any sense.
Somehow, we understand perfectly that clanging and banging on a duck
boat in the driveway at 1 a.m., shining flashlights in, around, and
under the house at 2 a.m., or cranking an untested outboard while
yelling at the retriever at 3 a.m. (in spite of the neighbors’ lights
coming on), is all perfectly normal behavior for duck hunters in
December, isn’t it? No cause for the neighbors to be alarmed, is
there?
We
simply know that, in a few hours, it’s opening day of the duck season.
And once again, we’re not yet exactly ready for opening day. We shun
the proposition that our non-believing neighbors could think us strange!
Maybe we mistakenly assume they automatically recognize the importance
of all this pre-dawn banging and clanging in the neighborhood. Truth is,
our waterfowling "strange behavior list" can get pretty long
this time of year.
This
year though, maybe waterfowlers can be better beacons of light by
self-improvement. In addition to the ever present practicing of duck
calling, marksmanship and duck identification skills, we could strive to
improve our (and I shiver to say it) preparedness. After all, there is
bound to be some room for improvement in any group, even ours, isn’t
there? Maybe the change won’t be so bad. We could call it something
catchy like changing our ways for the better, or turning over a new
camouflaged leaf, so to speak.
I
envision our to-do list as a "Waterfowling Etiquette 101," or
maybe "The Waterfowler’s First Set of Commandments."
Suggested rules? Maybe things like:
1.
Thou shall not assume a shotgun’s range is capable of reaching outer
space. (Meaning: Lose the sky-busting habit. Duck harvest is
measured in yards, not miles.) Know
your shotgun’s range!
2.
Thou shall not block the public boat ramp while loading thy boat with
one item at a time, in the dark. (Meaning: This seems like hours
to everyone else waiting to launch, and bass fisherman will love you for
any adjustments made.) Be
prepared to launch!
3.
Thou shall not come motoring up in thy boat just after daylight,
proceeding to throw out decoys as if no one else was there. (Meaning:
Everyone else arrived on time to see ducks, not you.) Be
on time or wait until later to show up!
4.
Thou shall not assume to be invisible (Meaning: Don’t show up
without properly camouflaging yourself and your boat/blind, etc. Your
hunting brethren will not be impressed by anything new and shiny
at this time, and neither will the ducks.) Do
your camo homework!
5.
Thou shall not forget basic training of your retriever and your duck
calling before thy season begins. (Meaning: Attempting to hone
these necessary elements, after the season starts, positively ensures
that you are destined to forever hunt alone.) Train,
train, train!
I
believe the veterans of our sport will applaud the adoption of these
measures unanimously, and would agree that it could possibly make your
hunting experience (and theirs) much more enjoyable. And who knows, it
may even please the neighbors. Are we ready?
For
more information, contact Keith McCutcheon, Supervising Wildlife
Biologist, 4101 Alabama Highway 21 North, Jacksonville, AL, 36265.
Keith McCutcheon is a Supervising Wildlife Biologist with the Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries Division of the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. |
