My season ends today in Georgia. It's been another weird one for me for sure. I have encountered many waterbirds and assholes on my journey and though not as depressing as last season it hasn't been the greatest either. This season like others has been tough on my equipment and myself. I'm left wondering why I keep doing this to myself, as the work or effort is never equal to the reward from anyone else's eyes but mine.

I watched this program on tv about the crack/ cocaine epidemic. The program showed how addicts would develop from first using to rock bottom or death. Many addicts were to the point of stealing from their own family and friends ruining their bodies and minds in the process. It seemed the addicts were never satisfied and always chasing that "perfect high" and willing to punish themselves to obtain it.

After watching the program I was thinking about it the next few days. I had packed up all my stuff for the next trip out hunting it was going to be cold,raining and we were planning on sleeping in the boat to save a little money and secure a good spot. While driving I wondered many times what the birds would be like the next morning. How would they react to the weather? The Decoys? also if they would still be there?

That's when it hit me. There were a lot of similarities between what I do and those addicts. Over the years I have trashed boats,vehicles,relationships and many other things people hold in high regard just to shoot a few birds.
There is no telling what I've done to my body from being cold and wet to the many falls,bumps and briars I've gone through.

And it's all worth it to me when I hear that first squeal from a woodie and those wings cutting the air. I can barley see the tree in front of me,my heart starts thumping and i catch myself grinning when I hear the splash of them landing In the water around me. There was nothing like that feeling the first time or this morning it's my "perfect high". So I spend a lot of my time trying to figure out where that next high will be and what I've got to do to get to it.

Maybe y'all think it's a little out there to compare chasing birds to a drug addict,but that's how I feel about it looking back on some of the things I've done just for a few birds and that feeling.

Now it's time to get everything I broke this season fixed or replaced so I'll be ready for early teal/goose season in a few months cause by then I'll really need a fix lol.



Sent from denda this

I feel your pain bro.

Thanks man I've wondered if others feel like this too since duck hunting is so popular now many haven't hunted long enough to understand what I mean.


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Those who don't understand will never know but reading through your post I found my self rethinking all those days when ppl would ask how'd you do and I ask myself why I go through all the bs spend the $$ and I always come back to this. Wether I'm hunting ducks deer hogs, or fishing for me it's more about being out in the wild the quiet away from the BULLSHIT of the world Where I can see what God has created and how awesome it really is and if I'm able to take some birds hell I had a better day than I did working

And the only rehab for this addiction is more

For me the refinement of the boat blind concept and surface drive motors brought me back into duck hunting from a 5 year hiatus. I had always hunted out of floating blinds or a pirogue or walked. As I got older and out of shape I stopped. Boat blinds and surface drive motors evened the playing field for my generation.

Our season ends today here in Arkansas too. My season wasn't the usual. I usually hunt around 45 days and didn't even get close to that. I'm in the process of building a boat and I wasn't able to get finished in time to hunt it. I was pretty bummed. I usually hunt alone so no buddies to fall in with to hunt. We have some private land but I only hunted maybe twice a week to keep from burning it. So a lot of my days off instead of riding and scouting I just had to stay around the house. It turned out to kind of be a blessing in disguise tho. Spent a lot of time with my girls, built the kids a playhouse and hauled the girls to school in the mornings. Got to be a part of many things I usually miss. I have certainly missed those days alone on the water chasing ducks and enjoying the quiet but I think I needed this. It put some things in perspective for me. It was a good season, just a little different.

Ours ends today. Had a good time this weekend with some good folks. Had a fun shoot this morning.




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I ended my season yesterday bc I haven't been to church since duck season started. So we went this morning.
I had a much better season than last year. I can remember at this time last year I didn't care that it was over. Wasn't anxiously awaiting the next duck season either. At the start of this season I was wore out already and was asking myself why I kept doing this. Time and money down the drain. Wife pissed off at me for hunting so much.
We had a few good shoots this year and all the time spent driving and not sleeping was made up for on those mornings.
It just kinda hit me that this one is in the books. I'll be much more fired up for next season and I think we are due for a good one for 16-17'.


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This season was an odd one for me. Didn't see near as many ducks as last year but I shot way more than last year. My season ended today with my hunting buddy making an un announced shot toward the front of the boat on my left side at a wounded duck. He told me to shoot it but I guess I didn't move fast enough for him and he blasted my left ear to hell. It dove under water(ring neck) and never came back up. Chitty way to end the season.


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Season ended today too. Been the roughest I've seen in FL. Water management has been spraying for hydrilla all of phase 2 killing so much food for the divers. Phase 1 was pretty good. Limited out each time I went for phase 1, even though it was hot as balls. Then the weather cooled down some for phase 2 but not by much. The birds became scarce. We got a big push of birds the last few weeks but they stuck to open water. It's been a very rough strange season for us. Next season will be a tough one for me at the least, my daughter arrives in less than 2 months; my hands are gonna be tied.

^ I feel a little better now that you put it that way brick lol


Sent from denda this

I've got good news. I took a little trip to the future this evening and ducks unlimited is reporting record numbers for the 2016-2017 season. Save your money boys, should be a barrel burner next season.

Really feel like an addict when I think about all the money I've spent hunting. Terrible season in NC, but it's those memories of past hunts keeps me keepin on...

Got to spend more time with my son than ever before. Was worth every 2 am wake up and dollar I spent. But we did get into some epic arguments. You can imagine what it must be like hunting with my clone in a boat.