A hot dish of oatmeal will be on my breakfast menu and to wash it down a hot cup of Door County Caramel Apple Coffee will be called on for that duty. I see the wind blowing pretty hard today as I sit in our den. It can blow those falling leaves right away as far as I am concerned. The picture below is one taken by my nephew on a cold day a few years ago. I am setting out duck decoys for us and it is hard to tell but there is a thing layer of ice that I am wading through. That was a morning to remember.
Today is the opening day of duck hunting season in Wisconsin. I have taken part in many of the openers for a lot of years. Opening day usually brings out two kinds of hunters. Both are dedicated to their sport. One is wise and the other is not.
One is the dedicated experienced hunter that isn't going to miss this day for anything. They are safe, considerate of others, own a trained dog, and are very very unlikely to wound a duck and not get it retrieved. They make sure the shot they are going to take is close enough and within the kill zone for a productive shot and a retrieve. They know it is a long season and there isn't any reason to shoot at something too far away and possibly hit the duck and then not be able to retrieve it.
They were out there early enough to set up and if they have to show up late they stay home. This is just ethical hunting. They do not disturb the guys who were out there on time. They know their shooting vectors and don't shoot just to be shooting. They can call ducks and know when to call and when not to call. The second kind of hunter I will describe drives these experienced guys crazy.
Number two is also dedicated but can easily wear the title of "Idiot". They show up late and talk way too loud. They shoot at anything that is flying and often will use up boxes of ammunition wasting time and money. If they do hit a duck it is often crippled and doesn't get retrieved by their dog that hasn't seen a duck or a swamp yet. They blow their duck calls at anything that is within eyesight and tend to blow until their lips are chapped and bleeding. They usually make sounds that scare the ducks away instead of attracting them. They don't pick up after themselves and can also wear the title of "Litter Bug". They also tend to rain down pellets on other hunters as they shoot at ducks way out of reach.
My point is this. Today I am sitting out the opener and I would like to think that I fall into category number one. I have had way too many experiences with the "Sky Busters" on opening day. Most of those guys die out three weeks into the season to hunt other things. The category one hunters will duck hunt until the last day of the season wearing frozen waders, snot dripping from their noses, fighting the snow and sleet to do it right on last time and to have some duck for dinner. And to admit it and be truthful it's not always the duck dinner that is important. They are out there with their buddies, fighting the elements and enjoying the company of their dogs.
My health has been a little sketchy these days and my patience for the "Village Idiots" is short to say the least. So as I thought it through sitting one out seemed to be best for me. I intend to try it tomorrow when there will be less hunters out there, many who will be sleeping off an alcohol induced coma. Here is what I have to say about hunting or doing anything and it comes straight from the Bible.
1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
Proverbs 14:7 Leave the presence of a fool. For there you do not witness knowledge.
Marty
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