dukkllr
01-11-2009, 01:59 AM
A wise man once told me that the best solutions to a problem are the simplest an the oldest. History sets a precedence that is far too often ignored with all of the advancements we have to day. I can imagine that in the days when men hunted the great Chesapeake not for sport and good company, but to support there welfare and livelihood, those men had to be innovators; doing whatever it took to bring home meat. Now, in the days of spinners, acrylic calls, heated blinds, etc., I find that something is quickly lost in this sport of "what else can I buy to help me kill a limit of ducks".
Having never left the town I was born in, I've had the privilege of witnessing a time in my area when the popularity of waterfowling was limited to very small number of hunters. Mainly due to the very small number of birds we have in this area. Now with the opening of big box outdoor stores, all with the typical waterfowl section with a potpourri of toys for whomever will buy them, I've had the privilege of witnessing a explosion of guys in boats with shotguns and a dozen freshly rigged mallard decoys arranged in a circular fashion around said boats. Needless to say come this time of year nowadays, most every duck on any public land is quite savvy of a decoy and more so competition style hail calls coming from a blind adorned in dead grass and Krylon. So it is also this time of year that to preserve the last few weeks of a season we must hail back to days of innovation and find a solution for getting wary birds into the blocks.
With the decision made as to how we were going to stay one step ahead of the local curve and a quick run to Lowe's, for the first time, a close friend and I got to experience the art of "Body Booting". I had no clue how effective this style could be. Simply getting rid of the boat's profile and not being adverse to try different things, allowed us to have a late season hunt we will we always remember.
Standing there in four and a half feet of water with only what you can carry in your pockets gave me even more respect for the guys that did this for a living in extremes like most of us have never seen. What I take for granted as just being an exciting morning was once, to some men, a brutal trade in witch ideas like this were the difference feeding your family or going hungry during a harsh winter.
the setup.
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4931/oiefile02892ti4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
a little adjustment.
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/798/oiefile0293aq9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
the scenery.
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/990/oiefile0288qz2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
a quick break.
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9601/oiefile0300sm8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
the reward.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/6262/oiefile0311qb6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
Having never left the town I was born in, I've had the privilege of witnessing a time in my area when the popularity of waterfowling was limited to very small number of hunters. Mainly due to the very small number of birds we have in this area. Now with the opening of big box outdoor stores, all with the typical waterfowl section with a potpourri of toys for whomever will buy them, I've had the privilege of witnessing a explosion of guys in boats with shotguns and a dozen freshly rigged mallard decoys arranged in a circular fashion around said boats. Needless to say come this time of year nowadays, most every duck on any public land is quite savvy of a decoy and more so competition style hail calls coming from a blind adorned in dead grass and Krylon. So it is also this time of year that to preserve the last few weeks of a season we must hail back to days of innovation and find a solution for getting wary birds into the blocks.
With the decision made as to how we were going to stay one step ahead of the local curve and a quick run to Lowe's, for the first time, a close friend and I got to experience the art of "Body Booting". I had no clue how effective this style could be. Simply getting rid of the boat's profile and not being adverse to try different things, allowed us to have a late season hunt we will we always remember.
Standing there in four and a half feet of water with only what you can carry in your pockets gave me even more respect for the guys that did this for a living in extremes like most of us have never seen. What I take for granted as just being an exciting morning was once, to some men, a brutal trade in witch ideas like this were the difference feeding your family or going hungry during a harsh winter.
the setup.
http://img296.imageshack.us/img296/4931/oiefile02892ti4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
a little adjustment.
http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/798/oiefile0293aq9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
the scenery.
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/990/oiefile0288qz2.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
a quick break.
http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/9601/oiefile0300sm8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
the reward.
http://img264.imageshack.us/img264/6262/oiefile0311qb6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)