Hunt of a Lifetime??

**David Rearick** · #1 12-16-2007, 04:19 PM

DATE: December 10th, 2007

LOCATION: Western PA

SUNRISE: 7:01 AM

WEATHER: Overcast with Occasional Rain

TEMPERATURE: 30’s

WIND: Moderate to Non-Existent

EQUIPMENT USED: Avery® Finisher Blind Bag, Avery® Fleece Calling Gloves, Avery® Neoprene Handwarmer, Avery® Sportsman’s Camera Bag, Avery® Finisher and Youth Finisher Blinds, Avery® Power Flag, Avery® DIY Lanyard, GHG® FFD Elite and FFD Lesser Goose Decoys, GHG® OS Shells

HUNTERS: Zink® Staff member Erik Nilsson, “Matty” Nilsson, and Avery® Pro-Staffer David Rearick

Journal Notes: A 12 Year Old’s Passage into the Sport of Waterfowl

Hunt of a Lifetime??, maybe a better term is a Hunt to Remember, but as the day unfolds, I wonder which one it really is. Turning 12 in Pennsylvania is a milestone of sort, almost like getting your drivers license. No longer do you have to be just a bird boy or decoy mover, now everyone’s attention is focused on you and you are allowed to break the silence of another day in the field with the first shot into a flock of wings fluttering down from overhead. I have participated in a few youth’s first hunt, over the years from taking kids hunting for both waterfowl and whitetails, but today was even more special, if there is such a thing. Today we would take my longtime hunting partner’s 12 year old son Matt, or “Matty,” as I like to call him on his first hunt for ducks and geese; something his father, Erik, and I spend countless hours preparing, scouting, and getting excited for annually.

With a cool breeze and a slight mist falling down from the overcast sky, the partially snow covered and wet corn field was a good sign for the morning. After scouting yesterday, both Erik and I found suitable fields to hunt, but this one looked prime for a good hunt and better yet, Matt’s first hunt since his 12th birthday just days before. As we pulled our sleds into the field, it quickly became apparent we hadn’t just found the X, we had found one of the best fields of the season and it could be one of the greatest hunts a 12 year old could ever wish for. The field had been sufficiently trampled by geese and the only thing remaining was their tracks and a few wet feathers that reflected the rays of our headlamps. We made short work of getting Matt involved and we set the decoys and blinds all the while, letting Matt know just why we were doing things and what we hoped for the birds to do. With everything set to go and before our last trip from the truck, we gave Matt the initiation of all initiations and I painted his face to dull the glow that was becoming apparent.

As the sun crept form darkness. The game was now on, and we all anticipated the first chance for Matt to use the shooting lessons Erik had given him over the past few summers on the skeet range. Shortly after legal shooting time, it wasn’t long until we heard the unmistakable quack and chuckle of some mallards working the field 100 yards to our left. Utilizing a flag and some smart calling from the Zink® PH-2, Erik and I worked the flock, as they began their descent into the corn field. It appeared as though somewhere in this large block of cut corn, there was some sheet water that had their attention from the go, but we continued to work the flocks and let them know that we were the real deal. After just a little coaxing the first group of five centered us as good as they could and the shot was called just out front. We gave Matty first option and Erik and I, both sat up and waited for him to take the first shot. Much to both of our surprise, Matty had not only got the figured out what to do from the short course he was given in the pre-dawn darkness, he had done us one better and arose from his Avery® Finisher, like a seasoned vet and proceeded to take a nice drake mallard from the flock with one clean shot. I leapt from my blind, as quickly, as I could and ran out into the field and picked up Matt’s duck and bring it back to his blind, something Matty had done for us several times before. In an effort to keep all the focus on Matt this morning, Erik had left his yellow lab, Gauge, back at the house, so today I would be the retriever and I was never happier chasing birds across the field to be able to give them to Matt before the next flock approached the decoys.

The morning progressed and we did our best to continue to work the bonus ducks into effective range for Matt. When a bull of a black duck circled the field and did it right, just in front of the blinds. Matt taught his dad a new lesson and proceeded to smoke the bird, just out front, while Erik’s gun was brought to his shoulder for nothing more than to go through the motion. Once again, I was out of my blind, like a young dog breaking on the shot and had the bird in my hand. It was one of the best trophies that can be taken from a flooded cornfield in PA. Matt’s face was enough to say today’s hunt was a success, no matter what happened as the day progressed.

Fortunately even though we were all happy enough to leave the day, feeling as though we had accomplished something beyond just taking a few ducks, like clock work distant honks broke the silent air and Erik and I dove into our blinds in order to not scare the approaching flock. The goal was to put the birds back peddling in the decoys, so Matty would have plenty of time to pick out birds and make clean shots. The flock could not have been better and the birds glided in just feet off the ground, setting in perfect to the spread of Greenhead Gear® fully flocked decoys that we had set out to greet them. The shot was called and this youngster turned veteran, lifted his gun from the rest and pushed the doors of his blind out of the way, then proceeded to knock his first goose out of the air and onto the ground. After Matty had clearly shown us he didn’t need our help or for us to wait on him any longer, Erik and I shot. After this initial toll, five geese laid on the ground in front of us with Matty exclaiming just how “cool” he thought this was.

After a quick pick-up of the downed birds and a short lull, when Matt proceeded to tell me how he had been practicing with an old-school Nintendo game, called Duck Hunt. Before I even had to quit chuckling to myself and remembering years gone by, when I used to play this game, the next group was working the spread and I tried my best to regain composure and work the flag and call to coax these geese in, just like the ones before them. After a few committed and the rest circled out wide, we decided to take what was present and let Matty jump the five that had landed. As they arose from the muddy cornfield, we quickly made the count for the day ten without spooking the large flock that had circled out wide and started to pitch into another part of this massive cornfield.

The birds continued to come and as hundreds of geese tornadoed around us, we took small flocks that approached, giving Matt a good shot into crossing geese just feet from the ground. I played back up, finishing out my limit and with just two birds to go and a flock starting to rise from the corn, as they sensed something just wasn’t right, Matt finished out on his five for the morning and we were done for the day. At this point, I don’t know what was going through my mind more than the fact that Matty had done so well, not only shooting, but taking in the whole experience like a champ. Not only had he stuck out the cold rain that sufficiently soaked most parts of our blinds and clothing, he had passed the test of being able to call himself a true “wing shot” on his first trip into the field.

Hunt of a lifetime, lets hope not, but in many ways, it can be construed as such. Not only is it this young boys first waterfowl hunt of many, which in itself is possibly the hunt of a lifetime, but it was a great one. Not only was the bird count good, but the sight seen and the amount of geese in the air was something that gets every true waterfowl hunter excited to see. With today’s youth falling farther from its roots, year by year, there is nothing that gets me more than watching Matt’s face, as he realizes he just shot his first bird on an overhead volley dropping a drake just feet behind the blind, as two veterans completely miss, being humbled by a 12 year old.. Maybe it was the anticipation of watching Matty give it a go or maybe it was just a clean miss, but either way I don’t think either of us had our heads down on the stock when we pulled the trigger. I think we were both focused on our 12 year old protégé sitting next to us, in his own Youth Finisher blind. Not only has he passed the test, he has become one of the team and will be for as many years to come, as he is able, and I look forward to each and everyone one of them until mine is old enough to go as well in a little over 12 years. Until then, I just hope we can give Matt more hunts to remember and put more birds feet down for him to gun and instill more memories into his mind for him to pass down to his grandkids when we are both gone.

Matt w/ a Big PA Resident Honker...

Matt and E...

E. Showing Matt a Nice Honker..

The Hero..

Honkershooter36 · #2 12-16-2007, 04:30 PM

Those are some nice honkers. Congrats on the great hunt

Marshall Starkey · #3 12-16-2007, 05:25 PM

Way to go david,you've been on them this season!!!!

**David Rearick** · #4 12-16-2007, 06:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marshall Starkey

Way to go David, you've been on them this season!!!!

With the help of a great team, WE have been on them pretty hard throughout the years from divers, to puddlers, to honkers. It has been a great season with the best of the goose action yet to come..