What a difference a few days make...

When I packed my gear before the duck season, it was meticulously listed and crossed off, everything present and correct - all good. When I got home yesterday from four and a half days away, I chucked washing in the machine, decoys in the corner, cleaned out my blind bag and tossed stuff back in it as carelessly as if the next trip meant nothing... what I really think happens is that you generally know deep down EXACTLY what you need to pack, and the rest falls by the wayside. The difference a couple of days makes is that you fall back on the accumulated knowledge of decades of doing the same thing (albeit months apart).

The season has treated me excellently. The birds have been present in good numbers and with recent heavy rain raising the water levels in the swamps, birds such as shoveler and teal have appeared in good numbers where they were absent a week ago.

Here are some shots:

Jewellery

Saturday's limit bag

Group effort....

... and a celebration

A perfect mallard drake, and a hybrid hen

Sunday limit bag

 

The hybrid

Monday's limit bag



Tony with a limit

It's been an interesting season in terms of people and change; having to say good bye to Tim who is leaving our party (bye bro), hosting a mate Tony who with his lab Nera had a ball, watching dad getting around on his new knee and sucking up the pain just to be there, having my bro across from Melbourne, my cousin Paul's last hunt for the next 2 years while he's in Canada.... things have to change and so they do.

Anyway, I'm off again today and will be joined by dad, Larry & Mitch so a few more days duck hunting over the dark moon period before chasing pheasants will be just a perfect way to round out the week.