I am now wrting stories on Hunt BC forum, thought I would share this story here.
A lovely fall day in the Valley today so I headed out with a little over a half a hour left of shooting time.
The robo duck has been working well so I diod not once again bother with any other decoys to keep it company. If I do say myself I have been shooting well this season, for a change.
I still had my church clothes on but did take my tie off but if I was an English gentleman I should have left it on. I know I would be in trouble if my wife saw me in this wardrobe but with my hunting coat, hat and waders no one would be able to tell.
As I head to the field I kick about 2 dozen mallard out of a surrounding ditch, I could have maybe dropped a couple but I thought better not to scare them as they may come back to roost. Anyway I do not really like jump shooting as I like to see them come into the decoys.
I set up the robo and slip into the natural grass blind, and fed 3 #3 Remington
shells into my scatter gun.
The sunset is wonderful and I know the ducks will soon start to appear.
A few scattered flocks appear looking for a place to roost for the night.
I see a high flock of about a dozen birds coming from the east, they are in a V formation and I can see a large drake at the point of the V.
I donot think they will decoy as they look too high.To my amazement they change their East to West direction and turn left, dropping a bit as the robo is spinning its magic. I snuggle into the grass, motionless. They circle a couple times, a bit wary maybe. They look great against the now setting sun, its crimson red.
Finally they commit, coming in close, landing gear down, I see the big drake too. I click off the safety button, I jump up, the birds of course flare, they are in perfect range. I donot know if I focus on the big drake or not as the air seems a mass of wings, clinbing swiftly to get away from this strange figure, me.
The gun barks once, twice, three times, I cannot believe it, all the birds are leaving unscathed. Disgusted I watch them head into the setting sun.
Dejected I slip in 3 more shells and wait, will I get another chance?
I am looking at another flock going into another field when out of the corner of my eye I see a motion of wings, its two drakes landing about 30 feet from me.
They are surprised as I am as I jump once again to my feet, I wait a tad to let them get further out, I think to myself before I fire I got you guys. Once again 3 shots are fired but these two birds seem to have a lucky charm as they leave in the shape they came in.
I am really disgusted now, to think I thought I was becoming a good shot but 6 quality shots just filled the air with pellets. I get no more chances which most likely was just as well as I would most likely have missed them too.
I grab the robo and head to the Leaf Mobile, shooting as bad as the Leafs played last night in giving up 7 goals while scoring none, I was almost as bad of course going 0 for 6.
As I load the robo and gun into the truck and take off my waders a flock of wood ducks fly overhead, there necks bulging with a few hazelnuts from a nearby farm. Glad I had no shells in the gun.
As I drive towards home I think what went wrong, maybe it was the church clothes, or should I have worn that tie, like a country English Gentleman.
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Topic: How Do We MIss Those Easy Shots (Read 3720 times)