Adventure Sports Outdoors January 2018

Page 36

36

ADVENTURE SPORTS OUTDOORS “The Voice of the American Sportsman”

RITUALS AND MEMORIES

January 2018

Memories of waterfowling are built upon on the traditions and rituals of the hunt By Wayne Herndon

Suddenly, a darker blackness loomed. The shore, overhung by willow and maple, was like a cave within a cave; a blacker entity in the dark. Along this primordial river, long stretches of timbered banks still persisted despite mans’ tampering. With a final oar stroke the old, wooden boat glided forward and nosed into the soft, gently sloping mud. Wisps of fog, acknowledged more by touch than sight, entwined around the trunks of trees. With an old strand of rope I tied the bow to a gnarled root and collected my paraphernalia: • A shotgun, some shells, thermos, sandwiches. • Clothing to protect me from freezing temperatures, waist waders and a rain coat completed my gear. The short path between river and bottomland lake was negotiated without light. Prior knowledge of what existed was as familiar as the number of foot steps required. Passing the last thicket of dog hair willow, the feel of open water and the sweep of faint breeze on my check indicated my arrival. Sitting on the transom of a boat upon which a blind was built. I listened quietly to the murmur of a feeding chuckles from numerous mallards. They were rafting birds, over a mile away on the big, shallow lake. A glance at my watch indicated 4 am, plenty of time to locate the blind in a good open water area. The sound of the birds and the damp smell of decomposing vegetation in the marsh provided a moment of solitude and reflection before the intense activity of setting up for hunting. Pulling the willow stakes that held the boat blind was but the work of a minute. The shallow water, barely enough to float the Jon boat, bristled with chufa, millet and burr. Putting a shoulder to the corner of the blind, the boat made grudging headway against the riffle stirred by the gentle breeze. Ten yards, 20, 50, finally enough depth to

push the blind using the antique hickory pole with the duck-bill end. The wind was from the east, preceding a cold front with snow and sleet. A string of decoys was easy to set with wind pushing the boat at just the right speed. The placement of decoys was an individual thing. Each hunter has his own style. I would string several lines in a tight pattern and hook the end into a pipe bowl, placing the blind a few yards to the upwind side of the hook. The willow stakes, driven into the soft bottom held the blind securely. Another glance at the watch…5:45. I had time for a hot cup of coffee from the thermos before shooting time. The unseen birds hurtled through the air above with a whiffling sound as wings beat the cadence. Now and again a soft whistle from a passing pintail or a chuckle from a mallard was distinct above the rustle of the winds through the will leaves on the blind. The sky grew lighter by increments. In the east, lines appeared to rise from the dark water surface and bob erratically as they lifted higher. Individual formations of waterfowl on their early morning flights soon became distinct. In the distance, a soft rumble becomes a roar as thousands of ducks and geese, excited by contagious sounds of their brethren, began to lift off to continue on their path of migration. How many times had I experienced this feeling of inner glow, in concert with all around me, senses tuned to every stimulus?

IDNR fisheries biologist Wayne Herndon weighs a large fish during TWI’s BioBlitz at the Dixon Waterfowl Refuge in June 2015. Thanks to: www.wetlands-initiative.org

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MDC REPORTS MORE THAN 7,700 DEER HARVESTED DURING ANTLERLESS PORTION

5min
pages 32-33

Dan Galusha, Shoot N Plink, Going Low with a Buck Mark

3min
page 111

Bob Robb, Top 10 Late Season Whitetail Tactics

6min
pages 108-109

Realtor.com, Depleted Housing Market to See Inventory Growth in 2018

11min
pages 102-106

IDNR, Let’s Go Turkey Hunting! IRAP Taking Applications Now for Spring

4min
page 114

IDNR, News Bits December 17

3min
page 115

Annie Otto, Annie’s Conklin Corner

3min
page 107

Grant Dimmick, Grant’s 2017 Season

3min
page 110

Natural Gear

1min
page 116

Gerald Sampen, Outdoor Connection Featuring 2 of 23 “With Wings” We Represent

13min
pages 96-98

Thomas P. Reynolds, January Begins the New Year for Outdoor Activity in Arkansas

6min
pages 94-95

A.K. Thompson, Dirt Church, The Cold is Keeping Me

7min
pages 92-93

Mark Kayser, 3 Different Locations You’ll Find Coyotes

4min
page 90

Marlene Odahlen-Hinz, Rx for the January Blahs

7min
pages 84-85

Matt England, England Expeditions Fishing Resolution 2018

6min
pages 86-87

Mark Kayser, 3 Tips for Hunting Coyotes the Simplest Way Possible

3min
page 79

Jason Baldwin, Henry Decoy Show Sunday, Feb 18th

2min
page 78

Bedford Sales Open House- February 17th and 18th

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page 69

John Simeon, The 22 Winchester Magnum in Action

6min
pages 66-67

Pet Bird Winter Care Tips

2min
page 68

Darrell Sterling, Pigs and Predators in West Texas

15min
pages 62-64

Bobber “Anne”, Those Fascinating Fish of Alaska

5min
pages 60-61

CPO Reports: October 1 – 19, 2017

20min
pages 51-54

Kirby Schupp, Owning Problems Others Caused

6min
pages 56-57

Colt Vinovich, More Than a Hunt

7min
pages 42-43

Outdoor Hub Reporters, Oklahoma Hunter Bags Potential New State Record 28-Point Buck

3min
page 41

Woo’s Corner, A Little Fishing and a Little Maintenance

4min
page 40

John Neporadny Jr., Draw Down on Lake of the Ozarks Winter Crappie

4min
page 38

Wayne Herndon, Rituals and Memories- Memories of Waterfowling are Built Upon the Traditions and Rituals of the Hunt

5min
pages 36-37

Robert Hemmelgarn, MDC Hosts Discover Nature Schools Workshop for Preschool Teachers in Mexico

3min
page 31

Lucas Bond, MDC Reports More Than 7,700 Deer Harvested During Antlerless Portion

2min
page 32

PJ. Reilly, Snow Goose Hunting: Tips for Staying Hidden

7min
pages 26-27

Canterbury Tales continues

4min
page 8

Norm Kelly, The Designated Gangsters

9min
pages 14-15

Ted Nugent, The Scripted Buck

8min
pages 22-23

Lucas Bond, MDC Encourages People to Help Prevent Wildfires

3min
page 33

Dave Shadow, Beetles for Skulls

4min
page 24
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