A MILLION WINGS susan schadt
a spirited story of the sporting life along the mississippi flyway
•
F O R E WO R D
DAVIS LOVE III I grew up on a golf course, not in a duck blind, but when I was around 10 years old I gained an appreciation for the great outdoors, first through fishing. My dad, Davis Love, Jr., was a teaching pro and while he taught me almost everything I know about golf, he was not a fisherman so he gave the best fisherman at the Atlanta Country Club $100, which was a lot of money at the time, to outfit me for fishing. He sent us off to the tackle shop, and loaded with the requisite gear and plenty of golf course ponds, I was hooked for life. ¶ My first experiences with hunting also came from connections made on the golf course when one of my father’s young assistant pros at Sea Island, Georgia, took me on my first duck hunting trip. It was 1985 and this trip would be the first of many that I got to share with my late, great friend Jimmy Hodges, who was about 10 years older than me. He introduced me to the hunting culture with all of its dedicated devotees, and from that very first experience I learned that being an outdoorsman was not just about hunting.
The sportsmen I met were truly stewards of the land. They were involved with Ducks Unlimited, marsh projects and property management. I was immediately pulled into that contagious culture so I was committed to conservation very early. Two to three years into my hunting life, Jimmy Hodges passed away in a plane crash with my father and we were thrown into raising money for a marsh project in his memory. I knew then that this is what outdoorsmen do: they work together to make a difference for wildlife and embrace the preservation of precious habitat for all time. That understanding of the sporting life has converged with my devotion to my family. Copeland Hall is our nice getaway in south Georgia and our children, Lexie, 24 and Dru, 18, are both avid outdoorsmen. In fact, as they have gotten older, they have been the ones responsible for pulling me back into duck hunting. We are also all bow hunters and hunt turkey and deer. We are passionate about turkey hunting right now because our turkey hunting has been so good. My wife Robin loves the lifestyle and spending time at the cabin cooking, entertaining or just sitting around the fire pit, but she does wonder, “Why is there something in season all of the time?” Through golf, I’ve been fortunate to meet some of the owners and members of the country’s most revered retreats. I had the great privilege of being mentored in hunting by the Jones family of the Sea Island Company, Bill Jones, Jr. and Bill Jones III. I hunt with Bill Jones III today and we are great friends. His father took me to the Santee Duck Club once and I will never forget what a thrill it was. Lexie, Dru and I have had the privilege of hunting on the Mississippi Flyway, the ultimate destination for duck hunters. The times that we have spent there are always the highlights of the hunting season and we envision one day spending more time there. Meanwhile, our waterfowl friends have been gracious and generous. Sarah and Jim Kennedy, owners of York Woods in Charleston, Mississippi, have been welcoming hosts to our hunting family. Jim knows more about
l to r: Garson, Davis Love III, Lexie Love and Bill Jones III.
hunting, conservation and the great outdoors than anybody I have ever met. He generously supports a multitude of conservation and environmental education organizations and institutions. He is an inspiration. During a recent season, I was invited by John Dobbs, Jr. of Memphis to join him on a hunt at Coca Cola Woods. I had to play golf, so my son Dru went ahead. Of course, that was a record day, now dubbed, The Davis Love Classic. And while I was not thrilled to miss it, I am known to be bad luck in the duck hole anyway. Somehow, it seems like they are always saying to me, “You should have been here yesterday!” John did invite me back the next season, and we had another memorable hunt and even better food and fellowship! The stunning photographs and the heartfelt stories in A Million Wings inspire people. While everybody will not play golf at Augusta National or play in the U.S. Open, they watch. They watch, they see it and it inspires them to play the game; it inspires them to play the game better. Like Augusta National, the private retreats shared by the individuals on these pages may seem like the ultimate experience. But these are the places that do the work to keep duck hunting alive. And through their stories and these photographs, they are inspiring people to get out there and hunt and to gain a better understanding of the sport. And like in golf, the big clubs and the professional game are a small part of the whole story, but they motivate people to grow the game. The families and the members in these clubs are the ones who motivate the rest of us. They are the ones who are growing the sport and I, for one, say, “Thanks a million.” •
a million wings 7
âœş
P R E FAC E
SUSAN SCHADT A Million Wings, a simple yet vivid phrase, elicits varied images in the minds of outdoorsmen. Witnessing the phenomenon of a million collective wings is a rare sight. Yet most sportsmen enthusiastically recollect massive numbers of ducks, millions of wings, seen in a single day, over multiple seasons or throughout a lifetime. Some exhibit decades of patience in anticipation of the possibilities and all extol the limitless pleasure they derive from a flight of ducks.
a million wings 9
The third in our series of collectable books that seeks to chronicle and preserve the unique culture and tradition of American duck hunting is a rare journey into that world, dedicated to the lure of nature and conservation efforts to restore and perpetually protect habitats and populations of migrant waterfowl. Our journey along the migratory route of the Mississippi Flyway follows the lower Mississippi Valley through Missouri, Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana. We begin in St. Charles County, Missouri, at the confluence of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, one of the finest confluences in the world, and conclude in the massive coastal marshes and bayous of southwest Louisiana. Our Wild Abundance Publishing team was welcomed wholeheartedly into this culture. We blessed the ducks; we traversed the timber and flooded wheat fields; “we” shot a wild pig; we painted our faces; we were in full gear at 4:30 a.m.; we stood knee deep in water; froze our fingers and toes and we sipped circa 1895 whiskey. We learned about food plots and acorns, hens and drakes, when to shoot, when not to shoot and a few new jokes. We were fully immersed, thankfully, not with a waderful of cold water, but with respect, guidance and patience by our mentors. We felt the pleasure of anticipation, the beauty of the silence, the noises of the waking morn and the thrill of the first sight of ducks. We became part of the team, as eager as our subjects. The rare photographic glimpse into the 12 private retreats within these pages is a gift to be shared and is only eclipsed by the passion, trust and time the lodge owners and club members bestowed upon us. The powerful visual imagery of this book would not be possible without Lisa Buser, our talented and tenacious photographer who was truly unstoppable in her pursuit of these shots. She was able to capture the
10 a million wings
slightest movement on a rest lake while standing on a two-by-four railing 40 feet off the ground. She tracked, step for step, a hunter in pursuit of a wild pig. She waded through muck, downed logs and various temperaments shouldering 20 pounds of gear. And while she smiled throughout the entire season and was always willing but demure, her voice is loud and clear. We are highly honored to have our foreword written by Davis Love III, professional golfer and Captain of the 2012 Ryder Cup Team USA. While he is a beloved icon to all golfers, many may not know of his passion for the great outdoors and his commitment to conservation. During what is surely one of the most intensive and focused times of his life, he selflessly and generously shared his thoughts and his soul with all of us because, in his words, “This is what outdoorsmen do: they work together to make a difference for wildlife.” Throughout our journey, we certainly saw hundreds of thousands of wings. These spectacular displays made for great photographs and unforgettable stories. But ultimately, they point to the dedication of all the sportsmen in this book and across the country. Because the most amazing story is the way that outdoorsmen have worked together with truly remarkable results. Thanks to them, future generations will experience awe-inspiring moments, poignant memories and the astonishing prospect of a million wings. •
C HAP T ER T WO
CUIVRE • Few hunting clubs can boast a bar that features an 1895 bottle of 160 proof whiskey. Cuivre Club’s most senior member and the third of four generations of his family to belong to Cuivre, Ted Baldwin pours his grandfather Steedman’s 117-year-old bourbon knowingly. Brought along to stave off the cold of a duck hunt, a sip of the potion warms the soul and conjures up an immediate sense of belonging, history and ritual. While Ted may be the only member with such a spirited genetic mark, this multigenerational fervor is typical among Cuivre members and seems natural in a club that is arguably the oldest of the Mississippi Flyway. ▶
Refuge of plenty: ducks rest and feed on Cuivre’s 270-acre rest lake.
The lure and lore of Cuivre are the tornadoes of ducks that have been coming since 1871.
C HA P T E R E IG H T
YORK WOODS • An invitation to Jim Kennedy’s lodge near Charleston, Mississippi, is a highly coveted prize, but caveat emptor to all headed to this Delta duck haven. At York Woods hunters must call their duck by species and sex before shooting. Hens are off-limits, and hunters shoot an individual, rather than a blind limit. “We never have three or four people shooting at once. We say ‘Ok your shot,’ and you have the pleasure of knowing that you got the duck.” While these rules may seem downright draconian, Jim understands, “I like for everybody to shoot their own ducks and I just don’t like to shoot hens.” Known for his laudable patience and sky searching proficiency, Jim confesses, “I put pressure on people. Some of my friends call me ‘The Commander.’ ” ▶
Glow of the morning ritual.
162 a million wings
Former All-Pro Atlanta Falcons quarterback Steve Bartkowski and York Woods host Jim Kennedy.
C HA P T E R N I N E
FIGHTING BAYOU • While many consider duck hunting a religion, Fighting Bayou is the only hunting club that can claim “The Benediction.” The ritual begins when members and guests gather at the rest lake to enjoy a social hour in the afterglow of a Mississippi Delta sunset. Defined as “an invocation for divine help, blessing and guidance, usually at the end of a religious service,” the word “benediction” perfectly describes the club’s sunset ritual. Bubba Tollison, Fighting Bayou’s own “Delta poet,” coined the term and with a story of luck, friendship, family and many, many ducks, Fighting Bayou indeed seems the beneficiary of divine guidance. ▶
“Whether you like to hunt waterfowl or you just like to look at game, it is a spectacular sight.�
192 a million wings
C HAP T ER EL EVEN
AVOCA • Eagles, alligators, hogs, deer, rabbits, squirrels, owls, raccoons, possums, armadillos, coyotes, turtles, nutria, fish and of course ducks. These are the inhabitants of Avoca Island. Teeming with wildlife and lush vegetation, the island is a veritable sportsman’s paradise only a stone’s throw away from Morgan City, a town of 12,000 sitting on the banks of the Atchafalaya River in south Louisiana. The island is only accessible by a small cable ferry that delivers sportsmen to and from the historic Avoca Duck Club. A mere 500 feet of Bayou Boeuf separates the mainland from the island, but the distance is worlds apart. ▶
The majestic Outfall Canal, designed to allow water to fall out of the canals.
Larry Singleton brings in a haul.
Master duck plucker Gilday Gaudet works his magic. According to Jim, not many people do what Gilday does, especially with the skill and pride he brings to his work. With the help of his wife Joy, he applies wax to the ducks, submerges them in cold water, then plucks and scrapes them and hands them back to the hunters “clean as a whistle.”
Gilday’s wife and partner in plucking, Joy Gaudet.
a million wings 231