It is the time of year that every duck hunter dreams of.  Opening day is here again!  All the work is finally about to pay off.  It is always a sleepless night and this year was no different.  I was already wide awake when my alarm sounded off.  I jumped in my clothes and took off for Phil’s.  On my drive down I got a touch of a nervous bowel (always happens on opening day) so the last couple of miles to the lair were iffy.  I hit the ground running, to say the least.

We headed for the duck hole extra early to make sure we had plenty of time to put out decoys and such.  We were hunting a new blind so that is always exciting.  As day broke a mallard drake came straight in with no calling and we went ahead and dispatched him.  Duck season was officially on!!!  I took that as a good sign. 

A few mallards and gadwall trickled in the rest of the morning and we scratched out 15 ducks.  We were all happy.  We cleaned em up to make our traditional opening weekend gumbo and headed to our respective couches to watch college football for the rest of the day.

The next morning I decided to hunt with my wife and some other friends: Clay and his son Parks, Doug and his two sons Tanner and Cooper.  We went to a rice field that we had been watching for weeks that had several ducks using it.  We got settled in and it didn’t take long before the greenwings started flying around. 

We shot and shot and shot some more until we got our 42 with 28 of them being teal.  My dog, Jesse, was as excited as she was tired after that day of hunting.  We also shot a limit of pintail which are hands down the most graceful of all the ducks.  There were smiles all around and Hevi X hulls decorated the blind like Christmas Ornaments.  As a side note, get you some of that stuff.  It is unreal and will make you a better shot.

We now only have 58 more days to do this before they say we cant anymore so get out there and enjoy it!  I know I will be!