Patient Mallards

Written by David J. Sams

Monday, 31 December 2007

Photo by David J. Sams The forecast called for clear and cold with a northwest wind. Longtime waterfowler Mike Jolley’s bones started to shake as he got out of his truck at Pintail Farms. At 6 a.m., the clouds were still thick and a thin layer of fog was rolling by. “These clouds need to get out of here,” Jolley said while looking into the night sky. “We need clear skies if we are going to get any greenheads.” The members of the North Texas hunting club were all up and moving around – some looking for their waders and some warming up by the fire. The blind positions were drawn and the hunters fired up their ATV’s and headed out. Jolley and his 13-year-old son Chase, along with Blackjack, the family retriever, loaded into the Argo and sped off into the breaking day. Jolley deployed the decoys into the flooded creek, which was filled with smartweed. “What happened to the decoy lines?” he said to himself. Something had broken almost all of them off. “No one has hunted in the blind all year,” he said. Fortunately the smartweed kept the decoys from floating away in the mild west wind. Photo by David J. Sams As shooting time arrived, hunters south of the Snake creek took shots at passing birds. The muzzle blasts could be seen over the vast pasture. But no birds were coming to Jolley’s spread. “ Birds up high, get ready,” he announced to Chase. The flocks of mallards drifted over without even looking. Jolley’s quiet calling of chuckle sounds was getting no attention from the continued flights. “We need clear skies,” he kept saying as more groups passed over. But frustrated he was not. “The skies will clear, and the birds will start drifting back in here and we are going to get some good shooting later on in the day,” he said to Chase. Most would think a 13-year-old would be going crazy by now, with guys shooting in other blinds all around him. But Chase has learned the patience of his father. He sat quietly, looking for any signs of close bird movement. The father/son duo talked about their Christmas and football to pass the time. The clouds gave them a break and a single drake mallard dropped out of the sky. Bam, Bam, Bam, the duck hit the water and Blackjack was on his tail as the bird tried to regain flight. The black lab grabbed him from the air and returned to the blind. “Why didn’t you shoot, Chase?” Jolley asked. “I could not get the safety off,” Chase said. Photo by David J. Sams With the clearer skies and more light, Jolley looked down in the blind and discovered a field rat’s nest. “That is were all my decoy cords are, look at that,” he explained. The hunters in the “limit lake” blind were heading in so the Jolleys rolled on over and took over the spot. Within a few minutes, there were 20 mallards locked up heading right for them. About 8 birds made the fatal mistake and set the feet down to land and the Jolleys took aim. “Greenheads only,” Jolley said before shooting. Three birds laid on the water for Blackjack to retrieve. A few other flocks did just the same in the midday sunlight. At 2:30, the father and son team wheeled back to camp to tell their midday mallard story. “It never fails, midday, cold and clear, the mallards will be here,” Jolley said to the other members waiting at the cleaning station. “Look over there at your blind,” one hunter said. Another flock was hitting the water and settling in for the afternoon at the Limit Lake blind. Photo by David J. Sams Photo by David J. Sams Photo by David J. Sams

Last Updated ( Wednesday, 02 January 2008 )

 

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