While fishing for muskies a few years ago in the fall, I made a very unusual discovery: flocks of ducks will follow a fisherman's boat around during the hunting season. Really.
It was October and duck hunters had set up their blinds all over Webster Lake. I would drift into coves and have to cast in between about a hundred decoys. I even had a couple of guys sitting in a blind curse me for disturbing their elaborate trap. Of course, I made friends with my usual flare by suggesting they do something that I believe is physically impossible for a species with a spine.
Every once in a while I would hear a flurry of gun fire from across the water and assumed at least one lucky hunter bagged his prize - one unlucky duck.
After a while I noticed large groups of ducks paddling beside my boat. It's illegal to shoot a duck in the water, but I think these ducks decided to play it safe and stick close to me. After all, I wasn't shooting at them and (more importantly) no one else was shooting at them either with me in the neighborhood.
So, if I ever decide to take up duck hunting, I'm not gonna bother dressing up in camo. I won't sit for hours on end in a duck blind in the freezing cold. I won't buy a quacking duck caller or plastic decoys. I will simply go muskie fishing and store my hunting rifle in the boat. When I get tired of casting - POW!!! I'll blast 'em. Don't worry, I'll wave my arms or something, so they take flight first.
Meanwhile, I will stick to shooting them (uh, with my camera) to share with you here on my web site. Here's my photo session with the water fowl of Webster Lake, Indiana.
