(imacdon and his old pal Duke with a nice spread of mallards)
Hunting means different things to different people. For some it is about tradition and camaraderie, while for others it’s about spending time with that one special hunting companion.
For imacdon, his hunting companion Duke has always been his favourite, and the fact that he walks on four legs instead of two makes no difference.
My Favourite Hunting Companion – by imacdon
The best hunting partnership I’ve ever had is drawing to a close. He’s never let me down, never come up with an excuse why he could not go hunting, was always the first in the truck or the boat, was always eager to share a lunch. He was never the first to quit.
Last weekend’s hunt was like the previous 11 seasons. I had loaded up the boat the night before with decoys and gear. Even though I had to help my elderly partner into the boat, neither of us seemed to noticed.
I paddled the fourteen footer about a quarter mile away into a swampy bay and started throwing decoys. Pulled the boat up on shore. As was customary, my partner would not move in the boat until I was out and the boat pulled up. I offered my partner a hand out of the boat but he waved me off.
He did not need any help.
We selected our spots, me setting up in some tall grass and him setting up a few feet in front. We did not have long to wait, a pair of mallards flew in over the decoys, I got lucky with a double. My Partner, not to be out done, jumped in the water to retrieve the closest bird. Once in hand he departed for the second.
I had to give him a few hand signals to get him in the area of the second bird. Three more birds came in as singles with the same outcome. It was a great morning.
My partner and I picked-up and decided to call it a day, this time he let me help him in the boat.