Are you up to it?

Duck hunting bestows upon a man many blessings. One of them is humility.

You could say that in a week’s time we trudged from the best to the worst. But, worst by what measure? Duck hunting is made up of varied experiences and to be totally fulfilled by what the sport has to offer, you must appreciate each and all of those experiences. Birds in the bag, good shots and long retrieves. The early morning hour and the magic of first shot. Oh, how the duck hunter lives for first shot.

But as enriching as they all are, they are only parts of the whole. A duck shooter is content with a few parts. A duck hunter relishes it all. Nasty weather and tides that tell us when they will flood the banks without regard to our needs are as much a part of duck hunting as cupped wings over the decoys.

The question is, “Are you up to it?” Wind driven rain in December tests the duck hunter’s will and his passion for the experience; not just the kill. Today, we literally walked head first into the weather and did what we had to do. We were prepared, we were organized, we were equipped, and Lord knows we were ready. We lost nothing. But we only gain if we are willing to accept today as a waterfowling experience consistent with the sport.

This hunt was the ugly beautiful side of duck hunting. A New England coastal marsh during a Nor’easter. High choppy tide. Waterproof gloves unable to hold back the elements. Damp to the bones. But the spirit ever the candle in the wind. This hunt did not add to the count, but this duck hunting experience will long be counted. It humbled us and then it offered us a choice.

Would we succumb to its misery, or bask in its magnificence?