The Weirdest Waterfowl Hunt Ever
 | Author:
Nancy Marks
Nancy Marks: MT43 News Secretary and News Editor |
The Weirdest Waterfowl Hunt Ever Nancy Marks Nobody told me that duck hunting on Youth Waterfowl Weekend involved a bicycle. Or how hard it is to pedal a bicycle while wearing waders. I found out.
My dad took me to a place that we call “Duck Bay.” It is on a lake, in Montana. (Only somebody who lives out-of-state gives away hunting spots.) I will say that it is not easy to get there.
We put the dogs, decoys, hunting gear and bikes in the truck, and drove to the lake before sunrise. I wore my waders, an old camo t-shirt three sizes too big (my dad says he will buy me a real camo shirt when I stop growing), and my shooting earmuffs. We strapped on our headlamps and jumped on the bikes, which is not easy while wearing stiff waders. My dad steered his bike with one hand and carried my shotgun and the decoys with the other. I pedaled in my waders, trying not to tip over. The dogs mostly got in the way.
We rode the bikes about a mile in the dark, parked, then hiked across a field and through a pond with six inches of water and enough mud to keep us walking fast.
We got to Duck Bay, and there was nobody there (likely because nobody else thought of riding a bicycle in waders). We set up the blind. Dad put out the decoys. Our yellow lab, Percy, ran out, picked one decoy up, then brought it to us, like he always does. My dad scolded Percy and put the decoy back, like he always does.
We waited in the blind. Our older Chesapeake, Chug, sat out in front looking at the sky and whining a little while Percy sat close enough to constantly thump the blind wall with his wagging tail. We all looked for birds.
Black dots appeared in the sky. Birds came in, but kept turning away. Finally, four geese flew toward us, but three of them turned away from the blind. One kept coming closer. It might not have been the smartest goose in the flock. I shot it, my first goose ever. The dogs retrieved it. Then the ducks came in and I shot a teal. That was my third duck ever.
When the hunting ended, we packed up and waded back through the pond, hiked over the field to our bicycles, and pedaled in our waders all the way back to the truck. It didn’t get any easier. Plus, my dad was now carrying a goose and a duck.
Hunting is fun. I’m glad I got to go out with my dad and shoot my first goose. I like to eat the birds later. I’m glad I don’t have to do any chores for the rest of the day after hunting, except for putting everything away.
And I’m glad that I don’t normally wear my waders when pedaling my bike.
Article Images
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PhotoCredit: Jack Heicher
Image 1 Caption: Eleven-year-old Jack Heicher proudly holds up his goose and duck
Image 2 Caption: Townsend home schooler Jack Heicher wins one of ten awards for Governor Greg Gianforte’s Youth Hunting Story
