Cold snap brings past hunts to mind

The cold temperature we had to start off the new year reminded me of hunting ducks in ice-covered water near the Osage River.

As I was resting against an old oak tree, shivering I recall it was hard to bend my fingers; I tried to hold my loaded 20 gauge 870 Remington, that was cradled in my arm while both hands were in the side pockets of my hunting coat. I scanned the sky around the overhanging flooded, nearly leafless oaks. Once in awhile the wind would dislodge some of the remaining leaves, which would cause the delusion of thinking a mallard was coming into my six decoys.

The silence of the flooded woods was broken only by the wind and sound of the dry leaves. It was late November near Butler, Missouri by the Osage River. It was my first duck hunt in the flooded timber. My eyes and nose were running and my neck was aching from scanning up at the sky. There were four of us including Jack Nelson, Independence, who had set up the hunt. Despite our scrutiny, the predicted flight of mallards was missing. I remember Nelson’s humorous statement “This would be perfect bluebird weather, except it’s 20 degrees.”

More than an hour earlier we had met Nelson and his friend, Charles Myers, for an excellent breakfast of fried squirrel, biscuits, gravy and coffee before we headed down close to the Osage River where the flooded water had been attracting big flocks of mallards and wood ducks.

We now waded and waited for the ducks to appear after placing several decoys in the ice broken water. Nelson reported that the first time he hunted the spot was in early December right after a heavy rain. The rain had been pouring down, but so were the mallards, they had their limits by early morning. Knowing this area attracted lots of migrating mallards we were hopeful they would show up that day.

Shortly after the clouds moved in, we could hear ducks flying around us then some would be in sight. Nelson, an excellent caller, started calling, some ducks landed just out of range. Then we all started dropping some birds, one or two at a time until we each needed one more mallard to have our limit when two mallards passed high overhead. Nelson told me to take a chance so I aimed the 20 gauge at the lead greenhead, it fell and our thoughts were that we would finally leave the flooded timber and head for a warm and dry place.

I hunted this mallard hot spot one more time before Nelson passed away. It was in late November and it was cold, I was surrounded by ice but no ducks. Then, just before I was about to give it up, I was interrupted by the sound of flapping wings. I saw four mallards passing overhead heading south. I eased my foot out of the mud and as I kicked, the waves from the water went out a few feet. Then as I glimpsed the same ducks were coming back towards me only much lower, just over the treetops. It was obvious that those mallards were interested in my spot. After they passed over, it looked like three greenheads and one hen.

In a flash, more than a dozen more mallards appeared not very high. I wasn’t cold anymore. Soon there were ducks in sight in all directions, circling lower and lower. As they crossed near me, ever closer, they appeared suspicious of the ice. Finally, a flight of the circling ducks set their wings, just above the treetops. and settled down toward me. I never moved, crunched against a tree, I fired and a greenhead hit the water. I turned and fired two more shots. One of my rare doubles.

On the way back to the truck, I saw several flocks of ducks moving around the area. It turned out to be a great duck hunting day.

After a quick cup of coffee, I headed home leaving behind one of the best duck hunting spots in the state, at least until late December when the ducks are forced to head further south.

The duck season in the middle zone ended Jan. 7, but the south zone continues through Jan. 28.