I realize that is possible to go duck hunting without a dog, I'm just not sure why anyone would? You miss out on so much, not the least of which is a large number of wounded ducks that prove to quick and cunning even when severely disabled to be caught by human hands. Yes, there are times when having a dog can frustrating like when the pee on your dry bag or when they break in excitement and spook a group of working mallards. However, they will always provide more enjoyment and helpfulness than they take, enriching the whole experience of waterfowl hunting even more.
During a recent hunt my dog, Nellie (pictured with my brother Tyler above), attempted and nearly succeeded in retrieving a very much alive and unshot gadwall drake that had fluttered into our decoy spread that we were busy constructing in the full moon light. I had heard a duck plop down on the surface of the water somewhere behind me. I turned around and could make out the silhouette of a duck swimming towards me in the bright full-moon light. I grabbed the spotlight and turned it on the duck that was now swimming abreast of a couple mallard decoys that were bobbing along with the current. For a split second I thought to myself, 'I wonder what Nellie thinks about all this.' In less than a millisecond that question was answered, as she tore through the water and out towards the drake gadwall.
I don't know if the gadwall was blinded by the spotlight or just stupid, but it seemed to be oblivious to the mound of hair & teeth was was barreling through the shallow water towards it. Nellie almost jumped on top of it for some reason which didn't allow her to get a very good initial bite on the duck, only getting a piece of the wing in her maw. The duck let out a terrifying series of quacks and flapped its wings in earnest. Nellie brought the duck back close to her body in an attempt to regrip the duck, but the gadwall must have sense the release in pressure and took advantage of the moment, the gadwall disappeared into the early morning darkness.
Never one for complacency, Nellie had one more trick for us on this day. Later in the morning, Tyler shot one more gadwall, which seemed to be everywhere that day, as it flew by us. It dropped down into a brush pile that had gathered along a bank next to a huge cottonwood tree whose infinite root system had become partly exposed due to some expansive bank erosion and the handy-work of beavers. We knew that the small gadwall was still very much alive and would probably hunker down into some clandestine corner of the immense brush pile never to be found. I sent Nellie out to investigate and she busily tested the brush pile with her nose at first but then began to dive into the pile of leaves and limbs in search for the elusive gadwall. We expected her to return with the duck at some point as she was obviously on its trail so I just let her fumble through the thick pile of brush as she wished- I didn't have clue where it was at anyway. We watched with curiosity then worry as she made her way to the bank and the large ball of roots from the cottonwood tree and then disappeared down a large beaver hole that was just above the water's edge about a foot or so. I immediately got up and made my way over to the tree, concerned that she might get stuck or come face to face with a mad beaver and those large teeth. However, by the time I got to the tree Nellie emerged from an unseen entrance on the other side of the root wad... duck firmly grasped in her mouth.
It's things like this you miss out on when you don't have a dog. My recommendation to any beginning duck hunter is, even before you buy a boat, do your homework and buy the best dog you can afford. Train it, love it, and train it some more. It will seem like a lot of work at first and there will be times when they try your patience to the max, but hopefully in the end you will have not only a great retriever but a beloved hunting partner as well.
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