Old Guys Rule
Refuge Member
Forgive me but I have sinned, I am a confirmed duckaholic. Luckily my wife knew about my addiction before we got married and has put up with me for over 40 years. Over half our garage is full of duck hunting gear. I have 3 sets of waders, 2 breathables and one neoprene, plus 2 more smaller sets for my wife or kids. How many raincoats? Too many to count, this is western Oregon. A closet full of hats, gloves, shirts, pullovers. A drawer full of duck calls. Five different portable duck blinds. A 16 foot boat with a dedicated hard side duck blind complete with built in headlights and heaters. A safe full of model 12's and an old benelli. Decoys? HA HA The entire back of our garage is stacked with decoys. Super mags mallards for the river, widgeon and pintail mix for the coast, diver long line sets for the CR or Siltcoos, woodie sets for early season Willy hunts, packable sets for SI, texas rigged field sets for flooded field hunts, full body sets. I won't talk about goose decoys, they are at my buddy's house. Lucky me.
I grew up in SF, the 60's were a different time but public refuge hunting in California was awesome then. We hunted Grizzly Island, free roam for 4 years and you learn a lot. From 1968 to 1972 we hunted Grizz, Colusa, Delevan, Grey Lodge and Sac. As a 12 year old I pestered the devil out of my dad to take me hunting and he obliged. My uncle mailed us dad's old model 12 and an old Sears youth bolt action 20 ga for me. Dad put up with sleeping in the car in the sweat line, long walks on the levee with leaky waders packing a bag of half dozen plasti-duck decoys. It was 1970 before we shot our first duck but I could not contain my enthusiasm and luckily I had the best dad in the world who stoked the duck hunter fire in me.
When we moved to Oregon a neighbor took me under his wing. We built a 12 foot wooden boat together and borrowed a 10 hp motor to hunt the willy. I saved my paper route money to by a Ted Williams pump shotgun for $50. Quite a step up from the old Sears 20ga bolt action. Here I saw an entire different style of public hunting, no refuge, no blinds, total free roam. What was acceptable for distance to another hunter on a refuge was TOTALLY unacceptable out here. River rose and fell daily, you learned to adjust. It quickly became a hunting game. Every day was different so when you outsmarted the ducks you had accomplished something. After my dad lit the fire in me Larry fanned the flames and turned me into a hunter. I expanded my horizons in college, hunting Sauvie Island and begging my way into guest hunts on some clubs. More new perspectives in the duck hunt game that added to my addition. Over the years I had many mentors and hunting partners, now I am the one mentoring younger hunters who show the right respect for the game. I am passing my addiction on to others.
Now I am in my late 60's and my favorite pastime is to dance with the ducks. Most times ducks have to be 100% commited and feet down before I call the shot. I adjust my style to the area and the day but in general I will let birds circle for 20 minutes and leave, rather than take that 40 yard overhead pass shot. My favorite shot. But as I get older I would rather "do the dance" than take a shot. My 12 step program is the satisfaction I get when I fool an entire flock of birds in January who have been shot at since September. Luckily my hunting partners know of my addictions and put up with me.
Do the dance. Be a duckaholic. What is your addiction? OGR
I grew up in SF, the 60's were a different time but public refuge hunting in California was awesome then. We hunted Grizzly Island, free roam for 4 years and you learn a lot. From 1968 to 1972 we hunted Grizz, Colusa, Delevan, Grey Lodge and Sac. As a 12 year old I pestered the devil out of my dad to take me hunting and he obliged. My uncle mailed us dad's old model 12 and an old Sears youth bolt action 20 ga for me. Dad put up with sleeping in the car in the sweat line, long walks on the levee with leaky waders packing a bag of half dozen plasti-duck decoys. It was 1970 before we shot our first duck but I could not contain my enthusiasm and luckily I had the best dad in the world who stoked the duck hunter fire in me.
When we moved to Oregon a neighbor took me under his wing. We built a 12 foot wooden boat together and borrowed a 10 hp motor to hunt the willy. I saved my paper route money to by a Ted Williams pump shotgun for $50. Quite a step up from the old Sears 20ga bolt action. Here I saw an entire different style of public hunting, no refuge, no blinds, total free roam. What was acceptable for distance to another hunter on a refuge was TOTALLY unacceptable out here. River rose and fell daily, you learned to adjust. It quickly became a hunting game. Every day was different so when you outsmarted the ducks you had accomplished something. After my dad lit the fire in me Larry fanned the flames and turned me into a hunter. I expanded my horizons in college, hunting Sauvie Island and begging my way into guest hunts on some clubs. More new perspectives in the duck hunt game that added to my addition. Over the years I had many mentors and hunting partners, now I am the one mentoring younger hunters who show the right respect for the game. I am passing my addiction on to others.
Now I am in my late 60's and my favorite pastime is to dance with the ducks. Most times ducks have to be 100% commited and feet down before I call the shot. I adjust my style to the area and the day but in general I will let birds circle for 20 minutes and leave, rather than take that 40 yard overhead pass shot. My favorite shot. But as I get older I would rather "do the dance" than take a shot. My 12 step program is the satisfaction I get when I fool an entire flock of birds in January who have been shot at since September. Luckily my hunting partners know of my addictions and put up with me.
Do the dance. Be a duckaholic. What is your addiction? OGR
