So I took my son for a 3 day father/son duck camp last week. Had a great time. Went out on big water in Saginaw Bay and got blown off. 30 mph wind, gale and small craft warnings wouldn't let me hold anchor. Not wanting to be a Darwin award nominee we headed back to port and field hunted the rest of the time. Sag Bay is a storied waterfowl hunting area with old camps lining the shore since the 1800s. The Bay is also very shallow and the wind will literally blow the water out in a few hours leaving your boat high and dry. Conversely, it can get real deep, real quick.
So the boy and I hunted flooded corn fields. They flood them anywhere from 6" to 2'. It was his first time in hip boots. His first shot with the 20 gauge 3" sent him backwards off his stool into the drink. "I'm good" he says. I told him we could leave at any time if he was cold, but he's a gamer. I made him some hot soup and he wanted to hunt. I shot strictly clean-up and we downed 5 birds. Had duck on the grill that night after some hot showers.
Second day the wind blew harder, we were in the same corn field, and it took nearly a box of shells, but he got one. After he cleaned the duck, we had a burger and a root beer at the bar to celebrate. The final day was bitter cold blue bird day. We shot a Redhead early on, but that's it. He was starting to get cold so we called it. On the walk or wade back, he was behind me when I heard a yell, then it stopped just as suddenly. Yep, down goes Frazier! The boy took a header in thigh deep water. Complete faceplant with his hat floating. I got him upright and we double timed it to the truck. I fired up the heater to 80* and stripped him as he was getting hypothermic. I stripped and put my dry clothes on him to warm him up. Broke the basic speed law back to camp. Interesting scene with me in my longjohns and him in my XXL clothes rolling up to the showers. Another long hot shower, some warm food, and he was good to go.
This is our first real hunting adventure together. And he's already planning on joining me for Fur & Feather weekend where I avoid Black Friday like the plague and hunt ducks and deer that weekend. I'm pretty excited. I haven't had a such fun with a hunting partner since my brother passed in '07. It's a good thing.
