“Farlee and the roller coaster duck”

Larry Farlee and I had built at least 6 blinds on the slough but decided for whatever reason to hunt this day out of my little low side, twelve foot, shallow draft, boat blind.  It was almost a Perot boat.  I had a blind on it and we would pull it to wherever ducks were working.  When we could we would pull it out on the bank and either walk or boat to it.

Scouting for a place to hunt deer Larry signaled for me to come to where he was on the bank of the old creek bed.  I am not exaggerating the water was solid in the bend of the old creek.  They were bank to bank.  This was where we chained my little boat to a nearby tree. 

We had put up many wood duck nesting boxes and kept the nesting material fresh each spring and it showed.

When the early teal and wood duck season came in we had the little Jon boat blind there well ahead of time.

The spot was so successful during the early teal and woody season  we wanted to try it for the regular duck season.

The first morning of the regular duck season we were there early.  We got in and set up.  Eat a hot egg sandwich and had already bagged a couple of mallards.  I was finishing my coffee and Larry signaled me to be ready.  I look up and here comes one  OLD duck that could barely fly.  His flight pattern was like some small birds.  It would flap real hard, stop, flap and on and on at the same time bouncing up and down like on a roller coaster.   I asked Larry if that was what he got my attention for.  Larry shot the duck.  He shot it and I had to retrieve it for he had on knee boots and the water was too deep for them. 

Well that old duck was more traveled than a soldier or sailors duffel bag.  One leg had three bands on it but the other only had two.  There were both state and federal bands.  He sent the numbers in and one had a reward on it for $100 I think it was.  He made fun of the fact that I would not shoot and proceeded to tell me what he was going to do with it.  I said, “No my friend you are buying us more duck decoys” and he did.

I really enjoyed watching Kenny Wilson and Larry Farlee get excited over a few ducks.  I had had my day and it was at the best time ever to grow up in Hickman County.  We could decoy ducks with only fishing jugs painted black.  Now they have been hunted until only the smartest and most cautious survive and they pass on the genes that they hold.  
Larry and Kenny always laughed and called out a number when I reminisced about the old days duck hunting.  They always wanted to give each story a number so I could just say "#12" and they could remember the story and laugh.  I have no idea why they thought that was funny.