Faron's OUTDOOR Series!

WHAT DID I JUST DO?

I've sat in a tree stand before, until dark. That's when your imagination creates monsters.

To sit in the evening in the woods of Michigan, it's a beautiful time to quiet the mind, that is, until the sun goes down.

Duck hunting is going out in dark and waiting for the sun to come up. Similarly, if you deer hunt in the morning, you head out in the dark and wait for first light. But duck hunting is a world in and of itself.

If you haven't sat quietly in the woods for deer or any other animal, I highly recommend it. We only have small patches of wilderness nowadays. There aren't too many places in Lower Michigan you will truly get lost. You will run into a house or a McDonalds sooner or later.

But if you climb into a tree stand, and sit for just a small while, you will be surrounded by a world you were too busy to notice.

All of a sudden, the trees come alive. Suddenly you realize every tree is a home. Every patch of brush and bundle of ugly weeds is covering a hole in the ground that is a home to some kind of animal. Suddenly, you are not in YOUR element anymore. You're in the animals' elements. They don't need cars here. They don't need medicine here.

I remember sitting in a tree stand watching a coyote in the back 12 acres of the property I was hunting, just going about her day. This coyote trotted along with a muskrat in her mouth, not smelling me, but busily going about her day- just feet from me, but not far from where I slept either! There is a world that exists right outside your window that cares only about how they get to the next day. Nature.

There is a magical understanding that happens in the quiet of the woods. But in the field, it's different.

Awaiting the noisy arrival of ducks or geese is a different kind of hunting. It welcomes conversation, and dogs!

It really strikes me when I saw the amount of work it took for setup alone.

I wasn't much help since this was my first time out, so Birch (Britts' white lab) and I were very vigilant supervisors.

After Britt put on his waders and put the duck decoys in the water, then AFTER he put out the land decoys, then AFTER he set up the blind, and then AFTER he got his duck calls, and AFTER he got Birches life vest on, then AFTER he got his ammo in his gun FINALLY we were able to step into the blind and stand.

Yes, stand.

Britt forgot the chairs.

I suppose this is something to easily slip your mind when you have so many other things you're carrying into the field, and it took multiple trips.

So alas, we stood and chatted. I didn't mind. And as birds flew into the sky from nearby fields, Britt and Eric would call the birds to our field.

The dogs heard this and immediately stood at attention. What a sight.

These dogs ENJOY their work.

And if you know me, you know I LOVE dogs. Yes, I always want to 'Pet That Dawggg'.

Sure, the dogs are cold, sure they are wet, (granted they get to sit) but will they do this till they drop? Yep.

They love the hunt. They love it just as much as their owners.

Eric with his black female labrador Jesse-and Britt with his male white labrador Birch.

As the birds came into our field the guys dropped their calls, picked up their guns and shot. Not before Eric yanked on the jerk rig (connected to the decoys in the water) to create ripples in the water to gain the duck's trust.

The ducks slapped the water.

The dogs waited. With a brisk and subtle call, which I missed a lot of the time, the dogs sprang into the water, retrieved their fowl and came back, ready to go again.

It was such a fun thing to be able to capture through my lens.

Hunting ducks doesn't require dead silence, but it is SUCH a discipline.

It doesn't take just getting good with a gun.

You need to know the ducks. The seasons, the weather, and the terrain, AND if you have access to some.

You need to be a part of a community that allows you the privilege to hunt some great honey holes. Are you friendly? Ambitious enough?

Did you get your duck licenses?

Do you know the difference between Black Ducks and Mallards as they fly in the snow or sunny sky?

You need to train yourself to communicate with a dog too. Does your dog listen to you? I bet it doesn't. Not like this. Not like it NEEDS to.

Then you need to communicate with ducks! And do you know how many different kinds of ducks there are? ALOT.

To know your quarry, is to be successful.

Then you need to train yourself for discipline. Are you willing to get up before the sun and TRY to feed your family?

What if you pick the wrong call and the ducks never even come close?

What if you are seen?

And did you know you shouldn't look directly up at the ducks if they fly overhead? They will see the oil on your face and fly away.

I had to learn fast so as not to ruin the hunt for these guys...and the dogs!

I found this sport to be a real discipline. I learned about duck anatomy. I learned diver ducks aren't good eating.

(Debatable I've heard)

I actually forgot to start taking pictures!

I was mesmerized by the calls and the dogs, and the guns, and the tricks of the trade. I didn't realize I had enough light to capture moments that I couldn't tear my eyes from.

But when I did remember what I was there for, I captured some amazing photos you can see below.

Some insight I took away from this day was...

How many people have ever eaten meat that DIDN'T come from the grocery store?

(I would highly recommend it)

Do I have the self-discipline to do something like this in the cold, dark mornings?

What sport do I love enough to get dressed at 5:30 on a cold Sunday? (photography came to mind)

Hunters are the true wilderness conservators.

Without wildlife management and funds from hunters, many species would of went extinct long ago.

Dog training starts with a passionate soul. An owner that respects his dog, is a lover of all things wild. (Put that on a t-shirt)

What would you say you are? An outdoors person? A hunter? A city-slicker?

Either one you choose, one thing is for sure, we don't all have to be the same or even agree, but we do need to respect the hunter for the discipline and passion that is his life.

Hunters are what WE ARE as human beings, no matter how you fight it.

It's genetic.

It's primitive.