Opening weekend was a welcome chance to dust the cobwebs off the shotguns, set the decoys and put our strategies back to work. The only thing missing was steady bird traffic.
Warm weather kept the skies quiet
Warm early-season days gave the birds little reason to move. Numbers were low, movement was limited and the action stayed slow through most of the weekend.
Those conditions meant settling in for the long haul. We stayed in the blind from 6 a.m. until 6 p.m., watching the skies, working the decoys and waiting for the limited opportunities that did develop.
Five mallards and a hard-earned return
We wrapped up the weekend with five mallards—three hens and two drakes. The opening-weekend photo captures two of the drakes and one hen from the total harvest.
The birds did not make it easy, but that is part of what made every opportunity count. After months away from the blind, simply being back behind the decoys felt like a win.
The best part was the time together
Long hours and slow skies tested our patience, but the conversations and laughs made every hour worthwhile. A good hunt is not measured only by the final count; sometimes the memories are built during the quiet stretches between birds.
Now we are looking ahead and hoping cooler weather brings more movement and more opportunities over the decoys. Until then, we are grateful to be back in the blind with good company.