Struggling to catch my breath, pulling my sinking self from the mud, and honestly, wishing I had slept in a little longer; I was beginning to regret my decision to take off work and go teal hunting with a couple of friends
I had high expectations for the location. Typically, we limit out within an hour or, at the very least, come close to limiting out by the end of the hunt.
This time was completely different. We did not fire a single shot.
We saw tons of birds but they had no intention of sticking around. They had been shot at all weekend long and knew better than to stay on the marsh and once again run the risk of being shot.
With our heads hung low and shoulders slouched we packed up and made the death march back towards the Jeep.
It was in that 100 mile walk back, okay maybe 200 yards, but it felt like a lot longer due to me being way out of shape, that I questioned not only my sanity but also the worthiness of waterfowl hunting.
Is it really worth waking up at three A.M., tromping through knee deep mud only to stand there and shoot the breeze for a few hours?
YES!
No matter how awful I felt in that moment I still believe it is worth it to get out there and chase after waterfowl. To build friendships in the marsh that last a lifetime and to create memories that are tough to forget.