Conservation Corner: February 1, 1999

Reminiscing About a Few Good Duck Hunts
by James L. Cummins

The duck season ended this past Sunday; it was my best season.

On opening day, after my friend Leigh kept me out late at the grand opening of the Broad Street Baking Company and Cafe, I travelled to one of the most beautiful "duck holes" I had ever seen. It was on the Mississippi River not too far from Charles Evers' home in Fayette.

We met Jeff, James, Jeffery, Steve, Ray and Brooks, all from Brookhaven, for the hunt. As luck would have it, it was pouring down rain. But the rain was welcomed. If it wasn't for it and the efforts of landowners pumping water on their on land or the results of the early water provided by Senator Thad Cochran's Wildlife Habitat Incentives Program, any available habitat prior to opening day only existed in our dreams. Nevertheless, the hunt was superb.

On another occasion, I went on a combination deer and duck hunt. At one time I had five bucks in my scope; one had at least a 18" spread, but it was too far. The next day my old friend John, Clayton and myself hunted ducks. Another person was supposed to join us, but he had to leave and be a guest on Face The Nation - an excuse that most of my hunting partners never use! The hunt turned out great.

But my favorite hunt was deep in the heart of the Delta. In fact, if we had not even shot a duck, it would have been an experience I will always cherish. I met Fred, Ernie and Joe at 5:15 a.m. for the short ride to Ernie and Fred's own little piece of paradise. After getting to their place, we went by 4-wheelers to the pit blind. After putting out about 3 dozen decoys, we all got in the pit and waited for legal shooting time - another 15 minutes.

After about 5 minutes the sun began to rise and ducks blackened the sky. I had never in my life - all 33 years of it - seen so many ducks. Mallards were landing almost in the pit. It was an amazing site. A few minutes after legal shooting time (we actually forgot about it), we quickly shot our four mallards. "Let's not take our 'off ducks' and go ahead and leave so the birds can feed," whispered Fred. We gathered the decoys and went back to camp. After about 30 minutes of reminiscing about sight before the hunt, Fred said breakfast was ready. It was a delicious sausage and egg casserole that Fred's wife, Barbara, had prepared the night before - and my second helping was even better!

On my last hunt I had two friends in from Atlanta on a hunt that we had been planning for 2 months. After taking only three ducks, watched the sky turn green due to a passing tornado and weathered a marbled-sized hail storm, we left the borrow pit near Lake Lee. I then called my mother to see if she was ok. She asked me if I went duck hunting and I repled "absolutely not." She then informed that only a fool would get out in that weather. I did not disagree.

Great hunting. Great friends. Great food. Great conservation efforts. What else do you need? A great season, you ask? Oh yea, we had that too. But getting it created a lot of fowl language!

James L. Cummins is Executive Director of the Mississippi Fish and Wildlife Foundation in Stoneville, Mississippi. Known as "Wildlife Mississippi," the Foundation is a non-profit, conservation organization founded to conserve, restore and enhance fish, wildlife and plant resources throughout Mississippi.