Woodland Trails: Great day of duck hunting

• Wisconsin duck hunters on opening day

The opening day of Wisconsin duck hunting was one of the best for columnist Jum Bennett. Among those at the site were, from left, Rob Wilson of Afton, Josh Bennett of River Falls, Megan Chaplin and Jim Chaplin of Somerset. Photo submitted

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Lightning and thunder rocked the sky all afternoon. But still they kept coming. The wind was blowing the rain in sheets.

But still they kept coming.

A light fog made it difficult to see. But still they kept coming. The rain pelted my face and splattered my glasses and ran down my neck. But still they kept coming. Blast after blast from wet soggy shotguns dropped them from the sky. But still they kept coming. The young dogs ran along the dike bringing back wounded and dead ducks.

But still they kept coming.

It was a day that was only fit for ducks. In all my days of waterfowling, it was the second greatest flight I had ever seen. For three hours, they just kept coming, despite the foul weather. Green heads and Susies along with blue- and green-winged teal, widgeon, gadwall and some nice flocks of pintails made up our bag.

It was the second weekend of the Wisconsin duck season and we in the right place at the right time.

A week earlier we had opened the season, our 33rd annual duck camp in northern Wisconsin. This year’s group made up of part family — son Josh and daughter Erin — our friend Jim Chaplin and his young daughter Megan, Rob “You can count on Me” Wilson and, later, Chris Valentine.

But the most anticipated guests were our young dogs who had just turned a year old. Males, drake and cub and females Nala and Teal, all pure “Bing’s hunting dockers.”

You more than likely have not heard of this breed because it is a breed I have developed since 1975. They are a Labrador/springer spaniel cross with one fascinating characteristic. They are born with a docked tail. They have the intensity and speed of a springer with the heart and determination of a lab, all in a 45-pound package.

All summer we had worked them until they were up on hand signals, started on a whistle while delivering to hand. And as we dropped ducks on the opener they all performed well. In fact Nala and Teal both brought back dead ducks we had never shot! Drake was awesome on hand signals while Cub made the longest retrieve attempt with his never-say-die attitude. On the opener we ended up with between 20 and 30 ducks, a better than average opener but not as good as some.

Going back for the second weekend was a bit disappointing as far as duck numbers went — until the rains came. With the Packers losing their game I decided to go check out the flight because I knew that rainy weather will often trigger some awesome flights, and that is just what we stumbled into.

But it was hard shooting in the bad weather with wet glasses, rain-soaked clothing and cold hands.

But still they kept coming.

I knocked down one teal that landed on the west side of the dike I was standing on. I sent Teal after it but three times she failed to find the bird. While I watched more ducks buzzing in on the horizon and coming in waves, from four to 40 birds, I noticed Teal on the other side of the dike. She was chasing a wounded duck. The dog knew the duck was not where I thought it was. Her nose told her where to find it. It was the same message I had received from other dogs in the past.

Trust the dog’s nose.

This year’s duck camp was as awesome as all the others, for the most part. Lots of good food. A youngster, Megan Chaplin, learning about ducks and getting up before dark despite her young age. And it was also my daughter Erin’s first attempt at actual duck hunting. In years past she had just come along for the fun as an 8-year-old girl like Megan was doing this year.

But now that she was 24, she was finding out that there was so much more. She fell in love with duck hunting and took her first duck on a nifty shot from the front of a little pintail duck skiff.

And of course, there were the wolves howling during the night, excitement of a moose seen a week earlier and whooping cranes in the area.

But for me it was the day the ducks kept coming that brings back the most memories. Cold and wet, the kids headed home while I walked to my car and found out I had a dead battery. I had no cell phone.

I spent the night in the swamp with my dog Teal in a little Toyota Camry. The next morning, a wet and rainy Monday, I found another duck hunter was on the swamp and he gave me a jump so I could make it home. But I didn’t care. It just added to the mystique of another day and night in the swamp and more duck camp under our belts!

Tags: outdoors, wisconsin, bennett, duck, hunting