Island Free Press ...Local News

The first morning of crisp, cool weather in the late fall reminds us of the shift from one season to the next. For some people, it brings thoughts of the holiday season soon to come. Others are reminded of the excitement of football season, and some even consider it the beginning of the "off" season, a time to unwind from the hectic pace of summer.   But that first day that the air is sharp and brisk reminds me of hunting season. Duck hunting season, to be exact. On the Outer Banks, duck hunting is the best hunting there is.

My dad was progressive enough to take me hunting with him when I first began to show an interest in waterfowling. He had taken my brother, Kyle, since he was a kid, but I did not care to go until my teen-age years. I was actually surprised to be included in the traditionally all-male sport when I asked to go. I am very grateful to my brother for not resenting my inclusion. Instead he was encouraging and helpful. Over the years, the days I have spent out on the water hunting with my family and close friends have become some of the most memorable of my life.

One day stands out in my mind because it was one of the first days that I managed some success in the duck blind.

The day began long before dawn broke. My dad called to me to wake up and get ready to go. The night before I had found all the necessary layers of clothing and set them out to avoid running around looking for the right socks or coat and missing my chance to go at all.

We loaded everything into the truck and headed for the boat dock. I checked to make sure my hunting license and duck stamp were in my pocket about 10 times, so I would not get in trouble for forgetting them. At the dock, we transferred all our gear to my dad’s skiff and began the comical feat of getting into neoprene waders. That done, and bundled up into four other layers of clothing, we headed out into the coming daylight.   The boat ride was very cold. Actually, just about everything about duck hunting involves being very cold, but you just have to try not to think about it. The spray of the water from the boat tastes like salt, and you have to keep turning your head to avoid the big splashes. It was a bit of a miserable ride. Finally, we got to the place we would hunt from, and my dad slowed the boat way down. The sky was much lighter, and I could see the miles of water all around us. The island was just a shadow in the distance. The sky was very big, and the colors of the sunrise were bursting in the east.

It is a busy time right before the official daylight because you want to be ready to shoot when it is legal time and when the ducks begin to move. The boat must be secured, and then you have to wade out a long way in the sound water to get to the blind. This is one of the few times of the day that you actually get hot in all those layers of clothes. Wading in the sound in neoprene waders is somewhat difficult when you are also carrying your shotgun, ammunition, and assorted other gear.

The duck blind is a small, wooden box that is camouflaged and open on top, so hunters can stand up and shoot. It is usually elevated on pilings. You can often see duck blinds offshore in the sound, especially from the Hatteras Inlet ferry or the Bonner Bridge. Once you get to the blind, the decoys are set out around it to show the ducks flying overhead that this might be a good place to land. When all this was done, we got in the blind, got settled, and then we began to wait. And wait. And wait.

Now this sounds very boring, but it is not. While you are waiting, a kind of hushed excitement pervades you. With my eyes constantly on the lookout in the distance, I was thinking about how I had practiced shooting and shooting safety with the hope that I would actually get what I was shooting at. And, of course, I was hoping that there would be something to shoot! I was trying to be still, which is difficult for me, and quiet, which is even more difficult for me

Ducks were flying far away from us, and Daddy would identify what kind they were by their shapes and flight movements. We talked some, quietly, about things, and when ducks came in near us, he would call to them with the duck call, mimicking their noises.   Pretty soon, a pair of pintails came near enough to see our decoys and hear Daddy’s duck call. They swung by for a closer look. Daddy quietly began to coach me to get ready. I began to get very excited. The pintails were close but not close enough, and I aimed and shot at....nothing. They spooked and headed off in another direction. Overall, ducks are pretty safe from me. He gave me a quick lesson at judging distance in the air and explained how to be ready but not move too soon. And we waited once again. We watched some brant on the other side of the reef and saw some gadwalls off in the distance.

Not too much later, another pair of pintails came close to us. We got the duck calls out again and whistled to get them closer. I got ready, and I stayed calmer. I waited for them to get much closer than before, and then I aimed and shot. I missed one, but shot again and got the other. Beside me Daddy shot and hit the first one that I had missed. They both went down. Daddy went and picked them up from the water. I couldn’t believe that I had hit mine. While I am somewhat tender-hearted and felt the need to apologize to the duck, we still enjoyed them very much for dinner later that week.

Most of all, I was proud of the work it took to learn how to shoot and happy to have a father who would take the time to show me what the tradition of hunting here is all about. The day always ends before you know it, and soon it was time to go. We packed up and headed back in to shore. I thought about the experiences of the morning as we rode back to the dock. Things like the early quietness before the whole island is awake, the sounds of the water splashing and hitting up against the frame of the blind, the smell of the shotgun powder after missing my first chance at a duck that morning, and the sights of the distant flocks of ducks over the reef. But most of all, I thought about spending the day with my dad and how much fun we had together.

(Natalie Perry Kavanagh grew up on Hatteras Island and lives in Frisco. She works in her family’s business, Frisco Rod & Gun and Frisco Shopping Center.)

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Hatteras and Ocracoke hunting guides

On Hatteras Island:

Ken Dempsey Guide Service. 252-986-2555.
Diamond Shoals Guide Service. 252-475-0402.

On Ocracoke Island:

Ronnie O’Neal. 252-928-4841.
Open Water Duck Hunting. Wade Austin. 252-928-7170.
Russell Williams. 252-928-4408.
Island Guide Services. Kenneth Tillett and Earl Gaskins. 252-928-2504.
Ocracoke Waterfowl Hunting. Monroe Gaskill. 252-928-5751.

Hunting licenses and waterfowl seasons

For information on licenses, seasons, and bag limits, check out the North Carolina Wildlife Commission’s Web site at http://www.ncwildlife.org/