10-08-2013, 03:31 AM
Well, my experience on Saturday started off not so great, but ended well. My buddy and I decided it would be just as easy to hike into the spot I wanted as opposed to load up my boat and battle everyone at the marina. Got out and set up by 6:00 am, and only came across one other set of guys (gave us a nice quack call on our walk in). This was about right where I wanted to set up from my scouting trip the day before. Well, we trudged out to the plan B spot, which I was still quite confident about. As we are sitting there for the longest hour ever (Utah county gets to start at 7:00[:p]). There was boat, after boat, after boat piling in around us. Guys yelling at their dogs, being loud as hell all around. People kept moving closer and closer. I would quack then shine my light their way. A couple got the idea, some didn't care at all, and others were just ignorant. I had a guy shout to me "is there someone right here?", to what I replied "Yes, we are about 40-50 yards over here. The guy responds "What?" as if I said "nope, nobody here. Then sets up shop. I had groups on three sides of me within 60 yards. Well, I have been on the opener before, and didn't expect a whole lot less. 6:50 hit and I said to my buddy "I'm really surprised no one has shot yet", since I know how this usually goes, and there were a lot of birds flying from being kicked up everywhere. No sooner did that come out of my mouth, and BANG. Followed by, bang, bang, bang. I bet there were 120-150 shots in the next 5 minutes. I knew there would be early shots, but WOW. I wasn't expecting 200+ before the first legal minute. What I thought was amusing was that I could see just enough to where I could tell that at least 95% of what was flying over us were coots. Anyways, once 6:59 hit, I racked a shell in and said "1 minute and we are joining in the madness". I love decoying birds, but it wasn't happening on this day, they were getting shot at before they even thought about landing. So, I pass shot ducks as they came in for a close enough look. Almost all ducks around were GWT, but my buddy did manage a drake and hen mallard, as well as a shoveler. I filled my limit with the mini fighter jets (GWT). I love shooting at those buggers, they can go from rocketing in, to vertical like nothing. We were limited by 8:57, and back to the truck by 9:21. Plenty of ducks still flying. All in all, a fun morning. My buddy had never shot a limit, and said it was the most fun duck hunt he had been on, so that has to count for something.
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