*2:00 a.m. Alarm goes off*
*Snooze*
*2:10 a.m. Alarm goes off*
*Snooze*
*2:20 a.m. Alarm goes off*

You can’t help but think to yourself, “I should probably just sleep in” but you get up anyway.

“Here we go again boys”, you mutter as roll out of your bunk, already 10 minutes late.

Like some crazy camouflaged tornado you and your buddies grab the gear, throwing it in your ice covered, trash layered, gas always on empty hunting truck. You crank‘er up, hoping there’s enough time to defrost the windshield that you forgot to cover up last night. You hurry back inside and poor a thermos full of coffee, sleepy eyed.

It’s been 5 hunts since you’ve killed enough to talk about, and it still wasn’t enough to post on your social media (which is another subject). The early mornings are taking their toll on you, both mentally, and physically. It’s a tough life, this thing they call duck hunting. Up before 3:00 a.m., hunt until almost noon, grab a bite to eat, and scout till dark. You try to fit a nap in after lunch and between scouting trips, but it’s never enough. The dog doesn’t even want to get out of bed. Your wife/girlfriend hasn’t seen you in a week, and your catching wrath from that too.

Somehow, you make it to the ramp just in time to wait an hour before you launch. Don’t worry though, you’re only the 14th truck in line. Once you finally get all the way to where you’re going, there’s three boats already in the hole. You say a few choice words as you turn the boat towards plan B, then plan C, and finally plan D (which was never a plan at all). You make it there just in time to set up. Your hands are close to being frost bitten from the boat ride, and your toes are already numb. As you throw decoys into the water, you drop your favorite headlamp and have to fish it out. You sit for 5 hours, and kill….. one duck. 

You do nothing but complain for the next several hours, and debate how much you should sell your hunting gear for at the local pawn shop. Your thoughts wonder throughout the day, thinking maybe tomorrow could be the day it all comes together! Then you get up and do it all over again the next morning.

Sound about right?

Thought so…

Matt Hickey

Southern Outdoor Legacy (S.O.L)