Michigan Youth Hunt

DATE: September 20,2009
YOUTH HUNTERS: Ryan Robinette, Madison Sage, Mykala Sasse and Jaden Sasse.

Michigan held its annual youth waterfowl hunt on September 19th and 20th this year. The youth hunt is a good way to get the kids out and get them exposed to waterfowl hunting. This year, I also had a new pup in the mix and this was a good opportunity to get him some field experience. The field we hunted was an overgrown wheat field with lots of cover to hide the Ground Force Blinds, so we were expecting some close encounters.

This morning's heavy dew clung to everything and as the sun peaked over the horizon, so I was glad we were using FFD's. The first flocks of ducks came just as legal shooting light set in and with a little coaxing from the PH-2 wings were cupped. A healthy mix of Mallards, Blacks and Pintails started to tornado down around us, then shots rang out from the 20's and we had our first birds on the ground. I was amazed how well these kids picked their shots and put into practice the safety lessons that had been drilled in their heads by their fathers. My new pup gage was also being pretty steady considering this was the first time he has witnessed the tornados.

As the morning progressed, more good shooting resulted in a couple of Honkers in the bag, along with a mixture of Pintails and Mallards. By mid-morning the flight slowed up, signaling an end to a great hunt. After hero shots and a little fun time with the pup, we called it another good day in the field.

What a trip, it's barely after 8:00 on the second day and the three of us have tagged out and headed back to camp just in time to catch biscuits and gravy. It sure is nice when it all works out! Thanks again to Kip for having us up and we'll catch you this fall!