#1 reason?

[fishingmike0770]

What is the #1 reason that we get up incredibly early, sit in the rain,and freeze our toes off waiting to get a chance to shoot at a duck? Why do we do it?

[Sartell Angler]

now that is a tough one...I'd have to say the whole experience in general--

getting your gear all ready the night before, the ride to the landing as you blare John Anderson from your cd player to really wake youreself and your hunting buddies up, the fact that almost nobody else in your town is yet awake, the boat ride to the spot, setting up the spread just right, the camaraderie in the blind, the excitement of a flock locking onto your spread as you give 'em a greeting call, the thrill of pulling off that crossing shot in a 30 mph wind, the disbelief you have as your dog makes a retrieve you didn't know it could make, or the anticipation of seeing a few black dots on the horizon heading your direction....

I can't put my finger on it exactly, but I right now I know that there is nothing that I would rather do than to set my alarm for 5 am and plan on getting up for a day of duckhunting rather than a morning of work and an afternoon of business classes....

good post!

SA/wdw

[Eric Wettschreck]

One word.........addiction.

[simcox282]

My life melts away--- There is no phone ringing, no deadlines, no computers to fix, no bills to pay, just friends, my dog, family. The anticipation of what is coming, the challenge of doing things right, the learning of something new, it is everything with that comes to hunting-- that is the most important stuff --

[lawdog]

I always thought the question was why WOULDN'T you????

Never even occured to me to ask it this way...

[kc0myy]

Yes I love the outdoors and getting up in the at 5am and going duck hunting. Walking out in waders and getting stuck falling down in ice cold water. BUT I LOVE DUCK HUNTING AND LOVE EATTING DUCK. My friend and I going out hunting and bring the ducks to his grandma's house she cookes them up about a week later after opening weekend. We have been doing this for 2 years and I love ever hour of it. That way I go duck hunting. JUSTIN

[kc0myy]

Yes I love the outdoors and getting up in the at 5am and going duck hunting. Walking out in waders and getting stuck falling down in ice cold water. BUT I LOVE DUCK HUNTING AND LOVE EATTING DUCK. My friend and I going out hunting and bring the ducks to his grandma's house she cookes them up about a week later after opening weekend. We have been doing this for 2 years and I love ever hour of it. That why I go duck hunting. JUSTIN

[Ray Esboldt]

I've never thought about it, never will. I've always assumed that I am supposed to do that.

[hanson]

Quote:

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I always thought the question was why WOULDN'T you????

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I agree!!

I really think the reason I still hunt is my dad & grandpa. They are both alive & kicking and I still hunt & fish with them alot. But I do think when they are gone, times I spent in the boat and blind with them will be my fondest memories and I don't want to miss the opportunity while I still have it.

[JerknPerchSD]

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[RonZ]

mike come on what kind of question is that i could think of 1 gillon reasons.

[Redwalleye]

Every one has their own reason, whether it is their release, the atmosphere, the challenge. Whatever it is Im proud and thankful that Im able to take part in such things that may seem like "insanity" to others. If in fact it is insanity I dont want to be sane and will enjoy every moment in the freezing cold and rain.

cut em close

[jblabsnduck]

My answer is a combination of boilerguy and Jerknperch s answers. There is nothing better than waterfowling.

[Sartell Angler]

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[tealitup]

Waterfowling for me. Its an expression of my soul with nature - the ability to be happy not taking a limit or even getting one. The time spent to ponder the meaning of life, nature and come up with some great advice for the world.

It is taking a young hunter out for the first time - seeing excitment in their eyes.

Its going out with my father, who took me out hunting for years and having to "back him up."

The beauty of an early morning - sunrise - mid day peace - dusk.

The number one reason... at one moment in time - I have something no one else has...because it can only happen in my eyes.

(maybe does not make sense)

[Rainman]

I agree with Sartell Angler!!

[Sartell Angler]

Quote:

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The number one reason... at one moment in time - I have something no one else has...because it can only happen in my eyes.

(maybe does not make sense)

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I think I get what you are saying...if anyone remember's what Burgess Meredith said in either Grumpy Old Men or Grumpier Old Men when he was talking about what life is all about..."its all about the experiences, Johnny" Could definitely apply what he was saying to waterfowling.

SA/wdw

[fishingmike0770]

Agree with Sartell Angler and SA's signature says it!

[JerknPerchSD]

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[jblabsnduck]

Lets face it, the #1 reason we hunt is to kill something. Hard fact, be it a deer, duck or goose. We are out there to kill something.

Yes, the sunrise, sounds and sights are all part of hunting. But who dosen't want to HEAR a flock a birds buzz you or who dosen't want to SEE a flock of birds locked on to your spread???? We all do, that is why we are out there and when you hear and see those birds come piling into your decoys you don't just sit there and watch them(unless you already have a limit), You pull the trigger and for what? to kill a bird or two.

A guy puts in his time to do just that, pull the trigger when birds are piling in to his spread.

Killing is what we do and YES it is killing no matter how you look at it.

Duck hunting means the world to me, it is what I live for(just ask my wife) I love all the sights and sounds but those sights and sounds include gun shots and birds junkin into my spread.

We have traditions, we always let the first bird come in and leave un-touched( and the list could be a mile long of others.). But after that first one it is game time.

Who here wouldn't want a limit of birds? we all do. Yes I can be very satisfied if I don't kill a limit because I at least got to be away from this messed up world by going to my own little world where I can't be bothered. On good days I get to watch them birds junk in if not so be it.

[BLACKJACK]

jblabsnducks, you're right, ultimately we're all out hunting to shoot something. I've always said that in both duck hunting and fishing, if you go out 10 times, you'll have a few outings where you get skunked, a few where you have a little shooting, then you'll have a couple where the ducks keep on coming, you blast thru a box of shells, and you have a great time. Those are the expeditions that keep you coming back.

As you get older, the killing a batch of ducks gets less important, and the sunrises and companionship and camaraderie are more important. And lets face it, water fowling is hard work, whether you're launching the boat at O dark thirty in cold temps or setting decoys with chest waders in knee deep muck or setting out hundreds of field decoys, its hard work. As you get older, you tend to not put in the time, plus you have work and family commitments that make you appreciate just getting out hunting, seeing the sunrise, listening to the sounds of the swamp coming alive, a hen mallard quaking.

[mr wizard]

Pre-Dawn,sunrise, sounds, kids in blind, but ultimatly to hear "mark, feet down, TAKE EM" !! BOOM BOOM BOOM! "Nice shot kiddo". We like shooting the guns!

[JerknPerchSD]

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[Sartell Angler]

jblabs- obviously our main goal when we go out duck hunting is to shoot ducks...hence the high-fives and smiles after we've pulled a few greenheads out of a flock...BUT, if a guy admits that his only reason for being out there is killing as many birds as he can "stack", then I feel he has some growing up to do.

Jerkinperch- nobody is picking on you on this site...its just that most of the people don't agree with a lot of the stuff that shows up on your posts. You bring some good things to this site, so don't think that everyone on here has some sort of a vendetta against you when really they just don't share your opinion on some issues.

SA/wdw

[jblabsnduck]

We use that term "whack and stack" all the time. It is just a saying and nothing more.

When you are talking about hunting snow geese, we ARE out to kill as many as we can but that is a whole different story.

We will kill what the law says we can kill.

We have had shoots where there was 3 of us and we hammered the birds and when we where done and the smoke cleared I am sure one of us said " that is how you whack and stack'em"

Like I said, it is just a saying.

I think there are a handful of people on here that have some very good input on duck hunting and I view you as one of them just as much as I view JerknPerch as one of them. The rest, well I will leave that alone but I will say that I don't take to much advise from very many.

[Sartell Angler]

some good points there...I think our group has said the phrase too on a couple of occasions in which we had done particularly well...like you said it is just a phrase, but with some people it becomes a mindset, and that I see as a problem. I have nothing against someone going out and shooting their limit of birds, don't get me wrong. The point I was trying to make was that I think there is a lot about waterfowling that is just as important to a lot of hunters as the killing is, and if someone doesn't get anything more out of waterfowling than the killing, then they are missing out on something there.

SA/wdw

[mr wizard]

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[jblabsnduck]

Last post on this for me.

Yes there are people out there that like nothing more than the kill. I pitty them.

But if you go out and buy as much stuff and work your butt off to put it out I think the kill is not all your hunting is about. You must have a passion for hunting to buy as much stuff as JerknPerchSD. I don't have that much but I have a lot.

A guy that is just out to kill wouldn't spend that much $$$ or time to do so. He is the lazy guy that does nothing but jump shoot and drives around and bust the roost.

[Eric Wettschreck]

JBlabsnduck and JerknperchSD, anytime we can get together and do some hunting, yous guys are more than welcome to join me. We can crack some jokes, watch the sunrise, pick on each other, and with any luck pull the trigger a lot.

[Dean Schellinger]

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