I am always eager for duck season to start at Blue Ash Farm! The early fall mornings while the weather is still somewhat mild, and the sound of whistling wood ducks on the ponds, sloughs and wetlands makes my heart beat like the drum of a grouse in the woods. The sneak through the forest to the hidden pot hole gets more intense with each step closer. Dry leaves crackle under my feet and hidden sticks and twigs snap threatening to alert the ducks to my approach.
Like each time I have made this stalk, my yellow lab, Kali is one step behind, ready to make the final jump, and retrieve any ducks I am lucky enough to drop. Countless times I was caught on my approach and the ducks are off the pond and out of sight before a shot is fired but I’ve been lucky enough to bag a bird now and again. The sound of the gun shot makes Kali crazy excited to jump in the water and return a duck to my hand. Often she runs to the pond looking for a duck on the water but sees nothing as I have missed again! She gives me a look of disgust as she is all charged up and realizes there won’t be a retrieve just yet, but the ducks will return. We will sit in the blind waiting and watching the sky enjoying the sunrise and the songbirds and the sounds and sights of the abundant nature that thrives at Blue Ash Farm.
I never take more ducks then I am willing to eat each season. One or two each day that I am in the blind is plenty for me and my family.
I have spent so much time and money building and maintaining nest boxes for wood ducks and creating habitat, food and shelter that I have helped produce more wood ducks at Blue Ash Farm then I could ever harvest in a single season. I am more of a giver than a taker. I give a lot of my time and my share of money for years only to take a couple of ducks and appreciate the beauty and natural world that is Blue Ash Farm.
