Almost Over

Another one bites the dust,that's all she wrote,the fat lady has sung.Many phrases come to mind now the duck season is officially over.The goose season goes for another few weeks locally and I may try and get out one more time.It was another year of learning with very little headache beyond the normal.I got the chance to go hunting with some great people I have been out with before and I made some clutch connections that should help me broaden my hunting area in the next few seasons.So I will simply review the last week of the season and more or less put up a bunch of pictures.

I got off the boat with a little over a week to go in the duck season in Virginia and Maryland.Naturally I wanted to get out everyday however the lack of birds in my normal honey holes had me change up game plans,meaning I slept in a few days.The first day I was home my brother the nutty professor,my friend Kevin and I went out to what is normally one of our afternoon spots.Kevin and I had some luck with pass shooting ducks a month before and we were literally covered in geese.The season was closed on geese a month ago so they received a free pass.This time however the season was open.Heading into the creek we spooked a few dozen roosting geese hoping we didn't just blow our chance.The geese flew well that morning,well above our heads that is.We ended up calling a single in and with a team effort that can only be described as three seconds of hell,the goose didn't make it past the wall of steel we threw into the air.Heading back to the dock is when the day took a serious turn south.

Coming into the creek by the park to the boat ramp we heard yelling on the shoreline.It was impossible to understand the man yelling as he was visibly upset.I eased the duck boat toward the shoreline and two more men joined in yelling in our direction.It became clear they were pointing to something in the water.It wasn't until it was alongside the boat we all noticed it was a person.I couldn't tell you what was going through my head,I don't remember.All we knew was this was real and it was happening now.My friend Kevin,seated in the bow,grabbed the mans jacket.My brother,seated in the middle,grabbed the decoy retrieval pole and hooked his waist.I eased the boat over to the shore.Unfortunately the brush was heavy on the shoreline and we couldn't quite get close enough.I opened the motor up and rammed through some heavy brush to get us as close as possible.The police were now showing up but nobody was prepared to get in the water.My brother jumped out of the boat and between him and Kevin got him to shore.We were all worked up with adrenaline and I took the boat to the ramp.Waiting on the ramp while the armada of police and EMT personel worked on the man.He was loaded into an ambulance and carried to the hospital.We were told he had a slight pulse.This is where the story takes an even stranger turn.

The details came out soon after the man was hauled away.The original man on the shoreline stated the following.The victim pulled up in his truck,parked,got out,walked down the dock and jumped into the creek.We couldn't believe it and I still can't to this day.He turned out to be a 79 year old man.The worst part about this entire situation,the man was declared deceased upon arriving at the hospital.I guess nobody will ever know the reason why he jumped in.I contemplated for quite some time whether or not to tell this story here.I have told my close family and a few friends but it's one of those times you just keep thinking if you could of done anything else to help.Maybe if he did survive he would be pissed off we saved him.I will carry on with the story of my last few days of the season in a few days.