"Only a Mallard"

I get it: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.  But having grown up hunting in the Deep South and despite an exotic waterfowl species totaling about 100 huntable species world-wide, the splendor of decoying greenheads remains one of the most fundamental beauties in waterfowling - a heart-thumper every time. 

A couple of guests from the island-nation of Malta brought fresh perspective to things we might otherwise take for granted.  Malta, for those like me that can't place it on a map without googling, is a small island-nation situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea.  Twenty-one by 14 miles in size, its population is nearly a half-million.  Some of the oldest remains of human civilization, pre-dating Stone Henge, are there.  Through time it’s been occupied by nearly everyone in that part of the world.  Land, let alone hunting property, is scarce.  Barbeque ribs, southern baked beans, fried chicken and corn on the cob, I learned, are completely non-existent.  But I’ve never met more zealous wildfowlers, more competent hunters or better shots.

Hunters and bird collectors, GetDucks.com arranged their trip from the middle of the Mediterranean Sea to the middle of the Bering Sea to hunt King Eiders.  They’re the first from their country to have hunted them.  An invitation to join us in Mississippi was quickly accepted because it’s right here in Mississippi that their most-prized species would be hunted.

“A wood duck,” said Stephen, “I’ve dreamed of shooting one since I was only 6 years old.”

“And a drake gadwall,” said Patrick, “And a ring-necked duck, and a blue-winged teal, and hooded merganser, if possible!”

Following 2 blustery days weathered-in on St. Paul Island, Alaska, their arrival to Mississippi coincided with the last week of duck hunting season and a major cold front.  There were not only lots of ducks, but plenty of the best kinds – new ducks.  Mallard ducks.

We quickly checked off most of their wish list during the first few days.  Rance and I were astounded to see such consistently great shooting – solving once and for all that it’s the Indian, not the arrow . Our retrievers were kept busy.   We were invited to the fabled North Mississippi stomping grounds of the Swamp Warlock himself, who expended considerable effort penetrating the farthest reaches of the brake for a morning of purely magical duck hunting.  We even called in a couple flocks of Giant Canadas.  “Keep whistling,” Partick urged as I drew them nearer through the squat cypress with a honker call that sees too-little use in Mississippi.

That was the morning they scraped a drake wood duck from the stratosphere in one of the most spectacular shots I can recall - you could have whistled Dixie twice by the time that bird hit the ground.  It hit a single limb as it fell.  That was enough:  Stephen sprinted the distance to his trophy of a lifetime only to learn that the beautiful drake had become decapitated and was better suited or the smoker than  the taxidermist. I've ever seen anything like it in my life, the look on his face, I mean.

That was also the morning that as waves of winter-exiled mallards and gadwalls piled into the swamp with reckless abandon that Stephen first-uttered those words that stopped me dead in my tracks, however briefly.  “It’s only a mallard,” he said.  One that ended up on my strap.

The official State Bird of Mississippi, the otherwise ubiquitous Wood Duck, evaded us for 4 straight days with several missed opportunities thrown in for good measure.  As I explained to our Maltese guests, their disregard for King Green had likely angered the duck gods!

They eventually got their trophy wood ducks.  Once the ice was broken, there were plenty of them, and for the remainder of the week they added mallards to their straps – but not without reservation; not without playfully reminding us that they were “only mallards.”

What's your "duck of  a lifetime"?

Ramsey Russell  is a certified  wildlife biologist.  He owns and operates GetDucks.com, a full-time, full-service agency specializing in world-wide trophy duck species and epic wingshooting adventures.  Exploring the world's wetlands for the best client duck hunting experiences is an occupation, but Ramsey most enjoys duck hunts in Mississippi with family and friends when time allows.  It’s always duck season somewhere.