Matt and I have hunted ducks for several years up here and I don't think we have had an easy hunt yet. I was a tad bit skeptical about taking his nine year old son. Could he make the hike into the lake we usually hunt.
"New spot. Easy walk," came the next text.
Ok, now my interest was really on high alert.
"I've got my zodiac skiff on Mike's boat but we can swing by in the morning and get it," I wrote back.
"Won't need it. We'll take my big boat. I've got a kayak on top," Matt answered back.
"Ok, see you at daylight in the morning," I quickly replied.
Darkness was still heavy on the mountains when I met Matt, his son, and his Father-in-law next door. They were busy getting breakfast... doughnuts and coffee.
We chatted our way to the end of the road boat ramp and then had to wait our turn as it seemed the entire island had decided the weather was good enough to get out hunting. Most of the others were hunting deer as the rut had began last week.
Mat piloted the boat in the grey of the morning through the maze of islands and water channels. He did a great job of staying off rocks and sand flats... not an easy task in the area we were to hunt.
We pulled into a nice sheltered cove and Matt idled the big boat to the shore. As the nose of the boat reached the beach I jumped off to catch the boat and immediately filled both of my boots with cold ocean water.
"Wow, It's deeper here than it looks!" I exclaimed to the others. "let the boat get in a bit closer before you jump off!"
The guys unloaded our gear off the boat as I dumped my boots and wrung the water out of my socks.
Matt pulled the big boat out to the center of the cove and dropped the anchor. You really don't want to return at the end of a days hunt to find your boat high and dry on the beach when the tide ebbs out.
Matt paddled back to the beach in his kayak and we dragged it high into the trees above tide line. "Just hope the bears leave it alone," our thoughts echoed.
Now the work begins. We will have to make a hike into the underbrush and up a small mountain to find a little lake Matt had saved onto his phone GPS. None of us had hunted in this area so it can be like looking for the needle in the haystack type of deal.
Every so often we would stop to let Matt bring up his GPS to see if were on the right course. We were kind of wondering around looking for a muskeg that would lead us to the lake.
After topping a brush covered hill we made our way down into the muskeg, and from there easily found the lake.
According to Matt, one of his friends had hiked a little pram skiff into the lake and stashed it out. It did not take us long to find it.
Mallard ducks flushed off the lake as we neared, a good sign for sure. I tried to build excitement in Matt's son by telling him that all these ducks should try and come back to the lake as the day progressed.
We turned the skiff over and launched it into the lily pad covered lake. We had carried a paddle from our boat and with the one in the skiff started making our way to a little island in the lake.
Water began spurting into the skiff.
"Matt, we are taking on water quickly from under your seat," I quietly informed Matt.
He stopped paddling to look. Water was gushing in through a hole that looked about like a bullet hole. Hmmm... It was a race to get to the island before the little skiff filled with water and sank out from under the three of us. We made it with a little free board to spare.
We dragged the skiff onto the island and turned it over. The hole was not a bullet hole, but rather, a bite hole from a brown bear. We could see where its ring of teeth had bitten into the aluminum boat.One of its big canine teeth had punched right through the hull. Matt found a stick and jammed it into the hole. Problem solved for now. The hole did not leak enough the rest of the day to warrant any concern.
Not only had Matt's friend stashed the boat on the lake, but he had a couple dozen duck decoys stashed on the little island as well. A real treat for hunting a hike-in lake. Matt and I usually hike in two duck decoys, one tail vibrating, and one wing spinning decoy. Even that few of decoys can become very heavy on a several mile mountain climb.
Matt's son had never shot a duck so the order of the day was to see if we could get him his first duck.
The first flock that came in did not present him a shot. Ok, the old men got jumpy and shot them before he could get his safety off and find a duck.
The next one was a single duck and Tyler made a great shot and got his first Mallard duck. We were all proud of him. It was so special for him to have his grandpa there to wittness it.
A few more flocks came in and we managed to get some more, but the day was made when Tyler got his duck.
Darkness comes so early here that by noon we had to start picking up the decoys and begin the whole process of boating, hiking, boating, and then anchor pulling and back to the beach to load everything.
We pulled crab pots on the way home to finish off a great day.
Nothing comes easy in South East Alaska. In the lower 48's a duck hunt is spent mostly in the blind hunting. Here, most of the day is getting to and from the blind and just a small amount of actual hunting.
To be able to see some of these little out of the way places that even most Alaska residents will never see, is worth all the effort.
Kayaking from the big boat to the beach
setting decoys
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