Without Wigeon Decoys - January 9, 2012
At the beginning of the 2011-12 Waterfowl season I said that I'd have a successful year if I shot a drake wigeon or a drake pintail. I understand that some of you veteran waterfowlers have taken both, and probably a lot of both. However I've not yet harvested either of the species. I think they're by far the prettiest of all the species of ducks. To me they're even prettier than wood ducks and mallards.
The year was turning out to be dreadful to say the least. I spent many nights driving home talking about how we should've done this or that. Discussing how we need to change shells and fix our guns cause we kept missing. ;) I've spent the last 6 years chasing ducks and geese hard. In those 6 years I've harvested mallards, black ducks, teals, woodies, gadwalls, buffies, ringnecks, shovelers, and several other species of ducks. My main goal however has always been a drake wigeon or pintail.
Throughout this year I've had my bead on 2 drake pintails, and missed both times. I also had a drake and hen pintail decoy while I was relieving myself, and was caught before I could get to my gun. Most waterfowlers are aware of the "Take your gun to pee" philosophy, but I never actually did it until after that day. Anyways, for most of the year I've been using wigeon decoys, hoping to lure just one lonely drake into my spread. But to my surprise I'd not even seen one wigeon fly by.
On one of the last hunts of the year we headed out to Cataract Lake in Putnam County. When we arrived to the boat launch I realized "CRAP!" I forgot the wigeon dekes." Considering I hadn't seen a single wigeon all year I didn't think it would matter. We left launch and headed up the lake and creek channel. We turned the corner to where we could see our spot, and there were hundreds of ducks sitting there. Flushing them off we knew it would be a good day. We set up and immediately had ducks coming back. We saw mostly mallards, but we also noticed some hooded mergansers and gadwalls. For the first round of ducks, I was again relieving myself when my hunting buddy downed a mallard drake. I did have my gun that time, but I figured my partner was more ready than I. I was checking sunset time on my cell phone when I heard the distinct sound of whistling wings... I looked up and saw that a duck was locked in and setting up to dump into our decoys. My buddy was looking the other way and I told him "Don't move." It wasn't until the bird was inches off the water that I realized it was a drake wigeon. With my heart racing I pulled the trigger, and the bird flushed. I just knew I'd miss my only chance at a wigeon! Taking a millisecond to regroup I put the bead right on him, and BOOM... PLOPSPLASH! I was so excited I nearly fell in to the frigid water. My hunting buddy being a new duck hunter said "Good shootin, but why are you so excited about a gadwall?" I looked at him, smiled and said "He's no gadwall." In less than 30 seconds I was off in the boat to retrieve my duck. I scooped him up, and I was as excited as when I walked up on my expired buck this year. I had finally harvested a drake wigeon. What I couldn't believe is that I did it without using my wigeon decoys. - Joey W. Buttram, Willowpine Outdoors
At the beginning of the 2011-12 Waterfowl season I said that I'd have a successful year if I shot a drake wigeon or a drake pintail. I understand that some of you veteran waterfowlers have taken both, and probably a lot of both. However I've not yet harvested either of the species. I think they're by far the prettiest of all the species of ducks. To me they're even prettier than wood ducks and mallards. 
The year was turning out to be dreadful to say the least. I spent many nights driving home talking about how we should've done this or that. Discussing how we need to change shells and fix our guns cause we kept missing. ;) I've spent the last 6 years chasing ducks and geese hard. In those 6 years I've harvested mallards, black ducks, teals, woodies, gadwalls, buffies, ringnecks, shovelers, and several other species of ducks. My main goal however has always been a drake wigeon or pintail. 
Throughout this year I've had my bead on 2 drake pintails, and missed both times. I also had a drake and hen pintail decoy while I was relieving myself, and was caught before I could get to my gun. Most waterfowlers are aware of the "Take your gun to pee" philosophy, but I never actually did it until after that day. Anyways, for most of the year I've been using wigeon decoys, hoping to lure just one lonely drake into my spread. But to my surprise I'd not even seen one wigeon fly by.
On one of the last hunts of the year we headed out to Cataract Lake in Putnam County. When we arrived to the boat launch I realized "CRAP!" I forgot the wigeon dekes." Considering I hadn't seen a single wigeon all year I didn't think it would matter. We left launch and headed up the lake and creek channel. We turned the corner to where we could see our spot, and there were hundreds of ducks sitting there. Flushing them off we knew it would be a good day. We set up and immediately had ducks coming back. We saw mostly mallards, but we also noticed some hooded mergansers and gadwalls. For the first round of ducks, I was again relieving myself when my hunting buddy downed a mallard drake. I did have my gun that time, but I figured my partner was more ready than I. I was checking sunset time on my cell phone when I heard the distinct sound of whistling wings... I looked up and saw that a duck was locked in and setting up to dump into our decoys. My buddy was looking the other way and I told him "Don't move." It wasn't until the bird was inches off the water that I realized it was a drake wigeon. With my heart racing I pulled the trigger, and the bird flushed. I just knew I'd miss my only chance at a wigeon! Taking a millisecond to regroup I put the bead right on him, and BOOM... PLOPSPLASH! I was so excited I nearly fell in to the frigid water. My hunting buddy being a new duck hunter said "Good shootin, but why are you so excited about a gadwall?" I looked at him, smiled and said "He's no gadwall." In less than 30 seconds I was off in the boat to retrieve my duck. I scooped him up, and I was as excited as when I walked up on my expired buck this year. I had finally harvested a drake wigeon. What I couldn't believe is that I did it without using my wigeon decoys. - Joey W. Buttram, Willowpine Outdoors
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