The Last Windrow: This jet sound elicits fond hunting memories

The sound of a landing jet passed over my head just last week. It wasn't a jet. The sound came from a huge flight of bluebill ducks, or greater scaup as they are scientifically named, screeching onto the lake near my home. The sound and the sight propelled my mind to the time back when I would have been hunkered down in a blind, waiting for the birds to circle and approach into the wind and drop into my spread of bobbing decoys. I'll not be in a blind this year and I miss that heart-pounding event! I pulled into the public access of that area lake last week and as I sat there in my truck amid the drizzling rain, that sound brought me back to my days of occupying a camouflaged duck boat with one of my brothers sitting beside me. We had pushed our duck boat through 30 yards of muck and mire in the dark, early morning hours before sunrise to find our place among the bowing reeds and rattling cattails.

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