Duck & Dunk

My people have always been gunners… as far back as I have any knowledge. There was even a gentleman on my Mother’s side that was suspected of being a gunfighter while living out West. Logically, the men of my family have always been attracted to women who could handle a gun. Therefore, many of the stories my Dad told me of his younger years centered around women he knew and their escapades while hunting or shooting. The following is one of those stories.

It seems that Dad was dating a young lady that liked to duck hunt as much as he did, and they were in a boat waiting for some ducks to come in. They were up fairly close to one side of a lake waiting for the ducks to come in from a usual direction. Dad was using a Crescent Arms side by side 20ga and she was using Browning 12ga Auto. The lake was relatively small so there would not be much warning when the birds arrived. At this point I’ll let Dad tell his own story.

“It was real quiet ‘n’ we was listnin’ for ‘em.” (Dad was deaf in one ear) “She reached over ‘n’ poked me ‘n’ I knew she was hearin’ em. I started callin’ tryin’ to get ‘em to come in but they never would come in sight. All of a sudden here they come right in over the trees behind her. I pointed and hollered ‘There they come!’. I didn’t git time to pick up my gun ‘fore she jumped up ‘n’ whirled around ‘n’ went to work. I jus’ kep’ my seat ‘n’ held the boat steady. Them ducks come in right over the top of her and when she shot the third time, they was right over the top of ‘er. She was overbalanced when she stood up, and she was follerin’ them ducks right over her head. When she fired the third time, her back hit the water! She went plumb under! She come up a spittin’ an’ a sputterin’ an’ a fussin’ ” (Dad always was chuckling when he told that part) “But when she come up… (There was always a catch in Dad’s voice when he told this part.) “When she come up, she still had ‘er gun in ‘er han’ and there was three ducks in the water.”

Happy Trails, God Bless. John