At the end of the slow morning, I left my bow where I had been seated in the reeds and started out into the water to retrieve my stashed boat. Like magic, a duck fell from heaven and lighted in the decoys only a mere six yards away. UNBELIEVABLE!! Of course I should stand and flush the bird for a fleeing shot, but my bow is 15 feet way! I had waited all morning for that golden opportunity and now I am crouched in the water with Rico, my yellow lab, quivering at my side. He was dying to make the easy retrieve and I had to keep telling him to stay so he wouldn’t forget what he should in all his excitment.
A minute or so went by as the beautiful drake redhead settled in between two of my decoys. Then, plunk, he was underwater. He seemed to stay under for quite a long time before surfacing. He shook the water from his head and dove once again, but this time I had an idea. When he surfaced again, I was ready. He preened himself a little bit, then down he went again. Ready for his underwater feeding, I rushed for my bow and splashing through the water as soon as he when down. Before he surfaced again, I was seated with my bow in hand and Rico at my side. I couldn’t believe it worked and all the commotion hadn’t somehow alarmed him.
My first thought was to flush him and take the shot, but I had a better idea. I let him dive once again and I hurried into the water at the edge of the reeds, ready for the attack. I scanned the water, just yards in front of me. The bubbles from his submersion were still clinging to the surface. A swirl to my right startled me and I turned to get a shot but there was nothing there. Blasted bluegill! Behind me I heard the little redhead break the waters surface. With a couple kicks he was airborne and I had spun just far enough to draw. As the bow began to bend against my draw, something was missing. Somehow the nock had freed itself from the string and harmlessly splashed into the water at my feet. All I could do was watch the lucky duck shrink to nothing on the horizon.