Tough

Posted on November 30, 2006 by J. Tackett 

This may very well go down as the worst hunt in Waterdog history and here's how it shook out.

I have been hunting in this area of the Mississippi for about 6 or 7 years. I love it. Very rarely do we have much of a hunt, but for some reason I always end up down there 4 or 12 times a year.

For some strange reason being down there makes me feel like I'm doing something special. You have to put in on the world's steepest ramp, drive through a Lake, weave your way through a cut dodging 30 downed trees. Then the cut dumps you out into the Arkansas River where you head down river 4 or 5 milers until the Arkansas gives it up to the Big Muddy.

But, as you motor down river there is everything from timber breaks, to sloughs, even the occasional flooded field that is not posted. It's a truly wonderful place, and I love it.

There is the sandbar about 10 miles down the Mississippi called Choctaw Bar and I have never been by it when there weren't Canada Geese all over it. I dreamed up this big deal where Steve and Dave Mealman, Clay Hiett and I would take a pile of Finishers and decoys down there, dig in the sand bar and wear em' out. Didn't work...Clay tried to tell me.... WD Bird Count: 0

So...I got on the phone staying with out "Hunting Public" theme and found out the water was in good shape in a small public refuge off the White River I used to guide hunters on back in the early nineties. I nearly gave up trying to find the boat lanes to get us back in there...but after 30 minutes of cutting everybody to ribbons with Honey locust spikes and vines I found it. As soon as I found it...I started to remember all the great hunts we used to have in those same woods....the days I remembered thinking that this was the greatest place in the world and there was no way I could ever imagine more ducks anywhere. Well... I should have remembered a little better...because there had to be a reason I hadn't been back there in 10 years. Then it hit me....I hadn't been back because there hadn't been any ducks there since 1995 give or take a year...WD Bird Count: 0 (unless you count 2 Hooded Mergansers)

One day left! I knew we could salvage it...so we filled up the boat with another 18 gallons of gas and drove all over the lower Arkansas River. After 4 hours of wrestling cypress knees, hitting rock jetties, and battling knee deep mud we gave up and turned for the ramp. Just as the sun started to set we looked across the river and there they were...just across from the ramp. We motored over and they were there just in the slack water...looked around a little. There was a good place for the cameras to hide in the cat tails, the wind would not be perfect but if the decoys were right we should be able to get them plenty close. As we sat around making sure everything would be right for tomorrow, I was relieved. I knew tomorrow would not be majestic but at least we wouldn't send poor Shann home without anything at all. I was giddy and proud that we would get finally em' after all that work.

Only one problem somebody forgot to tell the ducks they were supposed to come back the next morning.

Final Stats
Hunters: Dave Mealman, Steve Mealman, Clay Hiett and a Moron

Dogs
• Smooth: 1 nice 4 yd mark, and Momentous battle with a large vine
• Yella: 3 nice 12 yard marks, and a good effort on a Muskrat

Days: 3 total
Bird Count: 4 total - 2 Wood Ducks and 2 Mergansers

Producer Field Notes
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