i guess my most memorable miss(es) was 40+ years ago....i had access to a beautiful serpentine creek bottom that drained into the sabine river in northeast texas. there was close to half a mile of thick hardwood - loaded with mast - and plenty of cover for jump hunting ducks....often there would be opportunities for rabbit, dove, and lots of squirrels. it was the finest place i ever hunted - and i seemed to be the only person who ever went into the woods there. i had quickly learned that the migrating ducks favored certain larger pools...and were more likely to huddle in the back eddies on the inside of the bends. in time, i had a pathway established that let me work from one hot spot to the next, with minimum noise and confusion, and i made many a trip down that creek.
it was a dry fall, and the creek was still fairly low in the summer banks....and i had completed a silent stalk up to one of the prime pools - but no one was at home. ted's story has reminded me of this occasion - i took a couple more steps, to the edge of the creek, moved my greener empire into the crook of my left arm, unzipped and proceeded to pee into the creek. the instant the stream hit the water - three mallards boiled out from under the overhanging bank...inside the arc of my peeing....less than three feet from where i was standing. of course, i peed on myself....and it startled me enough - it took me two minutes to finish peeing...
best regards,
tom
