The decoys, perfectly painted to fool the wariest of wood ducks were placed on the edge of the pond and on a fallen tree, a favorite roosting site for woodies. Three mallard and four teal decoys were strategically placed a short distance from the wood ducks and a small landing hole of open water was kept decoy-free to allow easy landing for the ducks.
Twenty yards from the landing hole, the perfect blind was built of willow brush and reed canary grass, perfectly matching the surrounding vegetation. Huge silver maples formed a backdrop to the blind, assuring shade if the sun came out and a barrier to the wind and rain.
Since it was early October, green camo would be the dress of the day since the grass and leaves had yet to turn their fall colors. To a duck, a hunter wearing brown would stand out like a white pickup truck in a black field.
Suddenly, two woodies buzzed overhead, swung through the trees and dropped right into the landing zone. Although it was still a half hour before shooting time, the hunters knew that their set-up was perfect and the two live ducks would only serve to enhance the decoy spread.
These last 30 minutes seemed to take ...
