# Memories of your first duck??



## utahgolf (Sep 8, 2007)

my first duck was about 15 years ago when I was 10. I was hunting with my dad at the south area of Farmington, it was the evening hunt of the opener... a hen pintail landed right in the decoys, my dad nudged me on the shoulder and handed me his browning auto 5 and told me to take it, I didn't know if he was serious or not and I could barely hold the gun cause of excitement/nerves.. I aimed for what felt like an hour and pulled the trigger. I was the most excited person to see that hen pinny go belly up,,great memory...Weird how when your young and want to do all the shooting but as you get older you want to shoot less and let your dad shoot a bunch.. hope the old man makes it out again once or twice this year.


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## deadicated1 (Mar 17, 2008)

my first duck, i unloaded 3 shots into a flock of 70-80 teal and a single hen greenwing fell  
i learned a good lesson in flock shooting that day :wink:


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## katorade (Sep 23, 2007)

My first ducks I should say. Me and my Friends had about 300 mallards cirlcing the field and he called them in and I shot 2 hen mallards. that was all for that day and those are still my only 2 ducks.


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## Mojo1 (Sep 8, 2007)

I'm not sure of the year it was 80 or 81, but I'm sure of the duck, it was a drake wood duck. I killed it out of one of our floating blinds back home on the river. I was with my dad, it took 2 shots with my 20 ga.


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## stillhunterman (Feb 15, 2009)

Farmington Bay, 1966! Was with dad on my first hunt. We were walking back to the truck for some lunch when dad says "here comes one", pointing up. I took aim with my 12ga browning and followed that dang bird so long, by the time I shot it was dang near over head, knocked me to the ground  The drake Mallard fell dead as a door nail not twenty feet away. Dang I can still see that pretty bird! :mrgreen:


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## duckhunter1096 (Sep 25, 2007)

My first duck was when I was 12 up at Ogden Bay. Lone Hen Redhead buzzin' across the water. I thought for sure I was gonna miss, but she crumbled in a heap on the water. That was back in the days of lead.....I miss those days.

I'm surprised nobody has said anything about utahgolf only being TEN when he shot his first duck 15 years ago. Honestly I think it has gone on more than we'd all think. Unfortunately, I think the opposite is going to happen now with the age being lowered. I think many a dad will be filling their kids' bag limits for them.


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## diverfreak (May 11, 2008)

I was 12 and hunting the old R and R club which is now Marriots property south of the 41 club! I shot over a box the day before without touching a feather, My first duck was a drake Gadwall i shot out of a flock of 7. I was using macs double barrel 20 gauge at the time! Mac was a master seargent at Hill field and my mom worked with him. His kids were all girls and they werent into hunting! He took me under his wing for 5 years of waterfowling before he moved back to Indiana!
My step son Spencers first ducks were hen goldeyes. He was 9 at the time, big deal, the only way they are going to learn is by on the job training!

And for the record, i have never shot Spencers limit nor have i shot any of his birds but he has called it quits after 2 1/2 boxes out of his 12 gauge a time or two!


DiverFreak


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## quackcommander (Aug 20, 2009)

My first duck was when I was 15, I made my first and last youth hunt by 3 days. I was with one of my buddies and his dad. I had shot over a box of shells when a low duck came by on my side. I pulled up and the bird folded, it was a drake mallard. Later that day I shot a cinnamon hen. That first hunt got mud in my blood!


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

I honestly don't remember my first bird... and it wasn't that long ago. I used to stalk the marshes along Utah Lake shooting coots and ducks and if I remember right, it was in one hell of a Mallard hole right across from ULSP.... Mallard came in and I whacked it, chased it into a clump of phrag and never saw it swim out, couldn't find it in the phrag but as i was circling the clump another flew low and I flat stoned that one. First ever belly up, feet kickin. Reason I say I don't remember for sure is because in that same opening week time frame, I also hunted Powell Slough on the lake and shot a couple teal and a Gadwall but I don't remember if that was before or after the Mallard shoot. I do know that my wife wasn't happy because all my ducks got plucked on the back steps of our apartment and then there were feathers everywhere. :lol:


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## MarkM (Sep 7, 2007)

I think my first duck was in 81 or 82 I was 12 or 13 and I was hunting the Jordan river bottoms in the south end of the valley back when there wasn't houses all over the place. I probley wasn't supossed to be hunting by myself, I think there was a law at that time that you had to have an adult with you untill you were 16, but my Dad was a truck driver and out of town a lot so it was go on my own or with friends. I beleive it was a drake mallard and I jump shot it out of a ditch along the river. Later that same season I had a flock of teal come by and I shot once and dumped three teal, this was back in the day before steel shot was required.

Mark


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## rjefre (Sep 8, 2007)

This is a great thread. I love reading about guy's first hunts. My first duck was a hen mallard at Howard Slough in 1972. I was shooting a single shot Winchester 20 gauge that my Dad bought at the Gift House in Ogden. I had missed quite a few times at ducks, but finally I got a close crossing shot from left to right (my toughest position to this day) and to my surprise, she dropped! 
R


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## dkhntrdstn (Sep 7, 2007)

My dad his buddy and I where hunting over by salt creek on the club land. We where set up on a worm water pond. I was watching this duck flying around over by salt creek. I told my dad and he said to watch it and the next thing I know was the duck was coming and I told my dad so we got ready and and the duck was coming from my left to my right across the pond.I stood up and shot three times and got ti on my third shot. it was Just bigger then a teal. It was a hen what every it was. I was just 14 and was still learning my ducks. I remember that hunt like it was yesterday.


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## stuckduck (Jan 31, 2008)

I was 13 years old. Hunting what used to be the Davis duck club. which is now part of the Bear River club. Had a single shot 20 ga. and had missed everything that day. then a single hen widgeon came by nice and slow as if to mock me. I still remember the shot and the bird falling from the sky. I was pumped!!! had some great times out on that place!!!! wished they never would of sold that place..


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## GaryFish (Sep 7, 2007)

My first (and only) duck came in fall - 1986. We were actually pheasant hunting on a buddy's ranch in Idaho and working the edge of an alfalfa field, along the canal. I had bought a duck stamp "just in case". We jumped some ducks that came flying right at eye level over the canal. I raised the bolt action mossberg 20 gage and followed the lead mallard drake. He was right over the canal about 10 feet from the end of the barrel when I pulled the trigger. The blast changed his direction 90 degrees as he flew across the canal and landed on the other side. I walked down the canal to the crossing plank and then retrieved the duck. I'd hit him square, right in the body. He was totally gutted by the shot. I found part of the wad inside that poor duck. I always kind of felt bad about that one. We stuck to pheasants for the rest of the day after that. Never taken a shot at a duck since.


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## OPENCOUNTRY (Jan 25, 2009)

it was youth day 3 years ago at farmington bay. It was my first ever duck hunt. i was nervous. Shooting hours was supposed to start at 8 but it sounded like it started at like 7:50. I was with 3 of my friends and my brother. One of my friends could still hunt on youth day. My friends all said that the very first duck that comes would be mine. I said to my friend that was still able to hunt that he would definately have to back me up. Before i knew it they were saying two ducks out front coming right in.... than they said take'em Big D ( that's what my friends call me) i shot and killed both birds with two shots. They were both cinnamin teal. I ended up limiting out that day


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## gander311 (Dec 23, 2008)

I was 12 and had a Winchester youth model 20 guage I had saved up for half of, and got the other half for my birthday the previous March. I practiced swinging that thing all day long it seemed like for months until the season came. I think it was the first year steel shot was required, and I was on a hunt with my dad, uncles and grandpa on a club out west of Farr West. I shot over a box of shells without hitting a bird, and then finally it happened. A teal came straight at me, and I started swinging on her. She kept coming right over my head, and just as she hit the sun in the sky, I pulled the trigger. I was so off balance at that point from swinging so far back/straight up that it knocked me on my butt. I just remember my dad starting whooping and hollering "you got it, you got it!!!" and I went and retrieved it. It was a hen cinammon teal. I ended up getting one or two more throughout the day, but that is the only one I can remember, and I will never forget it. I can't believe that was 18 years ago......


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