Opening Day Wood Duck Hunting in Southern Maryland

Saturday was the start of duck season in Maryland and this day was very special since it was Zayna's first hunt.

We set up on the main run of Lee Gootee's marsh. The excitement cranked up before legal light as we watched a few teal flying at mach-1 over the marsh grass. At sunrise, the crack of my Benelli echoed across the marsh and a drake wood duck folded near the decoys. Bella, a seasoned yellow lab veteran, showed little Zayna how to mark a bird and retrieve it like an old pro.

Just a minute later a pair of wood ducks dipped in over the tree line and Lee graciously let me shoot my limit. I dropped both wood ducks and Zayna launched into the run to pick up the lead bird. She returned with a special drake wood duck. It was a banded duck!!! ...what are the chances of retrieving a banded duck on a first hunt?

Zayna's first duck was my first banded wood duck. We registered the band with the USGS and found out that the bird was banded in Pennsylvania and was over three years old. This woody must have made a wrong turn into Whackfactor country...which is never a good idea :)

A special thanks goes out to Lee, Jimbo, Bella, Ottie, and of course Zayna. It was an awesome opening day with good friends and great gun dogs. I also want to thank Ralph Yates for introducing me to Mitch and the team at Clark Brothers Guns in Warrenton VA. They did an excellent job tuning my Bennelli for the season opener!

Have a great waterfowl season.

-Austin