{"id":538,"date":"2022-11-12T19:12:35","date_gmt":"2022-11-12T19:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=538"},"modified":"2022-11-12T19:12:35","modified_gmt":"2022-11-12T19:12:35","slug":"finally-scratching-the-duck-hunting-itch-can-be-dangerous-and-expensive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/?p=538","title":{"rendered":"Finally Scratching the Duck Hunting Itch Can Be Dangerous (and Expensive)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<div class=\"td-post-featured-image\">\n<figure><a href=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/duck-hunt-shotgun.jpg\" data-caption=\"Dan Z. for TTAG\"><noscript><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" class=\"entry-thumb td-modal-image\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/duck-hunt-shotgun.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/duck-hunt-shotgun.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/duck-hunt-shotgun-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/duck-hunt-shotgun-150x113.jpg 150w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/duck-hunt-shotgun-560x420.jpg 560w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/duck-hunt-shotgun-80x60.jpg 80w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/duck-hunt-shotgun-265x198.jpg 265w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" alt=\"duck hunt shotgun\" title=\"duck hunt shotgun\"\/><\/noscript><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Dan Z. for TTAG<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-next-post-navi\">\n<p>\nNext Post Coming Soon&#8230;\u25b6\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<blockquote>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-423827\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3242.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3242-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3242.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-423827\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3242.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3242.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3242-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>I\u2019m not much of a hunter. Yes, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/2012\/11\/robert-farago\/ttag-tv-show-dan-bags-a-buck\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">I <em>have<\/em> hunted<\/a>, and the proof\u2019s hanging over my desk at home. But I think I\u2019ve probably shot my last ungulate. I just never had the hankering true hunters get to be out there and bring down four-legged non-frozen meat on the hoof. Birds, on the other hand, are a different story.<\/p>\n<p>I love me some scatterguns, and while there are certainly better shotgunners, I\u2019d rather spend time shooting trap or sporting clays than just about anything aside from sidling up to a plate of <a href=\"http:\/\/coopersbbqaustin.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Stiles Switch brisket<\/a>. Or a <a href=\"https:\/\/saigonlevendeur.business.site\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SLV OG bahn mi<\/a>. Which probably explains why the idea of a bird hunt of some sort appeals so much. And I\u2019ve always wanted to try a duck hunt.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s how I found myself in camo gear, standing in the dark on the dock at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.fishflorabama.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Flora-Bama Marina<\/a>\u00a0\u2014 smack dab on the Florida\/Alabama border (strangely enough) \u2014 at 04:00 a couple of weeks back.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423833 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3179.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3179-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3179.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423833 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3179.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3179.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3179-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>I was there to meet <a href=\"http:\/\/intercoastalsafaris.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Intercoastal Safaris\u2019<\/a> main man, Stephen Lee along with cap\u2019n Aaron Abbott. Getting up at oh-my-God-thirty goes against virtually every fiber of my being, but you gotta be where the ducks are when the sun comes up. Or so I\u2019ve heard. Which is why we shoved off at about 04:20 and plunged into the 40 degree pre-dawn darkness, making our way <a href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/maps\/place\/Flora-Bama+Marina+%26+Watersports\/@30.282202,-87.518572,15z\/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x557ab88c43e429d7!8m2!3d30.282202!4d-87.518572\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">east on the Intercostal Waterway<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Skimming along the Florida\/Alabama state line at 20 mph, I could barely make out Perdido Key to our right and what I later found out was Ono Island on our left. Our motor woke up a pelican on nearly every mile marker we passed on the nearly half-hour trip to the preferred\u00a0spot Stephen and Aaron had chosen. The location of which I was sworn\u00a0not to divulge.<\/p>\n<p>First order of business: set out the decoys.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423834 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3189.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3189-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3189.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423834 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3189.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3189.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3189-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That area of the Gulf coast features clear shallow water and is primarily known for three species of ducks; buffleheads, blue bills, and redheads.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423832 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3199.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3199-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3199.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423832 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3199.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3199.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3199-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>It took us about a half hour to get everything in place, by which time the rosy orange glow of the sun began to appear on the horizon.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423831 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3196.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3196-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3196.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423831 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3196.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3196.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3196-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s no shortage of places along the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ducks.org\/conservation\/where-ducks-unlimited-works\/waterfowl-migration-flyways\/du-projects-mississippi-flyway\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">greater Mississippi\u00a0flyway<\/a> you can set yourself up in anticipation of southbound waterfowl on the wing. But there probably isn\u2019t a more\u00a0congenial one for hunters than the Florida\/Alabama coastal area. Warm(er)\u00a0weather, beautiful beaches, luxurious hotels, and great food as far as the eye can see. While it was chilly that morning, we weren\u2019t breaking ice for our decoys or slipping heat packs into our waders like our fellow hunters do in Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and Iowa.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s one reason Stephen and Intercoastal do such a good business catering to their clients\u2019 every need; they provide\u00a0an exceptionally enjoyable experience in a great part of the country. It\u2019s pretty much the ideal way for a noob such as yours truly to experience his first\u00a0duck hunt.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423828 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3202.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3202-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3202.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423828 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3202.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3202.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3202-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Once the decoys were in place and the blind was set up, we settled in to, well, wait. We twied to be vewwy vewwy, quiet.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423829 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3205.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3205-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3205.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423829 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3205.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3205.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3205-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>If you book a hunt with a first class outfitter like Intercoastal, you\u2019re not exactly roughing it out there. Once we sat down\u00a0in our camo-bedecked camp chairs to wait for some airborne activity, out came the hot coffee, breakfast sandwiches, and orange juice.<\/p>\n<p>It was a picture postcard, crystal-clear coastal morning. We sat back and watched gulls and cormorants circle overhead while dolphins played in the water below. The only thing working against us was the fact that we were out there on only the third day of the season, and the southward migration had gotten off to a slow start this year due to some unusually warm weather up north.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423970 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"404\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/received_10104245218754451.jpeg.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/received_10104245218754451.jpeg-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/received_10104245218754451.jpeg-217x145.jpg 217w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/received_10104245218754451.jpeg.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423970 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/received_10104245218754451.jpeg.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/received_10104245218754451.jpeg.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/received_10104245218754451.jpeg-300x202.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/received_10104245218754451.jpeg-217x145.jpg 217w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>Stephen had gotten good reports from Georgia and Arkansas; plenty of southbound traffic was heading our way. But those birds were still a couple of days out from our coastal location. So the ducks we saw that day were the early birds, so to speak.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423826 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3224.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3224-300x225.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3224.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423826 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3224.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"600\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3224.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3224-300x225.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 600px) 100vw, 600px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s not to say we didn\u2019t enjoy the wait. There probably isn\u2019t a more beautiful spot to post up and take in the sunrise and all the air and sea life. Not to mention that Naval Air Station Pensacola was just visible on the horizon to our northeast, so we had front row seats for the Blue Angels\u2019 morning workout.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><noscript><\/p>\n<div class=\"youtube-embed\" data-video_id=\"_V06h0oH8Gs\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Blue Angels on approach to Naval Air Station Pensacola\" width=\"696\" height=\"392\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/_V06h0oH8Gs?feature=oembed&#038;enablejsapi=1\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><\/noscript><\/span><\/p>\n<p>And when the birds finally came in, they came in fast. Sporting clays is a blast, but it doesn\u2019t really prepare you for the speed or unpredicablity \u2014 the fun, really \u2014 of the real things. So when a tightly grouped formation of four winged targets made a left-to-right pass about 20 yards in front of us, I aimed my <a href=\"https:\/\/www.remarms.com\/shotguns\/autoloading\/v3-field-sport\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Remington V3 Field Sport<\/a> for the lead bird.<\/p>\n<p>And I hit the trailer. I blame that on my left-eye dominance\u2026that\u2019s my story and I\u2019m sticking to it.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423974 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"450\" height=\"600\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3231.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3231-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3231-385x513.jpg 385w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3231.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423974 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3231.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"450\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3231.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3231-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3231-385x513.jpg 385w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>I\u2019d left my two Labs at home in Austin, where I\u2019m sure they were fast asleep in my bed. Aaron was kind enough to wade out and retrieve the bird for me before I could even take a step toward the water. While the area may be known for buffleheads, blue bills and redheads, the quacker I\u2019d bagged was a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Common_merganser\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">merganser<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423825 size-full\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"450\" height=\"600\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3238.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3238-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3238-385x513.jpg 385w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3238.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423825 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3238.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"450\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3238.jpg 450w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3238-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_3238-385x513.jpg 385w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>By about 9:00 a.m., we\u2019d seen all the activity we were going to see that morning. It was time to pack up the decoys and gear and head back.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423971\" src=\"data:image\/svg+xml,%3Csvg%20xmlns=\" http:=\"\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"453\" height=\"383\" data-lazy-srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-11-22-23.37.25_1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-11-22-23.37.25_1-300x254.jpg 300w\" data-lazy-sizes=\"(max-width: 453px) 100vw, 453px\" data-lazy-src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-11-22-23.37.25_1.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p><noscript><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"aligncenter wp-image-423971\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-11-22-23.37.25_1.jpg\" alt=\"Duck Hunt flora-bama intercoastal safaris\" width=\"453\" height=\"383\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn0.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-11-22-23.37.25_1.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/2016-11-22-23.37.25_1-300x254.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 453px) 100vw, 453px\"\/><\/noscript><\/p>\n<p>If you\u2019re savvy enough to book a <a href=\"http:\/\/intercoastalsafaris.com\/book-a-trip\/pensacola-orange-beach\/ducks\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">duck hunt<\/a> (or <a href=\"http:\/\/intercoastalsafaris.com\/book-a-trip\/panama-city-beach-destin\/hog-coyote\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">hog hunt<\/a> or <a href=\"http:\/\/intercoastalsafaris.com\/book-a-trip\/panama-city-beach-destin\/saltwater-fly-fishing\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">fishing trip<\/a>, for that matter) with Intercoastal Safaris for yourself or a group of your friends, once you\u2019re back at the dock, they\u2019ll clean your birds for you. And your guns. And pack the meat in ice in your coolers\u2026all while you tuck into breakfast or bend an elbow next door at the Flora-Bama Ole River Bar.<\/p>\n<p>Or you can mosey across the street to the\u2026wait for it\u2026<a href=\"https:\/\/www.florabama.com\/about-us\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Flora-Bama Lounge and Oyster Bar<\/a>, possibly the world\u2019s only bar\/restaurant\/honky-tonk\/store\/watering hole\/roadhouse\/church. Yes, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.florabama.com\/flora-bama-church\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">church<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Anyway, if there\u2019s a better place for your first duck hunt, it\u2019s hard to imagine where that would be. Unlike shooting deer, I think this duck hunting thing might have stuck. Now I just need to do something about the itch I\u2019ve had for a pheasant hunt.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><em>This article was originally published in 2016.<\/em><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-next-post-navi\">\n<p>\nNext Post Coming Soon&#8230;\u25b6\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thetruthaboutguns.com\/duck-hunt\/\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dan Z. for TTAG Next Post Coming Soon&#8230;\u25b6 I\u2019m not much of a hunter. Yes, I have hunted, and the proof\u2019s hanging over my desk at home. But I think I\u2019ve probably shot my last ungulate. I just never had the hankering true hunters get to be out there and bring down four-legged non-frozen meat [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":539,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-538","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=538"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/538\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/539"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=538"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=538"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunsandpride.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=538"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}