Another duck season at my place, The Elms Lodge, has now come and gone. While we still continue to hunt snows and blues on the property, the books close on one of the finer duck seasons we have had here in Altheimer, AR. The early season was marked by warm temps and fewer fowl than normal, but the latter part of the season proved to be positive for most of our fields. I love to see hunters come back to the lodge with hearty bags including mallards, pintail, teal, gadwall and a handsome shoveler or two. While gaudy, a spoonbill is a fine-looking bird. A mature drake is said to be wearing a tuxedo of sorts; they make me smile when I see them.
Something about waterfowl and waterfowl hunting which is so very magical. Truly a sport passed down from generation to generation. It’s wonderful to see youth and women who are now becoming more engaged in the sport. But…hunting is not over at The Elms…we have thousands of snows and blues currently using our property. An ice storm and unusually cold weather rolled through a week or so ago and moved birds out of the area. However, they have found their way back to our fields. Nice to see them en masse again.
So, as our 2021/2022 season carries on, I look forward to seeing hunters perusing light geese during the Arkansas Conservation Order Season which continues into early spring.
For so many reasons, we are all blessed. I am so blessed to call you my friends. I wish you safety, good health and many days afield as we press towards spring. God bless and may our paths cross sooner than later.
(pictured is my new friend and hunting partner Dania Vizzi. Dania is a National and International skeet shooting champion. She is a member of Team USA who will compete around the world this summer and beyond building points as she presses towards her goal of making the USA Team for skeet in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Go get ‘em, Dania…we’ll be watching. Travel safely and best of luck this summer as you span the globe!)
Least you forget…I call the shots at The Elms…
Your friend, Duck Diva.