Lile Outdoors: Duck Hunting Safety

  • Published
  • By Airman Daniel Lile
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  (Editor's note: This is a fictional story and the seventh article in a series about hunting)

Airmen eagerly back their duck boat, which they rented from Outdoor Recreation the day before, into the water at 4 a.m. The blind is already set up and he has all off his decoys ready to throw into the water.

One Airman anxiously throws on his waders as they slowly start to troll into flooded timber where they know mallards will be landing at first light. Using a spotlight to see obstacles in the boats way, they move as slow as possible to their predetermined hunting location.

Suddenly there is a crash; the bottom of the boat collides with a sunken tree and the Airmen are hurled forward into the dark water. One Airman surfaces, realizing he can't touch the river bottom with his feet he latches himself onto a tree limb to keep his head above water.

He starts to yell for his wingman, realizing he can't see or hear him, he remembers his good friend putting on his waders early while they were still in the boat. Now his hunting buddy is in 30 foot deep water with flooded waders, making it impossible to swim.

He dives into the dark water franticly searching and feeling for anything that could hint to where his friend is. He finally surfaces, panicking he realizes he could have just reminded his friend to be more safe. That you shouldn't dawn your waders until you have reached your hunting spot, to know the depths of the water you are over and to wear a life preserver.

In order to move in and out of the water while avoiding hypothermia many duck hunters wear waders to stay dry and warm, however a whole new set of dangers come with the cold weather gear.

"If you're hunting in a boat, don't wear waders while in the boat," said Staff Sgt. Cody Howk, 14th Operation Support Squadron Weather Forecaster.  "If you fall off that boat and your waders fill up with water there is a high potential that you will not be able to get the waders off in time and you may drown."

Wearing waders while in a boat is not only time duck hunters need to be cautious about water depth; the depth of a river bottom can change drastically, forcing hunters to take extra precaution while walking in swamps.

"Have common sense when you're out and about. Know the depths of the water that you are walking through so that you aren't stepping somewhere that's 10 feet deep when you think it's only two feet deep," Howk said. "Last year I was hunting with a good buddy and I stepped in water that I thought was about a foot deep and it was a complete drop off, if he wasn't there I probably would have sank, so make sure you are hunting with somebody."

Hunting with friends ensures safety in most situations; however, when there is the presence of firearms and camouflaged Airmen, a situation duck hunters often find themselves in, caution and safety must take priority.

"Duck hunting is always best when hunting with friends; however, make sure you are assigning shooting lanes to where everybody is shooting," Howk said. "You don't want to shoot  over a friends head and accidently shoot him."

Despite all of the potential risks, many duck hunters embrace the tradition every year.

"It's just the feeling of getting up at 3:30 in the morning, drinking coffee, and going out with old buddies to the duck hole early," said Airman 1st Class Cory Scribner, 14th Operations Support Squadron Air Traffic Control Apprentice.  "It gets my blood pumping. You hear those wings whistling and them coming around the trees, it's crazy. I was 14-years-old the first time I went duck hunting, and I hit my limit that day. Ever since then, I couldn't stop. It's the thrill of seeing those ducks cuff their wings up and hitting that water; it gives me chills."