Eyes to the sky

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Daniel Lile
  • 14th Flying Training Wing Public Affairs
COLUMBUS AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. --  When someone talks about hunting there are many images that could come to one's mind. Very rarely does one imagine lying in tall grass by a pond gazing towards an orange sunrise. While duck hunting, hunters do just that; they hide in a duck blind looking up to the sky waiting for that large group of mallards to come rolling in towards their decoys.

"Getting to watch the ducks fly over you and then come in is really neat," said Andrew Pace, 14th FSS and avid duck hunter."You can see them scan the ground and not notice you as they pass over and fly down to your decoys, it's a great feeling."

A common conception of duck hunting is that it is a "rich man's" sport; this is not the case. An Airman doesn't need all of the gear and brand name equipment to go out hunting and enjoy the great outdoors.

"You don't have to have a boat, you don't have to have all the fancy equipment," said Staff Sgt. Chuck Woford, 14th Flying Training Wing Base Chapel. "It's about the enjoyment of getting out there and doing new things in the wild."

At first, starting out duck hunting can seem overwhelming and very confusing. One of the best ways to get started and get good at any kind of hunting is to have an experienced hunter mentor and help you learn the skill.

"If you are just starting duck hunting and learning the ropes I would try to tag along with someone who is experienced," said Woford. "It's good to have a mentor; you pick up on little strategic tips so much quicker."

Even if an Airman is a professional hunter and a duck expert it is always a good idea to go shooting at least once before going hunting. A season or two of not shooting can throw off one's game more than they think.

"A good thing to do before you go out duck hunting is to go out and shoot skeet or some kind of practice just to make sure you're still on point and your gun is functioning," said Pace. "You can go right over to the skeet range on base."

Before one even thinks about going duck hunting, a hunting license and duck stamps are required.

"You cannot duck hunt without federal tags, state tags and a hunter's license," said Woford. "Make sure you have permits or whatever paperwork you need for the specific land you are hunting."

Wearing camouflage is vital to ones success while duck hunting. Ducks can see even the smallest amount of color from the air.

"When you go duck hunting you want to wear waders because you're usually in a river or swampy area, and you want to be in full camouflage," said Pace. "Face paint is a good idea because ducks will see any out of place color on the ground."

Duck hunting is a fun and very exciting way to get outdoors. You can't beat being out on the lake with good friends waiting for a large group of ducks to come flying in.

"It's just a great time getting out and bonding with my dog and good friends," said Woford. "All I need is to be outside, it doesn't even matter if I bring anything home to eat, I just enjoy being out in nature."