Three Boys and a Cannon Barrel
It was a Federal Criminal Conspiracy: three boys, a cannon barrel and scaup to drive them crazy. The saltwater scaup are mostly gone now, but back when I was a boy they would raft offshore, a thousand, ten thousand at a time. It would take a booming gale to get them...
One American’s Dream
Even as a Marine stationed in Afghanistan, Alex Russo never stopped dreaming of becoming a waterfowl guide. If there are any two places on our diverse planet more dissimilar than Kabul, Afghanistan, and Aberdeen, South Dakota, I can’t imagine where they could be. The...
Long Island Pond Shooting
The greatest sporting artist of the 20th century hunts black ducks on an icy pond.
When the Ducks Begin to Fly
The author swears off duck hunting for good, but something pulls him back into the salt marsh again.
Pair of Mallards
An essential tale by the South Carolina legend.
The Rain
Someone once wrote that “rain is the oldest sound to reach the porches of man’s ear.” I like the sentence and I like the sentiment. And I like rain. I like to hunt in it, fish in it and just walk around in it. I like the sound of rain, the feel of it and the soft...
Cold Mornings on the Little Choptank
It’s icy on the river, but with geese hovering above, it’s a mighty good place to be.
The Old Brown Mackinaw
When the Old Duck Hunter’s Association, Inc., died, the hearts of many men fell to the ground. There was no one like Mister President. When the old-timers go there is no bringing them back, nor is there any hope of replacing them. They are gone, and there is a...