Garry Mason: The Night Before Duck Season

'Twas the night before Duck Season

And all through the Shack.

There were sounds of high balling and feed calling and a lonesome ole quack.

I had been practicing my calling too much according to my wife.

Who had listened to those sounds most of her life.

The kids had all they could stand and were heading to bed.

But I had visions of Mallards flying through my head.

My old Labrador named Jack was lying on the floor,

When all of a sudden there was a knock on the door.

I jumped to my feet and tripped over ole Jack,

Fell over the poor fellow and landed on my back.

I could see a big guy though the window on the door,

With a sack on his back that one could not ignore.

My wife opened the door and who did I see,

Why it was my two hunting buddies.

Tommy and Bubba T.

“We have a sack full of decoys,” said Tom with a grin,

“There's a full moon, let’s load up, the ducks are coming in.”

Now the north wind was howling and it was sure a sight,

To sit and watch them ducks pitch in on that pale moonlight night.

You see there is something burned in a Duck hunter that can't be explained,

You can't put your finger on and it's nothing that can be trained.

To get a limit is great and on that we all agree.

But just to sit and watch Ducks is a wonderful thing to see.

The cab of Bubba’s truck was warm and the coffee was hot,

And those ducks kept coming to this magical spot.

They filled up the little pothole and swam through the trees,

A sight that would make any Duck hunter weak in the knees.

I looked over at Bubba and could see his big grin,

And a tear ran down his cheek then dropped off of his chin.

Many of us have lived through moments in our lives,

That can’t be explained to our children and Wives.

 But I tell you this and it's all I can say,

I have never been able to sleep the night before opening day.

God Bless and Happy hunting.

Garry Mason