Trying (and Failing) at Michigan Duck Hunting

Last weekend, as we Michiganians say, my family and I went “up north.” Meaning we went to our cottage on Lake Huron to go duck hunting.

And as a person who has spent a lot of time in France, I jumped at the opportunity to shoot and hopefully eat some duckies.

Along for the ride was my good friend, Elliot, who has hunted with my dad in the past. Unfortunately they didn’t trust me with a gun, but I did get to try out these bad boys…

Have I ever looked better? I think these waders were outfitted for Andre the Giant.

All morning my sister and I took turns playing with the duck whistle, which when you blow into it sounds exactly like a duck. After repeatedly blowing it, and remarking, “Wow, this duck whistle sounds just like a dying duck,” Elliot quietly remarked, “Ash, it’s called a duck call.”

Whoa. Duck call. Sorry.

The hardest part of the journey was detaching the duck boat from the minivan. (Did I really just write that?) While my offers to help were swiftly rejected (ASHLEY! JUST STAY ON THE DOCK!) Elliot finally freed boat and we were reading to get hunting.

My dad was the capitan of this voyage. My dad is a big duck-hunter, and during my childhood he would bring me trinkets like wooden jaguar heads and pretty silver necklaces back from his hunting trips down to South America.

His hunting partners have always regaled me with stories of his Annie Oakley-esque shot which I was excited to see in action. I kind of like to think of him as a suburban Indiana Jones.

This is my little sister, Bee. She truly looks cute in anything.

I loved being surrounded by Lake Huron water, which is always so clear and cold and lovely – well, lovely until you repeatedly fall into it. And for the clumsiest person in the world, walking in the Andre the Giant boots was extra challenging. I literally completely fell forward in the water four times. Poor Elliot had to walk me like a granny back to the boat. Which I also fell into, naturally.

But alas, the water was too shallow and we turned around soon after setting up the blind. These were the only ducks we got.

Which was really okay, considering the blood and gore and neck-twisting of innocent ducks may have been a little too much for me anyway. I just enjoyed being outside during such a sunny fall day, with the flaming Michigan foliage all around.

This part of Michigan is very close to my heart, and I’ll be up north again soon.

Have you ever gone duck hunting in Michigan?