Volume 14 Issue 2
Duck hunting, for some, isn’t just a recreational sport—it’s a religion. With that being said, some would say that going duck hunting in Arkansas borders on going to heaven. The Natural State is arguably one of the country’s top waterfowling destinations. With over 1,000 wildlife management areas, no matter where you go in the state, you aren’t ever far from good duck hunting. Whether you hunt rice fields or flooded timber, we are right in the middle of a duck hunter’s dream. Sounds amazing, right? Well, I never would have known, because over the years I would never go.
At the age of 37, and having lived only 65 miles from the proclaimed “duck capital of the world” for my entire life, I finally experienced duck hunting for the first time. Let me set the story up. It’s the final weekend of duck season when my friend and neighbor Dexter, an avid hunter, invites me to tag along. So I set my alarm for 4:30 AM as we prep to head out to the hallowed ground of flooded rice fields. Dressed from head-to-toe in borrowed waders from my buddy, we had our butts in the blind with 15 minutes to spare before sunrise. The morning came and went. I enjoyed a crash course of Duck Hunting for Dummies, as I held on to high aspirations of bagging my first mallard, wood duck, or pintail.
We saw thousands of ducks, but I guess they were all smarter than our duck calls and decoys, because they stayed a safe distance from any range my bullets could travel. I fired my gun twice, just for the sake of shooting. Sadly the only thing I had to show for it was a bruise the size of a baseball on my bicep. I guess I’ve still got a lot to learn when it comes the art of the hunt. Better yet, maybe I should just stick to one of my favorite childhood Nintendo games, Duck Hunt.
That iconic “zapper” video game was released in 1985 and was the first of its kind. I loved Mario Bros. and Mike Tyson Punch-Out as much as the next guy, but there was always something so alluring about the opportunity to shoot those virtual ducks. This was a monumental game that every kid in the 80’s has almost certainly played.
Whether you find yourself in a duck blind or a Barcalounger, we are all just big kids at heart! We live in a beautiful state and the time for more fun is upon us. While we start getting into warmer months of spring and summer, the possibility for entertainment increases! That is why in the “Go Play” Edition of Saline County Lifestyles, we want to show our community ways to optimize their opportunities.
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