Growing up, my dad and I had a quintessential father-son outdoors adventure relationship. He introduced me to fly fishing and hunting at a young age and we were inseparable in the outdoors for many years. We went on several trips centered around hunting and/or fishing, trained our dogs together, and best of all grew and evolved our relationship together through the outdoors.
Hunting with my dad was a staple in my life for many years but overtime, I went to college, he retired, and our outdoor opportunities became scarcer as we both entered new chapters in our lives. We have been able to get together every now and then in group settings but have not had the same experience we had when I was a kid. That all changed during this past early duck season in Rhode Island, when we had a hunt I will never forget.
Setting Up
I had decided to try and hunt one of my favorite Rhode Island spots. It can produce birds throughout all the seasons Rhode Island has to offer but it is especially productive during early season because it sits near where many resident mallards enjoy loafing around during the warmer months. It is also an easy spot to access with access both on foot and by boat.
That morning I rolled out the red carpet and got up early to make sure my dad had a legitimate breakfast and coffee–after all a retiree deserves all the special treatment he can get. I had everything packed and ready to go, all we had to do was load my dad, his black lab Amos, and make the 40-minute drive down to our hunting location.
We met a friend of mine and his wife at the hunting spot and my friend helped me with decoy setup and hide preparation. All my dad had to do was walk in and meet us at the area where we would land our boats. The whole morning I just wanted my dad to relax and have a great time. Once everything was ready we just had to wait for legal shooting hours.
The Hunt
Hunting with my dad has always had emphasis on the dogs and I could tell that my dad was most excited to give his dog a chance to hunt. They live in Cabo, Mexico and so these opportunities come few and far between for Amos. As we neared legal shooting hours, we started to see a few pre-dawn birds flying, causing Amos to just about lose his mind. My dog Knox was just as excited given that it was his first opportunity for a waterfowl hunt since the previous season. I don’t think anyone, human or canine alike, were prepared for what happened next.
After observing 10-15 pre-dawn ducks fly over us, we entered a lull for the first 10 minutes of legal shooting hours until all hell broke loose. We had a mallard pair charge in and land directly in our decoy spread without hesitation. Just as I was working the dogs to complete a blind retrieve on the other side of the creek, it felt like every mallard group in Rhode Island flew over us. Next thing I knew, everyone was firing shots.
After the commotion ceased, we continued to receive a solid flight from numerous duck groups all day. We turned almost all of them and about half committed to our decoy spread. Overall, the hunt was filled with action. The crowning moment came as my dad and I doubled on a mallard trip that entered our spread. One was crippled and was chased by the dogs as it continued to dive and try to get away. Both dogs are small for their breed and have trouble grabbing birds the size of a duck when they are moving. I was able to cross the marsh platform and grab the bird as it was attempting to escape underwater. The entire sequence added to the excitement of the day.
Hunting With my Dad Moving Forward
My dad was quite satisfied after the hunt. He was very elated to see the progress I have made with Knox, and watch Amos get back into water fowling. As for me, I could not have been happier at the end of the day. Our hunt was filled with action, stories, and at the risk of being cliché, most importantly our hunt was filled with each other.
The opportunity to go hunting with my dad comes few and far between but I try not to take for granted the times that we are able to spend together. Life comes at you fast and you will go through many changes overtime, but the one thing that can remain constant is the people you choose to surround yourself with and who you care about most deeply.
I am hoping that as I become established in my adulthood and my dad continues his retirement, that these opportunities will start to be less scarce. I am overly grateful for October 14th, 2023 and the renewed spirit and enthusiasm I have for getting outdoors with my dad. I only hope that one day I have the opportunity to teach my child the lessons I learned from my old man, and hopefully get into the outdoors with my dad and my child to continue the Milton line of outdoorsmen and women. Hunting with my dad may be scarce now, but I plan to make it a staple for our relationship once again.
