Got a little wet

[iron man]

Started out this morning standing knee deep in Maurepas Swamp WMA off of Hwy 641 scanning between the cypress trees for black dots shooting my way. At about 00640, had 2 woodies a drake and a hen dive bomb into the opening I was covering with my new 12 gauge o death. Shot the hen and the drake continued to cup into another opening about 20 yards away, shot and "killed" him. Went retrieve the hen since she was about 15-20 yards away and visually marked the area where the drake went down. Saw 3 more but no joy.

End of hunt: 0710. Go to find the drake, well found feathers and where he went down and a trail between the duckweed where it swam off. Followed it and tripped over a submerged cypress knee. Stuck my right arm out and caught my self with only my "waterproof" jacket getting wet up to about my shoulder. No biggie, its happened before. Lose the trail through the duck weed after I fell so I walked to 3 cypress trees less that 10 feet apart from each other where it would be a little shallower and I might could find the drake if I stopped and looked for a bit.

After about 30 seconds, I spotted him swimming around in a circle about 20 yards away (shot him in the eye) so I go to get him, but the first step I take, 2 feet from the base of the tree is a fairly deep hole. I'm about 5'11" and the water started going over the lip of my waders. A little mad at this point. Step back up onto the "terra kinda wetta but still a little firma" and check my phone, gps, wallet, brand new digital camera and flashlight. GPS, phone and wallet stayed dry thanks to the pouch in the waders. "Waterproof" jacket isn't so waterproof through the zippers in the pockets...brand new 150$ digital camera, ruined. And I dropped my gun in the water...got the duck though.

Ended the day wet, mad, camera rueend, a box of steel shot rueened, and with a woodie drake and hen. Pictures are where I was and one was presunrise through the cypress trees.