On Sale - November 19, 2025
Me First
For those in the throes of grief, solace awaits in the marsh through deep bonds and time afield.
”Me First.“ Of all the people that I’ve shared a duck boat or duck blind within the course of my life, there’s only one person to whom those words would have any meaning. The fact that they have any significance at all is a bit of an embarrassment for me, even today. The phrase was coined, amongst ourselves, at least, during my formative years as a duck hunter. As anyone who has hunted waterfowl can attest, as ducks decoy into your spread, there’s always, I repeat, always, one duck that looks like the best opportunity. He who shoots first, has the best odds at that lead duck that seems such an easy shot, it couldn’t possibly be missed. So, I wanted to shoot first. I was that guy. It was actually a fitting trait for a brash teenager who already had a firm grasp on all of life’s mysteries.
(Continue reading in the January 2025 issue, "Me First.")
More Inside This Issue:
Mallards & Canadas at the Buzzer
The end of the season is when the going gets good.
SOLO
Duck men are social creatures, but mornings alone bring rich rewards.
Foolin' Late Fowl
End-of-season birds are as skittish as whitetails; almost like a different species.
