Hop's Slop Shop Home of the Whitecheek Grill's Waterfowl and Outdoors Community

A MAN AND HIS DOG, IN THE MARSH

For some reason I woke up this morning at 3am on this 15th day of
December , the temperature barely in double digits. Wide awake I lay
there gazing out the bedroom picture window, across the twinkling
starry sky, I got to thinking about how many creatures have to die to
provide food for each human to live.

Then I thought about how a few years back, I had found that "ONE
THING" in life that many reach for but can never quite grasp. that
"ONE THING" may be different for some, but the "ONE THING" that I
have found was right here in front of me all the time.

I have been caretaker here in the same marsh (wetlands) for 44 years
now. For the last 15 years, I have lived on the higher ground where
we built our Wilderness Lodge overlooking this marsh. It is made up
of almost 400 acres of natural wetlands and riverbottoms.

Growing up in the late 40's, and 50's, roasted duck was a very big
part of our family diet. Back in the 60's, 70's and 80's I hunted
waterfowl hard every chance I got, when work would allow. Back then
it seemed very important to bring home a "LIMIT". Living in town, I
felt like I was leaving an old friend in the marsh, everytime I would
return home. I knew I was missing the big picture.

In the early 90's we decided to retire from our sporting goods store
business and build our dream home in the marsh that we loved so
well. This is when I found that "ONE THING" in life for me.

You see, waterfowl hunters come from all over each fall to hunt here,
some for sport only, and some also to provide tablefare. And some
come to try to fill that certain need, that "ONE THING" that they
can't find when they return to their jobs in the city.

By living here in the marsh my life has been so fullfilled that it is
hard to describe. What I use to feel so empty about, I have now
became a part of, because now I am as one with nature, for 365
days a year, each day I tread through this marsh with my yellow lab
Mic, as I did with his father "Fred," before him.

We find our "ONE THING" each year as the fowl return the 10th of
Febuary, through the end of April. Mic and I watch as the different
species return at different dates. All the drakes have matured,
wearing their bright full dress suits for courting the hens. First
the teal, wood ducks, then the shovelers, Mallards and Pintails
slowly return. What an event it is to witness each and every day as
we do.

As Mic and I walk the levies each day, the birds get to where they
accept us and don't pose us as I threat. We walk among the birds and
sometimes put out cracked corn to help them on their journey north.
There are always a few who stay behind as they find refuge right here
at our wetlands. A few mallards, woodducks, and even an occassional
pair of goldeneyes. Some of the same familys of Canada Geese come
back and set up nest on top of the same duck blinds each year. I
feel that I know many of them by name, and I'm sure they feel the
same about us.

I still crave the delicious taste of roasted, or fried duck. So I do
try to take about 20 ducks per season to provide a duck dinner at
least once a month during the off season. But I don't take one more
duck than I feel is needed to feed our family. For this to me would
be robbing from nature. I am not a sport hunter, I eat what I shoot.

There's no doubt that when a person gets older you also get softer
towards God's creatures. Last spring as I watched a hen Goldeneye
swim across the pit with her newly hatched ducklings, too many to all
ride on her back, a baby disappears as a turtle pulls one to the
bottom. The hen splashes her wings frantically on top of the water,
but gives up and hurries the rest of her babes to hide along the bank.

Each time I process a few ducks I think of how much fun and hardship
each bird went through to grow up and make the journey this far. I
often think of how beautiful the landscape must look through duck
eyes when each makes its migritory trip across America.

Spring flights, bonded pairs, little ducklings as they grow up, early
September teal, fall flights. There is never a dull moment here at
Wilderness Lodge. When we go to town for a couple of hours to get
supplies, I can't wait to return home fearing I might be missing some
kind of event in nature.

And when Mic and I are finally gone and have walked the levies for
the last time, and someone else becomes Caretaker of this Marsh, I
only hope that they will provide for nature and enjoy it as much as
we did, and they will also find their "ONE THING" in life. And as
they walk the levies and all of a sudden something ahead flushes
1000's of ducks skyward out of the marsh, I hope that in the distance
they see a shadow of a man and his dog, and they will smile and only
they will understand.



Johnny Everhart

A article that should touch the hearts of any outdoorsmen

Well said Johnny, the one thing to think about.

Really good read.

Awesome post!