Well, the second split of duck season is officially (well) underway, and I must admit… I LOVE IT. Despite this insanely warm December weather we’ve been having (because who wants to have to bring a Thermacell in the duck blind, right?), even the slow mornings are so much fun.

I got the second split started last Wednesday, hunting with Ol’ Otis (naturally). A foggy, cool morning was going to give way to a warm, sunny day, and I had definitely brought along my itchy trigger finger… No way, right? I also brought my GoPro to start getting footage for the 2015 – 2016 Duck Season video, since I didn’t even get it out of my blind bag during the first split. No idea where my head was on that. Bad Hollis.

I keep my GoPro covered in this camo skin by Weapon Armor, just so the sun doesn’t hit the silver color of the camera or the plastic and create a reflection/glare that could flare ducks. It’s happened before, and I don’t want it to happen again! I keep it on the head mount usually, but I keep the rest of the mounts nearby, just in case. (Such a Johnston, I know).

The sun came up and burned some of the fog away, and we got to shooting. While it wasn’t exactly a barrel burner, we managed to have some pretty good shots on decoying birds in addition to the longer passing shots we had to take. With only a few lulls in the action, Dad and I both had 4 ducks in the blind by 8:30 and finished out limits a little after 9:15.

What did we come out with, you ask? Ringnecks, mallards, a ruddy duck, and a really pretty drake gadwall I was super pumped to knock down.

I’d say that was a pretty good way to kick off the hunts.

Now, let the rest of the season begin!