Two Shots, Three Yells, One Timber Drake

Two Shots, Three Yells, One Timber Drake

It was cold, chaotic, and we almost didn’t hit a thing. But the best mallard of the season came through the trees—and into memory—with wings locked. Timber hunts don’t reward the perfect. They reward the present.

🌲 A Narrow Hole and a Late Morning

We were late. Not “miss shooting light” late, but “the ducks already know you’re here” late. It was the second-to-last day of Arkansas’s season, and we’d hiked into a flooded timber hole we’d hunted just once before.

Water levels were perfect. Overcast skies. Temps in the 30s. But no wind. And the birds? They were acting smarter than we were.

Four of us, tucked into tree trunks, silent. And then—wings.

🦆 The Whistle, the Chaos, the Drake

You hear mallards before you see them in the timber. That fast whistle of wingbeats echoing between trunks. And then: green heads. Backpedaling.

A pair dropped in from nowhere. No time to call. No time to whisper.

🎙️ “Shoot! Shoot now!”

I raised and fired. Missed. Someone else fired. Missed. Then a third shout—louder, sharper.

I swung again. The second shot folded the trailing drake, feathers flying, wings stiff.

He dropped in the shallow pool with a splash that echoed like applause.

🧠 What One Mallard in the Trees Taught Me

✔️ Timber hunts are about angles, not numbers
One bird in the trees is better than a limit in the open if you can’t work ‘em tight.

✔️ Be ready—even when it’s late
Birds came in at 9:52 a.m. Hours after legal light. They don’t wear watches.

✔️ Group communication matters
Three people yelled. One duck fell. Next time—we’ll have roles.

✔️ You don’t need a pile to feel proud
That one mallard felt like a grand finale.

✔️ The timber’s always a gamble—and that’s why we go
It’s not always clean. Not always easy. But when it works, it’s unforgettable.

🧰 Gear That Held Up in the Chaos

🌟 Final Shot: One Bird, All Worth It

There were more ducks that day. We scratched a few more. But that one timber drake, framed by trees, lit up by overcast skies, dropping like a hammer…

That’s the one I’ll remember.

🎙️ “Timber hunts don’t reward the perfect. They reward the present.”

📍Filed under: Waterfowl Hunting
🕯️ Difficulty Level: Tight Cover + Fast Decisions
🦆 Result: One Perfect Drake + Several Laughs
🌲 Location: Flooded Timber, Eastern Arkansas