Story by Mimi Meyer for Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation
At Lone Star Outdoor News Foundation’s Wild Game Night at the Beretta Gallery in October, Bob Collins pulled a repeat win. The year prior, he won the duck hunt at the historic Port Bay Club in Rockport. On the trip, he hunted with his brother-in-law and had a great time.
This year, Collins dropped his tickets in the bucket again for the duck hunt, and to everyone’s surprise, he won the trip again. He was thrilled to get to return and, this time, he brought his wife, Alicia.
Alicia had not hunted ducks but was up for the adventure. The two enjoyed the club — more so inside since the weather was rainy, windy and cold. Alicia bundled up, maybe a little too much the first day, making it difficult to move and shoot. She had an opportunity on a duck but couldn’t quite get the shot.
Bob came home with redheads in the morning and went back out in the afternoon to bring in a pintail and a shoveler with the most unique bill.
“The bill looked like it was leopard print,” Bob said. “It was so mottled like the duck’s chest.” The next day, Alicia knew the drill, so she was more prepared and eager to harvest a duck.
“It was so cool just sitting in the blind seeing the sunrise and birds flying all around,” Alicia
said.” Mid-morning, a bluebill presented itself perfectly for her to get a shot.
Boom! She harvested her first duck.
“It was a great first experience and our guide, Clinton, was amazing,” Alicia said. “I would do it again!”
A little while later, Bob’s phone was perched on the ledge in the blind. Someone accidentally bumped it and it fell into the water. After looking around, their guide couldn’t seem to find it. An hour or two later, Bob went on the search and finally found it wedged underneath the blind but still under water between two boards. The phone was recovered, but the photos of Alicia’s first duck were not. Thankfully, Bob had texted the pictures to friends.
Despite the loss of a phone, it was a great trip for the couple and brought newfound excitement for duck hunting as husband and wife.
