An Outdoorsman’s Journal: The Mississippi

Hello friends, Can you say too many sardines to fit in a can? That’s what I have when it comes to fitting everything into the space for this week’s column.

Here it goes: 53 duck hunting openers ago, I camped and hunted ducks on an island on the Mississippi River across from Ferryville with my dad, the late Robert Walters, and my brothers Mike and Tom. That has been an annual trip in the Walters family since my dad started it back in the 50s when he was going to college at UW-Madison.

Fast forward to today, and family, friends and kids that are now 25 to 35 make up a gang of what this year would be 17 of us. Saturday, Sept. 28 – High 80, low 56 Everyone calls this hunt“The Mississippi.”Here is an example of its energy. Grant Wandler was a classmate of my stepson, Joey Dushek, at Necedah, and was along with his brothers Conrad, Vlad, Silver and this year their pa Dave Wandler to make this trip. Grant is working in California, flew to Minneapolis, rented a car, had a ton of fun and flew back on Monday. We have a new way of life: surface drive motors on wellmade jon boats. There are five in camp. This year the“Muddy Mississippi” is fitting its name due to low water. Yesterday, two of these rigs became exceptionally stuck. Yours truly is the only one paddling a canoe, worn out, but not stuck. First hunting/opening morning, my stepson Travis Dushek limits out in 30 minutes, yours truly fired one shot, and most of the group got two to four ducks. At lunch, everyone comes in and hangs out around the campfire for a meal and most take a snooze; the energy is super cool. After lunch I went exploring and end up whacking four ducks by dusk. Both Ruby and Red did a fine job of retrieving. Ruby, who is in her ninth season, never takes her eyes off the sky. My daughter Selina started coming here when she was 8, first just to hang out with dad and at 10 to hunt. I miss her. She lives in Missoula, Mont., and I will hunt elk and mule deer with her soon. Laughter is nonstop. At night we cook lots of really good food; there are no weaknesses. One of our top cooks is Troy Ringelstetter. Troy can cook a lot of food and can put down a solid chunk as well. My brother-in-law Dick Schuster and my brother Mike fish for perch on this trip. This year they did well and caught some real dandies.

I retired from the world of wrestling last year at deer camp; I never seem to win anymore. My opponents are always in their twenties and flip me like a burger. It’s always a crowd pleaser when what in all honesty is a death match takes place. This year 27-year-old Conrad Wandler wanted to fight around midnight. Conrad could not find an opponent and was sitting next to me. Next thing you know all hell breaks loose and for a while I gave somewhat of a fight.

In the end, another burger was flipped! Sunday morning has so much fog. It is 90 minutes before shooting. Everyone leaves camp at the same time. I am paddling on what is a 30-minute trip in daylight without fog. I cannot find my spot, but I think I found a good spot and it is now shooting time. Luck is on my side, I drop three woodies and a teal, and I have zero cares. However, my body and brain from two late nights, lots of paddling and of course “killer wrestling” are telling me to go home. We break camp for another year and a good time was had by all.

Dad would be/is smiling! Sunset

Mark Walters