Every once in awhile the Lord shines on your boat, and in this case it was a duck boat. As the late afternoon chill reminded us we were in the Northern California waterfowl Mecca known as Tule Lake, our hosts quietly pushed the boat blinds out 500 yards into the flooded grain fields. What occurred next was hard to describe but it was obvious we were “ON THE X”….and flight after flight of green heads dropped into our spread.

Our guides Zane Peterson, Jimmy Colnico and Bill Holmes had done an excellent job of camouflaging the boats. The Mud Buddy motors got us to exactly where the ducks wanted to be. The placement was so perfect one Veteran, Kyle McKinsey remarked, “one time I stood up to shoot but there were so many ducks I didn’t know which one to shoot at!"

McKinsey, a staff sergeant in the Air Force, was on his third duck hunt and his first with CWA. "The hunt was a great experience," he said. "Our guide Bill was awesome and put us right on the birds. Once the wind picked up the birds started coming in from all directions. Although my shooting abilities could have been a little better, we still managed to limit out on the second day. It was a fun hunt and I would highly recommend it to anyone thinking about doing a CWA sponsored hunt."

This extraordinary opportunity was made possible by Don Kirby, owner of Kirbs Outlet in Tule Lake, who, for all four years of the program, has graciously offered his time and finances to support the Veteran Hunt. Veterans in the hunt stay at the beautiful rustic Winema Lodge and have two days of “hunting to remember” in flooded grain fields and natural marsh conditions. None of it would be possible without the support of Ric Peterson, a long time CWA Board Member, Bill Wright of Shasta Land Services out of Redding, and Five Star Bank’s sponsorship. Every year it seems this hunt surpasses expectations and the great men and women who serve our country are rewarded with great friends, wonderful conditions and a host of memories not soon to be forgotten.

Any veteran who’s interested in participating in Veteran Hunt Program events can review our offerings here, and if you’d like to donate an outdoor opportunity to those who have served our country can contact me at mpeeters@calwaterfowl.org or 808-227-5635.