Page 13 - January/February 2023 Outdoor Oklahoma

SARAH SOUTHERLAND/ODWC

SARAH SOUTHERLAND/ODWC

Smokey Solis and Erika Diaz set out decoys.

The day began at 4:30 a.m. for the Diaz family. Eric, his The sun rose hot
wife, Erika, and his father, Luis, all piled into the vehicle pink, and that’s
to begin their trip from metropolitan Edmond to the far when the calling
Eric Diaz is ready to hunt.
reaches of western Oklahoma. Smokey Solis accompanied began. Solis whis-
them to assist in what would be the family’s first duck hunt. pered instructions like, “Don’t look straight up at the sky.
Erika, in the dim dark blue before the sun began to rise, Try to look from the side.”
struggled to put on waders for the first time, but she was More duck calls rang out.
confident about venturing into the water to help set out Half past the hour, ducks began to fly overhead. And
decoys that cold morning. it wasn’t long before Luis shot his first duck. The group
Eric and Luis stayed at the blind and militantly began to cheered and scrambled out of the blind. Erika quickly
cover it with tall grass and whatever else laid bare near the waded into the pond to get the American wigeon. The
pond’s muddy shoreline. No one would have ever guessed whole group gathered around, buzzing with excitement.
that this was the enthusiasm of beginners but rather the They were now officially duck hunters.
habits of seasoned veterans. This gaggle of new water- Smokey explained the biology of the bird in Erika’s soak-
fowlers moved with purpose, and seemingly hardly noticed ing-wet hands. Everyone discussed the architecture of its
the frigid conditions. feathers, the species, its colors, migration patterns, and
This was the day they all tried something new. where it fits into the ecosystem.

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