European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - November 24, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Water wind and wild ducks of con it of from f of i Iii re Larni in in ihi1  to gel acquainted with the other Hunters and get Nasiru Lions a the nem morning. 1 we of the group Dick   Art Davies Piatt driven up to Gelhar from Frankfurt West Germany lln1 third  Slobodan from his Home near Wiesbaden. He fire heading for Nur bunks we stepped out finn lilo rec k t j Check the weather. The Mil  died Down and the temperature was dropping Untley a  sky. I was still Black night when we a mixed the ladder in the main Cabin Al 515 . After in excellent Hunters  of Fried eggs Ham cold tuts t Heese , Orange Juke and Coffee we bundled i ind carried our gear out inn inc darkness of i he frosty Flat Calm morning. Impatient with anticipation wi1  scraped the car windshields and headed for the rendezvous area. I he guides Wen already wailing near the pasture  the t and of the twirl Rind  a the meeting Point after perfunctory introductions and Insi roil ions in a  fit dutch German and English we followed i hens in the  a Russ a Dike through ilii1 chill wot Meadow la i , and the boats 1 a id Iii Oul nolo inc Lake in i in. First Gray Light the  Thill  ii of Marsh grass and  , ii lights of the first Swift winged Leal along the Black Shoreline can Vii memories of other firmly  mar nines a no us odours Wilh family Pirn Fri Undi. 1o Thust who in w up Hunting Ilie  Ilia Shiira clean Sci no of party morning the Sii Liti and ii Ink in a nits ind Fields Are at  is Rizui h ii Wrt of ii  .is.Llu. Pursuit of game. Inc whirl Lon of ,1  Minh i Witiw  Jill Iiron d  i Yurii As our guid1,  int ,. Ili it cell us 1io.il Ili Nyji Llu a thru inward the Blind wtiiti1 Diu 1inrl i would to Hubli he. Dick and Art mrs their Guisik f  i  Srann continued on Phil a in tin to come by it. Tin Bis Johnsa Muku Rehrl Cvar Peri Hill i  on inc Bov like ,1 ?.id, gift it  Hunting i Juhls to Ihrck in link in if i Lam car l a i Lii util a Lull mile apart  by Al Chr Pink of a Iii Ingle. For the Lisl. , we Woultz have inc Iri it Iii us Blind Alx iut a Mike rat Fri Rte the mooring canal Nuil Only 5tl  off the 5hnredck ind Arl got the second Blind farther Dijon  ii Inu uth of the River  third Blind Dir ally in the Middle of the like would prove 1 l the most popular. During the three Days we were i  the Lance in Bun Oul of All of lit m.,with if motor bumping Bottom in the shallows. I link put us into the Blind reminding us  in was nut cd Legal shochinjjtimi1.1 Hen he will about. Selling Mil the decoys. Hit a Judi Ami the   on Ihu water the in i Mil Reeds sharply outlined Agi Pinsl the lightening sky treated .1 Venn like an etching.1  ii l the i Ruiyi in three main groups , Lilac balls and i . Included among the Sel  Iii to Chi Iii  was an i anachronism in in  Hunter  i ivys. The i fee lame Mallard her ii were put in close to the Blind.  with n siring ind i in Eglit to Leeper from swimming away i Rovini Iilva i  Winnis i hair  la dist  i Oding Al re Sunrise ind  Fivi us the of 1p.iru l up  had brought or a Var i incl Niider. Rule of the Stosl i  models in Europe. I had  Finin Airai h-b7 Semi automatic and Hank had j Short barrelled Sou big. All of us were Shonting 12 gauge s. We crouched Down in la n Blind stanning the Hoff on ind moving Leet and legs Loiry to keep Wiirre. Tiu ugly Llu it  t a breath of wind. In was Only Abdul 25 Rie Reci -. To some in when grew up Hunting waterfowl Here. Ivy j look that a fms almost Wistful Trie a of i Pean to be paying final Mpr tit to two Birds it brought in. Is scarcely a sight More Beautiful than ducks or geese winging Iligir Way across the Dawn  the Eastern horizon turned from Pink to Brilliant Salmon Orange we watched flock after flock in the distance a few came within several Hundred Yards of the Blind prompting Hank to remove the Ever present Cigar from his Mouth and try to Call them in. I to Oving used a Duck Call 1 was amazed at the accuracy of the sounds he made with Only his Mouth. His Mallard and Goose Calls were uncannily realistic. And when he sighted a flock of  i Learned Stim Lhing new. The half shouted noise he made so med like a poor pronunciation of the German word Grau 11 seemed to work and the Birds turned but did not came in.  later when be called in a single i downed it Wilh crossing shot at about 25 Yards /.  the Mosi rep Orient function of the guide is to make sure the Hunt is conducted safely and legally. This includes not Only knowledge of nature and the Law Bui ibo the ability to quickly and accurately identify game to make sure that protected species Are Mil Laken. Several times during our Hunt we walled  Lor approaching Birds Only to be told at the last second no protected another important aspect of the guide s Job is recovering Birds Hal Are downed nicking sure that none Are needlessly. Washed. For this the Boal is indispensable and a trained dog is also a i help. One of the Besl things about Duck Hunting is. Watching the sky he far Hor Lions the Over Changi clout patterns and palello of colors the endless expanse seem to offer possibilities As  life. Itself unlike the More earthbound sports of grouse or pheasant Hunting where your eyes arc focused on. The ground or Bushes Duck Hunting is Distant vistas. Though the Lack of wind and the Glass cat water made this morning less than Ideal for Duck Hunting we watched thousands of Birds flying. Among them were non game species such is the sleek polled billed cormorants moving in massive flocks along the far Shore and the Graceful Majestic swans gliding past on huge wings. Mallards bluebells redheads snipe Teal and geese were also on the Wing but few tame w thin Range we did get some chances missing several Shols As the Brilliant fireball red disk of the Sun floated up Over the Marsh grass and vireos. Because of the flight pallor is on this Day Dick and Art were gelling More chances in the other Blind. Occasionally we would see a hard drop then Hoar the sound of the shot and shortly Afler watch the dog gos  Oul to retrieve the Duck Ash Sunol higher in the sky .1 slight Breeze. Came up ruffling the surface of the Waler and clinging the steel Gray Sheen to powder Blue. The Tourt noise sky was flecked  few puffy Gray White Clouds. When we headed in Al .11 45 we bad two Birds Thi. Blues if i got Early and a Mallard Rick and Art had had belter shooting bringing in five each. 1 he afternoon  Cli in sunny and nearly Calm but that evening around dusk a cold wind came up Oul of he Northeast Silling Ari Iund the boat after dark be could hear in fining strength. Tilt next Day slip Rcd aug ii Iausly the wind had blown All night Golly rocking the boat Al its berth. And whistling by the portholes and it showed no sign of abating. We plied on extra Myers of clothes knowing we would be in the Teeth of it Oul on the like. When Dave and i climbed up into the outer Blind there was ice on inc floor planks and the wind. Whistled through he dried Reeds and Laurel Bushes in.  to the new location we had a different. 12   psf Lyl