Well, Kerri and I have just completed our first duck hunting season as managers of the North Platte Outpost. Ross and I finished putting away our duck hunting equipment, and we decided to float the river to collect runaway decoys and plan placement of new pit blinds. Chef Kerri decided to join us in her kayak, leaving the kitchen unattended for one morning, as we put in at the west blind around 11am.
As we slid through the ice cold water, I couldn’t help but be astounded by the beauty of the surrounding area. Bald eagles soared overhead looking for their next meal. I was struck by the large flocks of geese that continued to cover the fields all throughout the land that makes up the Cheyenne Ridge North Platte Outpost. Ross continuously pointed out various native foliage that bring the waterfowl pouring into the North Platte River backs, making it a veritable duck haven.
Coming around a slight bend in the river, the current picked up and brought me back to the present, as I once again witnessed the reason hunters come to the our lodge again and again. Literally thousands of ducks of various species and hundreds of geese sprang out of the river! Every dip of the paddle brought us closer to exciting wildlife. We saw whitetail deer grazing along the banks, does with their fawns following and a very large buck still proudly carrying his large set of antlers. They watched us glide nearer until mother decided it was time to leave the area and white flags flashed as they disappeared into the brush. While passing the old cottonwoods where the flocks of Merriam turkeys roost, we watched as they moved throughout the timbered fields, looking for food. It definitely looks like it will be a good spring season!!
As we entered the stretch of river near the middle blind, enviously called the “Honey Haven” by the guides and customers alike, we saw more ducks and geese take flight from the river than I have ever seen in person, on TV, or in pictures! Scattered amongst them were eight or nine bald eagles and what looked like golden eagles. I wish we had a camera! This sight was so breathtaking we had to just stop and watch. It literally took some minutes for us to come back to the realization that we still had some distance to go to finish our journey. It had taken us a couple of hours to complete our tour of our three miles of the river; picking up various decoys that had drifted away during attacks from overhead by dive bombing waterfowl.
Our expert waterfowl guide, Ross Juelfs, and myself discussed many different new blind locations. The question not being if there was any, but the many possibilities that we could put in and still allow a multitude of haven locations. At the completion of our trip, I remembered all of my 22 years with the Navy and 29 different countries I have visited, as well as all the different places I have hunted and guided. In all of these I have never seen a place with such a diverse and abundance of wildlife, coupled with the natural beauty of Cheyenne Ridge North Platte Outpost. I am thankful to be able to spend time here and invite everyone to come join Kerri, Ross and myself on a waterfowl hunt or trophy deer hunt in the near future.
