Personal Narrative: My Pursuit Of Waterfowl

Introduction
While trying to find a topic to research and write about, I attempted to comb my brain in search of my greatest passions. Ideas such as sports, trucks, and politics stood out as potentials, but I quickly discarded the collection in favor of my more hotly burning passion: duck hunting. Ducks dominate my thoughts and dreams in an overwhelming fashion. The pursuit of waterfowl has influenced my life in a myriad of ways, such as impacting my college choices, affecting how I spend my time, and dictating how I budget my money. Even my Christmas gifts revolved around the sport as I received numerous pieces of equipment designed to aid my endeavors chasing the aquatic game birds. Diving ducks in particular seemed highlighted as my

John Pollman, a Ducks Unlimited journalist, says in his article “Battling the Elements: How to Overcome the Weather” “nothing influences a hunt for ducks and geese like the weather” (2016, Paragraph 1). This means that even if you have the perfect location, and there are thousands of ducks in the area, if a hunter does not account and set up for the conditions, success will be hard to come by. It is crucial to know the wind direction, precipitation predictions, and temperature forecast prior to selecting a hunting spot. Pollman indicates that while foul weather may be unpleasant, fair weather can be the undoing for hunters (2016, Stale Weather Patterns: Paragraph 3). High winds, while often dangerous, can also produce the best hunting conditions. Cold weather causing water to freeze can concentrate ducks into areas of open water, and allow for a better chance at large quantities of ducks. Hunters who can handle the bitter weather of the late Autumn months have the best chance at bagging a limit of diving ducks, as long as they are able hunt safely in the frigid waters and strong