December 2020 • Nebraskaland 49
time, we quickly parked and unloaded
our sleds as two sets of headlights
came down the road. We started our
20-minute walk in the snow and cold,
the sleds glided smoothly, and we set
out to get a pit along the river. Along
the trail we met another hunter; he
and two friends were setting up in the
reeds along the river bank. We wished
him luck and kept walking.
As we approached pit eight, the
sound of hundreds of birds thundered
into fl ight in front of us — who knew
how many ducks and geese were
right in front of the pit. Being pitch
dark, there was no way to avoid
spooking them and getting into the pit
undetected. Tom proceeded to set up
Tikka, the author's dog, retrieves her fi rst duck from the river at Clear Creek, making a special memory of the day.
Canada geese land in the slushy water on the North Platte River.
