Blackbird Basin

It got it's name from the thousands of blackbirds that used to cling to the cattails and do whatever blackbirds do. Hard to say how big the marsh was, because there really wasn't any boundary on the western end, but 50 acres is my guess. Hermit Island, as I knew it, was sort of fishhook shaped and the inside of the hook was a cattail marsh. Sort of thinned out on the west end near Garbage Island. The Basin sat pretty much out in front of the cottage where we stayed at Turkeyfoot Point. We crappie fished there in the Spring and Summer, and shot ducks there in the Fall and Winter. It was by far our main hunting spot during Teal Season. If Teal were on the lake you would find them there.

It was probably the best Wood Duck marsh I've ever seen. Unfortunately, about the time I started duck hunting, Indian Lake was becoming a popular hunting spot and everybody who didn't have a blind would crowd into the marshes around the perimeter of the lake. That ran all the Woodies out very early in the season. I can remember Dad coming home from there one Saturday night with an empty beer carton packed full of Wood Ducks. I couldn't believe it. I wanted in on that. I killed some ducks in Blackbird Basin, but it was mostly Teal and then a few Mallards when the weather was too rough out on the lake. But it was still a great place to hunt. Late in the season when all the skunk hunters were gone, we virtually had Blackbird Basin all to ourselves. We could hunt there for a half hour in the evening after we had given up out at our blind. You never knew what would come in. Maybe nothing, maybe geese, maybe a Wood Duck or maybe a handful of Mallards.

On the back side of Blackbird Basin, where a channel ran through the south side of Hermit Island, you could come in by boat. Just step out on the bank and walk 10 yards and be looking out over about a half acre pond of open water. Beautiful. Many a Mallard, Wood Duck and Teal met their demise in that little pond. I used to love hunting there even when the birds weren't flying because there was always hope. If any ducks came into the Basin they were going to look at that little pothole. I killed most of the Blue Wing Teal that I've shot in my life right there.

Two trips out to the Basin really stand out in my memory. The first one was a stormy day, wind 30 mph or so, way too rough to get out on the lake. Dad and I sat and waited for hours to see if the wind would die. Never did. So about 1400 I took the Gizmo (a little steel rowboat) and a half dozen decoys and Chief and rowed out to a likely spot. Set the decoys with the wind at my back, pulled the boat back in the reeds and Chief and I covered up with cattails and burlap. It started snowing a real blizzard. I sat there with growing anticipation. Finally, through the snow I saw 2 birds with their wings set, sailing right at me. I got ready and at the exact second that I stood up to shoot, I realized they were Killdeer. I was as crushed as a 12 year old can be. Still remember that day, still wish they had been ducks.

The other day I recall was a cold day. We had hunted out in our blind and Dad had killed some ducks, but I hadn't hit any. So I was feeling pretty low. One day a week to hunt and I had missed on my shots. Dad was going to take a nap before driving back to Dayton and I asked if I could take the Gizmo out in Blackbird Basin. It was 90% frozen over and Dad didn't think I had any chance of getting any shooting, but he let me go anyway. I fought the ice bad. Made so much noise there was absolutely no possibility of sneaking up on any ducks, but I kept hoping I'd hit some open water. Sure enough when I hit the little channel on the backside of Hermit Island it was open water. I slowly rowed the boat down the channel, hoping that the little pothole at the far end might have open water and a few ducks in it. I had to turn around in the boat to row properly because I had push-rowed all the way out there so I could watch for ducks. About the time I got in position and started rowing again something caught the corner of my eye. A beautiful drake Wood Duck about 5 yards from my boat. He jumped and I missed him 3 straight shots.

Hard to describe how badly I felt. I already loved duck hunting, but hadn't hit anything all day. Ready to give up, I didn't even check the little pothole I just turned the boat around and headed for the cottage. With whatever slight glimmer of hope a young boy might have, I decided to push-row back just in case a duck had snuck in there on me. It was much easier rowing going back because I had broken up the ice on my trip out. Just about the time I cleared the open water channel and was ready to follow my little trail through the ice I looked up ahead and there sat 3 Mallards. 2 drakes and a hen, sitting right in the little path where I had broken the ice. The ducks saw me at the same instant and jumped. Up came the trusty 31 Remington and down went the 3 ducks. A couple were just crippled, but couldn't get away, I rowed right up to them. I was redeemed.

Got closer to the cottage and saw Dad standing out on the dock. He had heard me shoot at the Wood Duck 3-4 minutes before that and came out in time to see me shoot the Mallards. Well he couldn't actually see the shot because the reeds were too tall, but he knew the deal when he saw the big grin on my face.

Really would like to hunt the Basin again someday. Maybe I'll make it back there someday.

P.S. I also killed about a million and one Coot in Blackbird Basin when I was learning to shoot. Great place for a kid to learn to hunt.