Photo by Paul Tessier.

How many times have you heard, "If it were easy, everybody would be doing it"?

Waterfowl hunting in Tennessee is like that. Nowadays, successful duck hunting is about getting in the way of ducks or being where they want to be more than anything else. Getting in the way of ducks is about doing your homework. Networking and weather watching are starting points.

Let's see if we can get you on the right track and headed in the direction of ducks in the Volunteer State. We talked about Kentucky Lake and Reelfoot Lake in last month's issue; this month we're going to get a little off the beaten path for waterfowl and in the way of ducks and geese.

BLACK BOTTOM DUCKS
In the land of giants like Kentucky Lake and Reelfoot Lake, there are areas that are making a name for themselves as quality duck destinations. Last season, I punched the address to Black Bottom Guide Service into my Garmin, and I could swear my GPS had lost its mind. It said I was heading for Brazil, but I was still heading due west on I-40.

The duck hunting south of the border in Mexico and even farther south into Argentina is fabled, and something I've always wanted to do. When I made it to the computed destination, the unit said I had my wish: I'd arrived in Brazil -- Brazil, Tennessee, that is.

The warmer than normal December temperatures couldn't have been far off from any hunting in South America this time of year. I met up with head guides Brad Kent and Greg Hinson at their duck camp and settled in at the lodge for the night and the much awaited shooting at daylight. It was a six-hour-plus drive across the Volunteer State, but very different from a long trip way down South.

Black Bottom Guide Service is located near the towns of Trenton and Eaton in West Tennessee. Eaton, formerly known as Buckner's Bluff, was established in 1827, and named in honor of John H. Eaton, Secretary of War under Andrew Jackson. It's located on the right bank of the Middle Fork of Forked Deer River. Before the days of railroads, it was an important shipping point for Dyer, Obion, Gibson and Carroll counties, as keel and flatboats, and occasionally small steamboats, were navigated on the Forked Deer.

The first blind I hunted from with Black Bottom Guide Service was on a stretch of water near one of the original, main shipping channels. It's now located along a major stretch that ducks like to use as a travel corridor bordering the Horns Bluff Waterfowl Refuge.

At daybreak as shooting time arrived, bands of ducks could be seen crossing high above the blind -- more than I could see in a season hunting at home in East Tennessee. The birds were moving from roosting areas back into the refuge to feed for the morning.

"It's a typical case of ducks following ducks," explained Kent as the strings of mallards and gadwalls refused to pay attention to our duck calls. He was sure we'd get some shooting as they filtered back into the waters of the Forked Deer to rest after feeding. He was right. Not long after Hinson whipped up some great-tasting sausage and egg biscuits on the blind stove, the first of the woodies began coming back in and offered passing shots. We took advantage. The wood ducks were soon followed by handfuls of mallards at repeated intervals.

Unlike many guide services I've frequented, these guys weren't about waiting out the ducks in a single blind for the day. The beauty of Black Bottom Guide Service is that they have six blinds to take your chances in if ducks aren't working to their satisfaction. Just before lunch, we loaded the take and our gear into the johnboat and headed back to the lodge for a warm lunch. Less than an hour later, we were back at it and changing locations.

Hinson said they prefer to book normally no more than two or three groups in town per day. That way, they can rotate everyone to more productive blinds if necessary. Our afternoon hunt would be located in a blind known as "The Trick" along flooded corn immediately adjacent to the Horns Bluff Refuge itself.

The story behind The Trick's name is this: When Kent and Hinson went to inquire about leasing the property from an old black gentleman, the man was a little apprehensive until they offered up some cash to lease the prime spot. The man accepted the offer, saying, "Go ahead and put your trick in the field."