By Phil Bourjaily

October 4-5 was Iowa's Youth Waterfowl Hunt. The feds allow states to set a two day season before or after the regular duck season for hunters under 15 accompanied by unarmed adults. It's a wonderful way to get kids out. Way too few people take advantage of it; we always have the local public marsh to ourselves. It's been a tradition at my house since my older son turned 12, seven years ago.

It takes some effort to get today's overscheduled kids into the field. The boys in this photo, my son John (in the tie) and his friends Mike and Michael, had to miss Saturday's hunt. They had a football game in the morning, and a homecoming dance in the evening. Here they are trying on my extra waders about midnight after the dance the night before our Sunday morning hunt.