Miles outside of city limits down unpaved mud paths, many from Acadiana spend their earliest weekend mornings in the marsh.
“It is my passion,” says Bryan Savoy, an avid hunter. “And I wait for the day all year for opening day to shoot ducks"
But you can’t just get out and start shooting. The preparation for a morning in the blind might just take longer than the hunting itself.
“The duck has to like your hole, like your location, like your decoys. I still prepare. I work my dog twice a week for it and came two weeks ago to kill all the wasps and everything in the blinds and clean out the floors," says Savoy, who heads out weeks before opening day with his family and friends to prepare.
The perfect blind starts with cutting the brush, picking only the best and greenest branches to hide your spot.
"I want be concealed where the duck can't see you, because if you're going to put in all the work why not do it right," says Savoy.
It is no one man job, taking hours to make your pond a place where ducks want to be.
"We’re cutting the grass all up. It takes it out the ground and clears out the pond and the ducks in the air can see the decoys better," says Savoy.
But for the Savoy crew, the best part of hunting prep happens the morning.
"We make some coffee, and I love that. I watch the news, I'm going to get them up. We all go get a biscuit. We’re ready to hunt now."