Jumping the Pits by John P. Cowan ~ "During the 1930's, part of our riverbottom farm in Tennessee was the scene of intensive sand and gravel dredging. A lot of the old water-filled pits are still in the wooded part of the farm, some of them connecting with the adjacent river. The pits attracted a permanent population of nesting wood ducks and greenheads, which I never hunted. On special occasions during the migratory season I would hunt a few mallards but never the woodies. I didn't use decoys. It was strictly a stalking operation. The area was extremely overgrown and rough. A good snowfall added to the challenge of this jump shooting." - John P. Cowan