Boundary Water Birds; A duck-hunting getaway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is thick with scenery but thin in duck activity.(SPORTS)

Another steel-gray rain cloud swept past, dumping its load on four of us hunkered in sedge grass as we eyed several dozen duck decoys sitting serenely in wild rice on the Nina Moose River.

We winced and absorbed the shower. A while later, the sun slipped out and dried us momentarily before the next dark cloud blew in with sheets of rain.

But the only thing moving past our decoys were occasional non-hunting paddlers in shiny silver canoes, nodding to us as they headed north up the twisting river, deeper into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

"This is horrible. It's pouring rain, there's no ducks and there are a billion people here," said Chris Nicolai. "I just don't understand it. We've usually gotten ducks."

We …

Boundary Water Birds; A duck-hunting getaway to the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is thick with scenery but thin in duck activity.(SPORTS)

Another steel-gray rain cloud swept past, dumping its load on four of us hunkered in sedge grass as we eyed several dozen duck decoys sitting serenely in wild rice on the Nina Moose River.

We winced and absorbed the shower. A while later, the sun slipped out and dried us momentarily before the next dark cloud blew in with sheets of rain.

But the only thing moving past our decoys were occasional non-hunting paddlers in shiny silver canoes, nodding to us as they headed north up the twisting river, deeper into the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

"This is horrible. It's pouring rain, there's no ducks and there are a billion people here," said Chris Nicolai. "I just don't understand it. We've usually gotten ducks."

We …