Your retrieval efforts are to be applauded. A dunk in the frozen creek is no fun and at least you had warm cloths back at the car. Many many years ago when I was in college I hunted waterfowl a lot. One day we broke ice to get out on Saginaw Bay. This is a draw type hunt so we were there at 5am.
Being 25 and bullet proof we had closed the bar the night befor and after a greasy breakfast decided we could make the draw so off we went. We were in a flodded corn field and after the decoys were set that undeniable urge came upon me. As I couldn't find the canoe and couldn't wait any longer I got up as far as I could on a mound and made do. The mound gave way and down I went along with my gun a Browning A5. After I found the canoe I stripped down and rung as much water out of my cloths as I could but it was useless and I couldn't stop chivering. I made my way back to the truck where I sat naked with the heat turned up full blast and kept it that way all the way back home a ride of over an hour
