The painting depicts a duck at the very last moment prior to its taking a frightful flight away from the duck blind. Comments from the “peanut gallery” -the artist’s friends and critics- regarding this grey duck included that it is actually a brown duck. In fact, the female grey duck in part is very mottled brown. However, grey ducks are one of the most ubiquitous ducks in the Louisiana marshes, and are referred to as “big ducks”, prized by hunters. In some areas of Louisiana, the grey duck is thought to be one of the most wary, while in South Louisiana -for whatever reason- they decoy readily, and fool many hunters who mistake them in flight for the mallard. Even though mottled, the stark white markings on their wings are most pronounced when drifting into a decoy spread with wings cupped. This duck has seen the danger and has slouched down low on the water just before springing away.
 
“As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said,
‘Flee for your lives!
Don't look back, and don't stop anywhere in the plain!
Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!’”
Genesis 19:16-18