North America's spring duck population decreased by about 6 percent in 2019, but most species remain higher than long-term averages, and Delta Waterfowl said there's plenty of other good news for waterfowlers. Waterfowl Population Status, 2019 , released Monday, and based on surveys conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife...
Duck hunters often gripe about flat-calm days, when most birds are content to loaf on the water and those that move won’t finish. But too much wind can actually hinder hunting efforts, making travel, setups and shooting difficult. That raises an obvious question: How much wind do duck hunters need...
It’s an hour before dawn, with stars twinkling in the sultry September air, and we’re lugging full-body decoys and silhouettes through some Minnesota wheat stubble. Sweat pours. Mosquitoes attack. But we brush in blinds, crawl inside, and wait for light. It comes, and we wait some more. I doze a...
Duck hunts often hinge on one critical decision. If you choose correctly, you’re a hero. When you mess up, however, you’ll probably kick yourself all the way back to the truck. To complicate matters, you must usually make these decisions quickly, and you won’t get many second chances. Been there...
Dr. Frank Rohwer of Delta Waterfowl gives you the scoop on wetland and brood-rearing conditions throughout North America's duck-producing region. And the overall news is positive. Click here for more Realtree waterfowl hunting content. And check us out on Facebook .
Editor's note: This blog originally appeared Dec. 15, 2015. I spend most of my time in flooded fields, shallow sloughs or timber chasing puddle ducks. However, I hunt big lakes near the Tennessee River for divers when canvasbacks show up in good numbers or backwater hunting is slow. I’m not...
Life is never fair, and that seems especially true during duck season . The stone-cold bottom line? Sometimes, work or life commitments severely limit your time afield. But not to worry. Assuming you’re ambitious and have some decent spots within driving distance, you can pull off a great hunt and...
Psst. Can you hear me? That was a joke. Okay, maybe it was corny, but I’m an ear, so I’m not accustomed to telling jokes. Typically, the Duck Blogger leaves that to his mouth, which tends to operate on its own and only occasionally interacts with the brain. Anyway, I’m...
Hunting with a group often makes for a good time, but it raises a practical question: Who will dictate the setup and call the shots? Sometimes, the answer is obvious, like when you hunt with a landowner or guide. By default, they’re the de facto pit boss. But in other...
As waterfowl nesting season wanes, Delta Waterfowl biologists are seeing positive signs throughout North America. Here's the scoop. Click here for more Realtree waterfowl hunting content. And check us out on Facebook .
Ducks have a knack for bringing out the shooting mistakes in all of us. Sometimes I think I even invent a few new shooting mistakes each season. But the worst gaffes seem to happen before even picking up the gun and pulling it to your shoulder. These mess-ups sting a...
Waterfowlers tend to fall into habits. But often, that’s because those habits pay dividends. I'm no different, especially when it comes to my decoy setups. In fact, during the past several years, I've noticed that I tend to set my decoys in one of five tried-and-true ways, time and again...
