Anas platyrhynchos is the world’s most common and widespread wild duck ; even a frequent resident of parks, golf courses and city ponds. Yet when we sit by the fire and talk of fowling and hunts past, it becomes clear that we cherish and revere the mallard over all other...
We practice all summer, focusing hard on those clay targets, following proper form and swinging through the bird after we slap the trigger. Our score sheets look great, and confidence swells. Then we go out opening day and blow at least one or two opportunities. Hey, it happens. But why?...
Perfecting the cluck and moan of Canada geese might seem a bit daunting at first. However, Banded pro Chad Belding, host of The Fowl Life , breaks down the process into several simple, common-sense steps. Practice these techniques during the off-season, and then use them this fall to lure more...
I was very nervous about my first dove hunt. I was in my early 20s at the time and had never shot anything that moved. When I was a child, my father and I spent sunny afternoons shooting cans and other small objects with his .22 rifle, but I had...
Decoy setups often reflect the space in your boat, the amount of walking and lugging you’re willing to accept, or the size of the water or field you plan to hunt . As a result, you commonly see spreads of two- to six-dozen blocks dotting America’s marshes, lakes and corn...
Millions of people across the country love the outdoors. Whether it’s hunting, fishing, hiking, etc., the great outdoors is loved by many. And chances are a good portion of those people would love to work in the outdoor industry. I’ve worked as an outdoor writer, editor, photographer, video producer, worked...
Hanging over the decoys in perfect range, a cupped, committed duck or goose is probably the easiest target in waterfowl hunting. So why do we miss those gimme shots so often? Various factors combine to turn ideal decoying shots into embarrassing whiffs or panicked follow-up volleys. Let’s examine how cake...
OK, any thoughts on serious scouting for early season honkers might be premature. Still, hardcore goose nuts can take some early steps toward finding potential hotspots for late-summer and early fall Canada goose hotspots long before it’s time to place decoys. Narrow the Food Search In many areas, early season...
Public property offers an uncountable amount of waterfowling opportunity throughout the country. Trouble is, many folks don’t take advantage because they don’t want to compete with crowds or stare at a shot-out marsh. It shouldn’t be that way. True, hunting publicly accessible land or water isn’t like walking into an...
Anyone who participates in an activity eventually wonders how they compare to their contemporaries. Baseball players do it, as do competitive shooters. Heck, even bowlers keep score. Waterfowlers are no different. However, comparisons don’t come as easily for duck and goose hunters. Ballplayers, bowlers and skeet shooters can rely on...
As early goose and teal seasons fade into the crisp, breezy days of autumn, duck hunters begin to pay attention to their hands. Specifically, they notice that their fingers can get darn cold many mornings. As such, gloves become important. However, one glove — bad-pun warning — doesn’t fit all...
When you love something, you want to show it off. That's why we asked you to submit a photo of your canine hunting companion so we could share it here on Realtree.com for all to see. Check out these photos of the pups doing what they love to do --...
Folks make a big deal about introducing children or teens to waterfowl hunting , and rightly so. But that’s often where the advice ends. If we want to recruit newcomers into the full-time ranks of duck and goose hunters, we must do everything to make sure their first experience is...
Admittedly, most waterfowl hunters aren’t thinking too seriously about the upcoming season. We’re busy chasing turkeys or recovering from spring light-goose conservation hunts. That’s no problem, as there’s plenty of time to fix decoys, get our boats purring and fine-tune our retrievers. But during this not-so-serious time months before the...
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