Headlamps cut through the hazy pre-dawn, confirming our fears. We had unexpected company in our opening-day goose field, and the uncertain COVID-19-influenced 2020 waterfowl season had begun. The situation shouldn’t have surprised us. With widespread furloughs, layoffs, travel restrictions and safer-at-home orders during the 2020 pandemic, more folks throughout the...
The greenwing would have been lunch. The protozoans had other plans. Seconds after starting to skin the plump drake, I noticed its dark breast meat was littered with small white granules. Disappointed, I recalled some college zoology lessons and realized I’d be eating a sandwich that noon. Many hunters have...
Our first Duck Hunting Nation roundup centers on the Atlantic Flyway. From tiny wood duck sloughs to coastal gunning for sea ducks, the region offers perhaps unmatched variety for waterfowlers. Despite recent reductions to daily limits of mallards and Canada geese, the flyway continues to produce solid hunting opportunities. We’ve...
Duck hunters should anticipate a good 2020-'21 season, according to Delta Waterfowl . The group recently said average to above average breeding conditions in the prairie pothole region, combined with a stable population of breeding ducks, will likely result in a strong Fall 2020 flight. The organization forecast improved flights...
Decoy nuts fuss and sweat about the placement of every block , but ducks often laugh at our plans, flaring from textbook spreads. Now and then, however, they finish like champs to decoy configurations we’re embarrassed to claim. I’ve been a decoy nerd for more than three decades, but willing...
Duck hunters talk a lot about recruiting the next generation of waterfowlers , and rightfully so. But I think we sometimes fail to hit the right formula for generating interest and fostering the development of young hunters. Too often, I fear, we take newbies hunting but treat the event like...
As I’ve mentioned in previous blogs, success or failure in the duck marsh often hinges on quick in-the-field decisions. Some work. Many don’t. And in hindsight, the wisdom or folly of your actions becomes clear. Consider these examples from my 2019–'20 season. Moving On The first hour at the flooded...
Sleepyheads, rejoice: Hunting ducks and geese in the afternoon can work just fine. Evening waterfowl forays might seem like casual, throwaway affairs, but the last hours of the day can hold some great hunting. Try these tips to make your evening hunts as successful as early morning efforts. Know When...
We’re taught as children to avoid categorizing people based on first impressions. However, not-so-subtle signs reveal much about folks — especially duck hunters . These observations, none of them especially clinical in nature, might or might not confirm that you’re dealing with an obsessive duck hunter, or ODH. 1. You...
The quail-sized poult, likely 3 weeks old or so, darted out into the road from where it had been bugging, followed by a lanky brood hen. While spotting just a single young bird indicates a tough run for that brood, one sighting is just that — no occasion for panic...
July’s hot, muggy weather might seem an odd time to think about frosty mornings in the duck woods, but hardcore waterfowl nuts know it’s never too early. In fact, forward-thinking folks are already checking out the latest, greatest duck gear. Here’s a sample of some must-have stuff for the upcoming...
Delta Waterfowl’s HunteR3 programs — First Hunt, Defending the Hunt and the University Hunting Program — are leading the charge to strengthen hunter numbers and secure the future of waterfowl hunting . Click here for more Realtree waterfowl hunting content. And check us out on Facebook .
