I’m often amazed at the people, deer hunters included, who tell me they just don’t like venison. That statement is usually followed by a qualifier: it’s tough; it’s gamy; it’s dry. And so on. I’ve eaten a lot of good deer meat. But I’ve eaten some really bad deer meat,...
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...
September 10, 2020 | Turkey Blog with Steve Hickoff
Wild turkey locations and movements are a mystery, adding to the bird’s appeal. As a result, biologists rely heavily on telemetry technology to understand the dynamics of wild turkey breeding, brooding, and mortality factors. Their conservation efforts ultimately benefit both the bird itself — and those of us who love...
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...
When we turkey hunters talk these days, the spring kill, hatch reports, and season regulation changes are in the mix … and other stuff only gobbler chasers like us love. Sooner State Changes The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation (ODWC) has executed changes to wild turkey bag limits. The reason?...
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...
Every day was a Saturday this recent turkey season. The ongoing pandemic sheltered folks in place. The result: more time to hunt. By many accounts, designated public-land parking areas looked like used-truck lots. Hunting license and turkey permit sales, state depending, increased. That’s a good thing for cash-strapped wildlife agencies...
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...
