Duck season has dwindled down to the final days, and birds have seen every spread and heard every call in your arsenal. That doesn’t mean you can’t fill straps. You’ll just have to tweak your approach and hunt a bit smarter. Try these tips for last-chance ducks . Intercept the...
Scott Bestul was looking forward to an evening hunt in southern Minnesota. It was a 25-degree November afternoon with snow on the ground, and Bestul — a 40-year veteran of the deer woods and longtime whitetails columnist for Field & Stream — knew it was likely to be a good...
Veteran duck hunters know the drill after whiffing on a bird: Stand as if stunned, mouth agape, and shake your head, as if it’s never happened before. It’s a good way to save face. However, with honest introspection, we typically know that our form or swing was off. Now and...
Don’t field-dress that deer near your stand, or you’ll ruin it for the rest of the season! That’s conventional wisdom with the time-honored stamp of approval from the old guys in deer camp. But does that mean it’s true? Do gut piles really spook deer? It’s something we can never...
The Grand Slam Club — later to become Grand Slam Club/Ovis — was founded in 1956 by Bob Housholder. It was a time of rising popularity for conservation, and records preservation was part of that initiative. One of his goals was to document those who bagged all North American trophies...
Dark forms whirled overhead as I glanced nervously at my phone, wishing legal shooting light would arrive just a little sooner over the North Platte River. Soon, the familiar rituals of another duck hunt would consume me. Yet this day was different. I was carrying a Benelli Super Black Eagle,...
The ammunition shortage of 2020 and early 2021 has had a massive impact on shooting and hunting. As early as last June, shelves were becoming bare of popular cartridges like the .223 and 9mm. By October, when most gun hunters started prepping for deer season, it was difficult if not...
Late-season duck hunting brings many challenges, including calling. Some days, it seems like birds have heard — and ignore — every sound you can utter. Don’t despair. Even the pros have days when ducks shun their best routines. But they adapt their approach to find notes that bring birds sure-kill...
Disappearing into the environment greatly increases your chances of waterfowling success, whether you’re crouched in tall cattails or snug against a broad tupelo gum tree. But when you add several other hunters to the equation — perhaps folks who can’t sit still or want to stare at passing birds —...
There was a time, back before deer hunting became a contest for inches of antler, when hunters went afield with the primary goal of filling freezers with delicious venison. A healthy supply of wild meat meant good food on the table that didn’t have to be purchased at the local...
In a perfect world, every waterfowler would be on the X daily, waiting for birds at a hot feed or midmorning loafing area. Then, afternoon scouting would reveal another hotspot for the next day. That, of course, is fantasy. Despite our best scouting efforts , we’re not always on the...
Late muzzleloader hunts are the last hurrah in a lot of whitetail country, and they can be a great opportunity to kill a good buck. Big deer powerhouses like Iowa and Ohio offer seasons into January. But you have to make the shot when it happens, and muzzleloaders don’t always...
