If you’ve spent much time knee-deep in green timber or hunkered in a muddy field, you know many factors can ruin a hunt. The weather might change. Shooting can go south. Dogs break. Or the situation just goes sideways. But often, we sabotage hunts before loading our guns, usually because...
We can feel it. Duck season approaches, and our long national nightmare will soon pass. When that opening bell rings, life will take a familiar turn : early mornings, chilly boat rides, brilliant sunrises, muddy dogs and fresh protein. Yet even during duck season, nothing stays the same. Instead, we...
There’s a great satisfaction from calling in an animal with a call you have fashioned yourself. I admit I’m no duck-call maker. That takes years of trial and error, knowledge of toneboard structure and many other variables. It’s way too much for me to delve into, especially when there are...
Shotgun games — skeet, trap, five-stand and sporting clays — provide fantastic practice and repetition for building wing-shooting skills. But sometimes, there’s no substitute for the real thing. So what can you do when the season is closed or ducks and geese aren’t flying? Well, you’re a hunter, so pursue...
Seeing a successful hunt through its many stages — scouting, planning, setup and execution — is one of the great joys of waterfowling. And many times, that process is fairly simple and straightforward. But at the risk of making things too complicated, let’s agree that many stumbling blocks can quickly...
Many factors contribute to successful waterfowling. Of course, when duck and goose hunters discuss the keys to filling straps, the question of importance arises. It’s not a fair question. Critical factors vary based on habitat, the flyway, phase of the season and even hunters themselves. But just to stir the...
Old-timers love to give advice, and why not? After all, they’ve been around longer than most of us, and maybe they figure it’s part of their civic duty to pass on wisdom. Of course, if you’re not an old-timer, you often ignore guidance handed down by elders . But when...
Failure can be a frequent companion in the duck marsh. Stuff happens, and the pursuit of wild birds offers no surety. However, consistent, repeated failure indicates a problem. It’s easy to forget a few days with a light or empty strap, especially if you respond with several successful hunts. When...
Waterfowlers prepare fanatically for the season and individual hunts. We repaint decoys, check lines and repair blinds. We make sure our boat batteries are charged and trouble-shoot motor problems. We shoot frequently to hone our eyes. And we scout like fiends, noting bird numbers, location and movements. Before the first...
As age and time afield pile up, hunters often think less about achievements and more about experiences . In turkey hunting, that leads some folks to pursue the 49-state Super Slam. Waterfowlers are no different, though they tend to focus more on hunting exotic locales or pursuing species that don’t...
Cheer and optimism rule the waterfowling world when times are good. And why not? Bird numbers remain high, and we’ve enjoyed more than two decades of liberal season frameworks. But hunters who have seen enough sunrises in the marsh know that good times don’t always last. And although they view...
In 2017, we revealed the top harvest states for mallards , canvasbacks , other diving ducks and even mergies and sea ducks . Don’t ask me why we didn’t cover the best states for puddle ducks other than mallards Let’s rectify that. Here, based on data from the U.S. Fish...
A while ago, we looked at what Grandpa got right about duck hunting and poked fun at some misconceptions from back in his day. We were probably pretty tough on the old guy, so this time, I thought we’d give him easier duty. Specifically, I wonder what Grandpa or other...
The calendar tells us that duck season is finished. That’s always difficult to accept, especially when you’ve devoted much energy and passion to a pursuit. Still, I always look back fondly on the final days of a campaign. Maybe it’s just me, but the last few hunts seem to create...
Great new guns and ammo weren’t the only notable new waterfowl hunting products showcased at the 2018 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show. The event also featured some really cool calls, decoys and other hard gear. Here are some of the highlights. Click here for more Realtree waterfowl hunting content...
Waterfowlers know that a boatload of nifty gear does no good if you’re not comfortable and concealed in the blind, pit or field. So naturally, quality clothing is at the top of every duck and goose hunter’s shopping list. The 2018 Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show recently offered a...
The desert air had a decidedly un- waterfowl feeling as I stepped out of a cab just off South Las Vegas Boulevard, ready to tackle the annual Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade Show. And then two mallards zipped over, headed for an inviting fountain near The Palazzo. An omen? Perhaps...
By nature, hunting wild birds brings frustration. Weather, fellow hunters and other situations sometimes conspire to stomp our best plans into the marsh muck, leaving us cussing our favorite activity. Don’t get mad. Get after it. Identify these frustrating scenarios and try some quick fixes to come out on top...
Disclosure: I made some mistakes this past waterfowl season. Don’t get me wrong. It was a great year — better than the past few. Still, in the bright glare of hindsight, I’ve recognized some situations where I made seemingly innocent errors that hamstrung my efforts. Let’s look at six of...
January brings a wave of excitement across the country. No, not the football playoffs. It’s the final push of duck season , and hunters know they only have a few weeks to make memories for another year. Trouble is, January ducks can be … um, challenging. Many birds have been...
