June 10, 2022 Midlife Flyway: What Do I Need to Start Waterfowl Hunting as an Adult? By; Justin HunoldWhen we are introduced to hunting at a young age we generally grow up with a solid idea of what we need as far as gear goes. For those of us lucky enough to get to see the sunrise over the water and through the reeds from a childhood, waiting for the whistles of the wings and the calls of overhead ducks and geese, we have a great idea of what we need to have to go duck hunting. We likely started with hand me down wares, and by adulthood have worked into our dream gear. Unlike most of the past, there is an up and coming population of hunters diving into the field that are past the hand me down stage. These hunter’s have taken on the moniker of “Adult Onset Hunters” and they can often afford to go right into their dream gear and do. But how would they know what’s for show and what’s for go. This leads people to duck duck go things, and at the end of the day one question rings true: What do I need to start waterfowl hunting? This could end up being a series because of the depth and quantity of answers possible, but we are looking at someone who has decided to pick up waterfowling for the first time and needs to start a gear drive from scratch. There are levels to every game, but we will be trying to run at about a mid to higher end level for quality, and more than likely price. Also focusing on one hunter and assuming they can walk in or have a boat, canoe or kayak. So, what does an individual NEED to try and shoot a duck or goose in their first season or so of concerted effort. Shotgun- Obviously, a shotgun and ammo are the meat and potatoes of what makes hunting different than hiking, wading, paddling or boating. I would suggest a 12 gauge repeating shotgun to start. If the shooter is uncomfortable with recoil or a larger gun a 20 gauge would be a great option, but a bit more limited. If I had to choose one choke to run for most waterfowl situations it would be modified. I like a fiber optic bead and generally a 3 inch semi auto. Black or Camo synthetic stocks fit the bill. Your gun will also need a sling of some sort. That about does it for the “Needs”. Ammunition- When hunting waterfowl you need to shoot non toxic ammunition. This has been the case since 1991 and will probably never change, rightfully so. The lead ammunition gets ingested by waterfowl and other wildlife like Eagles and kills en masse. I would suggest steel shot in sizes #2-4 for ducks and #2 and larger like B or BB for Geese. 3” shells will be plenty as long as your gun will handle them. Almost every new or semi new shotgun will. There are also more recent to the market non toxic loads made from Bismuth or Tungsten alloys. These are closer to the mass of lead and will certainly deliver more kinetic energy and penetration. These shells cost more per individual shell, but maybe cost beneficial when having to shoot birds multiple times with steel comes into play. If I can make a suggestion here it would be to grab a few boxes of target loads and some clay pigeons, or better yet go to skeet or sporting clays course and break that gun in, along with yourself. Get to know your gun and what chokes are good for what ranges. This will change with steel shot but in general more practice is better.Waders– Waders are important. You can shoot ducks without them but you’re really limiting yourself. A person with a pair of waders, shotgun and ammo can feasibly hunt ducks in a lot of places and situations and not need anything more than those things. Waders are what gets you in the game, duck hunting is all just a level of how wet you are and waders keep half of you dry. The half that would definitely be wet in most hunting circumstances. You will wear them hunting, putting out decoys and picking up birds. I like boot foot, breathable waders if budget allows, but for most a good pair of neoprene waders fit the ticket. Boot foot keeps your boots attached when stuck in deep mud. Plus, boot foot is generally less expensive than stocking foot waders with the added expense of a wading boot. I would get a good set of brown or camo waders. When in doubt brown is a good color to go with in the world of duck hunting. It just blends everywhere. Decoys- We can pass shoot or jump shoot ducks and skip decoys all together, but that’s not what you had in mind when you pictured yourself duck hunting. You picture your camo covered face looking up at ducks cupping up coming into land in a well placed decoy spread. Decoys are arguably more effective as a duck magnet than calling, and fake friends can bring birds that were passing by closer into your effective shotgun range. I would start with a dozen mallard decoys. You will need decoy line, weights and a bag to carry them in. The line and weights attach to the decoys to keep them from floating away and the bag is there for transporting and organization sake. Decoys can range from a few bucks all the way into the hundreds. The more realistic the decoys the better off you will be, but there have been a lot of birds killed over “economy” decoys and this is where I would start. A spinning wing decoy is another great addition but not a necessity. There are wind operated models and mini models that cost a little less than the professional grade decoys. Either of which would be a fine addition to the spread, but aren’t absolutely needed. Clothing- A good waterproof and windproof jacket is a start. Camo is great but a simple brown will work as well. All hunting is a game of layering. When you have a camo or brown outer layer you can layer whatever color you need under it for temperature regulation. This means that red fleece you love to wear can go under your camo jacket for extra warmth, just make sure the red isn’t showing. I would say a hood isn’t necessary but is a good option too. I like a camo or drab baseball hat when I can get away with it. The Brim is nice since I will be looking up most of the time. When temps dip I leave the hat on and put a winter hat over it. Two sets of gloves. I like a good set of wool gloves for most of my hunting. Wool insulates when wet. The other pair are elbow high decoy gloves. These are worn when setting and picking up decoys. They can also be a lifesaver when it’s truly cold and you forgot to bring any other gloves. A facemask is optional if you choose not to wear face paint. But one way or another camo your face. Your face is one of the most unnatural sights a bird can see coming into a decoy spread. Plus human skin shines, so keep that to a minimum. Calls- If I were to choose one call to hand a first time duck hunter it would be a drake whistle. These are often a horn shaped whistle that can imitate a Mallard Drake, Widgeon, Green Wing Teal and Pintail. They are easy to learn, and don’t freeze up. Understatement in calling is often better than over calling. And drake whistles fit the new hunter, understated, if it ain’t broken don’t fix it mold. They are also generally not expensive. From there I would go with a double reed duck call. They tend to be easier to learn with and have a bit of rasp to them that sounds good to you and the ducks. I generally blow a single reed call, they have a wider range of volume and tones available. They are a bit tougher to learn on, but once you get them you can blow any duck call well. There is a very valid argument to learn a single reed call first, because you will be a better double reed caller once you do. In any case, please watch videos and listen to professional callers and live ducks to learn how to call. Practice at home, in the car, but never while hunting. Until you have calling down, and you sound like a reasonable version of a hen mallard, don’t take your call to the woods and water. Stick with that drake whistle and you’ll be surprised how many ducks you can call in. Blind Bag- You will need a blind bag of some sort to keep your gear organized and have a centralized location for your stuff. There are backpack style blind bags and duffel bag style. I prefer a duffel style most times although each has their place. If I were hunting standing timber, pass shooting or jump shooting I would always use a backpack style. I like the duffel style because much like a pack mule load distribution matters when walking into spots. I can sling a gun on one shoulder, blind bag on the other, and a decoy bag over both. I couldn’t do that with a backpack style. What goes in the bag? We have a list of things for your blind bag listed here. Licenses, Stamps, Tags- As far as I can tell most content outlets virtue signal and say this first, but I think my readers are smart enough to understand that these things are first and foremost. Plus, each state has different requirements so check your local regulations and verify that just like after using the can, your paperwork is in order. If possible try to keep your Federal Duck Stamp every year. They have a culture all their own. That’s it, with these eightish things you’re on your way to duck hunting. I would suggest taking a peek at my mindset into detailed duck hunting. There are other things that you will certainly need, like a headlamp, reasonable binoculars, water and snacks but again I believe that you are smart enough to piece that together. Take your time to learn your different duck identifications, this is super important as bag limits are different between different sub species. Black Ducks and Mallard Hens can look a lot alike for instance, and too many in your possession of either one is illegal. Also watch some videos on duck behavior or go see it live and in person in your hunting area. The more you watch waterfowl and take in what’s happening and what they sound like the less your gear will matter. At the end of the day, you will buy some things you don’t need but maybe you want. You will dive into jerk rigs, and confidence decoys, acrylic calls, different duck species for decoys, swamp stools, the list goes on. I say this in full confidence, because if done right there are few styles and types of hunting that are as fun and as rewarding as waterfowl hunting. I am a solo hunter most of the time, but waterfowling is always best with friends and family. I would make a concerted effort to align with some local friends to hunt with, or even someone far away if you’re willing to take that adventure on. Will I hunt ducks by myself, yes. Do I prefer it, no. So in my opinion the very best investments you can make into your waterfowling career are first in yourself, to learn as much as you can, and second into a hunting partner because ducks or not, my hunting partners have become lifelong that rank among my closest family and friends.
June 3, 2022 What Shells are Best for Waterfowl Hunting Pt 2 A cannonball in the shallow end of shotshell selectionBy: TJ RademacherIn my last article I talked about the evolution of the modern waterfowl shot shell and how we have gotten back to offerings available that closely match the performance of lead. Hell, in some ways they might be better. So, you’ve got a whole lot of choices! Honestly, you can do well with any of the modern offerings. The knowledge I’m about to leave with you will help you understand what sizes of shot in a given material for some general situations. Some of this might surprise you.Since we are talking about shot let’s talk about chokes for a minute before we get too deep into this. Chokes obviously effect your pattern size and density (pellet count) through tighter or looser constrictions. You can go as far down the rabbit hole as you want on how company A guarantees 50% denser patterns and company B says birds will actually put themselves on your strap because if the decreased shot string length produced by their wad grabber technology. I don’t care what kind of snake its named after or what type of violent weather pattern its supposed emulate. Your choke and shotgun combo will literally be not worth a damn if you don’t pattern it with whatever load you choose to run through it. One more thing to consider for those who can’t or choose not spend money on some of the more expensive choke options your shotgun probably came with a few factory chokes. Just because its stock doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. Try them out with some of the partial boxes of shells you have. Get some cardboard out draw a 40-inch circle on it and shoot it. The results may surprise you.Let me preface this next part with the following, it’s an educated opinion. I’m not a ballistician and my physics formula game is weak so if you don’t completely agree with everything I have to say I’m sorry for any imperfections. There are tons of studies about the actual science of why a certain shot size does what it does as it travels down range or when it makes contact with a bird. I highly suggest you read some of the stuff by Tom Roster if you want a real understanding of the science. If you like the details like me, you will find this information extremely interesting. This is not that kind of article though. I’m going off the research that I was able to digest from folks like Tom over the years and the experiences I have had in the field. Here are the cliff notes.Ditch the 3.5 inch shells. You don’t need them. The tradeoff for more powder and heavier pay loads is more recoil. Recoil affects your ability to be able to get back on target after you either miss or you are trying to get after that other drake you see slipping out the back. Even if you are pass shooting I hold the same opinion. If you are shooting a steel shot shell, I recommend a 3inch shell. You can get more than enough speed to kill birds as long as you are choosing the right size shot and plenty enough payload for dense patterns. If you choose to go with Bismuth or tungsten I maintain that you really don’t need anything more than a 2 ¾ inch shell for birds inside of 40ish yards. This is because we are back to the near lead performance level with bismuth and way beyond with tungsten. I’ve also found that tungsten, bismuth and steel pattern out of 2 3/4 and 3 inch shell more uniformly and denser than 3.5-inch shells in my results. This is just my experience, but hey it jives with the science too. It’s weird how that stuff works.On to shot size. I don’t really see why you would need to shoot more than BB in a quality steel load for any North American waterfowl. To be completely honest I think #2 shot is plenty if your pattern is doing what is supposed to and you are being ethical with your distances. Here is why the shot is roughly a sphere. It’s not super aerodynamic like a bullet so the larger the sphere the more drag it creates. its gong to slow down faster than a slightly smaller shot and also when it hits the bird it probably going to drag more crap with it through the wound channel. So at the effective ranges shotgun operate in the #2 shot will most likely be traveling faster longer and penetrate deeper. This is why I would go with #2 for big ducks and Geese. For smaller ducks I go with #4 and #6 shot sizes. If its early season teal, go with the extra pellets #6 offers. If you feel like you need some more thump for those wood ducks, widgeon and even a pintail if he’s close go #4. This is what I consider optimal If you choose steel.If you go with the bismuth and tungsten blends you can drop a couple shot sizes and expect The same performance you had with your steel loads. You are going to pick up some density in your patterns with the same sort of ballistic results in a larger steel load. This is where I have found is the happy medium for me. I’m getting lead-ish performance for a little bit more. Plus, I get fewer holes in my pattern. These make the most sense to me if you can make room for it in the budget. Also consider this, if the amount of shooting you do is low volume and opportunities are hard to come by it may be advantageous to use a higher density shell. You will not be burning through them as fast. I’ve adopted this approach because in my home state of North Carolina I can count on one hand the times I’ve ever gotten close to going through a box of shells in a single hunt. Food for thought.If you can justify them and want to shoot a pure tungsten load more power to you. I’ve shot a handful of boxes at birds and patterned them and they are truly devastating on and off paper. I know for a fact that #9 and #8 will crush mallards at all ethical ranges. I’ve not seen it but have heard of people putting geese down with #7 1/2. The patterns are dense enough that you do not have to worry about a bird slipping through. There is just not enough room. If you put a good shot on them with tungsten odds are the bird is going down hard. However, the price is asinine. We are talking around 70-90 bucks for a box of 10. It’s hard to wrap your brain around that kind of price tag for waterfowl hunting. If the cost was no object I would shoot these. For now, I’ll stay in my budget’s lane.I encourage everyone to use their best judgment on what shells to pick. Don’t get too hung up on the material because you can have success with all off the flavors of shot shell on the market. What you should get hung up on is how a given load performs out of your particular shotgun. Don’t get caught up in the opinions of others either before you try something. Don’t let anyone price shame you or tell you it’s not good enough. If it patterns well you will be just fine. Remember you have to find them before you can shoot them. I recommend money be spent on fuel and a decent set of binoculars before I got carried away with ammunition.Drink water… there is nothing worse than pulling your foot out of wader boots with a calf cramp.T
May 27, 2022 The Evolution of Shot Shell Performance Part 1 Choosing The Best Waterfowl Load Through Observation By: TJ RademacherLead shot has been gone for a long enough to become the stuff of legend. I’ve heard stories of its abilities on ducks and geese. Before the 1991 ban on lead shot shells for waterfowl hunters never really had to deal with a lack knockdown power. There have been thousands and thousands of birds killed with a very limited selection of lead shot shell lengths and payloads. Since lead became off limits to us, we’ve been chasing its characteristics in other materials. This is a look at how we’ve really come full circle to match, and in some instances greater ballistic performance of the venerable lead pellet. The best waterfowl load is matching or exceeding the performance of lead.I’ve heard the guys who used lead before the ban talk about a how 2 ¾ inch #6 loads where absolute poison on decoying big ducks. 3 inch #4 was the surefire solution to putting geese on the ground. Bluebills being crushed by #7 trap loads over a big water layout boat rig was commonplace. Lead is a very effective transferor of energy. It is very dense as compared to the surface area.This density allows for penetration through vital organs and kinetic energy transfer that can break key structural junctions that keep birds in the air. Lead loads were propelled around 11-1200 FPS in traditional loads used for the take of waterfowl and still are for applications where they are still allowed to be used. Once this wasn’t allowed and shot shell manufactures looked for an answer with nontoxic properties, steel was picked up as the substitute. Early steel shot users had horrible reviews. Hunters with claims of shot bouncing off birds not penetrating the fat layer on late season birds. Early steel loads were of low quality in some cases. The modern ways that manufactures have squeezed the maximum amount of performance out of steel loads was not present then. It was a time of adjustment and as with anything totally new there was a lot to figure out. To get the same kinetic energy the size of shot had to go up to consistently kill birds.As shot size goes up in relation to a constant payload weight the number of pellets in that load goes down. You’re getting a less dense pattern. So, if you look at the voids that this can create in the pattern, you can see how a bird could pass through untouched. Worse yet the same bird might not absorb enough pellets to make a quick kill.Extra powder longer shells like the 3.5” chambering in 12 gauge were ways to make payloads increase and to make up for the other thing that helps steel ballistics wise. Speed. The speed of the pellets increased to help make up for steels deficiencies. Advertised speeds up to 1700 fps have come to market to cure steels shortcomings. There are many other factors in the evolution of steel shot that increased its performance for a budget friendly alternative to lead, but we don’t have room for all of the finer points we are hitting the high points here. As the market evolved some companies brought to market new materials to move the standard seen in steels shells. Steel has killed a lot of birds from its inception until now.Enter bismuth and tungsten. These elements are what have brought us back around full circle. They get us close to some of the properties of lead and in some case surpass its performance. These two metals are good substitutes because they have the density like or greater than lead based on what blend of either. They are also nontoxic, which is a continued push in modern ammunition. The only real problem with loads utilizing these two types of material is cost. Even with blending these with duplex steel loads like Hevi Metal the price of a box of shells is noticeably higher, no matter what flavor combination you choose. You are also getting fewer shells in some loads based on what blend of either type of material is being used. Tungsten and bismuth are typically blended with other metals or polymers make them more affordable and increase performance on some areas. There are a few offerings in a pure tungsten load which allow for shot as low as #9 with ballistic capabilities comparable to that of larger lead and steel pellets. These are very cost prohibitive and are not a normal selection for even the most dedicated shell snobs. I have used some of the lower density blends and had really good results. In my opinion the reasons why the bismuth blends are worth the increase in cost is the increased pattern density. The fewer number of holes in the pattern, from a properly choked gun, is noticeable in downrange performance on birds, in my experience.There are other nuances to this material, but these are the high-level differences and advantages that I feel most hunters would see as pertinent information. The next part of this series will have more to with what sizes of shot to choose given a particular material and more about the ballistics of different lengths of shells and weight of payloads and why you might choose one or the other for different situation or when choosing one load to do it all with.I felt it was necessary to understand the history as I’ve observed it before we go into the why. I’ll leave you with this. Most of us need to spend more time shooting clays. Many times, the reason the bird doesn’t drop is because you didn’t put the work in during the off season. You may also make a choice to take an opportunity on something that is low percentage at longer range. This is not the end all be all or a reason to buy the cheapest stuff out there but the advantages in one material over another shine when the shooter is performing at their highest level. To put a modern spin on an old saying it’s probably the indigenous individual not the archery equipment. More to come soon.Don’t Stop your swingT
May 20, 2022 Hunting Deer with Dogs : A Yankee Hunting in the Shadows of a Southern Racetrack By Justin Hunold Early Southern Mornings in the PinesWhen I made my southern migration in my early 20’s to see what North Carolina had to offer, the move came with the best intentions to understand and embrace as many southern traditions and ways of life as my thick northern blood could find tenable. We all know about sweet tea, grits and NASCAR. Fish Fry? Country Music? Pickled Okra? Dove Hunting? Those are all easy things to check off the list early on. Yet, there was a southern hunting tradition that I was pretty steadfast on not embracing : Hunting deer with dogs. I walked into my first morning shift as a Team Lead in the Hunting Department at a major big box outdoor store and I met him. There stood a middle aged man, shorter in stature, well kept, green shirt tucked in and jeans without a wrinkle, Merrell slip on shoes on his feet. I would later learn that this was the only style of shoes I would ever see him in with one exception. “You must be our new Yankee” with a true southern accent, stuck out his hand and said “I’m Barry Ridenhour, I run the morning crew” After some short intros to the morning crew “ That there is Spider and Raid Man” turn the corner into the ammo aisle “ This here is Larry Beaver, we call him Beav” Barry pulled me aside and said “Listen here, You don’t go F$!@ing with me and I won’t go F@$!ing with you.” He poked my chest a little harder than he poked his own while saying that. This was the most honest anyone had been with me since I moved south. The sentiment was as serious as the poke was hard. Barry had retired from tree work to then spend another couple decades as a bricklayer before starting his retirement job of retail supervision. His callused finger brought that life to a point on my sternum. I closed every night and Barry opened every morning, so all in all our interactions were brief but normally really filled with humor. Barry had a quick wit, and a very different perspective than mine. He was normally done around 2:00pm and I began my shift at 1:00pm so we had about an hour of overlap a few days a week. In about 3 years of working together we had only one real cross interaction. And the sentiment of the chest poking conversation was at the heart of the matter. Other than that, mostly laughs and picking on any poor coworker that walked by. I could, and maybe someday will, write a story about this man who might have been 5’4” but lived life like he was 10 foot tall and bulletproof. Some things I had to get used to when it came to deer hunting in the south were the heat of the early season, corn feeder and piles of feed, dodging snakes and spiders, gas lines, thick thick woods, no snow, and always hunting from an elevated position. None of these things were normal to me, neither was the hard scrabble living the deer piece together in the different areas I was chasing them in. I had never hunted a beanfield, small chunks of woods in completely urban settings or box blinds that have names like “The Hotel” with deer coming to bait as reliably as a Timex Ironman tells you it’s time to get out of bed. Set it right and it works all the time. As I got adjusted to these things I started paying more attention to the culture of deer hunting around North Carolina.Although the Piedmont was now rich with whitetails this wasn’t always the case. I ran into a lot of people who bird hunted, doves, quail and waterfowl and then occasionally deer hunted, or were just getting into deer hunting. Hunting has deep roots and rich traditions in this area, but whitetails were fairly “new” still. With all of my coworkers chasing whitetails, ducks, geese and other small game we were constantly sharing pictures and stories of our adventures. Barry was no exception. As the first fall we worked together began to take hold I got my first peek into hunting deer with dogs. Barry belonged to a club “out east”. So,on his days off Barry would drive the almost two hours before daylight to be at the club early and hunt deer with the people he shared the club with. He didn’t own a deer tracking dog, but the guys that he had been hunting with for 30+ years did. And that was part of the story and tradition of the club. A lot of the Dog Handlers didn’t bring a gun to the game, just the dog. Barry just brought a shotgun and buckshot. He would tell me about the big buck his buddy shot, or the doe days where everyone got a deer. Those stories were at the time, different and altogether more enticing to me than even my own. I was hunting over bait, and we sold more feeders and corn than I could shake a stick at. Could hunting deer with dogs be a more traditional, wholesome, and sporting way to chase whitetails than what I was doing? One Sunday that following summer I went to Barry’s house to work on my car. That again is another story altogether. Barry invited me into his house, and there in the living room with bows tied around their necks were two shoulder mounts. The bows were Barry’s wife, Kay’s way of getting them pretty enough to hang and as interesting as that notion is, I wanted to know the story of the bucks. They were both small, not much to speak of for antlers. I knew for certain these weren’t Barry’s biggest bucks, but for the man who at one time owned the fastest Cadillac in the world, these were the ones he chose to display with pride. Barry told me those were the first whitetails he had ever shot at his club. In fact they were the first whitetails he had ever seen while hunting years ago. Mind you he had hunted his whole life and these deer were taken in his adulthood. He told me the story about these bucks creeping through the black jacks and pines with dogs in tow. Between that story and the previous fall tales I was intrigued. “Hey, you think I could tag along with ya some time.” “ Hell Yeah Dawg” It was early when I met Barry in the parking lot at work. I got in his Chevy 1500 and we started the trip to get to the club. It was abusively early, like 3:30 AM. It would take us about 2 hours to get to Rockingham. That name might strike you as familiar, that’s because of the world famous speedway the ROCK. So, there in a Red Chevy I sat eating my Bacon and Biscuit sandwiches, drinking my coffee, listening to the original world’s most interesting man on our way to hunt deer over dogs, in the shadow of a world famous speedway that was once a crown jewel of the NASCAR schedule. This was as southern an experience as anything my carpetbagging mind could wrap itself around. We pulled up to the camp which was a pavilion with a trailer next to it. Barry Jumped up on the tailgate of his truck and shouted out instructions. “We’re doing the cornfield hunt first”. All of the set ups we hunted that day had a traditional name. The plans for those hunt’s weren’t decided that morning, the night before or even the weeks prior, these setups have been decades in the making. So we rode over to the corn field. Shotguns and stools ready to go we set up in an “L” shape along the field with safe zones of fire understood. I was told to shoot any buck, if it had horns I was to shoot. You see, the meat gets shared between everyone, any buck would be split between everyone there. This was proven when one of the sitters shot a spike buck almost immediately when the dogs took to the field. The dogs we hunted over were varied and of no particular lineage as I could tell. With the first run being made in a cornfield I wasn’t able to really see what was going on with the dogs. These dogs weren’t any fancy breed or particular lineage that I could tell, so much as a mix of beagles and other hounds. They were small. And able to weave their way through a lot of this very tight, thick, snake filled, sand bottomed cover. We set up on a sand road, I was sitting on my dove stool looking into the woods, trying to see through the black jack oaks and mixed pines when I could hear something coming. I got ready, hoping to see horns, but instead a big doe came to the road I was sitting on the other side of. When she hit the road she bounded over it and easily hit the other side without touching the manicured sand. Then she trotted out of my life at 7 yards. A few minutes later I heard bells and some barks and one of those short statured hound mixes came sniffing the exact path that doe had taken to the road. Then I watched the damndest thing, that dog went to the spot where the doe took off for her leap and walked across the road in a direct line and nosed down in the exact spot she impacted on her first earthward step. He then followed her off into the brush on the other side of the road. I have no clue if he was intuitive enough to guess the path, if his nose was good enough to track a gap that big, or if he just remembered every hunt on that road, but that dog missed nothing. And as fast as they both appeared, that dog disappeared into the sandy, snake infested, spider filled forest. A friend and coworker, Trey, had been hunting with Barry before. So, when I told Trey I was going he said, “ You’ll have fun with Ol’ Barry, just remember if you can hear the dogs the deer is already past you.” He wasn’t wrong. That is exactly what happened with that one encounter. And just like when I had hunted birds or small game with dogs, hearing their howls and barks coming through the country was as exciting as seeing the deer. There is something primal about the sound of hounds and the unknown outcome that that report signifies. It was strange to have the idea of these two things, the sight of the game and the sound of the dogs having to be in conjunction but slightly detached. It’s like wrapping your head around fraternal twins, you know they go together, but you can’t quite understand how that all works. We kept rotating through different sets, or hunts as Barry would call them, The Corn Field, The School House, The Race Track. These were traditional pushes, and everyone understood their place and job. We were set up on some thick low pines with grasses mixed in when I heard the blast of a shotgun in the distance. And after the dogs filtered through and were gathered up we went over to see a nice 9 point buck that had succumbed to the 00 buckshot. A Semi Auto Shotgun is the only tool for the job when it comes to this style of huntingEventually, we went back to the camp, which was a trailer and a pavilion. With a few deer hanging up from the pavilion, I watched as they used a rock, rope and truck to skin the deer. Making standard caping cuts around the hide, the “butcher” then inserted a rock just under the skin where the necklace cut rides over the spine. Then with the rope that was tied off to the truck’s trailer hitch, he tied that rock into place. This appeared to be a similar way as you would affix a roc to a stick when you were trying to make a spear as a kid. Once the knot was deemed tight the truck drove forward and the skin all came off in one piece. From there the deer were pieced out, with the shooter getting some choice cuts but each buck got spread out through the club members piece by piece. And at the end of the day, this made sense to me in a way it wouldn’t have when I got in Barry’s truck earlier that morning. In a crazy way I went from having no attachment to this style of hunting, in fact I’ll go as far to say a disdain, to an admiration for everything it represented and an understanding of the culture that surrounded it. This understanding is slight at best but it is a tangible line on the grains of my inner vinyl record that is deer hunting. The dogs were shared, the spots were shared, the jokes were shared, the culture was shared, and so were the plenties of the harvest. As I grow older I find that I better understand the ins and outs of different and wrong. We often do things differently that someone else deems as wrong. Those lines are subjective. In the hunting community we need to start taking in the experiences of others, try to understand that other hunter. You are both a part of a dying breed, we are wolves. So understand that although you might view someone hunting by legal means that you don’t agree with as wrong, in the end likely they are just different. There aren’t enough wolves left to start making members of our pack outcasts. Even when those members use a pack of real dogs to pursue whitetails. And by the way this was the only time I saw Barry wear anything other than those damn Merrells
May 13, 2022 What to Carry for Waterfowl Hunting: Make Your Blind Bag Work For You By T.J. RademacherA well thought out blind bag is an essential tool for waterfowl hunting Every seasoned public land waterfowler knows that there are all sorts of things that get thrown into blind bags. If you are new to this sport, there is an excellent chance that you will get bogged down on all sorts of details. Your basic list of blind bag contents should not be the thing to overthink. You can bring what you want, but remember to look at each item objectively. Most public land hunters walk in or are limited to what they can carry in their boat. One time of a shoulder strap cutting off your airway for 300 yards, through shin deep muck will help you understand that less is more. This is aimed at the guy or gal who doesn’t have private blinds, a huge boat or an enclosed trailer to get your stuff to the X. It’s not that we don’t want to bring a stove to cook our breakfast on… it’s that we can’t. You will get opportunities to be frivolous with items that come with you on a hunt sometime, but for now keep it simple. Do yourself a favor and take some of what I have to say into consideration. It all comes from a bit of trial and mostly error. First let’s talk about the blind bag itself. This bag should be made from a waterproof or highly water resistant material. The things inside should be shielded from the elements by quality zippers and taped seams. Either one works. This costs a little more coin on the front end but will pay you back when you miss judge your tossing distance to a buddy on the other side of the ditch you need to cross… Believe me I’ve been there. Remember your time is limited; a few hours in the field on most waterfowl hunts. Your bag should be small enough to be super mobile but have enough capacity to hold the essentials. Some folks choose a backpack style while others choose a more traditional duffel bag style.So let’s talk about the essentials. Shells should be limited to two or three boxes max. Right here is the bulk of your bag’s weight. I was not blessed to grow up in an area where people shoot limits on public water very often. Even on the bucket list hunts I’ve been on to other places throughout North America there was never a need for more than 50 shells. I can count on one hand the times I’ve shot more than a box of shells. Most of the time it’s less than ten that get used. I carry two boxes because it completely covers my requirements and allows for swatting as many cripples as I can handle, without ever worrying about ever running out. Plus, sometimes you can come in clutch for that buddy who forgets important things like shells… sometimes.Having everything you need for both you and your friends gives an added level of security to your adventures. Those friends might have two legs or four. Aside from shells you need something to drink or eat most likely. Lickies and Chewys are super important to have on hand. The last three hours of a hunt can be super tough to stick out for those late morning opportunities. They are especially tough if all you can think about is where you are going to eat after. Besides food I keep a small med kit with basic comfort items like chapstick and Motrin and trauma items for both me and my dog. Most common things like a headache, a small cut for the dog or myself can be handled with this kit. One maybe unusual thing, I keep a tourniquet on hand. A tourniquet may sound very extra at first thought but terrible accidents happen around firearms sometimes. I’m hunting areas off the beaten path with no immediate help. Having a quality tourniquet and the knowledge of how to use one could literally save someone’s life. Some of the smaller items are important as well. Your calls and game strap are pretty obvious must-haves for the hunt. But what happens when you dump your shotgun in the mud and need to get your trigger group pins out of the gun to clear an obstruction and get it running again? A quality multitool is worth its weight in gold for fixing guns and tons of other problems you might encounter. After said trip into the mud you might find your barrel plugged. I keep a 12 gauge bore snake and a cloth at all times. It is better to know the bore is clear than to have a barrel detonate because you left something in it. Also bring a small bottle of your favorite gun oil or maybe dry lube in the winter. It’s magic when you have it and can be a show stopper for your favorite fowling piece when you don’t. A choke wrench and an extra choke, when conditions call for a change, can come in handy. These items are optional, but highly recommended. I always have a couple ways to keep warm. Typically, I’ll have a couple sets of hot hands for stiff fingers. In addition I always carry two ways to make fire. I keep A lighter and small magnesium striker with oiled cotton balls to make sure I can get something lit and keep it burning if conditions are damp. Dryer lint works very well as a starter too. Keep them in a vacuum sealed bag to have them ready to go. This way they won’t be water logged when you need them. I’ve had the pleasure of spending more time than I had planned for in the field due to motor issues or getting wet in cold weather. These moments let me know the value of these two items. You are welcome in advance.You can bring some other small creature comforts like extra gloves or other items you feel you can’t live without but the above mentioned gear is what I’ve found to be just what I need without wanting for more when I’m focused on killing birds. Focus on what’s essential and adjust what you carry as you gain experience. Your ideas of essential and mine may differ and that’s fine. I’m just trying to help you prevent the pack mule effect that ends up dragging a lot of new folks down. Whether walking in or taking a watercraft a blind bag keeps you organized, equipped, fed, hydrated and can be a real life saver. Remember to swing throughT
May 6, 2022 A Final Hunt: The Beaver Flow By: Justin Hunold The Sherman BrookAnd its Speckled BeautiesBy: Frank WilliamsGod bless my soul, you are growing old.So I took my pole, line and hook and started Out back for the “Sherman Brook”Down through the barnyard, out through the gate. Each stop took me forward, not knowing my fate. Out thro’ the “Rye Lot”, I plodded with glee.Down round the curve by the “Old Beech Tree”Through the “Carter Lot Gate”, I traveled along.The brook was below me, singing its song.I baited my hook and got ready my pole. For out in the stream was my favorite hole.I cast in my line, and pulled him out,And there on the bank lay a “Beautiful Trout”,I gazed at the beauty with color sublime.I said to myself, “Well- You are mine.”Babble, babble went the stream,In answer to my “Final Dream” Before we talk about my plagiarism in this case, I believe that at this point the man that wrote this would give me his blessing in using it. He would likely enjoy giving the world a peek into his little slice of heaven and his flare for telling a story. You see, I’m not the only person in my family who would write about their passion for the natural world and our interaction with it. The man who wrote this was my Great Grandfather, Frank. The poem takes place on the farm he and my Great Grandmother Evelyn purchased. They then increased its holdings, production and number of occupants, with their growing family.The call of the wild has long been abided in my family. Frank Williams with Fox pelts from his farm and probably some that surrounded it.At the time I started exploring the surrounding lands it was owned by Don and Joan Williams, my Great Aunt and Uncle. These adventures started in earnest with my Uncle Stephen. Later my dad, Scott, would teach me how to really hunt there, on Sundays I didn’t have wrestling. After highschool I would drive the half an hour or so to get up to Panther Lake, almost weekly. Uncle Don even knew when I had gotten new tires on my S10 by the time the end of summer rolled around from the change in tread pattern in the sand. When I was little my Uncle Stephen would take me in those woods and we would put up or build some tree stands, do some fishing, catch some frogs and get me “lost”. By the time I was old enough to hunt there I had been “lost” enough that my compass became mostly useless. I knew where I was all the time. Not long after that my dad shot a seven point buck when I was with him, the first deer I had ever seen taken while hunting. My Uncle told me to sit on the front hill one evening, normally the deer would be coming through the woods behind the knob. That watch was at the edge of a pine patch and hardwoods. That evening a nice six point did exactly that. He was my first buck, I killed him with a borrowed 30-06 and a well placed shot. Many memorable mistakes were made before that, but those are stories for over a beer not in a blog. A fall or two after that I read “How to Bag The Biggest Buck of Your Life” by Larry Benoit. I decided I was going to become a tracker. At breakfast one particular morning, in the arrogance of a very young man, I told my Father and Uncle that I was going to do so. They chuckled and encouraged me. Well, at the end of a track that day was a three point buck that I shot at 10 yards. Not my biggest buck but maybe my favorite of all time. This was the only buck I have ever tracked in my life. Oh to be that self confident again. I realized I could catch more of those Speckled Beauties if I would float my bait under a small cork bobber on the Sherman Brook. The more natural color and presentation would not hold a Beautiful Trout back from hitting the worm or fly slinking past their nose. I have more outdoor memories on this property than just about any other place I’ve ever spent time outside. My Uncle and I are very close, and I believe this piece of land, this 400 or so acres helped make it that way. We had been inseparable in a lot of ways for all of my life. My son’s middle name is Stephen after my Uncle. This is the place he watched me grow into a man, and where he first really started to treat me like one. Our cumulative memories there were innumerable. I had moved away from Upstate New York. I went to North Carolina, attended college, worked full time to put myself through school and learned some hard life lessons. After a few years and a few miles I finally made my way back. Uncle Stephen called me. The news carried some weight. “Uncle Don is selling the property, closing soon”, he said. I can’t write the rest of that conversation in any sort of quotes, but I remember an immense feeling of loss. I can only speak for myself, but the idea of not being able to wander around this place carried the weight of losing a family member, or friend. And just as you would for a friend or family member we decided right there, we would have a vigil or remembrance. We would do it in the only fitting way we could. We would sneak on one last time and go for a hunt. But this hunt would be completely different. It would be a duck hunt. At the “Back” of the acreage was a beaver swamp, or as we call it The Beaver Flow. We often deer hunted back there, we’d hike back to it, hell, I had even tried to fish it before but never duck hunted it. When I was younger we didn’t hunt waterfowl. During the time I was gone, continuing the journey of becoming a man that I had started on this land, we had both started to enjoy the sport of duck hunting. During all the mornings we had sat over the beaver flow we had seen ducks fly over, around, and drop down into this bowl of standing timber, grass and water. Knowing what I do now, that place would be a go to honey hole, it just wasn’t on our radar for that before. So there, in the dark, with waders on, decoys, guns and headlamps we walked up and down the ridgelines for what seemed like way longer than it ever took in wool pants. We finally slid down the hill and spilled into the flow. We set the decoys up in a likely opening, chatting about all the things we enjoyed about the property, and how we couldn’t believe this was the last go round we’d have there. We shared stories of things we’d seen and done there, both together and separately, before and after I was born. The generations before me had either grown up on the farm or spent a lot of time there with their grandparents. We finished setting the decoys and tucked into some deadfall on the bank. As we watched the sun come over that place for the last time we spoke very little which is a rarity for me, my mouth tends to babble babble. And just then with a perfect fall morning crackling around us, in came….nothing. There were no ducks. Just as it seems to go, when you’re deer hunting all you see is squirrels and when you decide to hunt small game you see deer. So went the picturesque idea we both dreamed of the night before. We weren’t there for the ducks though. We just sat and took it all in. It was as if we were at a viewing or a funeral, that moment that you’re waiting for,when you think the loved one will talk back to you. Then it dawns on you that they cannot and won’t ever again. The parts of them you keep with you are the parts that stay alive. We had taken enough great things from that place and it owed us no more. But with that just like the special little things you tend to see around you after the loss of a loved one, we got to see one flock of Wood Ducks pass by us at about 100 yards. One last “Well, Hello There.” and an idea that maybe Frank and Evelyn wanted to let us know they saw how much we cared. Frank and Evelyn Williams When the closing happens to me, in the reverse fashion, and I buy the farm, I hope my loved ones think about me with their first impactful moment in nature after my moving on. That is one of my greatest wishes. And I hope one of them has enough reprobate left in them, with a bit of rue for authority, to sneak just a handful of my ashes onto that front hill or maybe even toss some into the Sherman Brook.
April 29, 2022 High Pressure Waterfowl Hunting: Why the Details Matter By Justin Hunold In the world of waterfowling we often get a few cracks a year at birds that are unaware that 30 minutes before the sunrise on that morning means that they need to start dodging shots like a strike aircraft dodges triple A. With all waterfowl seasons staggered in many states between an Early Resident Goose, Teal Season , Duck Season, Special Regulations, Late Season and then Spring Snow Goose season we get a few easier days spread throughout the span of the season, but what happens on day two or day ninety? The easy days are long gone. This is when the details start to matter. When hunting pressured waterfowl my advice is to leave little to chance, work hard and watch the details. The Last Dance I had spent the better part of too many mornings duck hunting over the last two years of college. And for most of those mornings I was with my best hunting buddy TJ. We weren’t always happy to see each other at 2:30 AM but we never let that stop us from hitting the water and attempting to shoot some ducks. See 2:30 probably seems too early to some, but we had an hour drive to most of our huants tack a boat ride on top of that, and then set up, which more than half the time was dozens of decoys on long lines. That early wake up call cut us awful close to shooting light by the time we got settled in. On my last hunt of my college career TJ’s friend Brad was with us, and just as with any third wheel situation there were concessions made and toes stepped on. With that, we were going to hunt a group of small islands on Lake Norman in North Carolina. This lake is high pressure, there isn’t a lot of backwater duck hunting in that region of the Tarheel state. The Coast has a great reputation for ducks, and well earned too, but the piedmont not so much. We got to our location and were set up in plenty of time. By plenty of time I mean with enough time to watch five other boats of varying sizes pulling up to the islands around us. We were tucked into the brush on stools just at the very tip of a secondary point. We had a bulletproof set up as far as concealment went. But we didn’t stop there.TJ and I set the decoys and when I say set I mean we literally set them individually in the water, so as to not splash them and risk icing them up. We also hid the boat 100 yards away, fully camoed under burlap and brush. With five sets of hunters within 500 yards of each other we were feeling a bit crowded and not too confident as to what my last hunt was going to turn out like. When the shooting stopped, we had a pile of freshly migrated yankee mallards, and we were the only ones. I’d love to tell you that it was my calling but I truly believe it was the fact that we used a small number of very realistic, high quality decoys. That we took the extra time to set them. Secondly, we used dove stools and brushed ourselves in rather than opting for a more open, easier to see from and shoot from set up. Lastly, we did a great job of minimizing our imprint on the landscape by moving the boat out of the picture and camouflaging it as well as we could. It took extra time, extra work and extra attention to detail. For all that extra we got extra ducks in comparison to our public land competition. Keep your head down It was September and in the Finger Lakes region of NY that means Resident Goose season. There standing outside of my layout blind next to my friend Mike I was trying to flag in a distant flock of Canadas. When they saw those black flags pulsing like wing beats the flock hooked and headed our way. We were in brushed layouts in a cut corn field mixed in with the decoys. Mike and I had tagged along with his dad and a family friend. When the first flock came in and their landing gears came down we popped out of our blinds and sent 12 total shots up in the air, and killed almost as many birds. As we picked those birds up we flagged another flock in. This action ended with a similar result. With the third flock coming in we saw them become very hesitant to commit to our previously perfect set up. Then the fourth flock did the same thing. The wind hadn’t changed, our blinds were still brushed in well. They flagged over fine and had responded to our calling as expected. What the hell? Two things immediately came to our attention. There were bright red empty hulls all over the ground surrounding these four random humps in the cut field. Oh and as Mike’s dad pointed out I was wearing a very greenish camo hat that in my excitement watching the birds stuck out like a sore thumb in the mostly tan background. I basically had to bury my head under the blind doors after picking up all the empty shells. And with that we crushed the next flock that came in. I took a few things from this particular hunt. When hunting an open field I always pick my empties up. Secondly, I do my best to match my camo to the surroundings and also lean more on brown and tan when in doubt. Thirdly, I stopped moving my stupid head as much.I don’t need to see everything the birds are doing when they are at that make or break commitment point. Keep low, call well and let them commit. Do that right and you’ll see ‘em hitting the deck after you pop up. Triumphant ReturnFast forward a few years after my last college hunt. I was with TJ and Brad again but this time it was a crossover part of the season, we could shoot resident Canadas and ducks no matter their nationality. We were set up on Lake Norman again, in layout blinds on a rocky and bushy shore of an island. This wasn’t the same island. The last college island was up river and pretty secluded. There were some smaller, more modest homes on the shore around there. Modest is not the wording I would choose for the homes on this section of the lake. We were sitting on an island looking at million dollar homes. And because of this high rent real-estate hunting pressure was minimal. By legal shooting light we had ducks swimming in our mixed spread and then the local Canadas came to the island like it was Switzerland and they had funds they were trying to hide. The detail of burlap tied to the blinds that were brushed in and mudded up isn’t the deal maker here. TJ had scouted and knew these birds were coming. And boy did they come. This is one of the best goose hunts I have ever had the pleasure of participating in. A little background on this, TJ had reached out to the proper officials and game agencies to verify this was a huntable island.He saw birds landing there from the road one day when he happened to be driving by. So the detail on this one was simply taking the time to call and verify this was a huntable spot and population. Then the scouting side of watching the birds land there in basically any weather condition. And understanding that the pressure from around the rest of the lake made this honey hole a lay up because no one had ever thought to hunt there. The set up was perfect and detailed, but I’m not sure it had to be. I think the pre planning and follow up were the details that made this hunt. Details, when you can control something you should. I have a million outdoor stories that verify my inclination on this subject. I have even more in the everyday real life space. In the end the ducks are in the details.
April 22, 2022 All Around Shotgun: What does a Do All shotgun look like? By: Justin HunoldA shotgun is by far the most versatile firearm in a hunting arsenal. You can hunt anything that moves with a shotgun. But in today’s social media driven outdoor-scape we are seeing very specific tools for very specific hunts. We seem to be in the search for the “Best (insert game) Gun” these days. And when the budget and seasons align we can differentiate and own guns for specific purposes like Turkey, Waterfowl, Clays, Upland and Various small game.This style gun is at home in any situation. Let’s not forget that all of these “bests” are still Shotguns. So, what makes for the best Do All shotgun? What covers the most bases so that we can spend more time sharpening our hunting skills rather than thinking of the lack of a specialized tool as a hindrance?If given a choice for one gun for all the targets above, a shooter would be well suited to go with a 12 Gauge. The current trend is moving towards 20 gauge and even the smaller sub gauges like 28 and .410, hell, even the 16 gauge is having its own resurrection. These options are being spurred by more consistent and lethal ammunition choices in everyday available factory loads. But we are talking about one gun versatility here, and there is no answer other than 12 gauge for that question. 12 gauges leave very few gaps in ability to handle the task at hand, including big game with buckshot and slug options. Ammunition for the king of gauges was also available throughout the shortages of the recent past. Good luck killing a Tom with a .410 and TSS if you can’t find any, or trying to takedown a few big, fat Canada’s with your 20 gauge when the only waterfowl legal and appropriate shells you can find are 12 gauge BB’s. It’s not that the other’s don’t do the job, it’s just that they can’t do anything the 12 doesn’t, and this relationship is not inverse. Add in the ability to shoot 2 ¾ “ light loads up to the heaviest 3 ½ “ Magnum loads and a good twelve will handle way more than most hunter’s need. Ok with gauge settled let’s look at barrel length. If I’m running through the spring turkey woods, or pushing the understory for Upland or small game my gun would have a barrel length of between 22-24” . A shorter barrel is just easier to manage in tight cover, it makes your profile a bit tidier when pushing through the stuff, and doesn’t lend itself to snagging when a fast shot is needed. When breaking clays, or shooting birds in flight such as ducks’, geese, crows, pheasants or doves I prefer to have a barrel length of at least 28”. There tends to be the misconception that a shorter barrel is “easier” to swing, which is not the case. A shorter barrel is easier to point and begin the motion of the swing, but to truly swing through a target be it live or clay the weight and momentum of a longer barrel will literally help pull you through the motion of a smooth swing. This brings us to what would be an apt choice for barrel length in an all around shotgun. With the idea of a one gun in the forefront I would choose a 26” barrel. It’s easier to maneuver through the woods than a 28” with a 2 inch extended choke poking out, but it also carries that all important mass to help you break clays and deliver big shot at long distances on geese and divers. Plus in my opinion it’s about the perfect length for niche things like, layout blind, layout boat, hunting over dogs in fields and hunting for deer and hogs with buckshot. So here we are, we have a 12 gauge with a 26” barrel, we need to settle on a mode of operation, pump, semi, over under, side by side, single shot? Let’s face it, we can do anything with a single shot, except reliably shoot a double or the like in the field. When an opportunity does come up for multiple targets or animals, with our limited time in the field for most of us, we need to be able to take full advantage of the situation. Or what if it’s a single, and the only shot you get all day, but you whiff the first trigger pull? Man, I’d like to have a second or even third shot. And we aren’t even talking about a fast paced dove field or a crazy 50,000 bird snow goose flight. A well loved dog and gun just go together. If you asked hunters from generations past what their choice of repeating shotguns would be a lot of them would have settled on a pump, but today’s semi auto’s are as reliable and much faster than the pumps of yesteryear. I would choose a semi auto, they are the fastest way to get three shots off if needed. Other bonuses are generally reduced recoil, a good profile for carrying and overall they are generally fairly light all things considered. So, with multiple shots on deck, a fast cyclic rate, and reduced recoil I am able to leverage the tools at hand to have the best opportunity to make my time with gun in hand the most fruitful. This brings us to our final category and honestly, functionally, the least important. Do we want to choose wood or synthetic furniture? I prefer a nice, black synthetic stock with a matte black finish for an all around gun. There are arguments to be made for a camo gun too. Synthetic is easy to take care of, I don’t cry when I scratch or scrape it and it’s impervious to the weather conditions at hand. You should love the way your gun looks, it will inspire you to use it. With that I can understand why you may choose a wood stock set for your gun. Wood is beautiful, warm and is one of a kind. I love the way wood guns look and feel. I have a bunch of wood guns that make their rotations in and out of the safe for days out in the sun. You need to like the way your one gun looks and feels or else you won’t have the inspiration to use it. This is as important as any other feature. This is your one gun and you should love it. The final feature is the fit of the gun, I believe this sorta goes without saying. The gun needs to fit you. Close your eyes, shoulder it, open your eyes. Is the bead there, are you looking down a straight rib, is your finger comfortable one the trigger? The Cast, Drop and Length of Pull all need to be correct no matter what gun you are choosing. A gunner who has the highest end shotgun in the world that doesn’t fit them will get outshot by a shooter with an inexpensive gun that fits them like a glove. Also, with that thought, shoot the gun. Shoot it often, know your one gun, love your gun. Well, let’s put a bow on this thing. If you have different thoughts on an all around gun that makes sense, you might not have tight quarters shooting, you may only hunt turkeys from a blind, maybe you’re not a clays shooter or a waterfowl hunter, there are great options for your particular pie chart of hunting. Yet, day in day out if we sit down and say what makes for a great all around shotgun, a jack of all trades and the best value for your money I think that we can say a 12 gauge, 26” Barrel, Semi Automatic, Synthetic shotgun won’t let you down. It might not be the best at any one thing except for being great at all of them.
April 15, 2022 We Love to Watch Them Strut By: Justin HunoldWhen you get a group of Turkey hunters together and the stories start flowing one thing becomes apparent, The sounds of spring dominate the conversation. We judge each other by our ability to imitate a turkey, we wax poetic over birds hammering on the roost, the weird sounds we hear a hen make sticks in our minds, hell we even discuss odd things that make Toms shock gobble. Let’s think about the fact that we have calling championships in which other callers judge the accuracy and artistry of the calling sequence presented on a stage in front of the world. For me though, the sounds are a primer and what really gets my motor turning are the sights of the Turkey woods.Hearing them is great, Seeing them is what mattersThe sounds let me know what’s going on, Tom over there , Hen over there, hunter over there or was that a real bird? That’s the thing, I love the sounds but more and more they seem to be becoming rarer and rarer. Let’s not forget with the progression in call technology and growth in turkey hunting opportunities hunters calling has never been easier or sounded better. This has led to a lot of calls being thrown at seemingly more highly pressured birds. There was an article in a major publication about staying quiet and waiting birds out just a few days ago, this should be the canary in the coal mine of what the sounds of spring are doing to our turkey hunting.Now picture this, you’re walking a ridge top and calling to get a response from a randy Tom. A few yelps in and he thunders from your north and another one hammers from your west, the best sounds. These birds sound equidistant and are both responsive, guess what matters more than the sound of drumming, spitting, gobbling; which bird can you see first.I don’t remember every gobble but I sure as hell remember the sights of the steam pouring out of a gobblers face as he gobbles, the iridescent shine coming off the strutting gobbler all puffed up trying to show off, or the patriotic flag themed dome piece poking through the red rippers and he’s picking his way through the thick stuff. How many times have you slammed on the brakes to see what the flock in the field looks like? How many times did that sight prompt your eye to look at your mapping app to figure out if you could get to those birds?So, as much time as we all like to focus on yelps, clucks, purrs, kee kee runs, spitting, drumming, gobbling and shock calling they are all just sounds in the ether. Clues. What happens if we never get that visual of a bird strutting, or flying down, or a hen sneaking through cover beckoning against you? Let’s look at not only the beauty of these cinematic spring scenes but also what goes into them and how they help us. Look at the more recent tactic of Reaping a turkey, or moving into position behind a strutting Tom silhouette and then shooting the target bird in the face from as close as possible. This tactic works best with a real turkey fan, birds can tell the difference and requires zero sounds, just a natural movement with aggressive posturing from the “Decoy”.Take a look at hunting decoys and the evolution of Turkey decoys over the years specifically. The foam decoys I had at 12 years old wouldn’t even hit the store shelves these days. We’ve gone from hair dryers to reform them to full body molded decoys. Stuff in your pocket to which frame pack carries my two full body Hens and strutting Jake the best? So, the visuals matter on a nuts and bolts level, and with more calling pressure and smarter birds, they matter more than ever.When we are using decoys the Gobbler gets to see what we are looking for as well, visual cues. Setting up in shadows, fully camoed, minimal movement, we want our footprint on the visual landscape to be as small as possible. We have to balance this with good decoy placement, set up to compliment the terrain and scene we are trying to paint with sound and sight. It’s a tough mix between a large visual and the subtle nuances of a natural scene. Turkey’s like to strut in the open in the spring, they are prominent on the landscape in this way, but remember this gets them killed and not just by us. When thinking about the aesthetics of the scene, think about the Hen laying in cover, the Jake just out of direct sight, the Tom not fully silhouetted in the strut zone. You can be too in their face but often you can’t be too subtle. Remember nothing is as subtle as a silent “B” and that’s the sort of play you should hedge towards when dealing with the visual acuity of a Turkey.At the end of the day I don’t believe that the folks who chase spring birds will ever forgo the love and admiration of the music of Turkey’s mating concert. In the end it is probably the most important attachment we have to the birds in many ways. Most of us will never forget the first hammering gobble we heard echo through that early morning misty mountain hop. I’ll never forget the one time I had twelve distinct gobblers answering me and I was too inexperienced to get sight of any of them. But that’s the point at the time I was hunting for the gobble. Now I hunt for the gobbler and I gotta see em to shoot em.To me the other visuals make for a stark contrast to the spring deer scouting time right before Turkey season too. Early spring in my neck of the woods still has snow and ice, a few leftover beech tree leaves hanging on, some oaks holding a bit of their lobed or spiked plumage and a lot of gray and brown. As turkey season comes in, those colors transfer from gray and brown to being splashed with greens of all hues, reds, blues and violets in the flowers that wake up from the winter nap. The aesthetic is striking. But when you hear that bird call in the distance, as thrilling as that is, remember it matters not until you can see all those colors in his strutting plumage as he does his best spring dance for you, the very best sight of spring.