February 24, 2023 Optics for a Turkey Gun- Shotgun Scope or Shotgun Red Dot By: Justin Hunold With today’s purpose driven Turkey Guns, Turkey Chokes and Turkey Shells choices a plenty we are sling patterns tighter than ever. We are able to carry longer, set up better and shoot further. Not only are the guns, chokes and shells better but Turkey hunting is becoming more and more refined. From basic lead, to plated, duplex, heavier than lead and TSS shot we are sending shots that pattern as tight as baseballs at 25 yards and sometimes even further. Even though most modern turkey guns come with some form of fiber optic sight on them we should be thinking of those as a backup system. If you’ve spent the time, money and effort to get a gun specifically to chase turkeys, that gun should wear a modern optic. What kind of shotgun scope should you use on your turkey gun? Why? Let’s look at shotgun optics choices for turkey hunting. Why should you run an optic for turkey hunting? The simple answer is precision. When you were out in the field with a simple high brass , heavy game load, full choke and bead you had to know where that gun patterned. This was likely a large pattern by todays standards and you have to keep it in mind everytime you pull the trigger on a Tom. Now, we are shooting ultra tight patterns out to ranges well beyond sixty yards and we need to know where that shot is going to be. Most patterns are the size of a baseball at twenty five yards with today’s gear, so if you’re off by three to four inches you missed. And who wants to think about where to hold to center the pattern. Sight it in, hold the dot on the spot and press the trigger. The rest takes care of itself. Simple and effective. Also, when you’re shooting at longer ranges a bead or even rifled sights are likely covering up way more than they should be for you to place those pellets where they have to go. With a scope or red dot you know exactly where your point of aim is. Be sure of your target and beyond, it works a lot better if you are sure where your projectiles will be hitting within reason. What optic should you have on your Tom tagger? A lot of that is personal preference and hunting style differences. We all have our opinions but there are a few reasons for both a red dot and a LPVO (low power variable optic). Let’s look at them both and help you decide Red Dots When we are looking at the first and more popular category of scopes for shotgun we come to Red Dots. There are three types of Red Dots, Reflex, Prismatic, and Holographic. A few years ago I would have said Prismatic sights were the route to go, but more and more reflex sights for shotguns have taken center stage. Holographic sights are great, but tend to be a bit more expensive. Prismatic’s still have a place but for most folks the benefits and price point of a reflex sight is where it’s at in the turkey woods. Why would you use a reflex sight for a shotgun chasing Tom’s? Adjustable brightness, for when that cloudy spring dawn turns into a sun baked backdrop on an open field, red dot sights for shotguns leave you the ability to quickly adjust the brightness of the reticle. Also weight, a reflex sight is a great lightweight option for those long hikes along oak ridges looking for gobbling birds. Precise, no matter who is behind the reflex sight, no matter what angle the glass is at, no matter what eye dominant or hand dominant position that shooter is in, if the dots on the target it will hit there. Wherever the dot is is where the shot will end up. This isn’t the same for any other sight style other than holographic. This is a real advantage in the turkey woods where non dominant hand shots are somewhat common. Also, take your kid or wife or friend out hunting, hand them your gun knowing that if they put the dot on the spot you have to worry not. LPVO A while back you would see a lot of the famous TV hunters putting the smack down on gobblers with Turkey Specific low power variable optics. For a lot of folks there has been zero reason to move away from these. Let’s look at why you want a scope on your turkey gun. When that Tom hangs up in that open field at 65 yards and you know your TSS is still plenty deadly at that range, you can crank that LPVO up to 4x and place the crosshairs or dot on the waddles, knowing the EXACT placement. What about shooting through that little gap in the brush at his red, white and blue head? Yup, these are the best cases for a scope for turkey hunting. A fairly new option for LPVO’s that might be an interesting addition to some folks for turkey hunting is an illuminated single dot or reticle in conjunction with the standard reticle available with a lot of these models. Still using a red dot to anchor you to that head poking through the brush, but this time with a bit of magnification, which is right up some hunters alley. The limiting factors for a more traditional shotgun scope are weight and field of view. Obviously, a variable scope is going to weigh in the range of pounds comparatively to even a tube style prismatic sight which tip the scale in ounces. The other area where a red dot, especially a reflex sight, does a bit better a job on a turkey gun is in the field of view category. The almost non existent ring you will perceive on a reflex sight leaves little to the imagination. Meaning you will see your Tom and everything else going on around him, to make the safest, most accurate, and most ethical shot possible. Our Turkey Guns come with proprietary bases for mounting optics, and even though we have nice fiber optic beads on the barrel we suggest you use that base to mount the optic of your choice. When running and gunning for turkeys there is a lot left to chance, exact aiming and shot placement shouldn’t be one of them. We do our best to give you every reason to put the best shot on that bird possible, whether that’s with the optic mounted on the included base or a quality fiber optic bead. Let’s be honest we wouldn’t build a base and include it with every Retay Turkey gun if we didn’t think you should be giving a good quality optic a try. Put the dot on the spot and worry not.
February 17, 2023 Turkey Shells What shells Should You Chase Toms With This Spring By: Justin Hunold Let’s start from the very beginning, it’s the very best place to start. Ben Franklin’s pick for our National Avian Emblem, Thanksgiving Dinner Star, and befuddler of spring hunter the Wild Turkey, they are tough to kill. So, when we are chasing them a lot of the focus has been put on the gun and choke combo, optics, calls, camo and energy drinks. What is the actual thing that does the dispatching though…the ammo. Let’s look at the anatomy of a turkey shell and also what shells you might consider running this year. What are the components of a shotgun shell? This is interesting because when I started chasing turkeys almost 30 years ago the answer was shoot them with a high brass 3” magnum #4 in a full choke. In all honesty, that hasn’t changed a ton during the ammo shortages of the past few years; plenty of birds were being chased with a similar set up, but Turkey Shells aren’t just beefed up game loads. Generally if we start at the front of the shell, you will see a crimp. The crimp is what holds all the shot and other components in the shell, you can have folded or rolled. Folded crimps will have a familiar star pattern in the folds. Rolled crimps will have a flat disc facing out with the edged of the rolled shell holding it in place. Either will work just fine, but more and more you see top end turkey loads with rolled crimps. The reason that is the case is the rolled crimp allows for a touch more internal volume for components ie. shot. Inside the shell you will find the shot, in lead or similar shot 4,5,6’s tend to be the most popular sizes of buffered lead in the shells.A lot of states will limit your shot sizes to those coinciding numbers, shall not be smaller than a 6 or larger than a 4. Often in a turkey load the lead is plated with a harder metal such as copper. Shot will have buffer between it. This helps the pellets not bounce off of each other during flight therefore retaining their roundness and stability. Those two components are housed in the wad. The wad is simply the plastic cup that holds the shot and buffer in place as it goes down the barrel. The wad sits on top of the powder and the powder sits on top of the primer. All of this is housed in a hull or shell. Shells come in three sizes for 12 gauges and two for 20 gauge (for our purposes). Both guns will support 2.75” and 3” shells, some 12’s will also take a 3.5” shell as well. Always check the gun for the length of the shell it will take. With that the longer the shell the more total components will fit inside of it, in the form of powder and shot. So a 3.5 inch 12 gauge supports a lot more #6 shot than a 2.75” 20. So after that history lesson what makes a Turkey Load different? Generally, turkey shells will have as much shot as possible in each size shell. Where as a 3” #4 duck load might have an ounce and an eighth of shot, a turkey load will likely be filled with more than an ounce and a half of the same size shot. You don’t need to lead a turkey, so with plated lead shot and more of it being pushed out, velocity on turkey shells is normally slower. It doesn’t need to get there fast, it just all needs to get there and as densely as possible. With a waterfowl load you likely want a large ish pattern that has few gaps, say about 30” , a turkey shell should be delivering all of its shot very tightly. Often that need for a lot of shot delivered in a tight area leads to companies leaning on a high pellet count and high quality buffer to make that happen. Now we get into the zone of shot composition. What are the pellets made of? This is a lot like our evolution of waterfowl shells articles. The difference is there is almost no non toxic requirements (California withstanding). Meaning lead has dominated Turkey Shells for a long time. But when it comes to shotgun shells for turkey hunting, lead is not your only option. Tungsten, Bismuth and other denser than Lead have made their way over to turkey hunting. This started a long time ago with the original Heavy Shot, but with the advent of some advancements in turning out higher grade heavier than lead shot and better components there is a real swing to these new options. All forms of TSS or Tungsten Super Slam shot have made their way into retailers and chambers of guns alike. When you may have stepped down to a 6 shot in the past to increase pellet count , you can now shoot a #9 and when that #6 lost it’s steam at 40 yards that TSS in #9 is still plenty lethal at 60 and beyond. But that comes with a price tag. Normally TSS from any manufacturer is going to top $10 a shell. And shot sizes that small aren’t legal in all places. If you’re a dedicated Turkey hunter and you can constitute the price tag of the TSS shells and proprietary choke that should be used by all means send them down range. They are a devastating combination for spring Toms. Yet, do not discount a great shot shell stuffed with plated #4,5, or 6 shot. More of that will take to the woods than TSS this spring and it has killed mountains of turkeys over the years. With modern buffer, powder, Shot construction and shapes, and even duplex or combination of all of these shot sizes and materials together turkey loads have never been more potent. And with that, don’t fall into the bigger is best mode of shot shells. More and more folks are shooting heavier than lead options in 20 gauge when putting big strutters on the ground. Often a 3” option will pattern better in a given gun than a 3.5” shell of the same manufacturer and style. But with that there are a lot of people who carry a 12 gauge stoked with 3.5 inches and 2 ounces of hellfire. Cause you can’t kill them too dead. And at the end of the day all of this is about putting those tough Toms on the ground for good. We are lucky hunters to have so many options.
February 10, 2023 Turkey Guns – Features for Taking Toms By Justin Hunold A feature rich Turkey Gun makes for more confident shooting. When the Turkey Hunting boom started back in the 1970’s any ol shotgun folks had kicking around went into the woods chasing those spring Toms. As time went on folks realized Turkey’s are tough. They started to tote Magnums sporting 3” chambers and delivering that payload through a fixed full choke. And as chasing spring birds grew in popularity so did the list of tools we specialized to chase them. Shotguns were no exception to this rule, and now we are able to bring a true Turkey Gun to bear. Let’s take a look at some modern must haves in the turkey woods. What makes the “best turkey gun” for a modern hunter. Optics- Listen, lot’s of birds have fallen to a plain old front bead, and that will continue to happen. The same goes for fiber optic sighting systems, most modern guns come with them and they are always good to go. More and more though, we get after birds with an assundry of optics on top of our guns. Some folks like a LPVO or Low Power Variable Optic, like a 1-6x24mm. They feel that the ability to “zoom in” helps them deliver precise shot patterns at extended ranges and who’s to argue? This is what these optics are made for, that 0-100 yard zone. Guess what ranges we shoot Turkeys at 0-65 ish The next group of folks run a Red Dot optic of some sort. I fall into this group. Whether a traditional red dot housed in a tube or a prism style sight these are becoming the go to in the spring woods.They are light to carry, dummy proof to use, mostly bomb proof and do exactly what a hunter needs in the turkey woods, putting a point of aim where the center of the pattern should go. Plus in those low light mornings and rainy spring days that red dot is easy to acquire and easy to see on a bird’s head and neck. Retay turkey guns have integral patented scope bases. The picatinny pattern will easily accept any optic of your choosing. If that optic were to fail the whole system is removable so you can trust the fiber optic bead at the end of the barrel. Chokes- Way back in the 70-80’s hunters shot fixed full guns and occasionally modified if that’s all they had to run. The number of chokes available to a modern turkey hunter is staggering. There are a ton of constrictions, porting patterns, wad catching systems and even shot composition specific chokes. In general a good name brand Xtra Full Turkey Choke will work, you just have to find the best load to match that choke. If you’re shooting TSS we suggest a TSS specific choke. The goal is to deliver double digit pellet count into the head and neck of the Gobbler at any reasonable shooting distance. All of these chokes should do that with the right turkey load. Turkey shells pack more ounces of shot than just about any other shotgun shell. Velocity doesn’t really matter in the turkey woods, so these shells will sacrifice speed for shot capacity. With that a lot of folks will shoot a 20 gauge or a 12 gauge in 3 inches. 3.5 still has a following but modern turkey shells, turkey chokes and ballistics mean that folks are patterning better and better with the shorter 3” variant. Retay has huge aftermarket support in the way of choke tubes and with 20 gauge and 12 gauge Turkey guns we have the ability to deliver whatever performance you need from your turkey gun. Especially with our Dead Straight Deep Bore Drilled Barrels. Our guns pattern 20% better out of the box to begin with. A Sling helps when walking out heavy Barrel Length- When I started Turkey hunting it was with a 28” barrel side by side shotgun. Man, that gun shot, but it was long and gangly to carry through the under story. I later moved to a 26” pump gun and finally to a 24” barrel Gordion Turkey. The 20 gauge Gordion Turkey comes with a 22” barrel. The shorter barrel is lighter, easier to carry when slung over the shoulder, and easier to maneuver in a seated shooting position. Plus in the tight cover that woods hunting has the shorter barrel just clears that brush and shrubs so much easier. You don’t need the momentum of a 28 or 26” barrel to swing through or follow up. Likely you need one precise shot, much like a rifle, and doing that with a more compact gun is a joy in the thick spring woods. Grips- About a decade or so ago the familiar pistol grip stock emerged on turkey guns. This allows for steady holding and support when seated and having the gun on your knee. It also compliments the use of optics by lining a shooter up in a comfortable position. Anyone who has shot a Magnum Turkey Load will tell you the recoil is stout. The almost 90 degree pistol grip allows a shooter to handle that recoil a lot better and more comfortably. With pump guns kicking a bunch more than a semi, our new GPS-XL Turkey has a pistol grip to help you handle all of that. Yet, you can still choose a traditional style stock in any of our Turkey Guns because we know this gun might be serving you in a duck boat, layout blind or even chasing rabbits. Our guns are built to hunt. Sling- Most of the turkey hunting we do is a game of miles and opportunities. Walking with a gun slung over your shoulder is a lot easier than having to carry it. Gotta work a pot call? How about running a box call? Both two hand affairs and a sling keeps that gun comfortable while you do that. The more gear we hunt with the handier a sling becomes. Blind? Chair? Decoys? Gotta have a sling to make it all work. Every Retay has been built to accept a sling with integral studs and sling swivels included. Those slip on slings suck so we just make it easy on you. A Great Turkey Shotgun can help lead to Great Photos like this. Can you kill turkeys with a good all around shotgun? You sure can. You can also open a paint can with a screwdriver, but it’s not ideal. So, why not use a paint can opener and why not get serious and get the best turkey gun you can. You deserve to enjoy your time afield and the birds deserve for you to be the most efficient killer possible. The right Turkey Gun helps you do that, and how confident you will be with a purpose driven gun. Confidence kills or so I’ve heard.
February 3, 2023 Whistlers- Hunting Golden Eyes By: T.J. Rademacher Golden Eyes are great shooting often from the shore Goldeneye are typically a bonus bird for most diver hunters. They are typically more drawn to their own kind and are not as likely to fully commit to a spread of mixed blocks. Many shots are taken at passing ranges for folks more interested in the other diving duck varieties. For the Last few years I have ended up on waterways chasing divers on both the Mississippi and Central flyways. Out of necessity I was forced to figure out the goldeneye game because the other birds were stale or not moving as much. Here is what I know now after spending some time targeting these birds specifically. When scouting a hunt for these birds you are looking for where they are headed to eat just like any other diver. The process is really the same as anything you might encounter looking for bluebills or redheads. The difference is in my experience is you are looking closer to rocky shores or open water bordering this type of area. In my experience you encounter goldeneye in rafts smaller in size than other divers. They seem to end up strung out loosely in areas they are feeding or loafing in. they are primarily feeding on mussels, clams, snails, crustaceans and sometimes small fish from the birds ta hive inspected while cleaning them. Once you find a concentration you can either push them out gently and set up for their return or you can traffic them. The main thing is covering water and finding a few different spots to try out or make a strategy for future hunts Use any means necessary to get to the X Getting on the X is tough. The X is usually a place where the birds can’t be targeted in most of the places I hunted. Most if these waterways include large areas that are off limits and are waterfowl refuges. So you instead find yourself looking for the soft X. This is usually less predictable and changes daily. Most of the times I did find a concentration of birds it was a mid-day loaf spot. We would leave them be and come back later the next morning and set up after having a go at the more un cooperative rafts of other divers. Pushing them out seemed to do more harm than good on this type of spot because they were not actively using it as a feeding spot so the pressure of gently bumping them usually had them picking the next least pressured spot and not many coming back. We would typically set a spread of 8 or so oversized GE decoys and nothing else. This typically did the trick for birds returning to the area. For trafficking we would pick the best spot to get in their way. If shore hunting, we would try and get one point the they swing close to. The use a layout boat to get in their way in spots where they were moving to and from spots to eat and loaf has become the main way to consistently kill these birds. We also used up to 3 dozen GE decoys to get birds to decoy. We had very mixed results with having comb spread with the most success coming from GE only spreads. It’s a lot of work in general to layout hunt diving ducks but this technique paid off big time when the going got tough. We a were able to scratch out enough birds to fill in with our bluebills to make the effort more worthwhile. Here’s another thing I learned about Goldeneyes. They are not trash ducks. They are excellent table fare. I’m not talking about plucking the and preparing them with the skin on like puddle duck. We all know this is probably a silly idea given their diet. However, the typical breasting method turned out great poppers and stir-fry’s. I was careful to remove all fat and silver skin from the meat. I also typically brine the breasts as well. It seems help with the taste of the finished product. Another way to prepare them is by braising them down in a crock pot. The final product to a tender pulled pork type of protein that goes great on sandwiches and my personal favorite Korean barbeque sliders. Whoever tells you can’t eat goldeneyes or says they are not edible probably got ahold of some that were not prepared well. Prep is king with wild game meat especially with animals that have a specific diet. Scratching out birds in places you wouldn’t typically think of Learning to nail down a measurable amount of success taking goldeneye consistently was a very rewarding experience. Sometimes the adaptations we make to figure out a path to success when the conditions aren’t exactly ideal are what we look back on the most fondly. I remember being very frustrated at times during their navigation of this learning curve. As is the case with most types of water fowling staying persistent and making the best decision you can based on the info you are receiving from the environment around is what will typically make you a little more successful. Now go and get after the whistlers.
January 27, 2023 Should I Hunt Turkeys From a Blind? Thinking about hunting birds both in and out of the box. By: Justin Hunold A lot of Toms are fooled with Hub Style blinds every spring. There 15 yards in front of you just outside of that window your decoys look perfect. They look so good you have to remind yourself to not shoot your strutting decoy. With the blades of last year’s dry grass and the newly greened up version moving in the wind, you see Him lock on to your imitation flock out in the field. And like a young man sowing his oats that Tom is on his way down to get some, either a fight or a romp. This is the way of Turkey hunting from a modern pop up blind. Turkey Calls are very similar to ones from decades past, but the variety and reliability is a lot better, and yes decoys continue to look better and better with modern materials and finishes, and we even understand the spring Turkey better due to continued research, but one thing likely helps kill more birds every year than the modern pop up blind……but it saves a bunch too. Why should you be Turkey Hunting from a pop up blind? There are a lot of reasons to hunt from a blind, they hide your movement, they give you concealment in places that are wide open, they protect you from some of the elements, Turkey’s basically don’t react to them at all and they can help you stay patient. Let’s dive in on Who’s What, When’s, Where and How’s of Hunting Turkeys from a Blind. One main reason to hunt turkeys from a pop up blind is because turkeys dont adversely react to them. Not long ago when you saw a flock strutting in the middle of a field day after day and you couldn’t access them or if you could there was no cover to hunt them from they mine as well have been in a zoo. They were in a spot you couldn’t kill them in. The blind changed all of that. A camo blind standing up in the middle of the field will definitely not fool a whitetail and likely you won’t see a coyote or another predator unless that blind has been there a very long time or is adequately brushed in. When it comes to beards and spurs though, you can pop that thing up and hunt from it that morning. Ground Blinds make places that lack cover huntable for Turkeys Toms and Hens alike seem to not give a hoot about a pop up blind suddenly appearing in a spot it wasn’t yesterday. So, field hunting turned into a big option over the past 20 years when it wasn’t really on the radar much before that. If you see a Tom puffed up in the middle of the field every day, that bird is likely killable with a pop up blind and access to that field. Hunting in comfort is another great reason to hunt out of a blind. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail a blind can make you into a regular USPS mailman. No matter the weather you can generally hunt in relative comfort from a blind. This keeps you concentrating on the birds and not how miserable you feel. It also lends to your patience. Warm, dry and concealed tends to make a hunter stay put rather than feeling they need to be up and moving to stay warm. Sometimes staying in a spot is the key to the game. Impatient hunters save a lot of animals every year. For the reasons listed above Blind hunting is a great way to introduce new or young hunters to the game. A kid can be free to move a bit more in a blind, they can also have a tablet or even a couple games or toys to help pass the time. Teaching kids to hunt is a big undertaking. I believe that there are times this is best done with a compromise of toughing it and making it a bit more comfortable, a blind is a great middle ground. This is the same for newer hunters. Great teaching moments like how much you can move, what it’s like when Turkeys come in and a shot is imminent, judging distance, watching animal behavior can all be taught from a blind in a way that might not happen leaning against a tree. Plus for someone maybe not used to navigating the woods in the dark or at all a destination or home base is a great way to increase confidence. There are a couple instances when that blind that proves deadly so many times is the bane of a hunter’s existence in moments. One story that is told over and over is causing a malfunction in the weapon of the hunter in regards to the blind. This predominantly happens with a bow, the hunter forgets how many moving parts there are and a limb hits the blind, or the sight clears the window but they don’t estimate for the inches difference in arrow height at the shelf and next thing you know they have a new broadhead hole through there camo house. It can happen to a lesser extent with a gun but be aware of your windows in a blind. The other instance is when a bird sneaks in and won’t come around to the side a hunter prepped for a shot. This is when a hunter is generally cursing the blind and thinking that they could have had that bird if they weren’t pinned down inside but running a gunning outside. As a rule of thumb, I keep three windows open to help with this and the more dense the cover the less likely I am to be in a blind. At the end of the day the situation that surrounds the birds are the contributing factors in deciding whether or not to use a blind. Early in the season, with colder, wetter weather and birds heading to fields to get in that ever escaping sunshine, I’ll be in a blind. Having a new hunter with me, Blind time. When birds might be pressured and quiet, I’m more patient in a blind. In my opinion there are a ton of times you shouldn’t be in a blind. But every turkey hunter should own one or two and they should have them ready to go for the situations surrounding the birds.
January 20, 2023 Hunting Season Prep: The Physical By: Justin Hunold Working to be in good shape physically and mentally hunting becomes more enjoyable. Physical preparation for hunting matters. Let’s face it Hunting season is a grind. Most of us never really have an “Off season” but the actual in season life is hard on your body and the older you get the harder it is. When I was younger in my twenties I ran on caffeine, bad food and beer. I’d hunt every morning, go to work and work until about 10pm and then get home prep, decompress and get up between 2-4 am to do it all over again. Somedays I would fit schoolwork into that mix too. Now that I’m 40, this schedule seems like a pipe dream. What are some ways to make hunting season easier? Do you have to be Cameron Haynes? How about someone like Steve Rinella or Janis Putelis instead? How do we stay in good physical condition for hunting season? Here are tips for being in tip top shape for your hunting season. Meal planning- We aren’t talking macros and micros or any real hard science here. Most of the year let’s think about clean eating for most of the time. Concentrate on the basics, proteins, fats, vitamins, healthy carbs, fruits, veggies and if possible something fresh and not pre packaged. I try to stick to this for most of the off season, with some cheats here and there. The guideline I heard somewhere a long time ago is “If you can stack it, don’t snack it” . Basically if it comes in square packaging try to avoid it. As far as this diet goes, I still have beer, the occasional snickers, potato chips or even ice cream. I have an almost four year old and we try not to waste food, so I eat a lot of half eaten PBJ’s. I’m not saying to be a nazi about your diet, but trying to eat right is better than not. You will feel better. The thing is if you cut all junk out how will those gas station meals, weird diner breakfasts and other foraging opportunities hit your stomach during hunting season if your stomach isn’t used to junk at all? But meal Planning goes farther than that. During the season, rather than scrolling through social media for far too long try to get the coffee maker ready for the morning, make some healthy food and get it in your blind bag for the next day. Have a plan for those meals and have them ready. This leads to less gas station snacks, more money in your pocket and more sleep when it’s needed most. Sleep- I am not a great sleeper, I wake up most nights for a span of at least an hour. What I do well is fall asleep and wake up. I never snooze an alarm, and my lights go out as soon as my head hits the pillow. I use this to my advantage. I know I can push my alarm to the last possible second because I always get right up, no snooze. I also hit the hay when I feel tired to maximize that pre middle of the night wake up. Meaning during the season if I’m tired at 7 if possible I go to bed. Being in good physical condition helps you make heavy work into light work We all have a life. We all have more stuff to do than time to do it in. So, sleep is often the thing we sacrifice. But, there are a lot of credible folks that say it’s the most important thing we can do for our health. What are we to do? Firstly, if you have sleep apnea , get that taken care of. I know lots of guys in camp that have it, and they all feel better when they have it under control. Just listen to your buddies snore through the night at camp sometime. Listen to the pauses and gasps. The sooner you get that under control the better off your health will be. For some folks its a machine, others its a mouth piece and for some it’s losing some weight, all of these work together in combinations or even singularly and separately. I know some folks that “didn’t have the energy” to work out but once thye got their apnea in line they suddenly started working out. That sort of sleep deprivation matters. The other thing is learn your sleep patterns, learn what your body needs. I know my sleep strengths so I play to them during the season. I also know I can run full bore for about ten days before a crash, but then I will need one whole day to recover. I try to plan trips, days off and hunting times around these factors. You may never get eight hours of sleep in a night, but look at getting the best possible sleep you can for the time you can. Know your own sleep patterns and needs. If you snooze, the first alarm needs to be earlier and if you are a third shift worker, afternoons may be your best option. Exercise- Ugh, this is the one that goes out the window during the season. I run, ruck, hike and lift all off season, then season hits and my work out is the walk into some far flung hunting spot with all my gear or paddling a kayak a mile or two for the same reason. I need to be better about this, and I should incorporate some stretching. You don’t need to be Cam, lift, run shoot. You can be Steve and Janis, load pack hike around. I’m not going to tell you I look like a Greek god either. But I try to keep a minimum standard and that is this – The Navy SEAL minimums for Physical Screening (sans the swim). 42 push ups in 2:00 mins 50, Situps in 2:00 mins, 6 pull ups and a 1.5 mile run in under 11:00 mins. These won’t get you into the program but they are a baseline I find useful. At the end of the day you will be less tired, better mentally, sleep better and hunt better if you’re in reasonable physical condition. Everything is harder in the water and we spend a ton of time wet in waterfowl hunting. Start with a walk if that’s tough for you and go from there if you think the SEAL minimums are a breeze take a look at the Competitive standards and do them for time. Supplements- Over the past three years we all had decisions to make in regards to our health. One of those decisions for me was supplementing my vitamins and minerals. I also incorporate nootropics on a semi-daily basis. As Hulk Hogan used to say ” Say your Prayers and take your vitamins.” Surprisingly, those athletes taking things like Glucosamine, Fish Oil and Turmeric for their joints are shining the light down the path of more comfort for us hunters. If you hear one complaint at camp about being sore it’s generally joint related. Why not supplement for that the whole year? Nootropics used to be regarded with voodoo but caffeine is a nootropic and most of us use it daily and likely can’t function as well without it. I use all sorts of nootropics specifically on hunt days and I feel they make a huge difference. I feel sharper and more focused. Probiotics- Eat some yogurt, take probiotic supplements and figure out the things that don’t agree with your stomach. Many hunt plans have gone awry because of thunder guts and the runs. Get out in front of that. Give yourself enough time to go before you get your waders on if possible, carry imodium in your rig and blind bag….worth it. These are just a few simple or not so simple things I do through the year that will probably help your season go a bit smoother, make you sharper and a better hunter, and hopefully lead you to be more successful. Listen, every single one of us has a different life, different stressors, different physiology. None of this will be a cure all for everyone. But I bet if you take one of these and tailor it to your own self your hunting season and life in general will be better for it.
January 13, 2023 Waterfowl Gear You Need What should you buy now to get ready for next year? By : Justin Hunold First Birds, on the First Day The early bird gets the worm, or something like that. Listen, as waterfowl hunters we are constantly in a quest to be the first, or the earliest or chasing that prime opportunity. First at the ramp, first to a spot, first fresh birds, first shooting light, opening day, first season, early Teal, early goose….you get the point. But listen, right now, as we creep into seasons closing, you should be first in line to fix or amend the shit that broke or didn’t work this past season. You can never be too early to start getting ready for next season. Here are some things you should be looking at getting right and tight for fall’s first flight. We all have gear on our list. Right now is an amazing time to scour those clearance sales and find next year’s best gear at a discount. Will it be the newest pattern or the coolest thing on the block, maybe not, but will you or the birds actually notice? Also probably not. Here’s a secret its not just changing of the seasons that prompt good prices for consumers, but also for retailers on the wholesale level. So, check those sites for chances to get gear at amazing prices. Maybe someday I will go over the pricing theories at a retail level, but let’s just say at some point that old inventory is costing more than it’s worth to not discount it. Decoys are hard to store for retailers and normally get a big late season discount for sake of floor space. Decoys- Decoys are big, bulky, heavy and hard to display. Think about it this way, how many Lucky Craft lures can a store fit in the area that a box of full body Canadas take up? The answer is a ton, and they retail for $15 a pop. So, decoys are something that gets discounted heavily quickly. Keep an eye out for whatever you need to fill out your spread. I promise if they fooled birds the past few seasons next year’s model probably won’t do it any better. Camouflage Clothing- So, the model here is let’s have some legacy products, think Bottomland, and then let’s release the new stuff every few years because hunters are trendy and like to match. When those new patterns hit they may look great, they may help you blend in better, but they certainly boost sales for the camo company releasing them. When this happens you will see deep discounts in the flagship camo from the year before. You may also see this when an apparel company loses the licensing rights to that particular camo, or a sponsorship change on a major player of the prostaff. Whatever the reason, jump on last year’s clothing now in prep for next year. Hunting Accessories- Calls, Choke Tubes, Blind Bags, Muffs, Blinds, Decoy Rigs the list goes on. Remember that in a lot of retailers the waterfowl aisles turn over into the spring turkey aisles. That change over normally leads to some chances at high end gear at a lower price. Full Disclosure, I worked in big box retail for a long time and some of my most expensive and best sounding calls came out of the display cases when it was time to turn those aisles over. The sweetest sounding turkey call I’ve ever owned was an Original, first production year Primos Power Crystal and that was because it was good and broken in when I bought it out of the display case for next to nothing, even though that call isn’t expensive to begin with. Don’t get me started on my Original BGB Wide Open… My Muff straight up unraveled on me on its second hunt this year. You know the kind that hold shells and some gear and snaps to the D rings on your waders? Yeah mine came apart on hunt number two and I just never replaced it this year. I tried to limp it along with paracord and zip ties like any good redneck but man it sucked. I’ll be getting a new one from somewhere else this off season. Some other things I will be packing in my blind bag before I put it up are a few pairs of elbow length rubber gloves, because they are light, cheap and totally waterproof, and at least one extra headlamp and a pair of inexpensive sunglasses. I’d rather bring the extra couple ounces out on every hunt and always be prepared than not have the stuff when I need it. Kinda like a side arm. Also most of this will have reviews from the previous season, and post on social media and videos showing use in the field on YouTube. Just like voting, you should be using your gun early and often Now, between waterfowl and turkey season is a great time to get more familiar with your gun. I have specific guns for both of these seasons. Now that I am done chasing quacking birds and will shift to chasing gobbling ones I will be taking my Masai Mara apart and cleaning it thoroughly. I will also take my Gordion Turkey out and check the optic and make sure it’s pattern and point of impact is still as perfect as last year. If I want to make a change in chokes, optics, ammo or slings now is the time. Since I will be shooting my turkey gun I will also bring out my waterfowl gun and check all of the same stuff. I want to make sure I’m very familiar with where my guns shoot, if I need to make any shim adjustments, choke changes or even if the shells I bought mid season on a suggestion are doing what I’m thinking they should. If I were you I would be looking over Market Place and Craigslist for a new to you boat or watercraft if that’s on the books. This is the time of year people start to unload that stuff. The reason the timing of now is important is because people are generally looking to get out of that stuff at a reasonable price. In two months spring will be here and they will want a premium on watercraft, they’ll take less in January and February in most of the country. Is any of this earth shattering? No. But I’m covering it because today I hung up my decoys for their spring and summer slumber and thought about what I should be using with them next season. I pulled my Masai Mara out of its case and set it out in line for a good cleaning. And I threw that piece of shit muff into the garbage where it belonged when I took it out of the box. This season is done for me as of today. But next season started as soon as I typed the first word of this article. I’m so happy it’s always hunting season.
January 6, 2023 Retay’s Top 5 Youtube Channels for Waterfowl By: Justin Hunold It is no secret that we love the written word here at Retay USA. It has been a focus, real concerted effort to deliver valuable content in our Straight Shootin Blog over the past nine months or so. A little content baby if you will. We actually love art of all kinds. Whether it’s music or multi media, photography or video it’s in our wheelhouse. So, we thought it might be helpful for our readers to check out some Youtube channels that we have found so valuable that Retay USA has made an investment in their success and art. Dennis Loosier Dr. Duck – Dennis Loosier and Billy Campbell top our list. They speak to what is really at the heart of Retay USA. Performance, Boldly Redefined. Dennis and Billy spent years crashing around public waters in Texas and more recently a broader base of states. They show us that a hunter doesn’t need a piece of inherited or purchased property or even a lease with an ever increasing cost to kill ducks. These two show us where there’s a will there’s a way. Whether it’s scouting for hours, long boat rides or letting other hunters in on the fun these guys get it all done. That is exactly the sort of thing we love. Hard work, passion, education, generosity and fun. Success in the Timber Lost Brake– Now we go to the opposite end of the spectrum and we love that too. Brooks Tinsley, Harrison Gregory, Murray Shows and their crew started out on public water, just like the Dr. Duck guys. When the Arkansas’ non resident rules started to make some shifts they decided to go all in and went on to purchase an island on the Mississippi. Lost Brake shows how much can go into building a camp, a culture and a heritage in one spot. The videography is amazing and the storytelling is second to none. B role on B role on B role and we are better off for seeing all of it. If you were to build a forever camp for you and your hunting buddies you’d want it to be just like this one. Custom fire pit and all. Brian’s eye is second to none DCC West– Now this isn’t just a waterfowl channel, and you won’t see the guys behind the camera, but what you will see is swirls upon swirls of birds and totally unique hunts. Our buddy Brian May , not of guitar god fame, is no less a virtuoso behind a camera. His eye for editing and picking the right action at the right time is just so on point. DCC West has hosted some of our hunters on Sandhill Crane hunts and shoots up and down the Pacific Flyway. If the Timber Hunts of Lost Brake and Dr. Duck aren’t your thing, check out the DCC West channel to see what the left coast has to offer. Go for the Pintails and Wigeon and stay for the Steelhead. Honesty at it’s best Nick Strba – This is our dark horse pick . Nick’s channel isn’t some big fancy, huge cost, high production value glamor show. It’s a no nonsense hunting gear review channel. Nick get’s it done in the field but his channel isn’t some self aggrandizing effort. What Nick does really well is give you the straight talk on stuff hunters use in the field. And from our point of view his reviews of our guns are as informative but non infomercial-like as anyone might actually need. With some decoy and gear talk mixed in he is a great resource for someone thinking about getting a Retay or just getting into waterfowl hunting. Modern Day Renaissance Jeff Coats, Pitboss Waterfowl– Last but certainly not least the man the myth the legend. The Worlds Largest Duck Boat, Hand Carved Decoys, Wawa Coffee, Brown Ale, Barn-dominium and Sea Ducks. If these videos don’t get you all fired up Jeff’s personality for sure will. When we talk about a renaissance man we don’t often think about a visor and a beard down to his sternum, but in Jeff’s case it’s the truth. Whether it’s “lead em lead em lead em” for sea ducks or “thinking of you we are” and a camera hit we love Jeff’s messaging, style and content. We left a lot of our friends and family off of this list, so I’m sure there will be a part two. For now we leave you with the totally unique perspectives from the members of the Retay USA family. There should be a little something in here for everyone. Jump over to YouTube and give these guys a watch, and while you’re at it check out our channel as well. We love bringing you guys value on a regular basis, whether that’s written word, a good video, or the best shotguns on the market.
December 23, 2022 I Ain’t Got The Words Thanking the people who make your hunting season happen By: Justin Hunold It only takes a few words and a second to let someone know you appreciate them In a day where we are constantly looking for content to fill our brains and spare moments of boredom with information and entertainment I wanted to take a second and step away from that. This will come out on 12/23/22 or the day before Christmas Eve. I just wanted to take a second to say Thank You for joining us, and also to remind you to take a second and reach out to maybe some folks you might forget to call or text “Happy Holidays” or ask how their Christmas was, cause you see them a lot. Your hunting friends and family. Well, first let’s start off at home. This time of year is a great time to just take a second, look at your spouse and tell them how much you appreciate them holding it down for the past few months. They pick up the slack while you’re out there chasing bucks, ducks, bulls, bears and geese. Take a second and let them know how much you appreciate it. Acknowledgement goes a long way. While you’re at it, if your parents and siblings are in your life, thank them too. You put off their parties, holidays and used vacation to get out into the field instead of spending it with them. Again, a tip of the hat and a heartfelt thank you means more than a gift card. A lot of the time just validating the fact that they understand how important hunting is to you is a way to show them that same love in return. Let’s not forget those land owners. Drop off some cookies, meat or something you know might actually help them. I kinda treat this like I treat my friends who have kids or just got married. I give them a gift card and in the card I put it in I direct them to do something fun and frivolous with it. They either let you or choose you to hunt their land. It’s not an obligation to do something for them, but I would think that most people want to. Now we are into the tough ones, Your hunting buddies and your dog. Which are basically one in the same. They both care about you, they are normally loyal, there for the trials and tests of hunting season, and there for the celebrations and stories from all that hard work. So, let them know that you appreciate them. Take an extra second and get your dog in for post season care. Your dog is not going to associate the holiday spirit and treats, pets, love or any other pampering. They are smart but not capable of that thought. What they can process is that you’re the center of their world and their reason for being. Maybe get them a few extra treats for Christmas and give them options on what to play with. Also, schedule up a postseason Vet check, just because you don’t see anything wrong doesn’t mean they shouldn’t get looked at. Throw a rod on your truck, changing the oil won’t help after. I know that the vet can be tough for dogs, and hard for owners, but that hesitancy is your emotion, not necessarily about making your pal feel good. Better to catch a foreign body from some green briars that could potentially turn into an abscess, or even a weird infection from the muck and the mud. Get them in, out and some more treats, pets and play. Your hunting buddies, man there is a lot to unpack here. We as tough dudes and chicks can really struggle to put into words what our hunting partners mean to us. I think it’s important to let them know the best we can. So, there are two routes you can go and here they are. Route one, this is my go to, tell them flat out. I will normally try to let my hunting buddies know how much fun I had on a trip, in camp or on a hunt and that I was happy to spend the time with them specifically. I often try to tell them why they are a good hunting partner and how much I appreciate our friendship. One of my favorite movies is Tombstone. There is a scene, after the Curly Bill shootout in the river, when Turkey Creek Jack Johnson asks Doc Holiday why he’s out riding with Wyatt. Doc answers, ”Wyatt Earp is my friend” . To which Creek answers “Hell, I got lots of friends” and Holiday says “I don’t”. This tends to be my philosophy in letting people know. I don’t have a lot of friends so they’ll know they are important for sure. Hunting is not as fun as without your hunting partners. Route two, for you tough asses. I have multiple hunting partners who will not reciprocate these complex thoughts and emotions. It’s hard and isn’t in everyone’s nature. So, I often think about it like this. In that very same movie when Wyatt and the Immortals split up and the same Turkey Creek looks at Wyatt and says “ I ain’t got the words”. The feeling is conveyed through his lack of ability to express it. This actually seems to be the underpinning to most of the relationships we have based around hunting. They are there with you before sunrise to after sunset. Lost key, lost gear, lost animals. Success and failure, bad or good mood. All of those actions speak louder than words. So maybe less, is indeed more. Maybe on Christmas day just reach out, tell them that you thank their spouse and kids for letting them get away and that you’re looking forward to the next time you guys get out. Sometimes it is just the little things. Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and best of luck in the New Year. And thanks for taking the time to visit with us. We appreciate you all.
December 16, 2022 The Best Duck Decoy tips and Tricks for Pressured Birds By: Justin Hunold Make sure your decoys are visible but you are well hidden A lot of days when we venture into the marsh we find ourselves in competition. We aren’t just going head to head with Mother Nature and Father Time but also other hunters. And although some of us might be contest winning callers or crack shots there is one aspect of duck hunting that makes a difference time and time again…Decoys. You can call well but normally ducks won’t light into a hole unless you are on the X and shooting doesn’t matter unless they come in. More times than not though decoys are the money maker in the equation that is duck hunting. Here are five of the best duck decoy tips and tactics for hunting wary waterfowl. Keep it Clean- Keep Your Decoys in Working Order When you look at ducks on the water, on the shore or just out in nature what is one tithing they do a lot? Ducks preen, they clean themselves. Waterfowl by nature of both temperament, and anatomy tend to prefer to be clean. So, it stands to reason that muddy, scuffed, and just overall scroungy looking decoys aren’t optimum. Sometimes the ducks will not care, other times they will flare the second they see a mudded mallard drake. You can’t know on which day and which ducks will react in which way. I would venture to say that the realism of the decoy paint, shape and detail matter way less than them being clean and in overall the correct color patterns. I’m not saying a flocked head isn’t better but I think a clean, bargain bin decoy with bright, basic, paint will draw birds just fine in most cases when they are well taken care of and not all crapped up. This is not to say that high end decoys with immaculate paint schemes aren’t worth the money, because they can make a difference. Just make sure if you’re going to spend the extra to get the extra draw. Natural looking decoys are meant to look natural and in nature most ducks prefer to be clean. Keep it Moving- Adding Motion To your Decoy Spread We have covered the idea of motion in the spread in previous blogs, but the principle of movement in the decoys can’t be overstated. When we watch ducks being ducks and duck things what we see is a lot of movement in a natural flock. We need to be thinking about this is our decoy spreads too. Spinning wings are normally step number one in folks’ thoughts of adding motion to the spread, and a lot of times they are a great bet. Keep em clean, keep em charged, use your remote, and make sure to lean towards using them on the outer edges of the spread rather than in the pocket or X you want the birds to touch down in. If there is overhead cover available to mask the spinners, even better. Remember ducks see spinners from opening day to day 60, use some tact and reserve when employing them. Swimming or Feeding decoys are a great addition as well, but again I like these more towards the middle of a group of decoys and more to the outer edge of the overall spread. I want the birds to see the movement but I want them to have an open landing zone. At an airport the runway is always cleared for landings but the taxiways and terminals are always buzzing with aeronautical activity. The same thought applies to decoy spreads. A place where I will apply movement near the X is with a jerk rig. There are lots of ways to skin the cat with building a jerk rig, and all of them can work. Those differences are depth and water dependent. But if I could only have one source of movement it would be a jerk rig. And I don’t hesitate for the dekes on that rig to be close to the landing zone. Two more caveats on motion in the decoys. First, don’t tie off all your decoys from the front tie point. When you have a consistent wind all the decoys will end up facing the same direction. There are two holes for a reason. Secondly, a jerk rig or remote on a motion decoy is a great way to get a new hunter, or bad caller involved in the hunt in a real tangible and important way. That motion can probably lead to as many ducks as your calling. The same motion will definitely lead to more ducks than bad calling or an inexperienced hunter watching the sky because they don’t have anything else to focus on. Spread ‘em – Space Your Decoys Out More This is a great example of naturally spread out ducks . If there is one thing running long lines taught me it’s that spreading the decoys out can make the raft of ducks look much larger than the number of decoys would make you believe it could be. This is true in puddlers too. I generally carry somewhere in the ballpark of a dozen to a dozen and a half duck decoys on a lot of my hunting trips. Shy away from using the typical U shape with your 3 dozen decoys and replace it with a split spread with a few more spread out dekes. The ducks have seen the U and the J, they will work, but the ducks can’t spell and if they can, who knows if they speak english. I have taken to placing two separate pods or groups of ducks with a landing zone in the middle. A few decoys in each group will be very close to each other but the others will be spread out to look like a much more numerous group of birds. This setup has become my goto. I write for a living but I am not using phonetic symbols to dictate my decoy set up. With that more spread out for fewer decoy ideas at play, I normally run a pile of Mallards and then a couple Black Ducks or Shoveler decoys to add some contrast and visibility to my spread. I like to group those ducks a bit closer together and in the middle of the group of mallards. Take Your Time- Place Your Decoys Listen, we all run on very little sleep during the season. I understand that a lot of times you’re hitting snooze and letting the set up happen however it may. I beg of you, give yourself a few extra minutes to place your spread out rather than toss it our in haste. This is a tip I’ve seen work in action a lot. When everyone else is tossing their blocks out early and getting them soaked so by the time shooting light rolls around they are shining with ice, I have killed ducks over decoys that I painstakingly hand placed so as not to splash them. This gives them a more natural, less plastic and frozen look. Decoys not having ice on them doesn’t always matter. I have seen it matter in very high pressure situations. I’d love to tell you those times it was my calling that made a difference, but in my opinion I’m a slightly better than average caller but my attention to detail in set up tends to be better than slightly better than average. This tip is a lot like keeping your decoys clean. There are times when real ducks are covered in snow and ice, but that’s when it’s snowing and the November gails are blowing, not when they were in clear skies on a frosty morning. So, take a second and gently place your decoys in the water. You may be surprised how much difference this can make. I See You Hiding- Hide Your Boat Use your craft to get you near the spot, then ditch it and hide it well. This tip comes from watching people not shoot ducks that should be landing in their decoy spread, hide your boat. We all generally do a great job of hiding ourselves, our dogs, and our other gear but for some reason folks seem to act like their boat is Wonder Woman’s invisible jet and ducks will never notice it. You’re not Linda Carter or Gal Gadot, hide your boat. A lot of the time folks will choose to hunt from the boat, a little patch of aluminum heaven, dry ish and comfortable ish, but I choose to stash my vessel somewhere else close by. I learned this trick from our mutual friend TJ and I stick with it no matter if it’s a boat, kayak or canoe. I don’t hunt from the boat, I take time and effort to hide it. Picture you’re a duck cupped and coming into a nice group of your friends. As you drop down and begin to focus on the whole you see a green mass where there isn’t normally one. Or you’re circling over and as you make a pass you see a boat on the opposite side of the point from the decoys you were about to land in. They shouldn’t be there! It’s not safe! There’s hunters! I personally like to use a stool or seat and build a nice stick blind, or use a layout or just tuck myself in the natural cover over the timber or vegetation. When I do this I have stashed my watercraft within easy walking distance but it’s covered with grasses, burlap, camo mesh and sticks. It might not be there everyday but I make it look as normally natural as possible to the overhead birds. I believe more birds get saved by boats that look like boats than maybe anything else. Take a second and hide that thing. I promise your friend doesn’t need to hear your story that badly. If you’re alone, what the hell else do you have to do? It’s your job to do stuff right! Closing Time This isn’t to say you can’t kill ducks with a dirty, no motion, tightly packed, J shaped, soaked looking decoy spread from the comfort of your boat. You truly can. But why risk it? Isn’t part of the fun of waterfowl hunting the details, the constant adjustments, and doing your best to fool those flying survival machines? We hope these tips and tactics give you something to think about and maybe bring you a little extra success when the ducks are pressured and don’t want a typical spread.
