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 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.
December 9, 2022 2 is the Magic Number- What Shot Size Should You be Using for Waterfowl Hunting By: Justin Hunold Empty hulls signifying a successful venture onto the back water. A 12 gauge 3″ #2 will handle this sort of work marvelously. Let’s start by saying there is no one size fits all situations in waterfowl hunting. A lot of “Gospel Truths” to some folks maybe hocus pocus to others. “I only need half a dozen Mallard Decoys and a Jerk rig.” – Not on the coasts of North and South Carolina. “ Canada’s are dumb over water.”- Not if you shot em up where they roost over the same water. “ You gotta have spinners out to add visibility.” – Not if you’re way down South and those birds have been shot at over Spinners for a few thousand miles. I’m going to stick my neck out here and give you a truth that I and a few of my friends cling to, if a hunter shows up with a 12 gauge loaded with 3” #2’s in anywhere from 1 ⅛ to 1 ½ Oz of steel shot they can handle just about any waterfowl situation they might get thrown into. We are focusing on steel shot and not other non toxics like Bismuth or Tungsten. This will be a matter of KISS or Keep it Simple Stupid. Because let’s face it we all get out smarted by birds so the stupid part applies and keeping it simple makes you a more efficient killer. When Not To Use #2 Let’s look at some reasons you might not want to be shooting #2. If there is one argument against #2 in all situations, everything is a nail if all you have is a hammer argument…kinda. Shot size and choke constriction work together and can be very situational. So, it stands to reason that although a #2 might be great at a lot, it’s not optimum for some applications. Early Season Teal, Gadwal and Woodies might be very common in your area. In fact a lot of places have a “Teal Season”. This is a place where a #2 can work but shouldn’t be the first choice. These ducks are small, fast and maneuverable. Most hunters will opt for a #3 or #4 in Steel for this sort of hunt. Likely this will get paired up with a bit more open a choke as well. In areas of extremes either especially big or small birds a #2 sits in the middle of the bell curve. There may be better choices but it will certainly work. Most of the time when taking on the little ducks we will be expecting them in close with shots over decoys. With this in mind small ducks in close calls for smaller shot with good pattern density. The little guys aren’t as hearty as say a diver and a hunter will be better suited with less holes in their pattern. This isn’t to say a #2 won’t work, it just isn’t the best option. The other extreme is late season geese. I’ve hunted Canada’s coming off the Finger Lakes that had what seemed like inches of fat on them. When it came to those birds we were starting our shot size choices at BB and going up from there. These are big tough birds that have plenty of cushion for the pushin so to speak. This is a time you’d find a lot of us running full charge 3.5” shells stuffed full of BB or BBB. We killed a lot of birds with those loads, but looking back a 3” #2 probably would have done fine at the distances and circumstances we were putting birds down at. When to use #2 Firstly, if I was limited to one steel shot size for all waterfowl hunting situations it would be a #2. This shot size is about as big as you can go without hampering ballistic performance, it holds reasonable pattern density, and carries enough kinetic energy for most waterfowl work. So, it’s a great choice for a lot of hunters who might be in crossover seasons with ducks and geese, or situations like I was in last Saturday where I was as likely to get a shot at a Blue Bill or Bufflehead as I was a Mallard or Black Duck. Big Puddle Ducks are what most waterfowlers chase. Mallards, Blacks, Widgeons, Shovelers, and Pintails will all be reliably taken with a 3” #2. I know a lot of folks like a #3 for this sorta work but let’s face it the ducks don’t know the difference and #2 are easily found at Walmart if need be. Normally, when I head out to some backwater and I am expecting to encounter the likes of any of these birds my Retay will be stoked with 3” 1 ⅛ #2 of some brand or another. I’m confident that I am not leaving anything to chance with that shell selection. Divers, you might love em, you might hate em but man are they fun. So, here’s a confession, TJ Rademacher and I have been hunting partners for a long time. And have been Long Line hunting partners. We chased Divers when every other person in the piedmont of NC was out looking for Green Heads. We would be out setting twelve dozen decoys, that’s 144 for you mathematicians out there. After all that work we would wait for some ducks with little wings and big feet to come circling in and try to land in our lines. We generally did that with 3” #2’s ready and willing. We killed a few Diving Ducks back then, and I have no reason to shoot anything other than #2’s at them. They are tough and we were the school of shooting until they stopped moving. Shot size matters in the world of tough ducks built to disappear so, this is where the majority of my thought on the best shot size for duck hunting came from. I never met a puddle duck that was half as tough as a buff even if they were normally twice the size. Number 2’s were my go to. In most of the places I inhabit there is a September Goose Season for Resident Canadas. When those 30 days roll around you can bet your bottom dollar that my gun has #2’s in it. In one of my previous articles I talked about a hunt where TJ and I crushed some local Canada’s on an island. We were shooting #2’s. In that same article I talk about my stupid head flairing geese , well we killed our 4 man limit that day and we were shooting #2’s. In all my Goose hunting experience I believe that a majority of birds were taken with a #2 and I see no reason to change. For more about that check out this article about shot size for geese. Stoking a couple Retay’s with your favorite 3″ # 2 steel shot is a near perfect combination. In the famous words of Austin Powers “Who does number two work for?” The simple answer is everyone. This shotshell combination isn’t the end all be all. It’s not the best for all situations but there are few other options for a shot size that can realistically take on most waterfowl situations. If you’re going out with a guide or experienced friend and they tell you to grab something else for a specific situation, take note, grab a box and pattern it and then run it if it makes sense. But I would advise grabbing a few different boxes of 3” #2’s and patterning them all. See which shoots the best and then buy as many as you think you’ll need for the season and then add some. None of us are as good a shot as we believe ourselves to be and no matter what situation you end up in during the waterfowl season you can’t go wrong with the best shooting 3” #2 you can find. This stuff just works.
October 14, 2022 Wool something Your Grandpa was Right About : Why You Should Be Wearing Wool for Hunting Season By Justin Hunold I was in a white leather seat slipping and sliding down a dirt road, my wool pants couldn’t grab traction in that Lincoln Town Car. My grandfather, two weeks fresh off being splayed open and having a widow maker aneurysm removed from his abdomen, had decided that the opening day of New York deer season was no time to take “bed rest” as a serious notion from the doctors that performed the surgery. I was young, my dad had to work but sent me as the legal guardian of my grandfather and told me not to let him touch a deer. We were both stuffed into wool head to toe, wool and cigarette smoke because my grandfather practiced strict scent control. This was my first introduction into wool hunting clothing. It wouldn’t be my last sit in those woods or those pants, but as the years went on my ideas about deer hunting terrain features changed and so did my ideas of what wool pieces worked. This is a quick run through that journey to this point. The next impression about wool left on my buckskin story blanket of hunting came just a few short years later after reading all about the Benoits. I read the original How To Bag The Biggest Buck of Your Life and decided I would become a deer tracker. Larry Benoit expounded on the benefits of wool in that book. He wrote of its warmth, stealth and ability to insulate when wet. All of these are true, so with that in mind I bought my first set of brand new dedicated hunting clothes. Decked in my Columbia Gallatin Wool Jacket and Pants and a set of Lacrosse boots I tracked a 3 pt (in the eastern sense, spike and crotch) in the snow and shot him at 15 yards with a borrowed .308 Winchester. It happened so close and so fast I remember essentially only using the front sight to place the shot. I was sold, wool was it for me. My bowhunting career started in earnest the following year, and although I loved how quiet my wool set was, the wind seemingly cut through it like a Morakaniv knife through my finger (ouch!). So, I decided wool wasn’t where it was at and bought synthetics for years. I have owned every single synthetic fabric I can think of in every layer for which they would be practical. They have their place, and I now use them in conjunction with wool. Author wearing both a First Lite Brimmed Beanie and Cabela’s Merino Wool Jacket Many hundreds of hunts later and many articles of hunting clothing gone by I have come full circle. I currently run all wool as next to skin layers. I wear wool socks daily not just during hunting season and there is still nothing as quiet or warm when wet. My base layers can be stretched to multiple days of use because wool naturally holds no odors. I use the Black Ovis NWT merino wool base layers. They are awesome. I have three sets and rotate them throughout hunting. They have held up well and come in different colors and weights. I tend to lean heavily on the 250 weight. I also use Obsidian Pants and a First Lite Brimmed Beanie. I mix in fleece and wind blocking layers and some insulating layers with those pieces but wool makes up the majority of my system. Wool is a solid choice for waterfowl as well. With the ability to insulate even when wet, wool beats synthetic in a lot of ways. You can often find me in a wool waterfowl sweater during those cold mornings hunting divers on big water. Bottom line is wool keeps you warm, even when nature is giving her best effort to make sure you’re not. If you go far and hard, you work up a sweat even if you’re trying not to. Wool will help you keep that funk down and stay warm even after you saturate it. It is all natural and the better the Merino the more comfortable you’ll be. Merino is as comfortable as your favorite cotton underwear but it won’t get you killed. I hate when grown men say the word “comfy” unless they are talking to a child but good merino wool can be downright comfy. You also don’t have to spend a ton of money on wool. I have bought some of my all time favorite pieces at Military Surplus stores and second hand. Remember a green wool shirt is a green wool shirt no matter whose tag is on it. Those military, green, wool, fingerless gloves are the bees knees for a lot of chilly hunting situations. You can still use your electronics, gun or calls with your fingers exposed but your hands generally warm. I think if people take from my mistakes and go with these pieces early on they can save themselves a lot of money, aggravation and be more comfortable in the woods. We are out there to have fun. Speaking of funk grandpa’s scent control regime wasn’t far off. Carry milkweed, hunt terrain and learn to play the wind…smoking is not encouraged.
September 16, 2022 Advanced Beginner: What are Some Semi Advanced Needs and Techniques in Duck Hunting? By: Justin Hunold A bit ago we talked about What You Need to Start Duck Hunting. We took you from baseline non hunter to a minimally outfitted duck hunter, now we want to look beyond this. You may have bagged your first bird, a few different species of ducks and geese ,or even have a band hanging from your lanyard. With that, what do you need to “Step Up Your Game” when it comes to stacking ducks up? Let’s take a look at some gear and ideas that are just beyond the beginner phase. Decoys- So, you hunted over a minimal spread of a dozen hot buy mallards. You’ve had some ducks light into them and you were thinking about that image as you plucked them later, but how many ignored the spread? We all like to say you can kill ducks without decoys, lot’s of ducks die over a dozen decoys, and things like that. There are times when bigger truly is better and you would have killed those same birds over three dozen decoys, and maybe gotten a crack at the ones that zoomed past you, not given your lonely dozen a second look. A good secondary investment in the realm of decoys is a second and even third dozen. I prefer to set up around two dozen given the time, space and my own capacity. Having thirty plus decoys will happen at some point, it’s not a bad place to start “Buying In”. Spinning wing decoys are very commonplace at this point, but there was a time when they were so deadly that game agencies debated banning them. I would make an argument that as opposed to that third dozen decoys this might be a better investment for your hunting funds. Lot’s of ducks still come in cupped to land next to that spinner every year and adding a bit of motion to the spread might be a better tactic visually than just adding more still decoys. I also would argue to get a Hen Spinner. It can be used anywhere, at any time of year. Moreover some companies make smaller, less expensive versions of their flagship model decoys. Normally you can have two of the smaller versions for the price of one of the big dogs. That’s a smart buy. Speaking of motion, let’s talk about a jerk rig. Simply put, a jerk rig is a decoy or decoys attached to a string that is anchored on one end, has some elasticity, and is pulled on by the hunter at the other end. There are factory models, and a bunch of ways to DIY this rig, at the end of the day jerk rigs probably fool more birds than spinners and in some situations calling. This is a great way to add motion to the ocean and keep pennies in the piggy bank. Calls- Hopefully at this point you’ve been practicing and have graduated past a drake whistle, you’re confident that you sound reasonably like a duck. Now, before you go and buy a competition grade call, or even a high grade, high rent acrylic call, maybe look into a few different models of poly and wood calls first. With different call styles come different sounds, nasally, raspy, high pitched, low, whiny and everyone has their own flavor they like. Are you sure the one you bought is the best call for you to marry? I would advise doing some dating first. You can do that by buying a few different styles of calls in the less expensive materials. I would look at getting both a reasonable double reed and single reed call. You will likely find the double easier to blow with a bit sweeter a sound. The single has some legs and can carry a long distance. You might decide to use one or the other exclusively. There are a lot of folks who love the ducky sound of a double and hunt tight, never needing the volume of a single reed. Then there are people who hunt bigger water and want to reach out and touch those birds, and make a compromise to call softer when the birds get in close, a single might be their only call. I advise having both and using the right tool for the job. Once you find a style of each you may decide to purchase the high rent model in both, or neither. Calls do not have to be expensive to work. Experiment a bit with that same money and you will likely find a few you like rather than one you thought you might like. Comfort- While in your first few hunts you probably didn’t realize that there are only a few conditions a hunter lives in you’ve figured it out by now. You’re either boiling hot or freezing cold and apparently always wet. Comfort is a huge factor in hunting. The longer you can tough out a situation the more chances you get. Here are a few things I use to help me not just tough out conditions but thrive in them. Merino Wool base layers, taken from old school hunters and modernized by the western big game crew these base layers are now an across the board staple. As soft as cotton, merino wool retains its ability to insulate when wet. Plus wool repels stink, which can be a blessing when stuffed in under waders. I use wool when waterfowl hunting, big game hunting and general everyday outdoor use like camping and tailgating. A Battery Powered Heated Vest is the perfect thing to take that mid morning chill off. I have been using one for a few years now and you won’t find me without it if it’s below 45 degrees. Secondarily, the batteries can be used to charge phones, cameras, flashlights and a pile of other electronics in the field. I don’t start out the day with mine turned on but after that chill sets in from the sweat I worked up putting decoys out I crank that vest up full blast. It’s a game changer. Calling in gloves sucks, shooting gloves also sucks, having wet soggy gloves sucks the worst. A good quality hand muff is the solution to all of those problems. I have gone to fingerless gloves and a muff for most outdoor adventures and this holds true for waterfowl hunting as well. These aren’t the ones you see an NFL skill player wearing, today’s muffs come rigged with Sherpa fleece inners, waterproof outers, hand warmer pockets and even loops for extra shotshells. This is a comfort item that you didn’t think about when first acquiring gear but as soon as you have one you’ll never hunt without it. I love mine and actually have multiples. Plus, they are great for throwing your phone and headlamp in for safekeeping and easy access during the hunting day. The Final Flight- Will any of these things change your luck, make you a better hunter or get you a limit of birds? Actually, Yeah. A hunter who is able to draw more birds because of some better visibility, motion and sound, who is then able to be present and attentive because they are warm and comfortable is more likely to put some birds on the stringer. You still have to do the work. You still have to be in the spot, constantly learning, scouting, showing up. You have to put the decoys out with care, hide yourself well and shoot straight, but add these items to that and guess what, you’ll probably be able to do all of those things to a bigger audience of ducks, and be ready and willing when the time comes to say “Drill Em” .
May 13, 2022 What to Carry for Waterfowl Hunting: Make Your Blind Bag Work For You By T.J. Rademacher A 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 through T
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 Return Fast 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.
