December 30, 2022 Tools of The Trade Revolutionary Tools In Waterfowl Hunting By: Justin Hunold A bit ago we talked about the advent of percussion caps and the advancements in shotgun shells after that happened. We also looked at the point in time that we could pluck a hunter out of , put him into a modern duck blind and he’d fit right in. That seemingly happened in the 1960’s, but if he were in that blind what are some things he would see that would maybe astonish him. Tools that we look at on a daily basis as common but just a short 50-60 years ago would be revolutionary, if not altogether foreign? This is a list of innovative tools for waterfowl hunting that have taken place in the last thirty years or so, that we take for granted when chasing ducks and geese. Modern Shotgun Finishes are almost impervious to natural conditions Shotguns-Let’s start with something near and dear to our hearts here at Retay, shotguns. While the hunter from the 1960’s may have been toting a good semi automatic there was a higher probability that he was using a pump, side by side or an over under. With the advent of astoundingly reliable semi automatics like our Gordion or Masai Mara it’s becoming rarer and rarer to see anything other than a fast cycling, reliable and nimble semi in the blind. That’s not to say that a good pump like the Retay GPS XL doesn’t have a place because, it certainly does but the push in Inertia operated shotguns was nothing that the hunter of the 60’s, 70’s or 80’s could have ever predicted. In those days it was commonplace for a semi to be more of a problem than an advantage but our industry has sought to move past that. Retay is at the head of the pack with the Inertia Plus bolt design. We could go over the normally stated advancement in magnum shotguns, making 3 and 3.5 inch offerings the norm but that horse has been beaten to death. And a lot of folks are back to shooting 20 gauges for waterfowl and to great effect. So, let’s look at something that is overlooked and undervalued, shotgun finishes. When “Plastic” guns started to make appearances back in the 1980’s traditional hunters scoffed at them but the synthetic stocked guns started to impress with their ability to operate in any weather condition, and the owners lack of fear of scratching the gun. Now it’s a talking point to see a wood gun out on a hunt.With the advent of synthetic, hydro dipped guns came next. With the plastic and matte finish of the modern shotguns these guns became great testbeds for all sorts of camouflage finishes. With these coatings the guns became very weather resistant. Again, camo guns are now a normalcy. A lot of the time the guns will have aggressive texturing and molded sling attachments as well. These camo finishes are great for ease of maintenance. Wipe em down with a Dude Wipe and some oil on the moving parts and you’re good to go, but there is one more that is now the gold standard. Cerakote is a baked-on hard finish that bonds to the metal of the gun. Now your gun can be whatever color you choose, and be basically impervious to all weather conditions. My own Masai Mara is the Grey Light version, I don’t worry about any weather conditions. I’ve dunked it and put it right in the case for travel without a second thought. The 1960’s hunter had absolutely no option to do that with his blued and wood gun. Again, all we have to do is make sure the internals are cleaned out when we get home after a hunt in a salt marsh or freezing rain and that Cerakote gun will be good to go the next time we call it up to bat. When spinning wing decoys work nothing works better Spinning Wing Decoys -Spinning wing decoys were REVOLUTIONARY when they hit the market in the late 90’s and hunter’s have more versions to choose from now than ever. They are so good at drawing ducks they aren’t legal everywhere. Think about that for a second. Now imagine that hunter from the 1960’s seeing a spinner for the first time. Imagine when you turn it on with a remote, and then kill it when that first swirl of birds locks up, ready to light into the spread, what is that 1960’s dude thinking? In a time when people are searching out hand carved decoys and vintage decoys to use in their spreads our retro hunter would be totally at home, but if there was ever a magic bullet when it comes to decoying birds it is likely a spinner or maybe some other form of battery powered motion. This has become a double edged sword though, currently we often opt out of spinners for a more subtle motion in the decoys. But make no mistake they still work and the old timer would try to fit that thing in his Delorean to get it back to his mid century spread. Lighting makes us more successful and safer when working predawn LED Lighting-Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light. Modern hunters aren’t the almighty but there are plenty of times our modern lighting options are a miracle in comparison to even twenty years ago. We light up the predawn as if we were running and gunning in broad daylight and we are better for it. Whether it’s a simple headlamp with multiple color lights or LED Deck, or LED Light Bars and spots these things are awesome. I remember when a Mag Light was the goto, or if you were a cool guy you might have one of those military style angle head D cell flashlights. Now, you’d never think about taking anything other than a headlamp out for personal use. We underestimate how much more successful and safer we are because of these lights. We are able to be more precise in all of our set ups with our personal headlamps. We are able to get in with long walks or paddles because of the little gems and light up some back water in a way that would have taken a car battery and a spot light just a short time ago. We are safer in those pre dawn races to the “Spot” because of the relatively inexpensive investment in on board lighting for our boats. And from there we are able to see where we are going and what we are doing. The deck lighting is not only great for general use, but let’s not forget we are out there with firearms. We are always responsible with our guns but the rules of firearms safety always apply. When we can see what’s going on with those guns we are safer. So, deck lighting adds safety in ways we might not even think about. Would these be the only things our “old timer” would notice? Absolutely not! He’d probably mention that computer phone thing you have attached to your hand, face paint, camo, waders, and a million other observations, but these things are worth mentioning first. They are often overlooked in different ways. We will probably dive into some of the others in upcoming articles. So next time you turn your lights on, put you spinner out and load your Retay before the first flight of the morning, just nod your head to how good we have it. And don’t forget to occasionally lose yourself in this thought experiment -Would you be out there if you didn’t have it so good? Would you do it the way that hunter from the 1960’s did if you had to? Do you love it like that?
November 4, 2022 Motion in the Ocean: Adding Movement in Your Decoys While Duck Hunting By: Justin Hunold Go to your local pond, river, lake, reservoir or even street puddle where you regularly see ducks. Lots of things will seem random, the vocalizations, the number of ducks, the mix of sexes, the age structure, the species of birds. One day you might walk out there and see nothing but some Suzy’s with their young ones and other days you might spot a group of drakes with a random spoony in there. They might be chuckling away and hailing other ducks in the air one minute, to being dead silent the next second. There is one thing I can promise that will be the same about all of these scenarios. There will be movement. The what, where, why, and how model lines up with adding motion to your set up. So let’s take a look at a few of the options for each of these principles and help you get more birds in the freezer over the next few months. What are the best ways to add motion into your decoy spreads? This is everyone’s favorite category, gear. These are just some of the options to add into your bag of tricks. This will focus on a few simple options that can be managed by one to three hunters over a modest one to two dozen decoys that will be set up and taken down each hunt. We will also be looking at options that can fit in the decoy bag and be easily hiked, canoeing, kayaked or bought by a relatively small boat to the spot. There are big, intricate, and high production options that we won’t be talking about because these don’t fit this narrow description. Spinning wing Decoys: What are they? Spinning wing decoys are exactly as the name sounds, decoys that are either floating or suspended in the air by a long stake that have spinning wings. The wings can either be activated by wind or battery power. They can be any species of duck and can be either sex. Some popular brands are Avian X, Mojo, Lucky Duck and Higdon. These aren’t the only options but just a few of the more popular ones. Where to use them? Most folks will say that spinning wing decoys are great to use over dry fields. When we are talking about picked corn or other such food sources spinning wings are a must have. They are also great for hunting Diver Ducks, where motion is the main attractor. The other place they are commonly used is to compliment a standard spread in the whole or pocket that you want the ducks landing into. Why use them? You should think of spinners as attractors not closers. They grab attention, like some sort of car ad. Hey come look at this new truck. That got you in the door, then they got you with someone to actually sell you the truck or “Close” you. Same principle applies here. Spinners get the birds attention and oftentimes can get them to swing towards you. They are not the finishing touch though. How to use them? I personally like a floating spinner on a remote. This allows me to control what looks like a duck stretching its wings, as opposed to a duck just flapping away suspended in the air. This is a decoy I use near the X but often adjust depending on the reaction of the ducks. The same idea applies to suspended spinners, hanging there in the air. They are big time attractors. If budget allows I like remote models so I can decide when to kill the motion. This is generally done when the ducks seem to commit to the spread. Spinners cover mistakes and I think that it’s a great investment for newer hunters. Swimming, Splashing, Feeding, Quivering Decoys: What are they? Yes, we turned this into one category. Essentially, we are looking at any single decoy that adds motion in a non wing spinning way. They can swim, spit, sputter, pulse, quiver or splash and they do this by a battery actuated operation. Sometimes this is done by a spinning magnet, or a water pump or even a propeller of some sort. They add a natural motion of a single duck swimming, stretching, feeding, dabbling or any other imitation. Popular types are active swimmers, quivering single decoys , or duck butts that have action. Where to use them? In my opinion there is no wrong time to use these decoys when on the water. You cannot use them on dry land so, if that’s your game don’t bother buying any. I find even a couple of quivering duck butts can add a ton of reality to my spread. Smaller early season ducks like Teal and Woodies really key in on these. I cannot tell you how many woodies I’ve taken using a simple gray quiver magnet…it’s a pile though. Why use them? Simple to carry, simple to set up, and pretty natural movement, this style of decoy is the easiest way to add realistic motion into your spread. A lot of the time they can be a replacement not an addition to some of your other decoys making them great on space saving and set up times. How to use them ? I like to use these often, basically in every spread. Place them in the middle of a cluster of your other decoys to add motion to all. It’s a simple game for every dozen or so decoys. I like one of them to be this style, more if I can afford it. How often do you see a bunch of ducks completely still on the water? Never is the answer, which is why these are so great. The Jerk Rig: What is it? Simply put a Jerk Rig is a decoy(s) anchored on one end, with a piece of elastic material tied directly to that anchor, then a line from that elastic material to the decoy, then a line from the decoy to the hunter. Jerk the line and the decoy will swim and move naturally wrong under tension of the elastic material. There are probably hundreds of ways to make a Jerk Rig. Look it up on the internet, you can use weight, stakes, or a premade kit. In my opinion this is the most cost effective way to add motion to your spread and the Granddaddy of them all, the OG motion set up. Where to use them? My first instinct is to say everywhere there is water and ducks. This application is great in any spread and a lot of folks won’t hunt without them. Some folks will even choose a jerk rig over calling. They tend to be used in shallower water, and in some places with really deep water would be almost impossible(Think Diver Ducks here). If you’re hunting puddle ducks you can’t go wrong with having a jerk rig. Why use them? This is fairly self explanatory. Jerk Rigs are one of the easiest, fastest, cheapest, most practical way to add motion to your spread. You can likely make a jerk rig from stuff you have in your garage. How to use them? I one time had an old timer tell me” Start jerking as soon as you set it out and stop when you pick it up.” and that’s sound advice. Yet, I think just like the other decoys in this article you should probably start the action upon visual acquisition of the ducks and stop when they seem like they are committed to the spread and ready to be finished. There isn’t really a wrong way to use them or a bad place to put them in your spread…..Just use one. So, now you know some easy, fairly inexpensive and deadly options that any duck hunter can add into their arsenal. These are small scale, easily portable and highly effective decoys and tactics to use them in. I will say this, ducks might love motion in the decoys but they hate it in the blind. Keep you and your companions still, and covered. Doesn’t matter if they are two legged or four. If you guys are moving and easy to be seen, no decoy in the world will make those ducks finish. In the end there is no magic bullet and hunting is hunting. Do your job and put in the effort and sometimes you’ll be rewarded for that with duck, but all the time you’ll be rewarded by just being out there.
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” .
