September 30, 2022 The Modern Pirogue : What Do You Need to Duck Hunt From a Kayak By: Justin Hunold A Pirogue is a small boat, which in general description is shaped a lot like if a canoe and Jon boat had an offspring. They are very common in the gulf states, and actually derive from general use handmade boats of the European colonies. They have been a staple in not only waterfowling but also fishing and trapping in the American south for years. Yet, these boats rarely make their way out of the swamps of the Mississippi Delta nearly as often as their utility would encourage it. They are a great way to get into the outdoors. Enter the modern kayak. Not so long ago kayaks were seen more as an addition to the sportsman’s fleet rather than a do all option, but where the useful pirogue stifled the modern kayak flourished. Between whole fishing tournament series, sport specific and price point kayaks they are checking more boxes for outdoors folks on a daily basis, and in a lot of cases are the lone watercraft that the person owns. So, what do you need to start waterfowl hunting from a kayak? Let’s start by assuming you have the kayak, and you’re set on paddling or pedaling (in some cases) the kayak. It can be a sit on top or sit in model, although the sit on top versions are really taking over and are likely best suited for hunting. Personal Flotation Device – A life jacket or PFD is the very first thing you’ll need. This is common sense but it has to be listed. No adventure is worth your life, and kayaking in the dark, cold and inclement weather can all lead to catastrophes unforeseen on a lazy summer float. A PFD can save your life. I would look at a drab or camo color, paddling specific model. They are normally cut high in the back for comfort in a seat and have little to no flotation around your arms or shoulders for ease of movement. This means in some models they will be shooter friendly. Boat Lights– A good spotlight is a minimum and really a couple of bow mounted LED lights are even better. Your headlamp can do some of the work but the bigger lights that are sold on Amazon or in big box stores are really where its at. I’ve tried to navigate my way through a marsh and standing timber with just a headlamp and believe me its no fun. Plus, I’ve never ended up in the exact right place. Let’s double up and call this a safety feature as well, lights make you visible when crossing the water in the dark. A reasonable light or two mounted to the bow of your yak will help more than you could have imagined. Dry Bag– Some folks will use a blind bag in this spot and that’s fine, and hell I still do a lot of the time. When I am making a long paddle or and am in deep water, or using my kayak as my hide I will use a drybag. They normally float, so if you drop it in, you’re all good. I like having my extra layers in there, maybe some food and also some of my back up electronics and first aid kit. Decoy Gloves– I put out and pick up decoys in these but I also paddle in them. Remember waterfowl hunting is all degrees of being wet and cold. The idea is to minimize these conditions to be a more attentive, more capable hunter. Decoy Gloves help this a lot. Floating Gun Case– Nobody wants their Retay sitting at the bottom of a lake. You also want it to be ice free and ready to go when the birds are lighting in. This is the answer. Floating Dry Box– Your phone and other electronics can go in one. I like two so that my keys and wallet go in the other and then go in the kayak dry storage. I can get home without my cell phone, but I cannot say the same about the keys and wallet. I beg you don’t put all your essentials in one place….you can also put some extra shells in the phone box, incase things go winchester or maybe a bonus species shows up like Geese. Hide/Blind– From factory made blinds that start at about $200 down to $15 burlap even if you’re not using your boat as a hide you still have to hide it from view. That’s up to you. I will say some of my very best hunts have come from sitting on a stool in a stick blind with a very well hidden boat under brush and burlap. This all has to do with your style of hunting. No matter what you gotta hide that Yak! Everything listed Here There are now hunting specific kayaks out there and you can always get a pirogue by either having one made or DIYing it. In the end though the modern kayak renaissance has made the boats of today so versatile that you can hunt by morning, regroup and take the same kayak over and fish an evening bass tournament. They will haul hundreds of lures or dozens of decoys, or if you’re like me a cooler full of cold ones on a relaxing evening float. Kayaks have a way of getting you close to nature that other vessels seem to not have. I for one plan on using my kayak extensively to access a lot of ducks and geese that get into some skinny water where other boats dare not go. Just like the pirogues of old.
September 23, 2022 To the Break of Jawn: Top 4 Ways to Figure Out Hunting Access in a New Area By: Justin Hunold Every morning I wake up in the sunscape of some of the largest cities in the United States. I live about smack dab between New York City and Philadelphia. I have also lived in Charlotte, North Carolina. One thing that has always been a priority to me was figuring out the best way to get out in the field and hunt. Even in the largest urban scapes on the East Coast I find a way. Here is how to figure out hunting access in an urban center. We hear about the three R’s in the hunting community a lot these days. Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation. This is one place where a lot of Organizations, that may be totally in opposition in a lot of ways, crossover. Recruitment tends to be the easiest R. Retention and Reactivation on the other hand, those are the points of pain. Most folks, anecdotally, will point to access as the main reason they choose to stop hunting or just fade out. This has never been an option for me, hunting is burned deep in my soul and I will never be the person who can fade away. So, how does an urbanite or suburbanite find access to hunt? I am not going to take into account things like very oppressive firearms laws, or limited travel options such as trains, buses and subways. These situations are too varied to try to even attempt. If I were in those situations I would be figuring them out first. But here is how I go about getting out to hunt when everything is pointing at turning in my camo for white sneakers and cargo shorts and mowing the lawn or watching sports and reality TV on fall weekends. Mapping-Traditionally, when I have moved, I have immediately looked up all of the public hunting land near the area. This could be done old school with county plat maps, a state gazetteer or USGS scale maps. I would advise using a simple mapping app on your smartphone these days. There are multiples but I personally use Spartan Forge. The mapping is very accurate, has multiple layers and weather built into it. It’s the best I’ve used. From the apps you can find the closest public land, launches, piers, water access and who owns what properties in the area. Now, match this up with your state’s outdoor regulation books, be them hunting, fishing or trapping. But don’t just look in your home state, look in the surrounding states if applicable. I for instance hunt New Jersey a lot more than Pennsylvania (where I live) because I can hunt Sundays in NJ, the license and tag situation is a lot more simple and the public land in NJ is much closer to me than the public land in PA. Think outside the boxes and borders. Organizations– Remember those organizations I mentioned earlier? Find a few that align with your personal views and join them. I belong to Ducks Unlimited, Delta Waterfowl, The Teddy Roosevelt Conservation Project, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and The National Rifle Association. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Whitetails Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, National Wild Turkey Federation and many more are all great. These are tax deductible, generally, and they will have events. The events matter. From huge banquets to simple Pint Nights, or public land clean ups I have done them all. And with some networking at these events I have gained some good friends, and sometimes in a new area they’ll take you hunting. At the very least most times they’ll give you information that might be key to your hunting or give you a better understanding of the landscape and hunting culture in the area. Local Agencies– We also mentioned the state agency regulation books. Often those same state agencies will hold events, great networking opportunities there. They will also show special hunt opportunities, and give you phone numbers to the local offices and biologists in the area. Use these numbers. I’ve never heard of a state agent that wouldn’t take time to help a person better understand the land, the game or the regulations to make sure that the individual has the best possible time outside. Social Media– This last statement pains me in a way, find local groups on social media. Normally they will say something like “ Smithville Duck Stackers and Whackers”. As much as I don’t wanna be called a stacker or whacker I sign up. You can be an active participant or a lurker, but you will start to understand the local hunting scene from this group. You may even find hunting buddies in the group. Just a warning they will normally have Trolls, Know It All’s, and posts that are complete dumpster fires. These are the reasons I put this last on my list. These tools are listed in the priority order for me. If I had to count on one it would be mapping and my own boot leather. What outdoors person doesn’t like spending time outside, in the off season, to figure out a new place or two to watch the sunrise and maybe a spot or two to watch it set too. I have had good luck setting up my own success through my own hard work. The kindness of strangers is something that has helped out a lot too. And paying a bit of cash to these organizations make sure that outdoors folks have a seat at the table. Don’t forget to take note of whats happening around you in your own neighborhood too. At a barbeque, why not mention hunting to someone that might know someone? Wear some camo sometimes? Do us a favor and put the food first in these conversations, this tends to be very widely accepted and brings people into the conversation. And if Barbeque Bob’s tip helps you harvest a few animals make sure you practice some game meat diplomacy and invite him to have a bite or two. Just because you might be looking at some new cargo shorts and matching holiday pajamas doesn’t mean you have to hang up hunting. Don’t Fade Away, you need hunting and it needs you.
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” .
September 9, 2022 So You Wanna Be a Diver Hunter: An Introduction to the World of Hunting Diving Ducks on Big Water By: T.J. Rademacher Through my journey as a waterfowl hunter, I have gradually moved farther to the dark side. If you pay attention to the industry the Puddle Duck and Goose hunters get all the hype. I’m not saying having big groups of Mallards and Canadas back pedaling at 15 yards isn’t exciting. I love it and if the opportunity arises for any kind of waterfowl hunt I’m there. Unfortunately, where I grew up the puddle duck hunting wasn’t all that consistent and with limited amounts of public water available the opportunities really dried up after the first few weeks of the season as far as puddle ducks went. Here in North Carolina we are really known for the Divers. I remember the first time my dad took me out to the Outer Banks. We wanted to try something different. We went with a local guide to see what the lay of the land was like. It was like a different planet. Big boats, Gear intensive, ultra-big water, and large bird numbers. I was and always will be hooked after that first Bluebill. After that I said “I’m going to figure this out. This is what I want to get good at”, and I did. Even though I am an experienced diver hunter now I still get humbled by all the variables that go into a successful diver hunt. It’s what keeps bringing me back. Chasing that perfect Bluebill canvasback redhead limit. I learned a lot of stuff the hard way. I don’t think you should necessarily, so I’m going to tell you how I do things and what I think is best. Feel free to modify your plan for your area. What I’m going to tell you is how I’ve found success personally. There are many recipes for the secret sauce, and they can work in different areas better than others. This is a list of the main ingredients. Boats/safety, Decoys/rigging, and scouting. Diver hunting typically takes place in the later parts of season. These birds are hearty and only move when the food source they are on is made unreachable by weather conditions. It’s like the puddle duck migration just in a different medium. Often, the best diver hunting takes place on vast expanses of open water. During the winter months the weather can make these areas a death trap for people who are not experienced or not paying attention. The first key ingredient to hunting is knowing the limits of your gear. I ran a 16 ft. Jon boat in my teens and early twenties, and I have had some really close calls pushing the limits. Some of the stuff I did makes old me shake my head and wonder what I was thinking. You should never have to look over at a person in your boat and say. “If something bad happens stay with the boat” and really mean every word of it. Don’t write checks your hull can’t cash. Always remember it’s not just you that you’re responsible for. Boats are an integral part of diver hunting. In my opinion you should have as much boat as you can afford and not so much that it limits you in the areas you frequently hunt. I would say start looking at boats 18-20 ft. and up. You want to be able to get out in the rough water and be safe during weather you can reasonably expect to operate in safely. Observe what others are doing that are safe and successful. You will quickly see what type of rig is going to do the job for you. I run a 22 ft. StarCraft V-hull with a center console that I retrofitted to fit my needs. I don’t have mega bucks into it, and it is a safe, comfortable boat to haul gear for shore/ stake blind hunts and layout hunt out of with 3-4 people. This is what I have found is the best compromise for what I do and the conditions I face most often. I would go bigger than you think you need when selecting a hull. I’ve never found myself complaining about extra space and when the Weather turns, you’ll be able to get back safely and with confidence. Decoys and rigging are a huge part of Diver hunting. As far as decoys go you can never own too many. You can only put out too few or too many. I know a guide that runs 150 dozen decoys at a time. Yes, you read that right. He has a very unique situation though, so he can leave his rig out almost all season. He wrecks them. However, most of us must be more mobile than that and also, the average guy can’t haul or afford that many decoys. My starting point would be acquiring 6-10 dozen decoys. This may seem daunting when you start looking at the price tags of commercially available decoys. While I recommend an either all foam or foam filled decoy if you can afford them, you shouldn’t be discouraged if you can’t afford that kind of stuff at first. I started repainting old decoys into divers when I was in my teens and continued to do so until I recently shifted to buying small lots of all foam decoys. It will not take you long to build a spread this way and it is very affordable to get started. Don’t worry about the species you are repainting just get the colors right and you will kill birds. I’ve watched more birds die over repainted hot buy mallard specials than I can recall. You will quickly come to realize that the amount of time it takes to pick up 6 dozen single rigged decoys can really add on to the end of a hunt or be a huge drag when you realize you need to move 500 yards to get to where the birds want to be. The key to getting set up and picking up fast is by using multiple rig decoy rigging. I use a combination of net rigs and long lines to put out and retrieve lots of decoys very quickly. I’ll go into detail on this in my next article but for now ill loosely define the two methods. A net rig is just what it sounds like. It’s a net that is anchored with multiple decoys attached. This mimics a raft of birds closely packed together on open water. The net is retrieved and deployed by pulling it in and out of the boat. Stretching it with the use of multiple or singe anchors depending on the style of net rig you are using. Longlines are a main line with decoys attached to it that are weighted on both ends. There are different schools of thought on how to make the rig material wise, but the traditional way is a #120 tarred line for your drops and main line. Feel free to change it up if you think you need more than that. I would not go less that this because of the increased risk of tangles. You’ll need anchors for both nets and longlines. You can buy them or make them it doesn’t matter as long as they are heavy enough for your conditions. There are other styles such as layout hunting that I’ll get into in other installments on diver hunting that involve both longlines and net rigs offshore in deep water but for now this is where to start. I’m a big proponent of the crawl walk run method. You really don’t just casually get into layout boats. After you’ve got all the gear or while you are compiling it you need to treat diver scouting just like you would finding birds in a field or anywhere else. This can be accomplished from the boat or truck depending on how much of your local water you can get your eyes on from shore. On the sounds in North Carolina, you’ve got really no choice but to get out and ride on the open water until you find them and get an idea of what they are up to. Same goes for the great lakes. On Large reservoirs it’s a little easier because the spots they are going to be are a little more finite. If you can’t get on the X whether it be because you can’t get to them or someone else is on it, you need to have a backup plan to get in their way and run traffic. Identify where they are going and be ready to set up accordingly. It pays to have already thought through your options. Second plans are like second opinions, always have one. Diver hunting is work and it’s not for the faint of heart. You’ve got to really want it. I recommend going with a guide or someone you know who is into it first to see if it’s for you or not. If you are young or on a budget compile your gear over time or split the costs of gear among a trusted group of friends. Once you get the bug you won’t be able to stop thinking about it and it will take you all over the place trying to get after these open water birds. Tell people where you are going and what time you’re going to be back. It could save your life. T
August 26, 2022 Shotgun Wedding: When Does a Shotgun Make a Perfect Tool for Hunting ? By: Justin Hunold As much as most of us spend a lot of time pursuing waterfowl and spring gobblers this should not be the only game we consider taking with our shotguns. It shouldn’t be the only thing we hunt either! I have found when certain styles of hunting turn into more of a “Job” than an “Adventure” exploring different hunting opportunities has really spiced things up and made hunting exciting. When the early fall comes around and the leaves are still up a shotgun make for a perfect tool for chasing bushy tails. Squirrel hunting is where a lot of us cut our teeth on hunting and there is no reason it should drop off our radars, they are fun to hunt and delicious. When the Canadas aren’t cooperating or Teal season is still too far away get out and get on those squirrels! A shotgun is a great tool for hunting Squirrels. Some may argue that a .22 is where it’s at for chasing tree rats. I think that a 20 gauge is about the greatest thing since sliced bread when there are still leaves up. I also use one when I am just overall small game or “pot” hunting when I may encounter rabbits, squirrels, ruffed grouse or maybe doves. Most of the time the seasons for all of those species and even some more overlap. A shotgun is able to be a one stop shop for all of these hunts. A group of hunters that will give waterfowlers a run for their money for both shotgunning and passion are upland hunters. Whether it is Pheasants, Grouse, Chukar, Wood Cock, Quail or any of the other similar birds. People go on vacations, train dogs and hone their skills trying to bag these birds. They are no small blip on the hunting scene, upland hunting is serious business in more ways than one. Whether it’s a “gentleman’s hunt” as my friends and I call it, where we hunt pheasants and chukar at a game preserve or getting a semi trained dog and getting after some grouse I thoroughly enjoy a few romps with my shotgun chasing these fast moving avian every year. I have taken to liking a slim light semi automatic 12 gauge. This became a go to over the past few years with the pinch on ammo. 12 gauge game loads of some variety are almost easy to find. And generally people don’t guard them like hens teeth in a pinch. Another option when the winter time blues creeps in is predator hunting. Now in many states Coyotes are open season but I don’t know many folks out chasing them in summer time. During the winter though predator hunting has taken off in the past few years. In many states with Coyotes, Bobcats, Fox and other furbearers on the menu for hunting the winter season is a time of plenty. A shotgun is perfect medicine for a lot of predator hunting. A Tactical style shotgun or your turkey gun will make great tools for getting on those furbearers. Short barrels and optics or sights able of aiming make for awesome quick, close to mid range tackle. I again give a 12 gauge a nod for this work. A lot of states have a shot size restriction. There are predator specific loads with heavier than steel/lead options. A lot of the time they are a bit “big” for the smaller game like foxes or even Bobcats. A good heavy turkey load will do well in most applications if you are not looking to get overly specific. Good camo and a mouth call are a must. Plus this opens up fur selling/trading as another hobby. Predator hunting will make you a better overall “woodsman” for sure. Most of us will not devote ourselves to these options, but when you don’t want to put out another decoy, have a bit of cabin fever or maybe want something different for the table these are all great options. I also love the fact that I don’t take these hunts as seriously as the things i pursue on an everyday basis. These hunts and species allow me to put the fun back into hunting and my friends, family and a shotgun is about all I need for all of that.
August 19, 2022 Limiting out on Small Water: How to Duck Hunt Secondary Creeks By: Justin Hunold When I started duck hunting I always had pictures of standing timber, flooded food fields and prairie potholes in my mind’s eye. The locations I ended up taking a lot of my ducks from looked nothing like these “dream” spots. I ended up shooting a majority of all of my waterfowl from a small, untapped and often duck choked feature, Secondary Creeks. Let’s look at how you can build a system for secondary creeks that can get you into ducks no one else is pursuing. Look at google maps of any big river. As you look at the layout of this river a few apparent areas will hit you in the face. You’ll see a good point, island, broken shoreline, or maybe a flat in the back of a cove. It hit you and everyone else in the face. Now , from that same view take a look and see if you can find some small creeks that spurt off the main river. These are secondary creeks and these are your mission. Scouting From my canoe I slipped under a small culvert bridge and into the creek that fed from the river to a gigantic swamp a few miles away. While I know the birds on the river get shot up and the swamp gets a lot of pressure the creek that runs between the two is tough to get into and takes some forethought. This quick detour during a smallmouth fishing trip showed me quickly where all the ducks would end up when the shooting starts. This creek was choked with ducks, geese, natural food and had cover up both sides in the form of trees. Best case scenario is you get to scout these areas by water or foot, worst case you escout them. What I like to look for is a simple pool or bend in the creek, outside bends will have fast water so for my money I prefer an inside bend with its slower current. If you can find a point or oxbow even better but remember we are working on a micro habitat so they won’t be hugely apparent. These areas will likely hold natural food for puddlers. If you have to go in completely blind, use these as a good bet for a set up. If you get to scout ahead of time, this is where I would start and expect to see ducks. Gear Paddling my canoe under the culvert before daylight I was careful not to make too much paddling noise. My headlamp shined off of the dozen decoys , spinner and shotgun case I had with me. If this spot held ducks like it had in the late summer I wouldn’t have to worry about a huge set up. This style of hunting is a game for a minimalist set up. These are small spots, the draw is the isolation, cover, food, and lack of pressure. Pack accordingly. A Canoe or Kayak are probably the best ways to access these small creeks. I like to carry a dozen high quality mallard decoys, although these can be tailored to your regions and species, one or two spinning wing decoys and maybe a quiver decoy of some sort. There will be natural movement imparted by the moving water, which is really awesome. I will carry a few Canada silhouettes from time to time depending on how the seasons crossover or overlap. I have put these to use even in this small area. This is a great scenario to try out a 20 gauge, with the generally tight shooting and decoying birds. I like a light gun with an fairly open choke. Small creeks mean close birds, and if you’re setting up in the right spot they will be lighting into your small spread. A 12 gauge will work by all means just keep in mind the shots will probably be right in your face. Choose your choke and your load accordingly. The basic waterfowl load out will work, blind bag, head lamp, clothing and waders. I really like carrying a marsh stool or dove stool. Normally building a brush blind is a pretty easy task in these locations. Their isolation leads to ample brush build up of all sorts Set Up Brushed into a small impromptu blind made of a few branches and some grass my watch let me know it was legal shooting, and not five minutes later I head the whistling wings bombing overhead and after one pass and a turn two Wood Ducks arched through the trees and tried to touch down. My gun went off and a beautiful Drake hit the water. This was the beginning but it would be repeated throughout this hunt with Mallards and Woodies both. Using natural barriers and cover is the way to go in these situations. I love making a nice easy blind by brushing in a deadfall if possible. Otherwise I will just tuck myself into whatever cover is available. From there I use a small scattered spread of decoys. I leave the J’s and U’s for the big water. I normally set the dekes out by hand but in smaller pairs or triples. I put the spinners on staked on the edge of the opposite bank. This simple spread has accounted for more puddle ducks than any other set up I have ever hunted them with. Small Water Big limits After stowing all of my gear I paddled out of the little stream just a few short hours later than I had entered, I was lighter on shells and heavier on Ducks. Having killed my one man limit that morning I chuckled as I loaded up within sight of a big river boat blind, knowing I hadn’t heard a shot from them all morning. For once I got it right and the slim and trim was where it was at. I have moved around the eastern seaboard, and when it comes to finding new waterfowl hunting this is my go to technique. You can walk into these spots a lot of the time, I always have a kayak or canoe, and when you don’t know anyone keeping it simple can make all the difference. These secondary creeks are my secret spot to kill limits of ducks when I feel like I don’t know what I am doing. Now it’s your secret too.
August 12, 2022 An Argument for Sub Gauges: Why you should hunt with a 20 By: T.J. Rademacher The venerable 12 gauge can do it all. It can be loaded in a 3 1/2-inch configuration and pack enough payload to knock down just about any small to medium sized game animal that walks or flies on this continent. Most 12-gauge auto loaders will reliably cycle all common light 2 ¾ trap and skeet loads available. Most folks feel this is enough. Is there really a good argument for sub gauges in 2022? I’ll admit when the sub gauge craze resurfaced recently in the waterfowl community I may have pictured a person behind a pair of horn rimmed glasses with a man bun, especially when I heard someone express their passion for shooting ducks over decoys with their 28 gauge. A 12 gauge makes things more dead and does a better job right? I mean what in the skinny jeans and mustache wax are these guys talking about? Well, turns out there actually are quite a few arguments for their use. I’m not a complete convert to the smallest of fowling pieces, but I do have to admit some of the merits make sense. I also use a 20 gauge quite regularly now. To be completely honest there really isn’t much that a twenty gauge gives up with the modern loads that a 12 gauge is going to offer a distinct advantage in for general purposes. Obviously pay loads are lighter but it’s to the point of splitting hairs for most applications one would likely encounter in the field. In a previous article I touched on shot shell technology. How we have gotten back to lead-like performance in some offerings for waterfowl loads. Most older traditional loads weren’t screaming fast before the introduction of steel. So with the options available now you have plenty of kinetic energy transfer to reliably kill birds at reasonable ranges. Also as I have previously stated in another article if your gun is patterned right it really may not matter what gauge you shoot. If you are being responsible with your shooting opportunities. Your choke and load selection matter just as much here as they do with your 12 gauge. I’ll also add that many serious hunters have found that the patterns from sub gauges are often more consistent than those of traditional 12 gauge loads. Many turkey hunters swear by the 20 gauge and its ability to maintain super tight patterns for those spring gobblers. 12 gauges weigh more and if you are out slogging through the marsh with a gun that isn’t as heavy as a more traditional gas operated model it makes a difference. A lot of upland guys use these lighter offerings for just this reason. There is an old saying that goes “ounces add up to pounds and pounds equal pain”. This is true. Hold about a 7 lb. weight in front of you and then a 6 lb. weight, notice the time difference you are able to keep it elevated. Fatigue is cumulative and after a long day in the field the lighter gun is going to be way easier on you. The lighter weights on well balanced sub gauges allow for very fast pointing for instinctive shooting. This makes them great for times when you are in thick cover and need to squeeze that quick snap shot off at a wood duck spiraling down through the trees. The recoil on a sub gauge is also lighter. This will allow for faster follow up shots when you weren’t quite on the mark the first time. Also for high volume shooting they will treat your shoulder much better. Guys with shoulder problems often find these firearms to be much more comfortable to shoot and less likely to aggravate injuries as badly due to the reduced recoil impulse. Smaller framed shooters such as women and kids are prime candidates for sub gauge shotguns. This is especially true when being introduced to shooting sports and hunting. It is important to ensure that the first experience is not intimidating and picking a tamer cartridge such as a .410 may be an easy way to start building confidence around firearms. Availability of ammo is really not much of a factor for all but the smallest bores. You can reliably find 20 and 28-gauge ammunition on shelves with good regularity. Obviously, this can vary due to the supply chain situations that have been encountered recently but, it is safe to say you can find it even if it’s not exactly cheap at the moment. Sub gauges are a great way to expand your experience in both realms of shooting sports and hunting. You can do it all and with less recoil. Components have come a long way and the gap on performance has closed up enough to where you really should consider sub gauges as an option for your next adventure. They fill niches in your hunting styles you really never knew you needed until you take one for a walk. This is coming from someone who first thought you needed a 3.5 inch 12-gauge load to shoot wood ducks and mallards when I was first starting out as a young water fowler. As I gained more knowledge I went to 3 inch 12 gauge loads and finally after some encouragement from friends and proof in the industry I firmly believe there isn’t a reason not to own a couple of sub gauge guns. You don’t have to but you should if you can afford to do so. It just makes it that much more pleasant. Be kind and encouraging to new hunters and shooters. Take kids and inexperienced people. This pastime can be very intimidating to people who are interested. Be open. Be accommodating. We need new blood to keep our awesome traditions as sportsmen and women alive T
August 5, 2022 A Waterfowlers Preseason Checklist By T.J. Rademacher We are now basically a month out from being able to get after them again fellas. In my home state of North Carolina, we are allowed to start hunting resident geese on September 1st. It’s a great way to shake off the dust and get back after it. The key to having the best possible experience in any waterfowl hunting scenario is being prepared for as much as you can be. It’s like laying down a really good paint job. The key to success is all in the prep work. Here are some things you probably should have already done if you are a month away from getting back into the grind. If you are a field hunter, you should already know where the hot fields are going to be. Local farmers rotate crops yearly, so you should be riding around looking for fields that will probably hold birds when it’s time to start cutting. This is a good strategy for both geese and ducks. If you have been in an area for a while you will have picked up on roosts and heavily trafficked fields in these areas. These are high percentage options for good hunts throughout the season. I Try to do this early. If I can catch a farmer out without totally holding him up from something important I’ll try to introduce myself or if we know each other make sure to get permission on his land again. If you’ve treated his land with respect in the past you will likely have your spot held for this season. If you hunt over water or moist soil units both public and private, you should already have been out looking for the places where the food is going to be. You should be knowledgeable on what ducks actually eat naturally in wetland areas or areas that flood seasonally. So, when you break into a clearing and find it choked with smart weed you can put a mark on your GPS. This is going to be a place to be looking at when the birds get here. Again, you should already have permission knocked out on private land. If you haven’t done this, you are behind and you need to go and do this to salvage what’s left. Being proactive rather than reactive is key so you can broaden your options this season. If you hunt out of established blind sites you should have already made sure they’re still there and if they are in hunt-able condition. Go ahead and remove overgrowth to create holes for birds to land in. You’ll be way ahead of the game when it’s time to be in there enjoying your time afield. Also clear this with a landowner to make sure it’s okay. Verify that this is legal on the piece of public land you are planning to hunt. Do not just assume if your name is not on the deed. You should be scouting boat lanes and channels to make sure there isn’t going to be something that blocks your access. Again be prepared. You should be washing decoys now if you didn’t do this before you put them up last season. Go through every one of them and make sure they are clean and any small repairs are made before they need to be in the water. All of the weights, stakes and other required items for functioning decoys should be inspected and any necessary repairs on rigging need to be made now. You should not be running to Walmart for stuff at 10:00 pm when you need to be up at 3:30 the next morning. Check batteries on your motion decoys because the lithium ion batteries may not hold a charge if you do not periodically charge them during the off season. Believe me I learned this the hard way. There is still enough time to get new ones and install them. Check your remotes on the spinners and ensure they function properly. Everything should be bagged and read to go. I label bags so all I have to do is grab and load things as I need them. It saves time and frustration when it’s late and you are trying to get ready for the next day’s hunt. Your outboard or surface drive should have been running all summer while you were catching fish but if it has sat around for a while make sure the plugs are new and the carbs are cleaned and ready to go. You don’t want to be rebuilding carbs the night before a hunt or waiting on parts when the birds get her and it is time to be on the water. You should already have a few spare parts for items that routinely need to be replaced. I’ve learned this the hard way as my current outboard has aged. You should be constantly inspecting and doing proper maintenance on your motors, boats, ATV/UTVs, and hunting wagons because they’ll take care of you if you look after them. Stop using ethanol gas in small engines, it’s not worth it even if you’re a college kid one budget. It destroys fuel lines and will clog jets on carburetors. Your blind bag should have that 5-month old granola bar stash cleaned out and restocked. You should already have a Ziploc bag of toilet paper ready to go. For further information, refer to my article about blind bags earlier this year. It will get you squared away in a hurry. Layouts and frames should be prepped and function checked. Get that first layer on the blinds so all you have to do is blend them the morning before. Your hedge trimmer should be ready to go for grassing blinds now and all your brush cutting items should be located and in your truck box so you aren’t digging though the bottom of a trailer for them when it’s time to use them. Check your gear. Make sure it’s still in good shape. If you have a pair of waders make sure you function test them before opening day so you can repair them or get a new pair. Make sure you have some wader patch kits available. If you can afford it, have a backup pair if waders. This is one of the best things I’ve ever done for myself. It’s a huge save when you find that briar patch or forgot about that barbed wire fence. Long story short you should have never stopped working on stuff after the season ended. If you are under the gun it’s time to prioritize and get stuff taken care of so you aren’t chasing your tail for the next month. The off season is just another season for you to be keeping the excitement alive. Also you should have been shooting your shotgun during the summer so you are ready to take advantage of your opportunities when they present themselves. Don’t be shaking the dust off with that first group of birds. It’s time to get after it boys and girls. Here’s to another successful season!
July 22, 2022 Afternoon is for the Birds Turkey Hunting Tactics for the Afternoon By : Justin Hunold As you go to bed thinking about another early morning chasing Toms you begin to realize that between the grind of everyday life and waking up pre dawn on the days you can hunt that you’re wearing thin. So, skip the alarm and take advantage of the secret that can lead to responsive birds, fun and the chance to take one of those Tom’s you’ve been chasing home. Hunt the afternoon. Now, quick disclosure, hunting turkeys in the spring in some states is a morning only affair. It is illegal to hunt later than 12:00 pm. I will say I consider hunting in the afternoon anything after about 10:00 am. In the noon cutoff states that leaves you two hours to hard charge a bird. In states where you have the ability of hunting all day, afternoon hunting gives you a lot of opportunity. Why sleep in ? You may have heard that the best way to kill a Tom is to put them to bed the night before. By watching where the birds roost a hunter can sneak in tight to that tree the next morning. Setting up close to the roost is what everyone likes to do if possible. As the season goes on the tougher this becomes. Hunting pressure and the life cycle of turkeys can change where they roost as the season goes on. Also, when the toms fly down, that is the time they will most likely “Hen Up’ or find a receptive hen. This makes calling to them very tough. Patterning birds becomes tougher as the season goes on. Hens begin to nest, Toms travel more looking for hens and food. The food sources also change, and Turkeys are omnivores. For all of these reasons slipping around the woods later in the day can put the odds in your favor. When Should I get out there? At some point around mid morning Toms and Hens split up generally. This is why you want to be walking a ridge or river bottom or maybe even driving logging roads. Stop at points on the road or terrain that put you at the advantage for a set up. Use your turkey calls to try and strike up a gobble. As the season wears on the more likely a later hunt will be fruitful. As Hens are on the nests there are fewer and fewer opportunities for Toms to find love. It becomes a 2x multiplier in the afternoons late in the season. The Hens that aren’t on the nest might get some attention in the morning but just as in earlier in the season, that too shall pass. In some states, such as Pennsylvania, a hunter can’t hunt in the afternoons until after the second week. Let’s face it most birds are killed early in the season. So, the long beards that are around to talk turkey by the second and third week of the season have had their share of calls thrown at them, along with maybe some shot and arrows. Most of those calls and projectiles come in the morning, most of them in and around likely strut zones. As the days continue to grow longer, in more ways than one, you’ll likely find birds becoming more terrain based. I have found a lot of birds will congregate in and around water. Specifically, streams and rivers. There tends to be food, water and cover in a condensed zone around water. Ridges that might be getting a bit more choked with understory might be a close second as far as the later spring shift in habitation zones that you might find a bird. Tactics for a late alarm clock Don’t call unless you feel like you have a good set up within a few yards. Remember with the sun a bit higher you’re going to want to be in the shadows. The birds will really shine coming through the woods, and as much as I love seeing them steam in the early morning chill when they gobble, their iridessence is very prominent in the afternoon sun. When I am hunting later in the day I also tend to tote less gear. A lot of times my decoys stay in the vehicle. I also bring locator calls like the faithful crow call, owl hooter and peacock call. As, much as I keep them with me, in the afternoon, I rarely use them. I tend to lean on my actual turkey calls for locating birds. This is why the pre set up matters. Remember those shadows? Use them. You’ll likely be hunting in cover, actually in the woods. As far as turkey calls go, a box call is tough to beat for getting that response gobble. Box calls inherently cut the wind and tend to be a bit louder than other friction or mouth calls. Locating with a turkey call is a lot like locating with a locator call, it’s all in the reaction. Remember as the season gets older the birds do too, and they get wiser as well. These birds will be more likely to be quiet. They have been called to a lot. But in the warm spring sun setting up in a likely area and sitting in the warm sun can be a great way to pull the trigger on a bird. Some of the most successful turkey hunters I know have taken to a lot of sitting and less calling. This has to do as much with your attitude as the turkey’s. I leave my blind at home as well. These midday hunts aren’t the place for a black hoodie and hub blind. These hunts are the place for good boots and a bottle of water, put those miles on! Early in the morning I will spend less time calling from the woods trying to find a bird, I let my vehicle do a lot of that work. In the afternoon I might be stopping in the same areas but pushing much deeper before I call. Closers With all of that in mind, for a chance at a bird, you don’t have to be blurry eyed and burning your mouth on coffee that’s still too hot from just coming out of the pot. Wake up with the sun, make yourself a nice breakfast and maybe do some stretching. You may have gotten to sleep in a bit, but you’ll still be working to get a chance at a Turkey. The difference in the afternoon is that you might be the only one in the woods working to get that bird and you might have a more responsive partner in this spring dance.
July 8, 2022 Should I Buy a Wall Tent? By: Justin Hunold Scrolling through Instagram, thumbing down through all of the images of the outdoors that help inspire my adventures, I see it. The wall tent at night, backlit from the lantern inside, stripped trees for the lodge poles with a set of moose antlers above the door, I swooned with idyllic romanticism. If this sounds like as great a picture to you as it did to me, let’s talk about the upsides and tips for camping in a wall tent. All things being equal, camping is an amazing way to take in the outdoors. Whether you spend the night in a camper with AC or in a bivy under the stars, waking up to the sights, sounds, and smells of the natural world does wonders for the human spirit. For the past few years I have spent a few weeks during the late fall in a canvas wall tent. Though the one I have been using doesn’t harken back to the image painted earlier, it does fall in a great spot between the camper and the bivy. My cousin Marc did a bunch of research, separately of my tent lusting, and decided to pull the trigger on a Davis Wall Tent. He also purchased a wood stove for it and so began our soiree of primitive camping for hunting season. This is a quick overview of why you may want to look into a wall tent setup, and some points to think about once you decide a canvas vacation home is for you. Let’s first look into why a person would want a canvas wall tent. Room is the first deciding factor for most folks. Unlike a nylon dome style tent, a wall tent is built for maximum height and, with straight walls, actual capacity for people and gear. Next, canvas wall tents are still portable but it can be the size of a typical cabin that one might stay in at a campground, very convenient. You can set up a full cabin anywhere you may need it. That may be the woods for a week during hunting season, or it can be for a garage sale or graduation party at your home. If I were to guess, the number one reason most folks go to a wall tent is overall comfort and protection from the elements. Canvas wall tents are built with stove jacks to host a wood stove. Canvas tents are naturally waterproof and insulated. Unlike propane heaters, wood is dry heat, and outdoors folks can use it to actually dry out clothing and gear. This alone is next to impossible with any other sort of non-radiant heat. Canvas is a great insulator. Everyone will stay warm with the stove in the winter, no wind cutting through the tent, no water building up. I know, the saying is “cotton kills”. In this case, that blend of cotton or polyester is great protection from the elements, hot or cold. Wall tents are naturally waterproof and make amazing wind barriers. In the summer you can open the windows for a crosswind and stay very cool. It’s definitely not the aforementioned camper with air conditioning, but it’s markedly better than a nylon dome tent for sure. We’ve covered the why’s of a wall tent, so let’s take a dive into some of the how’s, tips and points of interest. The how’s are pretty simple: most companies will offer kits that have poles included or just corner brackets and you go to a hardware store and have conduit cut to length (provided in the instructions). To build the tent you frame out the roof first then install the wall poles. Tie down points are sewn into the tent in key positions. Use all of the tie downs- they exist for a reason. There are a few options for floors, with the two most popular being pallet bases with plywood for a semi-permanent feel or waterproof canvas tarps. After much experimentation, we chose canvas tarps, leaving an open spot in the corner for the stove. If you decide on the wood floor, you will need a fireproof mat for that area. If you plan for a few people to stay in one tent, there needs to be rules. One of our big rules was no air mattresses. This came about in year two, just like the canvas tarp floor, after we realized how much room they take up. Cots elevate the sleeping area, meaning that the user can stow gear under them. They can also double as a seat if needed. Also, designate areas to hang drying gear. You don’t want your sleep system to get soaked because someone else hung a wet jacket over it. As far as the stove goes, you’ll need welders gloves or the like to tend to it often. A kettle of water should be a constant companion of the wood stove for both a source of hot water and a bit of moisture in the air. Some wood should be stacked inside, this way there isn’t a reason to open the doors unless it’s to relieve yourself. There should also be an assigned person to cut the stove off when the party leaves and someone else should double-check! Stoves are not to be taken lightly in a tent, as the wind can move the cover or in the extreme, disconnect the stove pipe (chimney). A small folding table is an amazing piece of kit for a wall tent. It generally turns into a catch-all but it’s nice to have. We would generally stack our non-perishables in rubber totes under it. Again, singing the praises of the wood stove: you can cook just about any stovetop meal on the wood stove so don’t skimp on the cuisine just because you’re roughing it. We keep a thermometer above the table, mostly because it’s fun to see it reach the mid-seventies when it’s in the single digits outside and we are having a few drinks. Another friend of mine uses an ice fishing sled and a solar shower to shower inside his wall tent after a day of hunting. We never went that route, although, by the end of the week we probably should have. With the ability to have hot water and dry out your garments, this means a person can actually wash clothes if needed. Speaking of friends, if you want to stay on speaking terms with anyone you’re sharing a wall tent with for extended time you’ll want a pair of inside-only shoes. Any kind of shoes will work, a lot of people will wear slippers or a Crocs style shoe. Tarps will be clean but you’ll still need shoes. A few more necessary items include a lantern or two, a decent hatchet, a cast iron pan, fire poker, and tongs. I would also suggest a few pots for water or a tea kettle, a French Press or percolator, and a wind-up alarm clock. Marc chose to have an awning built into his kit and a window stitched in opposite the door. Both of these were clutch points of customizations. We can keep wood, gear, and our coolers under the awning and when need be get some air moving through with an open window. He decided to forgo the stakes that the company offered. The first time we tried to use it in high winds we realized quickly that normal tent stakes weren’t going to cut it. From there we decided to use pressure treated 2”x2” cut to a point and notched an inch up from that point. Tie the rope to the stake around that notch and then drive the pointed end of the ten inch stake down into the ground. This action sucks the rope into the ground as well and makes that thing as steady as a Pennsylvania coal miner. If you’ve tent camped before, everything you’d bring with you for that applies in the wall tent world. It’s all about what makes you happy. Try it out a few times and you’ll be surprised what makes the cut and what doesn’t once the comfort side is taken care of. A wall tent isn’t for every situation, you’re not packing this thing into the backcountry in your backpack. When you’re able to access the campsite from the road, by vehicle, horseback, or bike with a trailer, a wall tent is tough to beat. If you’ve been thinking about that camper and you just aren’t sure, take a look at a wall tent. Camping with friends or family and wanting some space, or maybe to feel comfortable solo camping for a long period you need to make a canvas wall tent a consideration. If nothing else you might get to post a cool picture of it on social media.
