November 25, 2022 Doing God’s Work: The Roots of Modern Waterfowl Hunting By: Justin Hunold Imagine you’re dead set on a day of jump shooting mallards on some local ponds or tanks. You took your time to sneak to the edge. You didn’t skyline yourself sliding up to the shooting position. All of your effort is going to feed your family, meat being a scarce commodity. You see the greenheads swimming there, you’re already thinking of plucking them. Then as you pull the trigger your powder frisen( pan) flames and smokes and those once still birds are gone in a flash…pun intended. Back to bread and lard for dinner. This was the problem the entire firearm world faced from the very earliest guns. Whether it was matchlock, wheellock or flintlock there was a telltale flash and smoke. A warning to every single shot. In modern times we are worried about fast and reliable follow up shots, like using Inertia Plus systems on Retay USA shotguns. There was a bit of parallel thinking to solve this problem and history will tell us that god loves hunters more. The first patent for a percussion system was issued in 1807 was given to a Scottish Hunter, who was trying to solve the very problem mentioned above, spooking birds. This invention was the brainchild of Reverend Alexander John Forsyth. Was it divine intervention? It can’t be a coincidence that the first reliable fulminate ignition system was brought to market by a reverend. Just proof that as people change with the advent of technology Nimrod still has a place as a mighty hunter. After this initial patent was defended by the good Reverend from 1807-1821 the percussion systems that followed exploded on the scene….pun still intended. And as always most of these advances were spurred by combat. Percussion firearms with paper and later brass cartridges were commonplace by The American Civil War. Variants of caps, primers and pin fire cases spurred technological advancements in the way of firearm ignition at a staggering pace. Some systems would last less than a decade. Some would evolve. When it came to self contained shotgun shells brass became the preeminent way to stoke the barrel. Between side by side shotguns and brass cases there was a relatively fast and reliable waterfowl combination. By the late 1800’s Winchester was loading brass shells for consumers and they maintained heavy use into the turn of the twentieth century. By the time the years started with 19 there became a debate in the world of shotguns whether it was better to have multi use brass shells or single use mass produced paper hulls. For a lot of applications those paper hulls won out. Save one. Waterfowl hunting. With paper being very not moisture resistant let alone waterproof. Brass shells would continue to be used until waxed and lacquered paper hulls finally won out. With the advent of the more modern shotgun actions, pump and semi automatics, and the “weather proof” mass produced paper hulls we can see the beginnings of what our modern waterfowl hunting roots look like. By this time the modern ideas of conservation were starting to take root, and more modern materials were allowing for more comfortable hunting all around. The wader was popularized around the beginning of World War I and rubber was perfected for the most part around World War II. With fast repeating shotguns, rubber waders and mostly weatherproof shells a hunter from the 1950’s likely wouldn’t look out of place in a blind today. The final invention in that combination that would really bring this hunter into the contemporary era of hunting would be the advent of plastic hulls by the Big Green in 1960. This is where the truly waterproof shotgun shell met the truly waterproof hunter. Synthetic petroleum based plastics and rubber brought mass produced technical gear to the masses. Remember back to that bank, jump shooting greenheads. Shotguns powered by flint and loose primer powder. One man, a Reverend, with a bit of divine inspiration, decided to bring waterfowl hunting into modernity. Without his loathing of the flash in the pan who knows where we would be today? He worked to build a reliable mechanism to hunt fowl with, and we continue with that tradition to try to bring you the best possible experience chasing game. Thanks for coming along with us and let’s tip our hat to Reverend Forsyth who’s forethought spurred us to get here. You’re Nimrod and we continue to do God’s work.
November 17, 2022 It’s supposed to be fun: How to Avoid Hunting Season Burn Out By: Justin Hunold Simply put, hunting season can become a grind. Between early mornings and late nights the whole thing can be a bit of a blur. There are times hunting season can feel as much like work as any day at your job. Yet, we wait all year for the whole thing. Let’s look at a few ways to stay fresh, stay positive, and most of all have fun during hunting season. How to avoid burning out during a long hunting season. Scheduling for success– During the beginning of hunting season I try to creep my alarm to go off fifteen minutes earlier every week. By the time the clocks switch over in November I am already accustomed to getting up early and being ready to move. This might seem extreme but I tend to be an early riser anyway. Generally I am getting up around 6:00 am the whole year so, if I start in august and wake up 15 minutes earlier every week I am pretty well adjusted when 4:00 am becomes the norm. Waking up earlier has a welcomed side effect as well, I can get more things accomplished prior to the hunting season, when I tend to let things go a bit. Fuel the Machine- I love coffee, I love gas station coffee, gourmet coffee, dripped coffee, french press coffee, pour over and even keurig. I need it. It helps my comfort level and staves off the dreaded headache. I also try to eat healthy for most of the year. I like simple, mostly whole foods, with a large dose of game meats. Dairy is my “mostly” healthy guilty pleasure if I actually have one. During the season I make sure I have a plan for coffee before I go to bed. This is paramount, I carry Black Rifle Coffee Company instant coffee in my bag, just in case. If I am on a trip I make sure there is a good way to have a decent cup of coffee before I leave for the morning. A few different travel mugs go with me as well, if I don’t finish the java or need to bring it I’m good to go. This is also the time of year I let myself have more treats because I know with the lack of sleep, the hard hunting, and the colder temps I will likely burn off all of those extra calories. I love PBJ’s, fruit snacks, granola bars, jerky and left over Halloween candy. A little sugar and carb burst is always welcome while I’m out working birds or sitting on stand. For after the hunt I enjoy a good beer too. Everyone has their own view on what suits them for an evening, for me it’s a good IPA or Lager. I try to limit my intake of booze most nights, but if I am with good friends and family I will generally give myself one night to cut loose. There are plenty of great camp stories that come from those nights. I make sure I have some vitamin I (ibuprofen) and plenty of water at the ready so I can be good to go when that early morning comes around. Tech Savvy– Let’s face it we all love our phones, so I keep spare chords and battery packs with me. I like to have the ability to communicate and map while I’m in the field. I also love having the ability to capture great photos and video. As a content producer taking the time to put the camera on my phone to use is important and necessary but I also just love having the memories for me and my folks. I sent a video to a friend the other day and he couldn’t have cared less about the deer but he was very interested in the terrain I was hunting in. As a very involved father I love having the ability to Facetime my three year old son. So, I make sure I carve out some time to make those calls in the evening or at lunch time. It’s important to him and me. Family Matters– Remember that Fall and Winter both have a bunch of family oriented holidays. From time to time you might miss part of a holiday for some reason, I try personally to work my hunting in on all the days that aren’t holidays. I know it can be a tradition for some, and I am on board for those folks, but I refuse to miss a Halloween costume or a holiday meal because I am in the field. I have hunted on holidays but normally it’s close to home and with a family member. Being present and available for those special days is what life is about. Those extra couple days in the woods or water might not make a real difference in your season but they will make a difference to your family. Prioritize Do the Work– If you have a job that allows you to pick up some extra overtime or shifts before the season, that’s a great way to relieve some of the financial burden hunting can put on. I have a career that isn’t structured that way but I often cover for my co-workers throughout the year with the understanding that come fall they’ll return the favor. If you are more than pulling your weight the entire year it is easy to take some well earned time to yourself to do what you enjoy. Spread the Love– Every year I start to hate the sight of my tree stand at some point. That’s when I take to the backwaters to chase waterfowl, underbrush for small game and the fields for upland birds. I love hunting in general, but I also love the variety of ways I can take to the field. Any change of pace will offset the incoming feeling of burn out. These are some tricks I personally use to keep my head on straight. I love hunting and I love spending time outside, the second it starts to feel like work I employ some of these tactics to make sure I am keeping the JOY in the enJOY. Remember this stuff is supposed to be fun, and we work all year to get here. Now you do you and enjoy your time afield in whatever way suits you.
November 11, 2022 5 Things You Didn’t Know You Needed on Your Next Hunting Trip By : Justin Hunold I’m in the middle of an out of state hunting trip with some family and friends. And even though this is a deer camp and not a duck camp I can tell you what, the list Jesse put together on our Youtube Channel @retayusa came in handy when I was packing to come here. Let’s take a look at five items you should be packing to bring to a hunting camp, no matter what you’re chasing. Dry Bag– Jesse says he likes to keep his extra clothes in a dry bag to get into after he’s soaked from a morning chasing birds, and I couldn’t agree more. Yet, I use a kayak and other watercraft to access whitetails no one else seems to get to. And when I do that I use a drybag to put my tree saddle or safety harness and day pack in. I don’t like wet gear, and when hunting around water there is no dry. It’s all varying degrees of wet, so a dry bag helps you keep your stuff ready to go so you can sit in comfort. Pain Reliever– Advil, Tylenol, Aleve or my personal go to Excedrin. Really, we are talking about fighting off headaches and body aches from hunting hard and maybe hanging out harder. For general pain relief I’ll go with an NSAID but for the headache from celebrating a successful hunt a bit too much give me the big E. Plus it has a large dose of Caffeine so there’s that too. Ear Plugs– Guns are loud, boats are loud, camo is loud but when it’s time for bed snoring is louder. As I am here in camp with my buddies I realized none of us are young and spry anymore. And a few of us have sleep apnea. Or snore when we are plugged up or even snore if we’ve had a couple brews with dinner. My ear plugs stay under my pillow and get put in the second I lay down. This is the one thing on this list I wouldn’t compromise on or give up. If I forgot them I’d go buy more. Battery Pack– Let’s face it we all use our phones a lot. Hopefully the hunt is action packed enough to keep you off of it. To be honest I’m writing the bulk of this on my phone while in a tree. A spare battery pack or charging bank can save your life. There might not be enough outlets in the camp, you might be in a tent, you might be writing a blog for the best shotgun company in the world, hell, you might even be using your phone for useful things, navigation , flashlight or communication. Any which way a spare battery pack is a life saver for those little computers we walk around attached to our hands. Bucket, Trash Bags, paper towels, Toilet paper and a Gallon of Water– Um, this isn’t exactly one thing but kind of a system. You can use the bucket to clean birds, fish, small game or the like. Paper towels and water help with those things too. But the real MVPs are the striker paper and garbage bags. Don’t litter. Pick your trash up. But after too much coffee and gas station cuisine you better believe you’ll have to talk to a man about a horse and a bucket with a trash bag can be a better option than a roadside John or a tree lean. Remember, these trips are supposed to be fun, and this list lines up with that. Most of the things on this list aren’t make or break but they are items to keep you comfortable and taken care of. We all know the “gear” gets all the headlines in the hunting media but I’m staring at a box of gear I haven’t used on this trip, I promise I’ve used everything on Jesse’s list.
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.
October 28, 2022 Initial Impressions: How to Keep Your Gun Operating by Setting Yourself Up for Success By: Justin Hunold Imagine you’re there on a premier hunt in the hallowed timber of Arkansas or maybe a two mile paddle back to a slough on public waters that have a horsepower restriction, or even taking a friend or family member out for their first goose hunt over 5 dozen decoys placed with care in a cut corn field. All that money, time, effort and most importantly experiences relying on your gear. And arguably the most important piece of actual gear you have is your gun. If it doesn’t go bang you can’t do the damn thang. Let’s start off by get the obvious out of the way, we firmly believe we offer the best waterfowl gun on the planet here at Retay USA. This article will be centered around to keep our guns delivering performance boldly redefined. This isn’t a sales pitch. This is about how to help keep your gun running when it’s needed most. And although these procedures will concentrate on Retay USA shotguns, the practices are basically universal. Number one, read your owner’s manual. I know “Men don’t read instructions” and that’s great in theory. I mean if you really want to skip this and you wanna go straight to youtube for instructions at least use our official videos. But take the time you’d get lost on Instatokbook and read your owner’s manual cover to cover. You will be able to troubleshoot almost all in the field issues you will run into if you understand your individual gun and not just guns in general. Since you cracked the box to get out the instructions you will now be looking at your new GPS, Gordion or Masai Mara you will see some residual grease or oil on the gun. You’re going to see some of the other stuff that comes with your gun like choke tubes, shims, the optics base, lubricant and even sling swivels. The next step is getting that gun out and getting any residual stuff off that gun. So, the lubricant and a nice gun cloth will help do this and for most folks this will be the end of the initial clean up process. I personally like to bust that manual out, and break the gun down to as many pieces as I feel comfortable putting back together correctly. You don’t want the first time you take the bolt assembly apart to be in that flooded timber we mentioned above. You know over eighteen inches of water, in the dark, with ducks pouring into the x. I personally prefer to strip all residual oils, dust and crud off of the entire gun. I use G96 Crud Buster Aerosol for this process. It strips all the stuff off of the gun surfaces and you can use the straw to get into the nooks and crannies of the bolt assembly. I prefer to strip my bolt down and clean each piece, but some folks won’t want to do this. Once I spray everything off and wipe it down with a gun cloth I let it air dry for a bit. If you’re using a CLP style product you can just reassemble from here. After air drying, I reassemble the gun. I follow the owners manual and check proper function as I go. I will manually operate the bolt, bolt face, trigger assembly and safety. “Thanks to its extreme simplicity and excellent materials, the Retay Automatic Shotgun requires no special maintenance.” This comes directly out of the maintenance section of the Retay USA Owner’s Manual. Basically what it’s saying is oil what seems like it needs oiled. Your bolt assembly, lightly, trigger assembly lightly and if you’re feeling really really froggy maybe the recoil spring assembly. On a GPS look at the action bars. I like a general lubricant like the one included with your gun for most times and it should be great in most conditions. When I hit the colder months I like to find a lube that is built for colder temps and not freezing up. I again turn to G96 but the Complete Gun Treatment. I like it because it performs the operations of cleaning, lubricating and protecting. It maintains viscosity down to -50. Meaning I can run this when I am hunting the Great Lakes or the Finger Lakes during the coldest months with no issues. For most conditions the High Tech Gun Oil that comes with your Retay will be fine. This will all take place before my gun ever sees the field. Or in a post/preseason general maintenance. There are a lot more in the field and post season and volume shooting maintenance tips to follow this. This is the best way I have found to set myself up for success when it comes to running and gunning with my shotguns. It is the set up. I worked at a gun counter for about ten years, all of them at very high volume firearm retailers. I can say that anecdotally when a customer came in with a new gun that was malfunctioning, nine times out of ten it was because they skipped this step. When you go on a long road trip and kinda sit in the car, driving, putting miles on the road, maybe spilling coffee, crumbs and just kinda sitting in your own crud you likely are looking forward to a good shower when you get home. Treat your new gun the same way and it’ll be a lot happier when it wakes up for use. Set yourself up for success. Retay USA shotguns are the best waterfowl guns on the planet. So, do yourself a favor and treat them like it, even though they will work even if you don’t.
October 21, 2022 Nerd Alert: What Gear Guys Bring to the Woods By: Justin Hunold I will fully admit that I am a gear nut. If it’s a gadget that isn’t needed but looks cool and serves a very particular purpose I probably own it. What’s funny when you do a gear dump of some very experienced outdoors folks the similarities become apparent. Some stuff is techy and a cool piece of kit and some not glamorous at all but makes the cut because it just works. What items do you need to go camping? Let’s take a look at some of these items. When I started with the idea for this article I texted some friends and asked them what they always bring camping. Some lists were very basic and some were very gadget heavy but they all came from a place of experience. Anyone I reached out to spends at least two to three weeks camping a year. I cherry picked the items with general tent life in mind. You can have these items whether car camping at a campsite, picking your way through a boulder field in the Brooks Range, taking your favorite pack animal into the backcountry or through hiking the Appalachian Trail. There may be some overkill items but to me they are worth the weight. Let’s start simple, ziplock bags. Yes, you read that right. Gallon size ziploc bags can help you ration food, keep injuries dry in a pinch, keep funky clothes isolated, contain anything you might forage from nature, the list goes on. These buggers are very useful. Along the same lines I would venture to say fill one of them with some zip ties, batteries and leukotape(blows the door off duct tape). This is all simple and very useful stuff. A note on the batteries, try and get gadgets that all take the same batteries when possible. On the top of the list for everyone was a knife, some of us preferred a folding pocket knife and others a fixed blade, the Kershaw Ken Onion series knives were a popular choice. I personally carry a Ontario Knife Company RAT2, it has a liner lock and the clip can be moved to carry how the owner prefers rather than being fixed from the factory. This is a nice feature for a lefty. I also carry a Morakniv which is a vaunted all purpose, full tang, impact resin handled knife from Sweden. Morakniv are basically indestructible and can be made exceedingly sharp. I will also be found with some sort of multitool more often than not when camping, when I’m in the back country I will replace my folder with a multitool like a Leatherman Wingman. So, one of the problems people have when camping is lack of good sleep. Tylenol PM will help that and I keep it in my first aid kit, but so will a good inflatable pillow like any of the offerings from Klymit or even the under $20 jobbers on Amazon. Skip the stuff sack full of clothes or those tiny crushable pillows, spend a couple bucks and get an inflatable pillow. Food is essential, so it is a good way to cook it. For basic cooking there are three routes I will send you down. Car camping calls for a Coleman Camp Stove like their Duel Fuel stoves. The option I prefer for car camping or pack animals is a Camp Chef Explorer two burner stove. I like the optional griddle top because breakfast is my favorite meal and that option facilitates pancakes. Next would be a Jetboil style stove, these are self contained canister fueled cookpots. They are great if you are trying to find space in your pack or if you are meticulous about cleaning or using it. I can’t seem to keep my Ramen out of the coffee so I don’t use these. I run a MSR Pocket Rocket 2 and have since it was a Pocket Rocket 1. You will need a pot or mess kit to use these but they are exceedingly light and reliable. Coffee goes with camping, no analogy needed. Some dudes will go with an enamel percolator, like in the western movies of yesteryear. Can I be honest with you? Percolator coffee isn’t good, it looks cool on the fire but yuck! I bring a Lexan French Press. My buddy runs instant coffee, the Starbuck Via isn’t bad but I prefer the Black Rifle Coffee Company Instant coffee. Leave that Folgers instant at the supermarket, I’m a coffee snob not a coffee drinker. A more and more common situation in the field is keeping your electronics charged and ready to go. Between general phone use, mapping, taking pictures and taking videos of your adventures getting that phone back to 100% is important to most folks. We have had some suggestions ranging from Goal Zero battery banks, charging from a JBL Charge or Flip to a basic power banks from Amazon. They all work. I prefer the basic banks from amazon. I can store a few of them in different places rather than having a big heavy unit with zero redundancy. Plus you can get two of these with 10000 MHz each for about $25. This is plenty for quick pick me ups during a day in the field. This list is not complete or comprehensive. It’s a simple “Hey don’t forget this stuff ” list. Most of the things on this list I keep in my vehicle in some form or fashion at all times. With Good sleep, a good blade and good coffee I can make a go of anything else that Mother Nature throws at me, isn’t that the fun?!
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.
October 7, 2022 Don’t Be That Guy: Why the Anti Hunting Movement is Winning By: Justin Hunold A bit ago there we did a Retay Roundtable called “Don’t Be That Guy” and it concentrated on not being an aggressive asshole, or trophy shaming other hunters. But apparently we need to cover this again. This question was posted in a Whitetail hunting group, and spelling aside it is a simple question. Let me say that about twenty nine of those fifty eight comments were either shaming the original post for needing water on stand, saying he’s not asking the right questions, not prioritizing the right thing or plain old being mean. This is a simple question. What is with us? Why? You know what I hate? The sound of a cheap plastic single use bottle crumpling when I move, the fact that it’s one more thing in a landfill when I’m done with it, the lack of ability to put it in the tree with me if I don’t have it in a pouch and I’m not always in cargo pants, that I may be hunting in 75 plus degrees and I want more than twelve ounces of water and other hunters being jerks to a simple question. Context matters folks. Maybe the original poster is the good lords gift to hunting, but maybe the sound of a cheap bottle cost him a deer, maybe he’s diabetic or has another medical condition that would make staying well hydrated paramount, maybe he’s sitting all day, maybe he is very particular with his gear, maybe he doesn’t care about shooting stuff and he just enjoys being out there, maybe Adam Sandler is his idol and he loves high quality H2O? None of these are wrong. He asked a simple question and a lot of people decided to respond with vitriol that we should be leveling on those folks that stand against us not with us. There are plenty of people against hunting and the Second Amendment. Why oh why are you crapping on another hunter for an innocuous ask? This isn’t an ethics question. He’s not asking about the “Age” of an animal. He’s not discussing the flexibility of bag and possession limits (to which there is none). He didn’t say he was out shooting every Suzie he saw, or the timing of shooting mature does during the season. He was asking specifically what do you guys do with the vessel of water you brought in while hunting. There is nothing to bash here. Please for the love of Teddy Roosevelt STOP BEING THAT GUY. You wanna be “That Guy” why don’t you go do that in an Anti Second Amendment Forum or Group. Or jump over to an Anti Hunting group and drop some truth bombs in the comments over there. Even better yet, take that keyboard energy and engage with someone who might be on the fence about hunting or the Second Amendment or even the eating of game meat and try to level some relevant points and reasons why these things are important. Be a force for good, if you can handle being non condescending while doing it? If you understand that I was being condescending in that question you can probably form a cohesive argument to help us out rather than a shitty comment to a fellow hunter. What I am asking isn’t a stretch here. And don’t get me wrong, I bust balls with the best of them, with my friends and family. I’m not trying to be a keyboard warrior. I try to limit what I will say online to what I would say to someone’s face. I assure you if I heard you crapping on another hunter for asking a water bottle, backpack, waders, boots, knife or any other piece of gear that can make their day in the field better question I would call you out for being a jerk. If this is a fairly new hunter asking this question guess what, he may now be a fairly non hunter. Probably not, but how ready do you think he is to go to a Ducks Unlimited Banquet or a NWTF event to become an active member of the hunting community in that way? We get enough nonsense from the non-hunting community, we certainly don’t need more from people who are supposed to be “Blood Brothers”. We often hear people say the thing they enjoy the most about hunting is the comradery, we sure pick a funny way of showing it. This stuff is constant. You are entitled to your opinion. But ask yourself are you just the hunting version of a Woke Social Justice Warrior when you’re screaming online about someone not doing it your way. Gear, Species, Sex, Age, Method of Take. All of it is none of your business if it’s legal and it makes the person happy. Now debating these things is encouraged on my part, so don’t be that guy and hijack someone else’s post, vibe and flow to make it known that you’re virtue signaling like a college kid feeling who just read their intro to philosophy assigned reading. By engaging in this behavior, you my friend are being a snowflake, of the hunting kind. Ask a real question. Does this season structure continue to make sense in our current population dynamics? Are the methods of take lining up with the seasons properly? What is the maximum amount of tech allowed? Should I be concerned about the fact that the early season Canada limit is fifteen birds when a week later it’s one? What’s the rationale behind the decision making process on these things and can I help? Post that. Ask that. I know your confidence is hurting. I know you haven’t done the “Hard Work” . That’s obvious. Maybe you’re having a hard day and you feel that knocking someone else down is a sure way to build yourself up. I know you know the very best way to do everything which is why you’re the on high ruler of all things hunting. But I promise we plebes are just trying to learn from you, the second coming of Jim Bridger. Before you’re about to crap on another hunter asking a question that has nothing to do with you or posting a picture of their legal harvest, or just enjoying nature in the way that makes them happy please, go look in the mirror and learn how to validate yourself. Or just remember that the internet is not the digital version of Austin Powers defrosting. You have an inner monologue. It doesn’t have to be written on Social Media. Now, See what I did there? I voiced my opinion without using your post. I didn’t steal your thunder. I didn’t try to personally put my spin on your thoughts. I was directly shitty to a population of hunters publicly and let it live on its own. Not because I think I am awesome, or my opinion is right, but because I know the way we treat other hunters is wrong. Don’t be that guy.
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 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” .