Waterfowl Hunting Articles - RSS Feedhttp://www.gundogsonline.comWaterfowl Hunting Column60The Right Loads for Duckshttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/the-right-loads-for-ducks-Page1.htmMaking that pre-season run to the sporting goods store expressly to meet your needs in the waterfowl shotshell load department can be an exercise in stress now-a-days. Checking over any listing of new or older ammo will uncover a multitude of load options that can cause any hunter to develop a powerful headache. With that in mind what are some of the required elements of a workable field load today? In every case, is the most powerful and longest range shotshell first up on the required needs list? No, I think not, and here are some ways to make a quick check and see how best to meet your needs and still keep a few bucks in your wallet at the same time.L.P. BreznyThu, 15 Sep 2005 21:00:06 GMTHunting Canada Geese Over Waterhttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/Hunting-Canada-Geese-Water-Page1.htmA flight of 15 geese are set up at 250 yards and coming right for our <a href=http://www.gundogsonline.com/goose-hunting-equipment/goose-decoys/>goose decoys</a>, against a dark grey, last light sky. The clock is running out. With 5 birds to go to fill our 30 bird limit this flight is going to have to pick up the pace and hopefully make no more than one pass. Our clucking and flagging get more intense as one of the party calls out "we have 3 minutes till shooting time"! The anxiety and anticipation from the group is so intense you could cut it with a knife. Dave HochmanSun, 17 Jul 2005 19:22:49 GMTWaterfowl Shotshellshttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/Waterfowl-Shotshells-Page1.htmThis year the ammunition industry has continued to roll ahead with advanced load development so as to make the job of gunning ducks and geese more effective for the hunter. If anyone thinks that lead shot is ballistically good, well you have not seen anything yet, because many of the advanced loads that are on the drawing board and being packed in boxes for the store shelf are almost beyond belief in terms of effectiveness afield.L.P. BreznyMon, 16 May 2005 13:59:31 GMTIf you could just teach me to chuckle!http://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/Duck-Calling-Feeding-Chuckle-Page1.htmI've been formally teaching waterfowlers how to operate calls for over 15 years. I've literally worked one-on-one with thousands of guys. That's not counting those I've worked with over the phone and with which I've exchanged tapes all these years. I can't tell you how many times I've heard the plea, "If you could just teach me to chuckle!" Guys have called me on the phone simply to just ask me to demonstrate a feed chuckle. There is something almost magical about the sound that seems to mesmerize duck hunters. Jim James - Owner of Carlson Championship Calls and 1996 World Duck Calling ChampionSun, 15 May 2005 22:19:30 GMTDecoy Placement for Field Hunting Canada Geesehttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/Decoy-Placement-Field-Hunting-Canada-Geese-Page1.htmOver the years, geese have been fooled by decoys made from simple yet effective ideas such as floaters crafted from plastic one liter bottles and field goose decoys made from tire halves. However, in today’s competitive hunting environment, aided by the advancement of high quality realistic looking decoys, it is more important than ever to take advantage of using these decoys. Realistic decoys have greatly increased my success rate in hunting as they have for many other hunters along each of the flyways. Fortunately, with multiple companies producing high quality decoys today, the competition has become greater, leading to higher quality products and price wars. These price wars have made decoys more affordable than ever to the consumer. Dave HochmanWed, 16 Mar 2005 20:19:41 GMTVolume.... Too Much? Not Enough? Where & When?http://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/duck-calling-volume-Page1.htmVolume has always been a very important element of calling waterfowl. In its simplest form it can be said, "Too loud and you’ll blow ‘em away...too soft and they can’t hear you." In reality it’s a bit more complex. First off, one should be aware of the acoustical environment in which he’ll be hunting and calling. A timber pothole surrounded by hardwood trees, combined with the hard surface of the usually still water will generally dictate a softer volume call in an effort to prevent echoing. Jim James - Owner of Carlson Championship Calls and 1996 World Duck Calling ChampionMon, 17 Jan 2005 20:50:48 GMTReading the Birds - Duck Huntinghttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/reading-the-birds-duck-hunting-Page1.htm“Here they come...put that call away!” “Stop calling...they might come in!” “The first swing is the closest!” “Call ‘em on the wingtips and tailfeathers!” These all are old and very familiar sayings in the waterfowling community. And they all, to some extent or another, refer to that often times overlooked aspect of the sport we term, “Reading The Birds". Jim James - Owner of Carlson Championship Calls and 1996 World Duck Calling ChampionMon, 15 Nov 2004 22:08:12 GMTGearing Up for the 2004 Waterfowl Seasonhttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/gearing-up-for-the-2004-waterfowl-season-Page1.htmThe early teal and goose season is over, the days are beginning to shorten and the nights are becoming cool. Waterfowlers all over America are awaiting Opening Day and have been longing to lay their hands on the newest gear of 2004. So dust off your old favorites and catch a glimpse of the newest gear to hit the field in this year.John Dean, Jr.Wed, 27 Oct 2004 17:11:30 GMTDuck Call Versatilityhttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/Duck-Call-Versatility-Page1.htmWe’ve all heard the terms, “a versatile caller” and “a versatile call”. Without question versatility is a wonderful thing. But what is versatility and how does it relate to waterfowlers, calls and calling? Jim James - Owner of Carlson Championship Calls and 1996 World Duck Calling ChampionSun, 16 May 2004 22:13:17 GMTOut Of The Loop And Looking For Helphttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/out-of-the-loop-duck-calling-Page1.htmI’m a callmaker. In addition, I’ve spent over a decade competing on the competitive calling circuit all over the United States. I’ve been formally teaching waterfowlers on proper call operation twice a year for over 14 years, having instructed well over a thousand students. I’ve also been fortunate enough to win the World Duck Calling Contest in Stuttgart, Arkansas. One question...really almost a plea...that I hear from what I would term “average” waterfowlers from across the country is, “How can I get really good on a duck call?” This is usually followed by an inquiry as to whom I might suggest they contact in their neck of the woods for personal instruction. Jim James - Owner of Carlson Championship Calls and 1996 World Duck Calling ChampionTue, 16 Mar 2004 19:47:35 GMTGearing Up for the 2003 Waterfowl Seasonhttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/gearing-up-for-the-2003-waterfowl-season-Page1.htmThis year we are pleased to work with some of the best manufacturers in the outdoor world with several outstanding new products for waterfowling. Don’t be without these great new products as the season gets into full swingJohn Dean, Jr.Wed, 29 Oct 2003 07:20:03 GMTGoose Huntinghttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/Goose-Hunting-Page1.htmGoose hunting is generally a cold temperature proposition, requiring an inordinate amount of decoys and gear. The work begins long before dawn, with numb fingers and clouds of frost frozen into your face mask, but there isn’t much in the world of hunting that compares to the sight and sound of a sky full of geese falling on top of you.Web PatronMon, 27 Oct 2003 21:08:36 GMTA Spring Snowstormhttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/a-spring-snowstorm-Page1.htmI had never seen a white tornado before. I had heard the stories, seen the almost unbelievable images in hunting publications and even a video or two, but try as I might, I could not really visualize what thousands of greater snow geese slowly circling lower and lower into an agricultural field would look like. I don’t think anyone really can, for it truly is one of nature’s phenomenons. It is a sight that is really an experience, one that every waterfowler should see for himself to truly understand the grandeur and sheer greatness of this awe-inspiring spectacle.R. Michael DiLulloFri, 25 Jul 2003 13:10:32 GMTIn Search of “The Magical Flute”http://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/in-search-of-the-magical-flute-Page1.htmHow many duck calls do you have in your “call drawer”? How many have you tried and then relegated to the “call drawer” because “It just isn’t right” or, “It just doesn’t fit my style of calling”? I know of guys that not only have drawers full of calls but also sacks of calls. Some drag the sacks along every time they venture in to the field. How many guys do you know who insist they have a half-dozen duck calls around their neck while in the blind? They have one for hailing the ducks. They need another for when the ducks get closer. They need that “special call” for the real close-in ducks they don’t want to scare away.Jim James - Owner of Carlson Championship Calls and 1996 World Duck Calling ChampionThu, 24 Jul 2003 14:42:49 GMTSpeaking and Duck Callinghttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/Speaking-Duck-Calling-Page1.htmOver the years it seems instruction on how to operate a duck call has been a monumental task. In its simplest form it can be reduced to the “make ‘er sound like this” approach&#44; and in a more complex form it can be taught as the science it really is. The first approach relies on an abundance of talent while the second puts a premium on intelligence. <br>Jim James - Owner of Carlson Championship Calls and 1996 World Duck Calling ChampionSun, 20 Jul 2003 21:11:33 GMTGearing Up For Goose Huntinghttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/gearing-up-for-goose-season-Page1.htmEven though the warm weather and the green grass of September makes hunting season seem months away&#44; the colder nights and morning dew reminds us that early goose season is here and migratory season is fast approaching. As the days get shorter and the nights longer now is a perfect time to start thinking about gearing up for goose season. John Dean, Jr.Wed, 18 Sep 2002 14:10:44 GMTLate Season Waterfowlinghttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/late-season-waterfowling-Page1.htmThe demands of late season waterfowling on both hunter and dog requires prior planning, some specialized equipment and a bit of determination. But, the rewards of a late season hunt can be very productive, if you are prepared.R. Michael DiLulloWed, 09 Jan 2002 10:01:38 GMTThe Blindhttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/the-hunting-blind-Page1.htmThe old blind was a familiar place; one we had shared many times, many seasons before. It was a place of memories, of laughter, frustration and the quite reverence that only a hunter can know. The marvel of experiencing, and being part of nature herself. Of being witness to the first and the last, sunrise and sunset of the season, year after year. R. Michael DiLulloMon, 03 Dec 2001 08:51:00 GMTKeeping Them Warmhttp://www.gundogsonline.com/Article/waterfowl-hunting/keeping-them-warm-Page1.htmKeeping your hunting dog warm and dry, especially during the later part of the hunting season, means knowing the signs of cold-related illnesses and injuries and how to prevent them.R. Michael DiLulloFri, 09 Nov 2001 07:21:52 GMT