Bird Hunting - Waterfowl Hunting and Upland Bird Hunting

Volume.... Too Much? Not Enough? Where & When?
Volume 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. (Continue)

Southern Doves, A Legacy of Tradition
The breeze woke me from my semi-sleep-like state. The heat was beginning to dissipate, although, the sun was still high in the late afternoon sky. Through the shimmering mirage-like waves, I could see two camo-clad hunters taking-up their position across the field. My two female English Springer Spaniels “Bess” and “Flo,” lying one on each side, had managed to find what limited shade was available. I leaned back against the roll of hay and checked my watch. It was nearly 4 p.m., the magic hour was approaching, the sky would soon be full of doves. I would have plenty of targets and the dogs, hopefully would have birds to retrieve.
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If you could just teach me to chuckle!
I'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. (Continue)

Hevi-Steel - Low Priced and Effective in the Field
No, it is not Hevi-Shot, the very impressive non-toxic shot that has been out gunning everything on the market of late, but it is manufactured by the same people, Environmetal Inc. I am talking about Hevi-Steel and what it amounts to is a lower grade non-toxic shot product that will still outgun steel shot, but not burn a hole in your pocket as you try to pay for the stuff.(Continue)

A Spring Snowstorm
I 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.(Continue)

Decoy Placement for Field Hunting Canada Geese
Over 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. (Continue)


 

Speaking and Duck Calling
Over 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, 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.
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You and the 12-Yard Bird
Short range targets -- and pen raised quail, grouse, woodcock and skeet stations #1 low house, #7 high house and #8 high and low houses come immediately to mind -- present a different kind of challenge. They come closest to typifying the kind of hunting we get today with more preserve shooting and with better trained, closer working dogs. We are all seeing -- and taking -- more close range shots. (Continue)