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24 Articles

THERE IS A LOT OF weirdness out there right now swirling in the waters of ‘fowling, some of it bad news and some of it wonderful. Best of times, worst of times. Strange times. Harlequin hunting closed in my home state of Washington, with too many outfitters partly to blame along with the spike in interest in seaducks. Canada’s ban on bringing home bird meat, due to avian flu, hurts. Argentina’s incredible duck country is under full attack from antis and it may very well end hunting there. Mexico is backsliding again into a danger zone after a long-awaited comeback. The Canada ban hits home. Eating those fat as hell pre-migration corn-fed mallards roasted skin-on is one of my favorite things. You can’t buy food like that in the fanciest restaurant. Yet, there…

MINER BAND VETERAN

I wanted to comment on the great article WILDFOWL wrote about Jack Miner. I think it may be one of the most popular articles ever and brings waterfowling history into perspective as hunters are our greatest conservationists. I have been very fortunate to live in Michigan and waterfowl hunt in all lower 48 and Alaska and recover 161 bands, and another 21 banded birds with various bands either too small and unreadable from teal or wood ducks, or in one case a simple green zip tie. Included are five reward bands, whether they are federal, state or waterfowl associations, etc., but most assuredly the highlight of nearly 38 years of hunting has been one or another of my Labs bringing back eight total Jack Miner duck bands and 5 Jack Miner…

MINER BAND VETERAN

REDHEAD REALITY

WHEN LATE TEXAS sporting artist John P. Cowan was alive, the former Rockport resident painted numerous Gulf Coast scenes filled with decoying pintails, timeless images that contained a lot of shallow water, a weathered duck blind sitting in inches of H2O, and plenty of decoying pintails. That’s understandable since the heyday of Cowan’s career in the 1970s, 1980s, and early 1990s featured an era rich with bull sprigs cautiously circling decoy spreads over the marshes and flats of the rich and voluminous Texas Gulf Coast region stretching from the Sabine River to the mouth of the Rio Grande. Curiously enough, with Cowan’s work also showcasing mallards, snow geese, bobwhite quail, and redfish, all species found throughout the 3,359 miles of coastline that the state offers, few, if any, detailed one of Texas’…

REDHEAD REALITY

CONSERVATION GROUPS OPPOSE BILL As we reported earlier this year on our Wildfowl Magazine website, shockwaves were produced in the waterfowling world when Georgia Congressman Andrew Clyde introduced H.R. 8167, proposed legislation that would gut the Pittman-Robertson Act of 1937. Almost immediately, strong opposition came out from many of the nation’s wildlife conservation leaders. “HR 8167 is a clear afront to our ability to conserve wildlife habitat, manage species and provide recreational opportunities to hunters and recreational shooters,” stated John Devney, Delta Waterfowl chief policy officer, in a news release. “To be blunt, this legislation seeks to dismantle the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation, the most successful model of its kind in the world.” TRAVELING HUNTERS BEWARE U.S. waterfowlers traveling to Canada this fall are facing an import ban in bringing back…

BҮ THE NUMBERS

17 entries in the first National Duck Calling Contest, held on Nov. 24, 1936 on Main Street in Stuttgart, Ark. Competitor Thomas E. Walsh of Greenville, Miss., who raised ducks, won that first world duck calling title. 18 times, the total number of times that a banded black duck drake was captured in a nine-year span by the Michigan Department of Conservation. 20 years, 7-months, that’s the oldest known redhead according to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology website, a bird that was banded in Minnesota after it hatched in 1976. The redhead was eventually taken by a duck hunter in Texas. 72 years, the amount of time that the RemArms.com website indicates that the Model 870 shotgun was in production. Produced since its introduction in 1950, more than 11,000,000 of the 870 shotguns…

THE SEASON HITS HARD ABOUT NOW, when October turns the corner into autumn, the time of year we live for. No matter how much we hunt, we can’t get enough, but one way to come closer is through immersion in hunting video content that has been curated just for us. A few years back, Outdoor Sportsman Group launched MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). The goal was simple: creating a Netflix for the Outdoors and Sportsman Channels (and World Fishing Network, too). In just a few years, total content has exploded. On MOTV, you can thumb through best-of-the best compilations, a huge search-friendly library of tens of thousands of HD-quality shows as well as short features and web exclusives. It’s like a super-library of outdoors viewing content and a terrific solution for those who can’t get…

❶ BAND #: 1937-26600 HUNTER: David Deuel, Chico, CA SPECIES: Lesser Snow Goose (F) BANDED: 8/01/2010 | Near Colville Delta, AK RECOVERED: 11/13/2021 | Colusa, CA 2,410 mileLONG-DISTANCE-CHAMP- ❷ BAND #: 1547-45957 HUNTER: Matthew Michiels SPECIES: Common Eider (H) BANDED: 5/25/2007 | Ile Du Brandypot, QC RECOVERED: 1/10/2022 | Orleans, MA Flyway Veteran ❸ BAND #: 2227-07752 HUNTER: Ely Crawford, Osceola, IA SPECIES: Mallard (D) BANDED: 8/14/2019 | Tulita, NT RECOVERED: 11/26/2021 | Near Brookfield, MO ❹ BAND #: 91639-96 (Jack Miner Band) HUNTER: Paul J. Nemeh, Fallon, NV SPECIES: Mallard BANDED: 11/27/1996 | Kingsville, ON RECOVERED: 9/28/2004 | Canora, SK ❺ BAND #: 1997-23853 HUNTER: Ashton Williamson, Virginia Beach, VA SPECIES: Atlantic Brant (M) BANDED: 7/28/2014 | Near Coral Harbour, NU RECOVERED: 1/28/2022 | Near Hatteras, NC ❻ BAND #: 2107-35113 HUNTER: Mark Spurgin, Paxton, NE…

BANDS, OR JEWELRY as they’re sometimes referred to in water-fowling circles, are a much sought-after prize, so much so that some waterfowlers deliberately seek them out, looking for a glimpse of silver as birds hover over the decoys. Lots of resident Canada geese get banded but most recoveries are too close to the banding location to make our Passages section. Every so often, however, we get a submission that’s worthy of a Band Tale. This is one such instance. Though a chilly 18 degrees, Jan. 29 was nonetheless a “bluebird day,” according to veterinarian Jason Robinson. He, along with his son, Jack, as well as his friend—Tom Loeb and his son, Spencer, were hunting the northeast section of the Loeb’s Arkansas farm. Set up in a small slough in a clearing…

OUR PHOTO GURU SAYS this is near Stuttgart, Arkansas, and there is some evidence that it is. Hunters out on the Grand Prairie wear these round hunting hats like several hunters are wearing. It’s great to see a youngster holding a big Canada. One thing is sure, its warmer weather with just canvas coats and no earflaps on the hats. When we read stories by the late Nash Buckingham it’s not hard to ascribe this photo to Arkansas. There is even a black-and-white movie of Buckingham and Field & Stream editor, Eltinge Warner, hunting Canada geese on a sandbar on the Mississippi River across from Arkansas. The film was made in 1921, when Buckingham was shooting a Model 1893 or 1897 Winchester pump. He bought his first Super Fox in January…

ROASTED TEAL WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

TEAL. “PERFECT, PETITE GIFTS FROM NATURE,” I’ve heard them called. This early season heralds the start of fall, an end to summer, and serves to scratch the itch for every waterfowler, though that itch is promptly replaced with a few new ones thanks to mosquitos hunting alongside you. Teal are delicious and if you follow these instructions, they’re incredibly easy to cook perfectly. I do like to age my teal for 3-4 days and because it’s always warm out in September (in most areas), I recommend doing this in your fridge. To do so, simply add your teal whole to the fridge and allow for ample airflow. Don’t try to age them if they’re shot to all h-e-double-hockey-stick. Skin those. Aging any game allows moisture to evaporate from the meat, thus concentrating…

ROASTED TEAL WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

OCTOBER IS A FAVORITE of many of us waterfowl fanatics. Most have cut down some early-season teal, and in some areas, Canada geese have already dropped their feet into spreads of fakes and helped hunters make memories and fill their freezers. The great news, though, is that as temps drop and migrations build, the best is yet to come. Here are some October gear choices to consider that will serve you well from now until the season's end and for years to come. ❚ GO SHALLOW What do you get when you combine 20 years of duck-boat-making ingenuity with a design that is already a duck hunter favorite? Excel has dubbed it the F4 Pro Hull, and make no mistake; this craft was designed to be light, tough, and quick. The Pro…

GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

❚ CZ 1012 SYNTHETIC BOTTOMLANDS Designed to run many of ammo and require minimal maintenance, this shooter is an ideal choice for the duck boat or goose pit. A gas-less Inertia Operating System uses a spring in the bolt to store energy during the gun's recoil. Stored energy rotates and unlocks a pair of lugs from the barrel extension and ejects the shell. During testing, CZ fired 5,000 consecutive rounds without adding a drop of oil or any cleaning solution. Every shotshell ejected flawlessly. The rib is an 8mm flat vent, and the barrel length is 28 inches. The maximum shell length is 3 inches. $750 | cz-usa.com ❚ COMFORTABLE & WARM I despise the feeling of neoprene on my skin, and somehow, even the most pricy pants or thermal layers never seem to…

THE LACKLUSTER TERMINAL PERFORMANCE of first-generation steel shot when compared to standard lead loads plagued waterfowl hunters for decades since the U.S Fish and Wildlife imposed the lead ban in 1991. Manufacturers answered our plea for better downrange performance with an onslaught of deadly, non-toxic waterfowl loads, but these premium loads come with a hefty, often cringe-worthy price tag. If these premium options are simply too expensive to justify the means, not all hope is lost. Modern technological advancements in steel loads have fostered monumental leaps and bounds in the terminal performance of steel shot when compared to their predecessors. Steve Meyer, Manager of Shotshell New Product Development at Winchester, has worked within the walls of Winchester Ammunition for 34 years. During his tenure, Meyer has not only seen first-hand the…

JOCKEYING FOR POSITION ON OPENING DAY of the second split of waterfowl season, the duck boat lineup idled through the no-wake zone at Iowa’s Lake Odessa. One by one, they reached full-throttle water and blasted off, with a huge boat blind running in third place. The first and second “best” hunting spots were taken by two faster boats capable of achieving speeds of 70 mph. Brent Timmerman’s boat with its fiberglass blind could only hit 50 mph, even by white-knuckling the throttle. “Lake Odessa is the only lake in Louisa County that allows hunters to stake out their boats along the bank, but no one is allowed to leave the bank to hunt until midnight,” Timmerman said. “We have people who watch our boat and everyone who hunts there knows everyone else,…

SIGNS OF UNRAVELING

WHILE I HAVE A deep passion for retrievers and waterfowl hunting, I divide my time up between ducks and deer each fall. I love bowhunting whitetails, and there is something that happens each season that reminds me of our dogs. It involves the frequency of target practice sessions. Throughout the summer, the motivation to try to shoot a few tight groups is easy to come by. But once the hunting season kicks off, it’s much easier to head to my stand than to the target range. I have to remind myself to practice when I can just as easily go hunting. What does this have to do with dogs? Well, we do the same thing with training. Throughout the summer and the pre-season, we put our retrievers through daily drills in anticipation…

SIGNS OF UNRAVELING

EVERY BAND HAS A STORY

Please send band report information or band tale stories including Band Number, Species, Sex, Banding Date, Banding Location, Recovery Date, Recovery Location, Hunter Name and Address and Comments, or photocopies of your band certificates for banded waterfowl to our Digital Editor: Chris Ingram (chris.ingram@outdoorsg.com) or Wildfowl Magazine: P.O. Box 1248; Middlebury, VT 05753. You can also submit on our website WILDFOWLMAG.COM or scan the QR code on the right. Please be sure to submit your own name and band information to the USGS.…

EVERY BAND HAS A STORY

THE STORIES ABOUT unlucky hunters capsizing their duck boats in the dark, or of retrievers dead-set on grabbing wounded divers as they paddle farther out into big water, abound. They stick with us. They represent the scariest scenarios we can imagine. There’s no reason to underestimate the danger of cold, rough water combined with frigid air temperatures, either. But the biggest threat to us, and our retrievers, might just be the drive to, and from, our spots. This is true whether you hunt local ducks 20 minutes from home, or plan your season around a road trip that takes you to far-flung destinations in search of a duck fix you just can’t get in your neighborhood. There are a few agencies like the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Centers…

GUNFIRE INTRODUCTION

ONE WAY TO INCREASE the likelihood of a puppy developing gun shyness is to grab the old 12-gauge, go out to the training area, sit your puppy directly beside you and startle him by cranking off rounds. At this point, you have, by your own devices, created a potential training nightmare, one that the puppy may never get over. Here’s the proper way to introduce gunfire. I introduce all my pups to gunfire only after they are retrieving well. To accomplish this task, I set my 4-shooter launcher out at 100 yards from where I intend to have the puppy sit. I then heel pup over to that predetermined point, command “sit” and then “watch,” press the tone button to get pup’s attention, and fire a dummy from the launcher that will…

GUNFIRE INTRODUCTION

FINDING A PATTERN

LAST FALL I WAS hunting ducks and geese on a small farm pond. A lone honker came skidding into the decoys at 25 yards and I knew it was dinner. But it didn’t come together as I envisioned, in a clean, one-shot kill. My first shot busted the left wing of the goose. It landed and was swimming near some floating honker decoys at 30 yards. My two follow-up shots didn’t touch it’s head or neck. Rather than sticking in the same loads I’d just shot, I grabbed my standby Browning Wicked Wing, 3-inch 2 shot. The goose was engulfed in a mist, and when it cleared, the bird was stone dead. After 47 years of waterfowl hunting, I learned a lesson: Don’t trust a load just because it’s supposed to be…

FINDING A PATTERN

GREENHEAD Obsession

What do you think of when someone mentions "duck hunting?” The phrase generates a certain mental picture depending on where you’re from or how you’ve been chasing the migration. Before I had any reason for my mind to paint the canvas any other way, duck hunting to me meant strings of mallards cascading down through a flooded timber hole in Arkansas, as cadences of quacks and chuckles echoed through the trees. For as long as I could remember, at least until my first duck hunt in Vermont, this distinctive scene was synonymous with all I knew about this timeless tradition. To me, greenheads in the green timber was simply duck hunting in its purest form. I chased a few whitetails in Wisconsin with my father as a kid, but finally had…

GREENHEAD Obsession

Standing on my covered porch in Hyder, Alaska, I was enthralled with dozens of migrating rufous hummingbirds, many of which were drinking from my hand. Then I heard the unmistakable sounds of sandhill cranes in the distance. It was spring, and the northerly bird migration was underway in southeast Alaska. The residents had been talking all winter of the coming of the sandhills. Everything they’d been telling me was right; but when it happened, their descriptions paled in comparison to actually seeing and hearing the grand display in person. Over the next few days, some 20,000 sandhill cranes funneled down through the towering, snow-covered peaks engulfing the tiny Alaskan community, landing in the tidal flats to rest, feed, and court. Nature’s amphitheater provided the perfect platform for the most stunning sandhill crane…

"Just after noon on October 3, 1942 with great anticipation and a deafening roar, 25 tons of thrust lifted a 26-foot-tall V-2 from its launch moorings. For the first time, humans had managed to propel the world’s first large, liquid-fueled ballistic missile into space. It was one of the twentieth century’s most epochal and impressive technological achievements, developed by the Nazis to attack Allied cities in retaliation for the bombing of German cities. Scientists and engineers at the missile research facility near the village of Peenemunde had carried out the first successful launch of the V-2. The village, located on the northern tip of Usedom Island in northern Germany on the Baltic Sea, was the nerve center of the V-2 rocket program. The site was chosen on the recommendation of Wernher…

THE GOOSE FACTORY

Acold front had pounded the drought -ravaged Prairie Potholes Region at just the right time before our late September hunt, and dawn broke with high expectations as we huddled in the blind backed up against standing corn. We’d come from all over to try to cheat the season and get a leg up on the fall migration, hoping to hammer honkers at the tip of the spear where they pour into the Central Flyway from the Prairie Potholes Region. But like big geese often are, the birds were late, acting more like honkers do when it’s bitter cold. Finally, around 9 a.m., “Everybody get down!” and guide Austin Kaufman opened up with his crazy ability to sound like 20 birds. The Canadas played ball and came in low and slow, but not…

THE GOOSE FACTORY

MY FIRST DUCK: OR WAS IT?

CONFESSION: I don’t know when I shot my first duck. Or my second. Or my seventh. But my EIGHTH duck…that’s a moment I will never forget. Let me back up. Last Tuesday afternoon, I was mowing my lawn and listening to The Wildfowl Podcast. Hosts Skip, Ratch and Jim McConville were chatting with the legendary Alex Langbell of GunDog Outdoors (Season 2, Episode 7) when Alex began telling the story of his first duck: a hen mallard he bagged as a 12-year-old on a jump shoot in Nevada. The moment was powerful for Alex. Life shaping. Transformative. You could hear the emotion as he described it, even decades later. It was beautiful. But for me? Utterly painful. That’s because like many waterfowlers, my “first duck” moment was not beautiful; it was ambiguous.…

MY FIRST DUCK: OR WAS IT?

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