The Waterfowl Grind

The Weather Man

2009-06-29T19:36:00.000-07:00

It seems as though every Minnesota fishing opener I can remember it rains. Sunday is always a nice sunny day but on Saturday it is always miserable. I don’t know what the exact odds of it raining on fishing opener are, however that time of year I imagine it is close to fifty percent.
When participating in any activity that is performed outdoors it is important to have a grasp on the current weather. This is especially true when hunting and fishing. Not only does one need to be prepared for the elements by dressing properly; fish and animal movements are often influenced by the weather.
Barnie Calef once told me that ‘winter storm warning’ are a waterfowl hunters three favorite words. It doesn’t matter if you are hunting ducks and geese in Minnesota or the Dakotas. When birds are on the move, due to dropping temps and freezing water, hunting is good. The key to consistently having success hunting over decoys is hunting ‘fresh’ or new birds.
Another veteran of waterfowl hunting, Dean Tlougan, owner and operator of Premiere Flight guide service says that barometric pressure plays a role in the success of a goose hunt. Fishing tends to pick up when the barometric pressure falling as well, typically right before cold fronts or storms. I cannot confirm or deny that barometric plays a role with decoying birds.
Many people claim they can feel pressure and weather changes in their joints and can accurately predict changing weather. Due to a high school football leg injury, I can typically tell if the weather is going to change through pain in my ankle. Listening, watching or reading weather forecasts through any media is just another way to insure a safe and enjoyable time in the outdoors. However, similar to the weather, game and fish do not always cooperate.
A few short years ago my friends and I would hunt geese in Canada from a remote farmhouse, which we rented. With little or no cell reception, no television or radio it was hard to get an accurate weather forecast. Lucky for us, my buddy J.D. would have his girlfriend call him at the farmhouse every night at nine.
From her apartment she would look up the forecast online and give J.D. a current and accurate forecast for Saskatchewan. With the forecast being critical for preparation, her phone calls were a lifesaver. J.D. would get everything from the temperature to wind direction and speed. Which would save us precious time in the morning figuring how we were going to set decoys and blinds. When decoying snow geese, wind is a must.
Today J.D. has and iPhone and the farmhouse we rent surprisingly has upgraded with a wireless Internet connection. Now we can get current and accurate forecasts from J.D.’s phone. Don’t worry, J.D. still talks to his girlfriend while we are in Canada, just not as frequently or at a scheduled time.
As I have grown older time seems to be traveling by faster and faster. Living in the Midwest and getting to fully experience all four seasons gives one a sense of change and renewal. In autumn the changing of the leaves and the crackle of Canada geese urges hunters to seek sunrises. When lakes freeze fisherman want to fish through the ice and when it the lakes open in the spring we seek open water.
No two hunting and fishing seasons are the same. Year to year regulations can change with some predictability. Yet so much of our success as hunters and fisherman are pending approval from Mother Nature.

The Meat Dog

2009-06-29T19:34:00.000-07:00

“There are lots of ‘meat dogs’ out there that you can keep in the house and take out on weekends and kill birds over.” Says professional dog trainer Dave Alvarez. “They have medium to advanced hunting and retrieving skills, and they’ll hunt their tails off.” For the past twelve years my father and I have been hunting with his female black lab Cullie, and she is defiantly a ‘meat dog.’
My father picked Cullie up at a bar in Sheldon, Wisconsin. The owner of the bar was the owner of her mother and she was sired by one of Tom Dokken’s males. Cullie has always had an excellent nose, a trait my father says she got from her mother. In her retrieving career Cullie has lost very few birds, according to her breeder, Cullie’s mother accomplished a similar feat.
Many experts and non-experts have differing opinions on what to look for when picking out a puppy. Once I asked my father what method he used to pick out Cullie. He simply replied that she was the only black female available and that is what he desired. For me, that works.
Growing up in Saint Paul there was not a ton of opportunities to properly train a gundog. Cullie’s early training consisted mainly of plastic bumpers and basic obedience. Not having access to training birds, she was brought into the game with on-the-job training. She learned how to hunt through hunting, not re-enactment, which is not perfect but has worked out great in the long run.
Cullie has never been able to run a true blind retrieve. One can cast her with hand signals while hunting or looking for a dead bird but she doe not sit on a whistle blast. If someone in our hunting party shoots a bird that Cullie does not see fall you simply have to walk her to the fall area. Repeat ‘dead’ to her a few times and she will circle with her nose to the ground until she picks up the scent. Ninety-nine percent of the time she will recover the bird, sometimes tracking cripples multiple yards away from the fall.
Trust in a retriever is a must. Typically dogs have to earn trust, but they always have better sense of smell than humans. Often I have thought a bird went one way, when Cullie ultimately recovers it in a different direction. Time in the field will build teamwork and trust.
At twelve years of age Cullie is very calm and sleeps a lot around the house. To the untrained eye it would appear that she is not an energetic birddog. Get out the guns and start packing the camouflage and she seems to transform into a different creature, a hunting machine. The night before duck opener at the lake, no one is more excited than Cullie.
My mother has an orange jacket and whenever she wears it Cullie starts jumping up and down. It is kind of amusing; the dog thinks she is going pheasant hunting.
The past couple falls my father and I have limited Cullie to half days in the field and kept better tabs on her physical abilities. Cullie’s eyes and ears are starting to go but she still has an excellent nose. She has been kept in pretty good shape, especially with the addition of the new pup Stella. Cullie would hunt all day still if you let her, but as humans we must use some rationale and restrict her from pushing to the limits.
After a great opening weekend of duck hunting where she made many retrieves and hunted like a dog in it’s prime at ten years of age, my cousin Bill Hirschey told me he thought she would hunt at least four more years. That would be awesome if the prediction holds true, but I feel like it may be a difficult accomplishment.
The same season Cullie made a 100-yard retrieve on a crippled diver in large waves on a North Dakota slough. She is not steady to shot, or I would have probably stopped her from pursuing the bird. My hunting companion, Matt Gouette and I were a little nervous until she returned with the bird twenty yards down shore then proceeded to sprint down the shoreline and deliver the bird to hand. Although she was never force broken, she has always delivered to hand.
Matt has confided to me that he has had dreams where retrieves like that are Cullie’s last. She probably wouldn’t want to go any other way and I plan on allowing her to hunt until the end. I have always thought that Cullie would be the best hunting dog my father ever owned. I guess the jury is still out on that one for now. However, Cullie will forever be the ultimate meat dog.

Freelancing South Dakota Pheasants

2008-11-24T20:37:00.000-08:00

I have said it before, and I will say it again. When there is snow on the ground and the sloughs are frozen, that is my favorite time of the year to hunt pheasants. This season we have had snow and freezing temps across the Midwest. So last weekend my father and I took advantage of the weather that has be absent the last couple hunting seasons to chase pheasants.
In an article, legendary outdoor writer Tony Dean said that South Dakota is the best place for hunters to pursue pheasants. With South Dakota having lots of pheasants and plenty of opportunities for hunters, I believe that Tony is right. My father and I both had a second five-day period available on our licenses so we chose to go back to Sodak.
Freelancing pheasants in South Dakota is like freelancing ducks in North Dakota. Basically there are birds all over the state and to be successful you have to be mobile. Knowing different areas is crucial, so we decided to hunt pheasants in an area we have never hunted for them in.
Our goal was to target cattails for the majority of our hunts. When the water beneath them is frozen, cattails provide excellent cover for late-season pheasants. Plus, it is cover that, for the most part, has just recently become accessible. I was hoping that hunters had overlooked these spots so far this season.
The two of us ended up hunting mostly Waterfowl Production Areas with the three labs we brought along. Waterfowl Production Areas or WPAs are public lands open to hunting that are purchased through Federal duck stamp dollars. These lands always have some form of water on them and are natural places to find cattails. Pheasant hunters have to remember that steel-shot is legally required on Waterfowl Production Areas.
My father and I ended up hunting Federal land, but the state of South Dakota has public land available to hunters as well. Most of the land I saw that was purchased by the state had food plots on it. South Dakota also has state funded Walk-In areas. These land plots are only accessible by foot, like the majority of public land. The state basically leases the land for the Walk-In areas from farmers, and opens the land up for public hunting. Pretty cool.
I feel that most hunters when freelancing just open up a public hunting map and say, ‘look at all the public land around here.’ Usually pointing out a few areas of concentration and suggest to others that they go there. These are places that I try to avoid. I don’t have any problems with putting on a few extra miles to avoid other hunters.
Blocking strategies for jumpy birds and dogs for finding birds that are holding are a must when hunting pheasants later in the season. We had the dogs, but we could have used some blockers. Still we were able to find a handful of roosters that were willing to hold in the snow and cold.
On our recent trip my father and I discovered that our new spot is a good one. It is always a pleasure to hunt with a good friend in a new area. Next season we are planning on going back and bringing a few more shooters. Now that we have hunted a few different areas, we know how to cover them the right way.
On the drive home from South Dakota I was pleasantly surprised by the number of pheasants my father and I spotted. We probably saw twenty-five birds feeding in cornfields while we were driving along I-90. The funny thing is that we didn’t spot a single one from the Interstate in South Dakota. I almost couldn’t believe that all the birds I saw were on the Minnesota side of our drive.

Dave's Band

2008-11-24T20:36:00.000-08:00

I met Dave Easton in the fall of 2000 at the Phi Delta Theta fraternity house on the University of North Dakota campus in Grand Forks. Dave had a burning passion to pursue game in the outdoors and a Jeep. I had three-dozen mallard floaters and knowledge of waterfowl passed down from my father and relatives. Together we were poised to make a great team.
Dave grew up in Colorado were there was few opportunities for him to hunt ducks. His own father was more of an upland hunter who brought Dave to western Nebraska and local game farms to harvest pheasants. To this day I have yet to encounter an individual who was more excited to experience new ways to hunt and fish.
I was just a freshman and Dave was a sophomore. Before the duck season began on the prairie we had agreed that we would hunt together as much as possible together. Dave had hunted ducks the season before with a couple older guys in the Frat, who at the time rented a house off-campus. These older Phi’s were kind enough to allow the two of us to store our firearms and the decoys at there home.
It was a time in my life that I will always remember. I was 19 years old, living on my own for the first time, making new friends, just forty-five minutes East of some of the best duck hunting in the Central flyway. If I could re-live one duck season, it would be my first fall in North Dakota.
On weekdays Dave and I would leave the UND campus in the early afternoon, after our classes were completed. Once the guns were picked up, yours truly would be riding shotgun in the Jeep, while we coasted west down highway 2 towards the prairie-potholes.
Whether or not you that have traveled down highway 2 to from Grand Forks, I will give you my re-cap. You pass the Grand Forks airport, then the Grand Forks Air Force Base, Turtle River state park, and the ‘big fan’ bridge just before Petersburg. Once you cross the bridge have left the Red River valley and are now in the prairie-potholes.
Those afternoons Dave and I would just drive around and jump shoot ducks. Gas was cheap, and I had never seen any place like it. It seemed as though every slough contained birds. Coming from Minnesota where my childhood hunts were mostly filled with ‘empty skies,’ I thought that I was in paradise.
Dave, the Colorado kid, none the wiser, was thoroughly enjoying hunting plentiful game with a new friend. Every turn on those dusty gravel roads contained new experiences for the both of us. Species of ducks, first doubles, triples, leg bands and the bag limits that had eluded me through my early years of waterfowl hunting were found.
On the weekends Dave and I would occasionally wake up before daybreak and set out decoys on several small potholes that we had become fond of. We rarely shot our limits over these sets, but we enjoyed seeing the sunrises that many of our fellow college students missed.
Back on campus Dave and I would clean plump mallards, gadwalls, teal and the occasional diver in the girl’s bathroom of the Frat house. This is also where we cleaned the perch and northern we pulled through the ice in the wintertime. In the kitchen we would mix duck breasts with any spices we could find and share them with our Frat brothers.
Our good friend Phil Bettenburg occasionally joined us on our duck hunts and the three of us go on a fishing trip every summer to this day. In the latter years of college Dave and I discovered field hunting for ducks and geese, and many new hunting partners. Some experienced, some not. By the time we both graduated and parted ways we had learned a ton about waterfowl hunting through experience and others.
Towards the end we did not hunt as much together as I would have liked. Goals and opinions changed, and educations needed to be completed in the classroom, not just the outdoors. Everything is good, but I would not trade those memories of the carefree early years for anything.
On one crisp October afternoon Dave shot a nice drake mallard just west of Petersburg, North Dakota. I, being a good friend and the one with waders on, retrieved the bird for him. To my surprise it was banded! At that time I had only seen two other banded birds harvested.
That mallard was banded in North Dakota at the J. Clark Wildlife Refuge. It was 12 years old when it met its fate at the hand of Dave’s steel 2s. Traveling up and down the flyway on that old North Dakota bird, the Avise bird band is a great memento and a true jewel. Dave’s band now hangs on my lanyard, and I think about those days every time I glance down at it. Dave gave it to me because he says that he never cared as much about the band as I did. He was more into mental aspects of the hunt, memories and experiences.

A Dream Hunt

2008-09-26T18:05:00.000-07:00

It was an unbelievable day. The snow was coming down sideways and the birds were committing suicide. I filled my Swan tag with a black neck collared bird that was sporting a Tarsus band to boot. I picked the bird out of a decoying flock that came in at first light.
Matt and I also shot about twenty snow geese, one of which was a yellow neck-collared blue! Since I had shot the swan earlier I let Matt claim the collar and leg band. On top of a limit of drake mallards I also recovered a Spoonbill for my bonus bird. The catch, the spoonbill was also banded! The leg iron on the spoonbill meant more to me than the collared Swan. The band on the spoonbill was so old I could only make out the “AD” of Advise.
I felt like I was on top of the world as I drove my brand new pick-up across the snowy cornfield. It was cold, but my body was nice and toasty with the feeling of accomplishment. As I stepped out of the truck into the decoy spread Matt showed me his bonus bird. It was a banded Greenwing Teal he bagged while I was walking back to the pickup.
Later we were sitting in a small diner in the middle of Nodak, decked out, wearing our lanyards in the joint, showing off the new bling. I was flirting with the cute waitress when I was awaken by my sounding alarm clock. Damn.
It was one of those dreams that are so real you have to check your surroundings when you wake. Needless to say, I was glad to find myself in my room, but discouraged that I had to be at work in a half an hour.
Since I was a young boy I have been having dreams about hunting. My most terrifying nightmares are also about waterfowling. Usually the nightmares are occurring on opening day of the duck season, and I am unable to hunt for various reasons. In these nightmares ducks are swarming me like mosquitoes and all I can do is sit there and point my finger at them.
I have a reoccurring dream about shooting a double-banded snow goose. The location of the hunt, the time of year and the hunting partners change, but it’s always the same bird. More specifically it’s a Ross goose with a twenty-five dollar “reward” band and the standard “Call” band.
I retrieve the bird and as I am walking back to my hunting partners I have a Kool-Aid smile on my face. I’m a nice guy, so I tell the boys, “I am keeping the reward band for myself and the rest of you guys can draw straws for the other leg iron.” Just like that, two hunting buddies become brothers in arms, connected through a bird, each of them having a band from the same bird on their respective lanyards.
From what I have read about dreaming the dreamer has little control of the events in the dream. Dreams typically deal with events that are occurring in the same time period in which the dream takes place. I dream about hunting more often before and during the waterfowl season. Dreams often include feelings and events that the dreamer has experienced in his or her life. I wonder what people who do not hunt dream about?
Scientists say we have many dreams throughout the night, but only remember very few of them. REM (Rapid Eye Movement) is the stage of sleep in which dreams occur. If the dreamer awakes during REM they have the greatest chance of remembering their dreams. So if you are awaken you have a greater chance of remembering your dreams. I rarely wake up at five in the morning naturally to go duck hunting.
Native Americans believed that dreams were “visions” of what is to come. I hope I do not forget my gun next year on duck opener, but there are banded birds in my future.

MN Early Goose Opener

2008-09-26T18:03:00.001-07:00

Labor Day, with most of my peers taking jet-ski rides around the lakes or at the MN State Fair, Matt Gouette and I were in south central Minnesota scouting for geese. We choose to scout and hunt a new area for a couple different reasons. One, the new area is about half the distance of our old haunts in western Minnesota and two I heard from my friend J.D. Westerholm there was a good amount of geese down there.
The stock market guru Warren Buffet says that it is impossible to tell what will happen to the market in the short run, and very easy to tell what will happen in the long run. That is how I feel about goose hunting in Minnesota. The night before the early goose opener in Minnesota, even with a lot of time put in scouting, I am still not sure what to expect the next morning.
Matt Gouette and I had found a lot of geese in the area we were going to hunt, but we could not get permission for the two cut cornfields the geese were using. Through talking with the landowner we did know that the fields were going to be hunted on opening day. So our plan was to set up in a field in the flight path between the roost and the two fields the geese were using. With the commotion of opening day we figured we could coax a few young Canada geese into our decoys.
As a backup, there was a small pond and a larger body of water we could hunt. Both of which were with in a half-mile of the roost the majority of the birds were using. Once again, due to the confusion of opening day we were confident that with decoys and calling we could bring birds into range in either of these spots.
So as we drove to the field on the morning of Sept 6th, the outcome was going to be anyone’s guess. Were other hunters going to blow the roost? Was there going to be pass shooters in the area? Wind, no wind, rain? In the long-term I knew that if I put my time in I was going to have some good days hunting Canada geese in Minnesota. As for the short-term we were about to find out.
When Matt and I got to the field we were going to hunt there was little sign of other hunters in the area. As we set up the decoys and brushed the blinds we only saw a few vehicles drive by. Most of which were cars so I assumed that they were not hunters. It was getting lighter out and I kept thinking to myself, ‘this could be good.’
Once the hands of the clock indicated that it was legal shooting time the geese were more easy go than easy come. Goose calls being played by hunters began to sound all around us as if they were to start on queue.
Still I thought that we had an okay chance of getting a few geese but once the shooting started I wasn’t sure. All the flocks we saw coming off the roost flew higher and higher as the sun rose. All of which wanted nothing to do with our decoy spread. We even saw one flock circle a decoy spread that was not far from us like ten times. Then once the group shot, not a single bird fell. Which tells me that they were possibly out of range. Still the birds were acting more like late season birds.
Matt and I were packing up the spread when a DNR officer drove up and checked our licenses and shells. He said that a few pass shooters had geese and the hunters in the cut sweet corn fields had harvested a few geese. The officer also confirmed my assumption that hunters had set decoys on the water the geese were using as a roost. They too had shot a few geese.
My first Minnesota goose opener in nine years was a good reality check for Matt and I. It did solidify my belief that goose hunting on opening day is a roll of the dice, and that still it is better to be out and about than sitting on the couch. All was not for not, we were able to switch areas for the Sunday morning shoot and set up on a water hole with no scouting hoping to ‘run traffic.’ We shot one goose Sunday morning, the only bird that came into the decoys or with in range the whole weekend for that matter. When the bird came in, it came in hard, cupped and committed.

DRC

2008-08-18T20:28:00.000-07:00

To be honest, it there was a jury full of ducks and geese; I would probably be on death row. The last couple of years I have been lucky enough to hunt waterfowl in several states and Canada each season. In doing so I have hunted with lots of different people using lots of different techniques. Coming home and hunting around my home state of Minnesota using new techniques is challenging and exciting.
I believe that Minnesota waterfowl hunters have more all-around knowledge and hunt harder then hunters from many other states. Minnesota waterfowl hunters must be continually learning and trying new things to be successful. This innovation results in many leading edge products being born in Minnesota.
The short-reed goose call may not have been born in Minnesota, but it certainly has evolved here. Not only is Minnesota home to some of the country’s best goose callers, there are many call-makers that file their taxes within in our great state. The newest call company, Death Row Calls, is quickly making a name for it’s self in the field and on stage.
I imagine that it was a sunny day at the Gamefair when a blonde-haired, younger guy from Thief River Falls stunned a quite audience by winning the 2007 State Goose Calling Championship. I have to imagine because I was not there, but when I heard the news through the grapevine I was excited.
That guy’s name is Cory Loeffler, and for those that know him it should have come as no surprise that he would be crowned state champ. I have known since Cory through calling contests since the fall of 2004. Cory has been collecting plaques and beating this author in calling contests up and down the Red River valley since then.
The thing that surprised me was that Cory won the state championship that day with a call from his new call line, Death Row Calls or DRC for short. Cory had started the new call line in the early part of 2007 and I was impressed by the calls when I first got to try one the second weekend of the ’07 Gamefair.
Not only were the DRC calls displayed on stage during the Gamefair, Cory, being a smart entrepreneur, had a booth at the popular event. When I had the opportunity to congratulate Cory in person, the DRC table was littered with plaques collected by the DRC crew that week. Around the DRC shop in Thief River the guys like to joke that the Death Row Calls line should have gotten an award for being the ‘rookie of the year.’
In it’s first year of existence the Death Row Calls line has won nearly 30 calling competitions. Besides the Minnesota State goose, callers won the North Star Two Man duck and goose with DRC calls. The North Star is a major calling competition held annually in Minnesota, usually at the Gamefair. Competition callers come from all over the country to compete in this event.
I am the kind of waterfowl hunter who likes to wear my passion for the sport all year. At any time you can catch me wearing apparel from various outdoor product manufactures. Another thing Cory has done right is design and print shirts and sweatshirts that are stylish. Believe it or not, goose calling is becoming a Fad with the younger generations.
I would like to end this column with a quick story. Contrary to popular belief, many of us who travel and compete in various calling contests across Minnesota get along very well. I met Cory Loeffler backstage at a calling contest. Although he is mainly a goose caller, once we were both waiting behind the scenes for a duck calling competition. I was surprised when he told me then that it was going to be the first time he had competed at duck calling. We joked around a little and I ended up finishing in second place. Cory says that if you don’t know how to call, you shouldn’t make calls. That day he took first in his first duck calling competition.
If you want to learn more about Death Row Calls feel free to call Cory at the DRC shop 218-686-6617. Or check out www.deathrowcalls.com.

Suspended Crappies

2008-08-18T20:22:00.000-07:00

It’s all down hill from here. Not really but soon the summer sun will heat the waters of Minnesota lakes and the fish will go deep. Walleyes, found in shallow water until mid-June will be tough to find, and big schools of largemouth bass will move in search of cooler water. This is when I switch my focus to panfish.
For the next couple of week’s crappies will be my fish of choice. In Minnesota crappies can be fished for and caught all year round. I find that fishing for them post-spawn is more of a challenge. Early in the spring one can simply tiptoe down my dock and my neighbors and catch a few crappies straight jigging with a minnow. I wait till these fish go deep to pursue them.
Traditionally, crappies with their “paper mouths” are a challenge to catch and these fish make excellent table fair. They are pleasure to land and consume.
While fishing the other day I noticed a school of crappies swarming the surface of the calm water on the lake I was fishing. I should have switched tactics and presented theses fish with a jig. However, I am hardheaded and I wanted to fool one more walleye while the fish were still hanging in shallower water.
Some people fish for Crappies using a minnow and a plain hook. Personally, I use jigs or jig heads tipped with minnows. I have found that a 1/16-ounce jig tipped with a fathead minnow works the best. The largest jig size I would use for Crappie is 1/8-ounce. As a rule, I usually say the smaller the better, this allows for a slower presentation. Some fishermen swear by tube jigs, twister tails and flu flu’s. All these are added attractants, which I find myself using only when I run out of bait.
Crappies are a suspended fish by nature, hanging on the edge of weed lines off the bottom. Crappie strike upward, like the majority of fish. This makes it crucial for fishermen to present their bait or jig above the fish. If you are fishing below them, or at their level, you might as well be sitting at home playing video games.
I have found that Crappie hit slower presentations the most, often times on the drop of the cast. The best way I have found to place the jig at the right depth and speed is using a slip-bobber. If I find a school of Crappie suspended five feet from the surface of the water, I set my slipknot at four feet. With a 1/16-ounce jig head tipped with a minnow, I will cast ten to fifteen yards. Once the slipknot has reached the bobber I slowly reel the set-up in.
Not only does the slip bobber allow the less experienced fishermen to place the jig at the proper depth and speed, it also helps with the hook set. When jigging without the bobber I find the majority of fishermen pull the jig out of the fish’s mouth, or set it after the fish has spit it out. The bobber seems to allow the perfect delay for an accurate hook set. Of course, using the proper equipment helps as well. Ultra light rods and reels are essential to feeling hollow strikes while panfishing.
Mastering the technique is unfortunately easier then finding the fish. It is important to first scout out beaver dams, sunken islands and channel openings when searching for schools of crappie. Look for them to be in roughly ten feet of water suspended five to six feet from the bottom.
In my youth my cousin would always bring along a few Daddy-longlegs spiders when we went out panfishing. When we got to suspected areas he would toss them on the calm water. The spiders would run for shore and we would locate schools of crappies by the fish attacking the spiders on the surface of the water. When fishing, sometimes you have to think outside the box to be successful.

Bass Basics

2008-06-09T20:05:00.000-07:00

The first step I took as a fisherman was from catching sunnies off the dock to casting for bass along the docks. It is true that bass are a sunfish, so in theory this is a logical step. Most of my friends, like me, first started serious fishing for bass and then transitioned into walleyes.
Early in the year bass can be found in shallow hard bottom parts of many lakes. These are the spawning beds that the bass use. Bass can be caught in these areas by casting many different types of presentations. I have had the most luck using white or chartreuse spinner baits with fast retrieves. The hard bottoms of these locations are key for finding fish; a good spot to start is sandy bottoms or bulrushes.
Once the water warms up the bass will move into deeper cooler water. Under normal conditions in the mid-west this should occur in early June. Bass can be caught in 6-10 feet of water casting shallow diving crank baits and spinner baits. Small spoons and live bait presentations can work too.
Through July bass will move deeper but can be fished using the same methods. I have had very good luck catching largemouths with leeches while walleye fishing in the dog days. In fact some would argue that live bait presentations might be the best way to catch bass. Longtime guide Marv Koep of the Brainerd Lakes area swears by fishing with redtail chubs in 8-12 feet of water. The largemouth bass after all is in the Panfish family and I do not know of a better way to catch panfish then with a bobber.
Schools of Largemouth Bass and that contain larger fish are most commonly found in deeper water. The exception is that some fish find shade under docks and boats. Bass find these places to be ideal for eating bluegills as well. I have found casting spinner baits in these areas is the best approach. Spinner baits are the most versatile lure on the market; you can fish them deep, shallow, and they don’t usually hook up on weeds and docks. My buddies and I refer to this approach as “bass-mastering it.”
On lakes with softer bottoms lily pads also provide shade on sunny days for largemouth bass. Spots where the lily pads end, and drop offs begin are good locations. During the day try casting weedless spoons and top water lures into the lily pads. The key with top-water is to have a very slow retrieve. If you bring a top-water lure over the drop off make sure to really slow it down once the lure has moved past the weeds. You want to give the bass the impression that the lure ventured into some place it shouldn’t have.
If you don’t have success in the lily pads then go back along the same shoreline and fish the drop off. I like casting crankbaits that dive quickly like the Rapala fat-raps and rattle-traps. Cast the lure on the edge of the lily pads so it cranks down the drop off on the first part of your retrieve. Different colors work in different lakes during different light conditions. A good color to start with when using crankbaits for bass is crawdad.
In northern Minnesota Smallmouth Bass can be caught by casting the same lures along rocky drop offs. These spots can be identified by steep shorelines. This is where the smallies go to feed on crawfish. For lure color my first choice always depicts that.
During mid-day and later in the summer Smallmouth bass can be found around rocky humps. These humps can be found anywhere from 25-15 ft of water depending on the lake and weather. I cast or drift with 1/4 oz jigs tipped with minnows for these fish. By doing this I often catch walleyes too, or vice versa.
Fishing is all about mastering patterns. If you are not having any luck casting in shallows, try switching colors or presentations. If that does not work try different depths and different cover. When in doubt go back to fishing basics and try a bobber and a leech.

Weed Walleyes

2008-06-09T20:01:00.000-07:00

The lake that I fish the most is not what you would classify as a “traditional” walleye lake. The lake does not contain any mud flats or rocky points. It is a weedy lake, and the walleyes are weed walleyes. I have found that cabbage flats that are ten to fourteen feet can produce highly productive fishing all year long. Walleyes, largemouth bass and pike all feed in cabbage because certain types of minnows take refuge within them. When fishing for walleyes on these weedy lakes, a good place to start is a cabbage flat on your lake you consistently catch pike on. A wise fisherman once taught me that wherever there are pike, walleyes are just a step behind.
The DNR often stocks walleyes on these weedy lakes to help grow their populations. These weedy lakes do not contain the rocky and sandy shallows that are required for excellent walleye production. Therefore they stock walleyes in these weedy lakes to keep their populations up and fisherman happy.
These stocked walleyes develop different habits than naturally raised fish. For starters, they learn that in order to survive they have to seek the shelter of weeds for protection. As the stocked walleyes grow, they learn that in these same weeds they can hunt baitfish.
On the lake I fish the ratio is very low, walleyes to bass, because the bass have good natural reproduction. Typically I catch roughly twenty largemouths for every walleye I boat. I know that there are walleyes in the lake and it is the challenge that keeps me in pursuit of them. While fishing for walleyes, I have no complaints about catching largemouth bass on a consistent basis. Too often people assume that you have to throw spinner baits or worms in the shallows to catch bass.
The waves created by wind that help increase fish catches on traditional lakes could also help anglers on weedy lakes. These waves are what most fishermen refer to as the “walleye chop”. The waves help to break down the light caused by the sun and that allows game fish to seek prey in the shallows. Fishing for weed walleyes in shallow cabbage flats under these conditions are the best.
Using slip bobbers is the easiest way I have found to reach weed walleyes. When slip bobbering in the weeds placing the sinker closer to the hook will help reduce hang-ups. I prefer to use leeches for bait while fishing with slip bobbers for walleyes. Minnows may work well too, but I feel that pike often reach the minnow before walleyes and bass. Typically I place the leech anywhere from a foot to four feet from the bottom depending on the depth. The deeper the water the farther from the bottom you can present the bait. Weed walleyes have no problem coming up to get the leech and are often suspended off the bottom. When fishing with multiple people, I start by having everyone fish a different depth till we find the depth the fish are at.
Bobber fishing is my personal favorite way to fish. It involves finesse and you never know what is on the other end of the line when your bobber goes down. For me fishing is something I do to relax and starring at a bobber in the lake is very relaxing. It is also easy for children and inexperienced fisherman to use bobbers. Introducing people to the outdoors could be the most valuable way of keeping the outdoor activities we enjoy so much around for generations to come.
Slip bobber fishing is not the only way to fish for the walleyes that feed in the weeds. At night, when walleye fishing is traditionally the best, I like to cast shallow diving crank baits just over the top of the cabbage. This technique is best early in the year before water levels lower and weeds grow tall. There are seldom distractions from other boaters at night, making the outings quite peaceful.
Even on weedy lakes there are water depths that never get sunlight and therefore do not contain weeds. The magic number seems to be about 25 feet. In late July and early August I like to drag leeches with live bait rigs in these deep holes. Cabbage flats, making it convenient for walleyes to catch a snack when needed, usually will indicate the best holes.
The fall is the best time for speed trolling for walleyes on any lake. I have had the most success doing this with perch colored Shad raps. Trolling weed lines in the mornings and evenings can be very productive because the fish are preparing for the winter by feeding heavily. If nothing else you should have enough action with pike while trolling to keep the entertainment level in the boat high.
The most important thing about fishing for walleyes on weedy lakes is thinking outside the box. Do not be afraid to try things that you would normally not do to catch walleyes. For example, I have seen walleyes on my lake boated on both spoons and spinner baits. Be persistent and patient and you will have success.

Devils' Eyes

2008-03-30T20:53:00.000-07:00

It’s canny how some of my most memorable outdoor experiences have been last minute operations.
Once again, a last minute trip was planned for Devil’s Lake while I was at work. When I got done at 9 o’clock pm I packed up my fishing gear and forgot about everything else going on in my life. My partners in crime for this adventure were Dave Easton and his high school Ian, from Colorado.
Light rain sprinkled our windshield as we roared down Highway 2 in Dave’s Jeep. The drive went as smoothly as it could have and we landed at Gramm’s Island campground a little before 11.
We found the camp office closed, so we stretched our luck and went looking for an open campsite. There was a nice open spot by the lake and we decided we would settle up with the park officials in the morning.
Ian and Dave pitched the small two-man tent they had brought as I organized the boat for the morning. After we finished, we talked about the outline for the morning. A ten-minute conversation ensued before the three of us could compromise on our game plan. Everyone has to voice an opinion or experience before a decision is ever made. We finally agreed that we would wake up at seven and start by fishing the trees in about ten feet of water. We had heard reports that fisherman were having success under these conditions. Since we were all on the same page, we decided to do what we do best – enjoy a few beverages over good conversation.
I woke up uncomfortable at seven to my cell phone alarm; I had slept in Dave’s Jeep because of lack of tent room. I turned off my cell phone and tried to go back to sleep. About eight o’clock I woke the guys up and we proceeded to make our way to the bait shop. We picked up some leeches, settled our tab with the park officials and put down a cup of coffee. After that it was time to launch Dave’s sixteen-foot Lund into the ever growing plain of water.
We started to fish the trees with slip bobbers and were having no success at all. None of the other boats around us were catching fish either. I started to pitch a countdown and immediately caught a decent sized pike. The wind picked up from the West and rain began to fall softly from the cloudy sky. That was when we decided to switch to trolling.
I put on a minnow-colored Shad Rap as we began our troll along the outside of the trees in twelve to fifteen feet of water. Within fifty yards I easily landed a nice eater sized walleye and placed him in the live well. After that we picked up two more fifteen inchers in the next one hundred yards of the troll.
Next Ian caught about the smallest eye’ I have ever seen. The fish was seriously only six inches long. Laughs were had all around and the fish was quickly released into the water.
The troll continued and we fought our way through; a school of white bass, one small pike and two twenty inch eyes’.
We were feeling pretty good about our success when Ian hooked into a big fish. Right off the bat the fish did not fight much but sat heavy on Ian’s seven-foot Ugly Stick. The fish stayed deep as Ian coaxed it towards the boat and I was hoping it was a big walleye. Once the fish got close to the boat it began to go off on drag ripping runs. My heart sank a little; I knew it was fighting like a pike. Ian boated the Northern after the awesome fight. The fish measured 31 inches, about seven to eight pounds. After a couple snap shots Ian released the fish back into the dark water. Not a bad fish, especially since it was only the second Northern Pike Ian had ever landed.
After that we hit the trees again with bobbers, trying to finish out our daily limits of eyes. I was just thinking to myself how I hadn’t missed a fish yet when my bobber slipped below the surface. Of course I set the hook too soon and missed the fish. I love the finesse it takes to catch a walleye on a slip bobber. Isn’t it funny how once you think you have everything figured out you discover you don’t?
Not too long after that the three of us were consistently catching fish till we had our limits. With hunger setting in we headed back to Gramm’s Island against the mighty waves of Devil’s Lake. Our fish totals for the morning were nineteen walleyes, three pike and two white bass.
We headed back towards Grand Forks with thunderheads on the horizon. There wasn’t much conversation on the ride home, all three of us were reflecting to ourselves. It then occurred to me we had partaken in a great little trip.
It is always good to get out and experience the outdoors, even if it is only for a night and the morning. Gramm’s Island is setup for sportsman and I would encourage anyone to go there and experience Devil’s Lake. Most of the local bait shops can provide you with either maps or directions to various parts of the lake. Just remember, it’s like the old guy at the boat landing said to us, “This ain’t no farm pond, son.”

Goose Calls are My Weakness

2008-03-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

I started blowing a short-reed goose call about six years ago. At that time I was just one a few goose hunters I knew that actually blew one. It took me almost a full year until I felt really comfortable on a short-reed. At the time I felt like mastering my Big Guys Best “Fat Boy” was the biggest accomplishment of my short life. For years I had been hunting geese using a flute call. Recently my world has been crashing down around me as I have realized everyone and their grandmother can now blow a short-reed goose call.
I am always in the market for a new goose call. Either it is my human urge to never be satisfied, or a simple weakness that has gripped me along with a passion for goose hunting. Whenever I am at a sporting goods store I have to sample the goose calls. I am always looking for a deal and have found some good ones through friends, several retail stores and websites.
One of my college roommates used to buy and sell goose calls on E-bay like a day-trader on Wall Street. He had several lanyards full of calls before he realized that goose calls were not the most liquid and profitable investment. Still he managed to buy low and sell high, and to this day owns more calls then anybody else I hunt with.
One question that often comes up in the world of short reed goose calling is acrylic vs. wood. Personally I try to have an acrylic and a wood call on my lanyard when I take to the field. Typically, I use the acrylic to get the attention of the geese at vast distances, and then use the wood call for softer clucks and moans when the geese are close. There are many different types of wood short-reed goose calls and many of them are almost as loud as acrylic.
Some waterfowl calls have a wooden barrel and acrylic inserts. Like the Foiles Straight Meat “Spec” Call and the Big Guys Best “Death Whistle” duck call. These calls combine the soft tones of the wood with the volume of the acrylic. Short-reed goose calls are versatile by nature, allowing hunters to mimic the many different sounds of the Canada goose.
I have been encouraging my dad to switch from the long-goose caller or flute to the short-reed, but he does not have the time to change. Many older hunters are stuck in their ways or do not have efficient time to learn how to call geese on a short-reed. Although it is not the rule, goose hunting seems to be a passion of the younger generations. I believe this correlation comes from goose populations exploding within the last two decades.
Goose flutes will continue to have their place in goose hunting even though most of the younger waterfowl hunters begin their goose calling on short-reeds. For example, I have found that when hunting geese over water the mellow tones of a flute can be highly effective. Flutes can also serve a niche when hunting geese that are highly pressured by hunters, almost all of which call at them with short-reeds. For hunters who may have begun their goose hunting on short-reeds, an easy transition flute to try is the Foiles Meatcutter Flute.
The last couple years Minnesota has been establishing a Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls type dynasty in the world of goose hunting; leading the nation in goose harvest for the last decade. In 2004 and 2005 Minnesota hunters harvested more Canada geese than mallards, shooting roughly 234,000 Canada geese in 2004.
Today there are many talented goose callers across the nation. Some compete in contests, building their trophy and plaque collections. Others only call geese in the field, collecting memories and leg bands. These goose hunters all have the same common goal; mastering the clucks, moans and honks of the wild goose, to fool geese.

Fall and Football

2008-01-21T18:50:00.000-08:00

It’s Friday, and I am late getting out of town for another hunting trip. As I am fleeing the busy life in St. Paul I drive past St. Thomas University and see the stadium lights lit up. The purple and gold fans are lined up outside at the ticket booth for another Cretin-Derham Hall home game.
Yes, I was a Raider, or I should say I am still a Raider. I also have a State Championship football medal on my wall to prove it. For you history buffs, I got the medal my senior year, which happened to be the last time Cretin-Derham Hall won the State Championship, so you can figure out how old I am if you do the math.
Nothing signals the coming of the fall like the shortening of the days and football training camp. I cannot tell you how many times I have had late checkouts from hotel rooms in the Dakotas to watch the end of a Viking game. Sunday afternoons in that part of the country are bittersweet.
There is nothing like snoozing between plays on Saturday afternoon during a good college football game. With birds properly cleaned and on ice, college football is a great half time for hunters before scouting for more flights. Unless of course all you have to do the next morning is follow a bird dog into a fresh CRP field for rooster pheasants. If that is the case, college football is the perfect end to a morning, and an excellent break before dinner.
They say that Phil Robertson, the Duck Commander himself, was a heck of a quarterback. In fact, he started for Louisiana State University in front of a little known quarterback named Terry Bradshaw. It is also said that Phil Robertson would often show up for home football games, smelling like a slough with duck feathers stuck to parts of his clothing. Phil Robertson is one guy that seems to have his priorities right.
I was a varsity football player at Cretin-Derham Hall, during my junior and senior years of high school. I was one of the few kids that frequently missed Saturday morning practices. Those falls I had a lot of late night and early morning drives with my father to duck camp. There is a Highway Rest Stop on Interstate 94, just south of Fergus Falls, where my dad and I would frequently stop on some of those mornings. At the Rest Stop, we would put on waders before meeting the other members of our hunting party in the marsh.
At that time, the hardest thing for me to do was walk freshly showered into the coach’s office after a Friday night game, and ask to miss Saturday practice. I was always afraid that my coach would say no. Now Rich Kallock’s street fighting days had long been over, and the notoriously famous high school coach was an approachable guy. After the chuckles from the assistant coaches had subsided he would look me dead in the eye.
“Now, if you are going to miss practice, just make sure you shoot at least one duck. Alright?” He would tell me. I would reply with, “Yes sir.” Then leave before he had a chance to change his mind. None of the other players ever said anything to me about missing practice, and I doubt they even noticed.
Rich Kallock retired as the Cretin-Derham Hall head football coach a few years ago. He was a great man and I will always treasure those mornings he let me play hooky from practice. I have always wondered if he was a duck hunter. It doesn’t matter now whether he was or not. In my mind he must have spent the falls of his youth crouched in cattails with a wet retriever, scanning the horizon for ducks.
As for getting my one duck, you can bet the farm I harvested at least one bird on those Saturday mornings. Sunday mornings however were a different story.

Hunting Solo

2008-01-21T18:45:00.000-08:00

Hunting ducks by oneself presents a few problems for the hunter. For starters, you can only look one direction. Therefore you either do not see some of the birds or you see them when they are flying away. A solo hunter must also place all of the decoys out and pick them up. There are no other shooters, and no excuses. Of course there are safety concerns when hunting alone too.
I have both learned a lot and grown a lot through hunting by myself. It really makes one realize who they are as a human and hunter.
It took me many years before I ever placed out decoys alone. The first few trips I made were very humbling experiences. I realized there were no other shooters with backup shots. Hunting has always been a social event for me. Experiencing life with others is one of the things that keeps us outdoors.
At least once a year I like to hunt by myself, to prove to me that I can do it. Saturday Oct. 7th, it was just the puppy Chet and I at the duck shack. I figured there would not be a better time for the puppy at seven months, to have his first duck hunt. Just the dog and I with no big distractions for Chet’s short attention span.
Shortly after legal shooting time I was getting buzzed by ducks from every direction except for where I was looking. I wanted the first duck I shot over Chet to be close so I had also passed on a few long shots.
Just when I thought things were not looking good a pair of ring-necked ducks swung the point low over the decoys. I dropped one with a single shot. Chet did not see the bird fall so I walked him into the shallow water. I made the pup sit and stay, and then I throw a rock from my pocket near the bird.
Chet took off like a champ after being released with the fetch command. This is perfect, I thought to myself until the duck woke up just as the pup reached him. The ring-necked duck took one look at the dog then quickly dove under water. At that point I swear Chet jumped completely out of the shallow water.
I saw the duck rise above the surface of the water about twenty yards away and I quickly dispatched it. Chet swam out to the bird but he did not pick it up. Great I thought to myself, I ruined the dog.
I retrieved the duck and Chet and I took or post in the weeds. It didn’t take long before a drake mallard came into the decoys cupped up. After two shots from the Berretta the drake was lying on his back in the water.
Chet is well steadied for just being a pup; he once again followed me into the water to retrieve the duck. Again Chet swam to the duck, but he would not pick it up. I looked into my crystal ball and saw that Chet’s future of duck hunting was not looking very bright.
The third and final duck of the morning was a wood duck. After three shots I winged it into the tall grass along the shore of lake I was hunting. Once again Chet and I left our post. The pup followed me to the place where I had marked the bird down.
I had been searching for the bird for about ten minutes and it was not looking good. I was just about to give up when Chet got birdie. Chet found the duck, he did not pick it up, but he totally redeemed himself by pointing it. I was glad to have found the bird and glad that Chet had sniffed it out.
Chet and I picked up the decoys shortly after that. I had shot at three birds and harvested all three of them. I was satisfied that I could hunt by myself and wanted to end the hunt before I broke my streak. I also did not want to hunt Chet too long the first time.
I drove into a small town and had a big breakfast. The fall colors were spectacular. That afternoon I attached a duck wing to Chet’s bumper. I tossed it a few times and he retrieved it with no problems. It was a perfect end to a perfect morning, one spent alone with a dog in the marsh.

Late Season Geese

2007-11-26T15:24:00.000-08:00

Never say never, when it comes to hunting Canada geese in the great state of Minnesota. Between Sept. 1 and Dec. 23rd there are only a handful of days when you cannot legally hunt Canada geese somewhere in Minnesota. That is something you can hang your hat on, Minnesota has plenty of geese and opportunities to hunt them.
The first time I went field hunting for Canada geese was in Rochester, MN. I was not even old enough to use a gun but I tagged along with my father and Dean Tlougan, owner/operator of Premier Flight guide service to a permanent pit-blind. We had supermag Canada goose shells in the cornfield, and it snowed. Canada geese were fooled and harvested that day.
Hunting Canada geese in snow filled cornfields is still one of my passions. Most weekends in December you can find me having breakfast before shooting-time at a particular McDonalds in Rochester, MN. There I will be discussing with others in camouflage, not only goose hunting, but whether or not 2 sausage burritos is as good as a single McSkillet burrito.
Historically Rochester has been the place to go to hunt late season Canada geese in Minnesota. Not only is it noted for the re-birth of the Greater Canada goose, or Branta Canadensis Maxima, the city also winters a large portion of the Canada geese from Manitoba.
There are many permanent pit-blinds found in the agricultural fields surrounding Rochester, MN. These pit-blinds are part of the history that comes from being an area that holds geese year after year. Pit-blinds are the most efficient way for hunters to be comfortable and concealed. Period.
When I hunt Canada geese in Rochester full-bodied decoys and excellent callers surround me. This makes for a deadly combination when the birds are flying off of the refuge to feed. Especially when it is cold and there is snow on the ground. The cold temps freeze up the smaller bodies of water and concentrate geese, while the snow causes the birds to lose a few IQ points.
Today Minnesota goose hunters can find geese any where from the Red River to the St. Croix. One does not have to travel very far in any direction to notice flocks of Canada geese flying somewhere in the distance. It is no mystery to the rest of the nation either; for some time Minnesota has led the country in total number of Canada geese harvested.
Lac Qui Parle refuge in Western Minnesota has been nationally known for it’s goose hunting for years, and it has continued to be that way. Recently the Canada goose limit has been raised from 1 bird to 2 birds in the West-Central zone. This has opened up more opportunities for goose hunters to experience hunting around Lac Qui Parle. In previous years, with large numbers of birds close to the Metro, it was hard to justify traveling all the way to Western Minnesota, just to be able to harvest a single goose.
With the mild winters Minnesota has been experiencing the last couple years there has been some lost opportunities due to a later migration. The regulations for the Minnesota 2007 Waterfowl season call for Canada goose hunting in the West-Central zone, the Lac Qui Parle area, to close on Nov. 27, with no late season. I assure you that there will be geese on the refuge well past that date, and I am okay with that. Remember, this article is about opportunity, which there is still plenty of.
I enjoy hunting Canada geese in the September early season, but I prefer to hunt geese later in the year in larger concentrations. Leaving for my home in St. Paul for a morning shoot it only takes me an hour and fifteen minutes to be in Rochester. That makes it the ideal place for a guy like me to focus my late season goose hunting efforts. Luckily my dad and I are still friends with Dean Tlougan, and he allows us to hunt with him and the rest of the Premiere Flight crew.
Most of the goose hunting I do before the weather starts making ice is pretty cut and dry. I scout, find where geese are feeding, obtain permission, and hunt them in the morning. Now that sounds way easier than it really is. For the majority of the hunting season scouting is the most important thing you can do. At the same time it is very costly and time consuming. By the time December roles around I am ready to jump into a heated pit-blind in Rochester. That is of course, following a breakfast at McDonalds.
For more information of hunting geese in Rochester check out www.goosegrinders.com or call Dean Tlougan at 507-252-5957.

Unpleasant Weather Pheasants, SD

2007-11-26T15:21:00.000-08:00

My dad said that last weekend was probably the coldest weather he had ever hunted in. However, he has been colder while hunting. These days my dad owns warmer clothing and knows how to dress for the elements. Friday was the warmest day of the hunt; it was a balmy 16 degrees with no wind in Brookings, South Dakota.
This was my first pheasant-hunting trip to the South Dakota. I have chased snow geese there in the spring for several consecutive seasons, and I’ve always wanted to go there in the fall.
The plan was for our group to hunt public land the majority of the time. South Dakota has state funded Walk-In Areas, which are private lands, open for public hunting. The Walk-In program is similar to the P.L.O.T.S. (Private Lands Open to Sportsman), program found in North Dakota. With 13 hunters and 9 dogs we were planning on hunting big cover and using blockers to surround the birds.
Thursday, November 30th was the first day of our hunt. Because of the South Dakota pheasant season being open for several weeks, the birds were skittish and wary. Right away we found them in the thickest cover available, but the birds did not hold very well. A few times there were birds that took off flying while the group was still getting out of the trucks.
Late in the pheasant season I encourage pheasant hunters to be especially aware of the noise they make (no slamming truck doors, yelling at bird dogs, etc.). Walking the cover into the wind helps to reduce noise, while also being the ideal way for sniffing dogs to mind scent. With extra thought and planning late fall hunting can still be successful.
South Dakota pheasant hunting is like Pizza. When it’s from your favorite restaurant it’s great, and when it is a cheap frozen brand it is still pretty good. We managed to have decent hunting, averaging 2 to 3 pheasants per walk. At 10 am sharp, the starting time in South Dakota, our group would be in position to push larger grasslands. Half the group would walk through the fields, and the other half would block the ends of the fields. This system worked well for many pheasant hunters in the past.
In theory pheasants should run through the field, holding near the edge, providing blocks and walkers good shooting opportunities. That is textbook pheasant hunting. Early on in our trip though we found that the birds were flushing ahead of the walkers, flying out the sides of the fields, and therefore avoiding the blockers. With birds flying out on the sides we had to rethink a few things and make adjustments. Still the majority of the roosters we bagged were ones that chose to hold tight rather than fly.
Pheasants basically have two defense mechanisms. Either they fly or they run and hide. The experts say that over time hunters have harvested a higher majority of the flyers making the pheasant more genetically prone to run. We must have been hunting in an area with a high concentration of flyers.
Each day our group saw a lot of birds, but the vast majority were hens. This is to be expected this late in the season because other hunters have trimmed the rooster population down. I read somewhere that up to 80% of rooster pheasants are shot during each hunting season. Don’t worry; there are still plenty of roosters that escaped our hunting party to provide more birds for next year.
In the afternoons we broke into smaller groups and hunted smaller cover. Pheasants are an edge bird; sometimes a small and thick piece cover can provide quick birds.
As the sun was going down across the vast Dakota prairie, 6 of us followed 2 housedogs through the field for the last walk of the trip. On that walk the 6 of us flushed 3 roosters and harvested all 3 of them. It was bitter outside, but it was a sweet way to end my first South Dakota pheasant hunt.

Playing the Wind

2007-10-28T20:35:00.001-07:00

Picture yourself in a cornfield. It’s late October, the previous night this particular field was lined shoulder to shoulder with Northern mallards. Standing in the headlights of your SUV you toss a few crispy corn petals up in to the air, and watch as a gust of wind takes them back to the ground. From your best estimates the wind is from the Northwest, now time to place out the decoys.
Wind will always play a critical role when it comes to waterfowl hunting. Ducks and geese will always take off and land into the wind. It is best to position yourself in a spot that offers the most effective shots according to the wind. This will increase your shooting odds and decrease the chance of crippling birds.
Decoy placement is not the only part of waterfowl hunting that is affected by wind. If there is too much wind, birds may lay low on the roost and avoid flying. High winds also make shooting more difficult. No wind and birds can approach decoy spreads from any direction. Usually landing at will, somewhere behind my blind.
When upland bird hunting it is important to walk into the wind. The birds have a harder time hearing your approach them for the downwind side. Plus, it is easier for bird dogs to smell game when they are working into the wind.
Now imagine yourself at the deer shack on a November morning. Stepping onto a porch the floorboards creak beneath you as you raise your moist index finger into the air. You gaze at the stars as you ponder the wind direction and the position of your tree stand. Will the deer be able to smell you as the travel from their morning resting spot to feed?
“If the wind is wrong, I don’t even go out to my stand. Most hunters won’t do that.” Said Brian Trachsel, an avid bow hunter. Wind direction plays an even bigger role when it comes to the pursuit of big game animals. Deer, Elk and Bear all have a very keen sense of smell. Hunters have to use the wind, which carries their smell, to their advantage. Especially bow hunters, who have to be close to these mammals for high percentage kill shots.
I feel that one of the biggest mistakes most hunters commit is not using the wind to put the odds in their favor. A lot of hunters think they can mask their own scent by washing themselves, and their clothes in various products. Hunters also purchase clothing that is supposed to trap their natural scents.
These devices give the hunter some piece of mind before heading into the field, which can be a plus. A little confidence can go along way for all of us. The truth however is that; your house has smells, your truck has smells, and the place you stop get a cup of coffee in the morning smells. By putting yourself in a position where game approaches you from the up wind side you can eliminate these smells.
There are a few different ways to tell basically which way the wind is coming from. Some guys will listen or watch the weather report, but most will check or re-check the wind in the field. When I lived in Grand Forks, North Dakota I hunted with a pilot named Dave Easton who would call a 1-800 number for a VFR Aviation Weather report. That might be the coolest way a hunter can get the wind direction, still once you get to your hunting spot you have to re-check it.
I found a new product that helps to nail down the exact direction of the wind more accurately. This item conveniently fits into a pocket, blind bag or glove box. It is a small plastic ball that contains a scent-free wind powder by Windage LLC. Basically you squeeze the soft plastic ball and one can visually see scent-free wind powder get carried away by the wind. Information about this product can be found at bowloco.com.
The scent-free wind powder will help to depict exactly how the ducks will try to land and how your scent will travel from the tree stand. Sure tossing grass into the air or licking your finger may help to build your confidence in the wind direction, but in the field, sometimes you need more than confidence. When heading into the woods this fall try to put the odds in your favor by paying attention to the wind direction and using it to your favor.

Motion In the Decoys

2007-10-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Nothing will cause wary waterfowl to stay clear of shotgun range like lifeless decoys. Allowing your decoys to appear alive or have motion will increase your success in the field. Motion will bring birds closer to the decoys providing better and less-crippling shots. In this article I will discuss several tricks and products that will help to add motion to your decoy spread.

Water Spreads
On windless days water decoys may not be very effective. When live ducks and geese swim on calm water they cause small ripples from their motion. There are several techniques and devices to mimic these ripples caused by live waterfowl.
Jerk strings may be the easiest to operate and the most cost effective. Jerk strings can be attached to both goose and duck water decoys. Basically a jerk string works the way it sounds. Hunters can tie 15 to 20 yards of decoy line to a weighted keel decoy, then thread the line through a couple pound weight. Hunters can make their own weights, or I have found that down rigging weights are available and affordable. After placing the decoy and the weight in the water spread hunters “jerk” the string, moving the decoy and creating ripples across the calm water.
There are many types of shakers and swimming decoys available on the market today. All of these decoys serve the same purpose and can be affective when used properly. I recommend that you purchase one that you feel comfortable operating. For me I keep two shaker decoys in my bag when legal to do so. They operate on AA batteries and I only turn them on when needed. Plus I always keep extra batteries in my blind bag.
Often times hunters in flooded timber move their legs when standing in a couple feet of water to create the ripples caused by feeding ducks. This can easily be done when hunting spots where you have to stand in water. However, be careful not to move too much and attract the unwanted attention from passing birds exposing your location.

Field Spreads
The most common technique for adding motion to field decoys while hunting all species of geese is flagging. There are many different types of flags available and they can be deadly when used properly. I hunt with a lot of guys that would choose a flag over a goose call if they could only hunt with one.
There are two basic types of flags that I use while goose hunting. Pole flags are 8 to 12 feet long and are used to attract geese at a distance. Hand flags are on a short pole and when used correctly, look like a goose stretching its wings. Hand flags, like the Final Approach Double Trouble Goose Flag are used when geese are closer. “Often times when geese are committed, I give them a few flaps with my hand flag and the motion pulls them to my side of the spread.” Explained Lyle Sinner a Fargo, North Dakota native.
Flapping wing decoys, like hand flags, recreate motion caused by geese stretching their wings. Flappers however are placed away from the hunters drawing attention away from the concealed field blinds. When used properly different types of wing flappers do an awesome job of bringing geese in feet down.
After purchasing a wing flapper, you may have to make some minor adjustments to the decoy. Typically more weight has to be added to the foot base.
When flagging or using a flapper decoy it is important not to use them too much or when geese are directly above your location. I have found that flagging is the most effective when geese are at a distance or going away from your spread. I never use a flag if the geese are with in 100 yards, however flappers may be used in this range because motion is away from the concealed hunters.
Motion stakes add natural motion with just a 10 mph wind. These stakes can also prop-up shell decoys giving them the appearance of a full-body. Today there are some full-bodied decoys on the market you can use motion stakes with to add movement, like the FA Last Pass HD Field Honkers. These decoys appear to be birds that are walking or feeding to airborne flocks.
Windsocks have been used to hunt geese out of fields for a long time. These decoys operate the best with a 10 mph wind and are used almost exclusively for snow geese. Snow geese feed through fields very quickly, therefore the walking motion the wind creates in the socks makes the decoys look real.
Using too few windsocks is the biggest mistake I see hunters making when snow goose hunting. You cannot buy just a dozen or so windsocks and expect to shoot geese. I know that everyone is not made of money, but each member of your party should try to contribute to the spread. It would be best to buy by the 100s rather than dozen’s.
Windsocks can also be used to add motion to Canada goose decoy spreads. A couple buddies of mine mix them in with their full-bodies to add realism. They have found that using one windsock for every dozen full-bodies is about the right ratio.

Spinning wing Decoys
Spinners for ducks can be highly affective in fields and over water. The studies that have been done on them prove that they work, especially for Mallards. Spinners are now banned during some parts of season in Minnesota and completely in some states. Personally I will continue to use one as long as it is legal to do so.
Spinners are like any other device used to add motion to your decoys. When they are used properly they can help and when they are not they can hurt. Some days they will work, and other times ducks will decoy better without one. There are a few things to keep in mind when using one or more.
Make sure that the wings on your spinner do not reflect in the sun. An easy way to fix this is by re-painting them with flat paint. When using multiple spinners try setting them at different heights. Make sure to turn your spinner off if there are geese working towards your spread. Spinners don’t seem to scare geese but often the geese will continue to circle waiting for the duck to land.
Hopefully you can take a little away for these tips and good luck adding motion to your spread in the fall.

A Different Duck Camp

2007-09-08T20:28:00.000-07:00

Whoever said that youth is wasted on the young, never attended the Minnesota Waterfowl Association’s Woodie Camp. I returned as a counselor again this year for the second year in a row. It was another great experience for me as a waterfowl hunter and a person. I attended the camp as a youngster and cherish the memories that are triggered from that experience.
Hunting has allowed me to make many friends and hunt in many different places. The least I feel that I can do is give something back to the sport. I feel that if I am not here for the younger generations of waterfowl hunters, then who is?
There are many different aspects of waterfowl hunting that are taught at the Minnesota Waterfowl Association’s Woodie Camp. Each one of these topics serves a purpose; helping to mold young hunter’s aged 13 to 15, into educated waterfowl enthusiasts.
It would be harder to rate the specific topics of the Minnesota Waterfowl Association’s Woodie Camp on a scale, than it would be to discuss them in any detail. If I were to discuss all of the aspects of the many topics I would certainly fill all of the pages within this publication. With that said, I will discuss only a few.
With 70% of all ducks being produced in the prairie-pothole region of North America, it is hard to ignore habitat. Luckily, the camp is held at the Prairie Wetlands Learning Center or PWLC, in Fergus Falls, Minnesota were there is plenty of prairie for the campers to study under the guidance of educated instructors.
Instructors walk with the campers along prairie trials and discuss different aspects of the prairie while they are in the field, so to speak. Campers learn about different prairie plants, their root structures, and why the different plants are important.
They also learn about the drastic decline of the prairie. The grasslands of North America are just as vital to our Ecosystem as the rain forest. The grasses produce valuable oxygen and actually contain more types of life forms. Still you don’t see ‘Save the Prairie’ bumper stickers plastered on cars.
Not only do ducks face habitat decline, many different predators also target them. The predator that kills the most ducks on the prairie is the Red Fox. It is important to remember that roughly 87% of all ducks never make it off the nest, because of the abundance of predators.
Campers are taught how to build nesting structures for waterfowl, and the importance of them. Mallard ‘hen houses’ are designed to keep the female ducks elevated and away from predators. Wood duck ‘boxes’ are used by female Wood ducks in the place of tree cavities.
Bird banding has been one of the many highlights of Woodie Camp since the camp started. Band data allows biologists to track the life spans of waterfowl and the migration patterns of waterfowl. The bands help to insure the future of hunting through this data, and provide a souvenir for waterfowl hunters.
There have been approximately 300 ducks banded by the Minnesota Waterfowl Association’s Woodie Camp attendees since 2003. Since then hunters have harvested 22 of those banded ducks and 1 was found dead. These bands were recovered in 8 different states: Minnesota, Missouri, Louisiana, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Alabama. 5 of the 23 ducks were Mallards and 18 were Wood ducks.
The Minnesota Waterfowl Association’s Woodie Camp runs for 1 week, from Sunday to Saturday. Like any summer camp, it starts slow and finishes fast. Even after my third year at camp I am impressed by the amount of information that can be taught about waterfowl hunting in one week.
As hunters it is important for us to share our passion for the outdoors with others. Edmund Burke has been given credit for saying, “Tell me what are the prevailing sentiments that occupy the minds of our young men, and I will tell you what is to be the character of the next generation.”

Memorable Retrievers

2007-09-08T20:24:00.000-07:00

Memorable Retrievers
Life is just a series of moments were you connect with another person, place or feeling. Every bird dog I have ever owned has had it’s own moments. These were times when dogs did remarkable things based on minimal training and experience. These moments seem to burn deeper in my memory for the dogs I only had for a short period of time. I do not know exactly why this is but I believe that it falls into the category that only the good die young.
I would like to say that one of the best dogs I ever owned was named Java. The female black lab was my family’s second dog and we purchased her when I was 13. The first hunt my dad and I took her on was stopped short due to a thunderstorm. It was opening day of the duck season and the wood ducks were coming into the decoys like kamikazes. Unfortunately, lightning forced us off the lake shortly after the noon opener of the Minnesota duck season. Java was barely six months and was the only one in the boat without fear in their eyes.
The thing I remember most about Java was that she had a knack for doing blind retrieves. I did not do a lot of extensive training with her but we seemed to have an understanding. She completed one of the best blind retrieves I have ever seen on my younger sister’s first duck. It was a beautiful drake wood duck that now graces a coffee table at our cabin.
At only two years of age Java was killed crossing the street in front of my house on Halloween night. She was a runner and was greeting trick-or-treaters across the street. Java had made her last retrieve a few days prior on a green-winged teal. I had shot the bird moments after shooting time at Carlos Avery Management Area in Minnesota. It was a blind retrieve through an ever-changing maze of cattails.
Daisy was not supposed to live past six weeks. When she was brought into the vet with her two siblings they were aged at ten weeks and marked stray. When she pranced into my college house the “duck shack” she was six months. A little Shorthair Pointer with a love for retrieving. She was not only the best looking dog I ever owned she was the fastest.
Daisy spent spring break my senior year of College in South Dakota snow goose hunting. At eight months she gained tons of experience about traveling and hunting. She slept on hotel beds, chased pheasants and tried to retrieve snow geese. Daisy would try and try to remove the birds from the ground with her mouth but could not even move a Ross goose.
Daisy, like Java, was a runner by nature. She would have made a great field trail dog; she had the speed and the nose. Daisy was the only dog I have ever had that caught turtles in the weeds and muck at my cabin. Shortly after graduating from the University of North Dakota I took my first job in the Twin Cities. Daisy however was not a city dog and I had to give her away to a nice family in Northern Minnesota after countless efforts to urbanize her.
When reminiscing about dogs I often forget about the dog that is lying by my feet as I write this. Cullie is a ten-year-old black lab that has retrieved more game for me than any other dog. At ten, she is also the oldest dog I have ever owned. Although she is not steady enough to hunt from a field, she always helps me find the birds that sail at the end of the day.
Cullie has embarrassed and amazed me every season. She is only dog I have ever hunted over that has a knack for flushing pheasants back towards approaching hunters. This unorthodox approach gets me more than a few raised eyebrows when she is working on the fringe of shotgun range. I don’t know how many times I have been thinking to myself she is a little rangy, when the next thing I know I have a rooster barreling towards me that I have to dispatch in self defense.
Cullie has an excellent nose; in nine hunting seasons I have lost very little game while hunting with her. I refer to her as my jump-shooting retriever because it is the style of hunting that she excels at. She is one of those dogs that has a hard time sitting still in a duck blind. She makes unusual marks on fallen game and searches with her nose not her eyes. “It looks as though she is chasing the falling ducks shadow.” Phil Bettenburg, a friend, commented once on an afternoon duck hunt. Cullie is an average retriever, but most importantly she is an excellent family dog and companion.
Every dog has its day; it’s just easier to brag about the ones whose days are over. Dogs are like kids, only they never really grow up. So if your retriever embarrasses you or steals a bite of your sandwich, remember to take it easy on them.

All My Heros are Duck Hunters

2007-08-19T19:23:00.000-07:00

The Old Man and I spent many summer afternoons discussing the usual topics: investing, religion, fishing and of course duck hunting. He was a strong Catholic, the kind that kept a painting of the last supper by the dinner table. We said grace before we ate our meals, and we enjoyed many a glass of Burgundy from the box he kept hidden in the cupboard. It is important to understand that the Old Man and I had no blood relation. He wed my Grandma’s sister in the forties and spent the summers of my youth across the lake from my cabin. Regardless he was referred to as Grandpa, although I never said it to him in person.
The Old Man loved to tell stories about waterfowling in North Dakota, particularly Devils Lake. Years ago a good friend of his owned a duck shack and a piece of land North of Devils Lake that was engulfed by Wildlife refuge. It was the kind of place where mice would scamper out the front door when the shack was first opened for the season. For years he would go there, bringing a handful of my cousins along in the station wagon, and hunt ducks and geese.
I was a quiet child and could sit and listen to him for hours. We had a few things in common; crappies were our favorite fish to catch, and chasing ruffed grouse was our passion. The old Man could remember the smallest details of hunts that had occurred years ago. Like how the sun caste shadows the day he doubled on ruffs near Bemidji. The stories I would hear more than once were his favorites, and the memories would bring a smile to his face.
I usually would bring one of my bird dogs across the lake with me. The Old Man called my dogs: mutts, soup hounds or lap dogs. They were allowed in my cabin and not in his, so they sat outside whining. He loved to tell stories about his Golden Retriever, Ginger, that had spent some nights in the finest hotels in North Dakota, but never in his house. Unless the weather outside was predicted to be well below freezing, then exceptions were made.
Once on a trip to Devils Lake a young man he worked with complained that Ginger was stinking up the station wagon. “What’d ya bring the dog along for anyway?” the young man inquired. The Old Man, who was not so old at the time replied, “She will retrieve our game for us.” He looked into my eyes and a smile swept across his face like a gust of wind across the prairie.
He explained to me that they used to pass shoot snow geese coming off a body of water North of Devils Lake; I have to believe is what we now call Dry Lake. “The geese came off into the wind real high. About like the ceiling!” The Old Man would lift his arms and smile up at the imaginary geese.
“The young man, boys and I were on the East side and I cannot remember how many geese we dropped but we sailed one into the sheet water.” He sent Ginger on the long retrieve. “She got about as far as half way down the point and stopped and looked at me like. ‘Dad, you cannot shoot this far.’” He sent Ginger out into the ankle deep water another hundred yards and stopped her with a whistle blast. The Old Man paused and made a motion with his left arm like he was a quarterback dropping the football over an incoming defensive tackle on a screenplay. “Like power steering she turned left and caught the wind.” With her nose to the ground she plucked the white bird the muddy field.
When Ginger returned with the bird the young man noticed something odd about it. “The snow goose was wearing a target!” It was a collared bird that had been banded earlier that year in Canada. The young man asked if he could have the collar and the Old Man graciously gave it to him keeping the leg iron for himself. “The young man commented that he had never seen a dog perform such a task.”
Yes the young man in the story certainly did learn the value of hunting with a well-rounded retriever. Losing birds is a waterfowler’s worst nightmare. When his last dog passed on, Blaze, I was about Eleven. I offered to let him take my Water Spaniel, Cocoa, hunting anytime he wanted. As I was leaving he gave me a bag full of steak scraps for Cocoa. He brushed his white hair down his brow with his palm and said, “I shoot big ducks PJ.” The Old Man chuckled and returned to his coffee.
The Old Man still has the goose’s leg band and we still sit at the lake. When he is not yelling at the television during a Twin’s game the Old Man still tells stories. Now that I am older I have my own stories too, but I’d rather listen to his.

2007-08-19T19:19:00.000-07:00

Canvasbacks of Lake Catahoula
The Internet is a beautiful thing. It has given me hunting opportunities I only dreamed of as a young boy paging through outdoor magazines wishing to hunt ducks in the exotic places featured in the stories. So… when I got the chance to hunt waterfowl on Louisiana’s Lake Catahoula how could I say no?
My good friend Matt Jones has been in contact with a great man, a true waterfowl hunter known only in this article as “Duckster”, for many years on various hunting websites. Duckster and his hunting buddies have a comfortable duck camp on Lake Catahoula with a beautiful view of the lake. Matt is a taxidermist at the Sportsman’s Taxidermy Studio in East Grand Forks, MN and wished to travel to Louisiana to hunt full-plumage ducks. Joining him would be the owner and operator of Sportsman’s Taxidermy Studio Jim Benson, Matt Vanderpan of Grand Forks and myself.
Lately Minnesota hunters have not been blessed with a high abundance of waterfowl. I enjoy hunting my traditional Minnesota spots, but every once and awhile I like a change of scenery. One thing I believe Minnesota hunters need to do more often is visit other states to pursue waterfowl and see how other states manage and hunt waterfowl.
When the four of us arrived at Duckster’s hunting camp on Thursday afternoon it was dark. Waves from Lake Catahoula quietly swept up against the shore and the stars shone extra bright against the Southern sky. It was the last weekend in January and the last weekend for waterfowl hunting in Louisiana. Pork chops, sausage, white beans, rice and fresh brownies awaited us. By the time I would return to the North, I would understand the true meaning of “Southern hospitality”.
The duck camp was a haven where people could relax and enjoy themselves. Duckster only had one rule for us Northerners, “Do not wash the caste iron pans with dish soap.” Other than that, anything went. It was my kind of place.
On the wall of the duck shack there is an article about the 1985 duck season forecast. “Duck Shortage Means Shorter Season” is the title of it. The old paper has turned yellow but the message is still clear. Droughts across the prairie and changes in farm practices had resulted in less than ideal breeding conditions. Fortunately today the duck populations indicate “liberal” hunting seasons. As waterfowl hunters we must still keep one eye on conservation to keep the topic from the 1985 article from repeating.
Duckster had informed us that the water levels on Lake Catahoula were about twelve feet higher than normal. The abundance of water had spread a lot of the ducks out into the rice fields. Hunting had been slow the last couple days, especially for puddle ducks.
Friday morning we awoke to fresh biscuits and a plate full of sausage and bacon. Duckster was kind enough not to wake us weary travelers until coffee was brewed and breakfast was ready. Outside it was calm with the familiar summer sound of crickets chirping. I was glad to be in a more comfortable weather.
After gear was loaded into a duck boat that rested upon a trailer we headed to the lake to launch. The four of us Northern boys rode in the boat while Duckster drove his tractor that pulled the boat. It reminded me of going on hayrides as a kid to pick out the perfect pumpkin for carving.
After an easy ride across the calm water to a hole surrounded by flooded treetops we slipped into a floating blind. I was highly impressed by these floating blinds; they are probably the slickest structures I have ever hunted ducks from. Already set in front of us was a mix of mallard and pintail decoys. In the mix there was also several dozen bleach jugs with the ends painted black to mimic resting Canvasbacks. The five of us quietly awaited the morning flight.
The ducks that flew Friday morning did their best to stay clear of our decoys. The lack of wind did not help our cause either. Most of the ducks did not fly, and rested instead on large rafts in open water bays. That is hunting.
We did manage to take a single canvasback before we broke for lunch back at the camp. The wind was going to pick up towards evening and we would surely hunt again. On the way back Duckster checked one of his “trot lines” that was set the previous day. It was a twenty five-hook set but there was only one catfish on the line. It was my first experience checking a trotline.
As we drove across the lake we could see the sun reflecting white off of thousands of rafting canvasbacks. There were so many birds that they almost appeared to be snow geese. Wide eyed, Matt Jones leaned over and whispered to me, “This must be what Lake Christina and Heron looked like years ago in Minnesota.” Today Lake Catahoula in central Louisiana winters between 150,000 and 200,000 canvasbacks.
By the time the sunset across Lake Catahoula, signaling the end of the first day of hunting, several firsts had occurred in my life. It was the first time I had been to Louisiana, the first time my hunting party has taken a limit of Canvasbacks, and the first time I had shot a duck in January.
I awoke on Saturday morning to the smell of fresh biscuits, sausage and bacon. Even after feasting on boiled crawfish, corn, and potatoes the night before I managed to scarf two biscuits and multiple pieces of bacon. Staying at Duckster’s duck camp on Lake Catahoula in Central Louisiana was like being royalty.
On this particular morning, the second of our three-day trip, we would be hunting in a Cyprus swamp named William’s Lake. Duckster, our friend from the South, has a permanent blind and another duck shack there. The sky was spitting light rain and the temps were in the mid-20s. We let the two Ford pick-ups warm up for awhile before heading out with a single boat in tow.
A quick, twenty-mile drive brought us to a locked gate, which was the only access I know of to the private Cyprus swamp. It was still dark, but I could make out ghostly outlines of flooded Cyprus trees wrapped in Spanish moss at the boat launch.
The five us loaded gear and guns into the duck boat, and Duckster backed it down the launch into the quiet water. By the poise Duckster had on the boat landing, and the way he kept his boats rigged, you could tell this was not his first voyage into the swamp. Duckster tied a rope to the trailer, which was also attached to the boat. By doing so when he backed the boat into the water, it did not float away. What I cherish the most from new hunting experiences are the little things like that which can be applied to waterfowl hunting everywhere.
Duckster slowly maneuvered our boat through the trees in the predawn darkness. It was exciting and eerie to be in place I’d never see before in any light. Before we reached the blind we made a quick detour to the duck shack, which could only be accessed by boat with the high water levels in the area. The shack had no electricity or running water. Duckster had earlier decided that as “Northern Boys” we should probably stay with the comforts of the camp at Lake Catahoula for our first Louisiana trip. Our next trip however, may be a different story.
Just before shooting time we pulled the boat into the boat garage attached to the back of the blind and climbed up onto the shooting platform. As I loaded my scattergun I heard the cries of distant wood ducks in the trees surrounding the swamp. Shortly afterwards wood ducks began to fly. Singles, doubles, and little flocks flew, staying out of our blind’s reach, knowing instinctively the safe passages through the trees.
Duckster explained to us that wood ducks are one species of duck that are born and raised in Louisiana. Sure most wood ducks are migratory, but some have been around those Louisiana waters since the opening day of the season, making them just as wary and sly as our own local mallards back home.
Unfortunately, neither the weather nor the birds co-operated that soggy morning. Around ten we left the blind, stopped at the duck shack and took a walk for a different view.
Duckster led us down paths through the woods where he has walked with his father and other family members for years. Like Minnesotans, there are deep-rooted family traditions in Louisiana when it comes to hunting and fishing. The terrain we walked was very similar to ours as well. If I hadn’t known better we could have been in Northern Minnesota, except for the unique tracks left by the Armadillos.
Along the way Duckster pointed out some of the better spots for harvesting squirrels and deer. Louisiana has both a fall and spring squirrel season. For some reason squirrel hunting is not as popular in the Midwest as it is in the South. I believe that the South has more of a tradition of hunting and fishing for substance. Duckster told me one of his observations while visiting the North was, “Seeing all the critters running around.”
The five of us hunted that afternoon and the following morning back on Lake Catahoula. We shot a couple more birds and ate terrific home-cooked food. Memories were made and good times were had. Duckster apologized for the lack of decoying birds, but it was not necessary as we were all very satisfied with the trip. The experience of being part of the last day in the Louisiana duck season, the company, beautiful scenery, and pleasant weather were enough to keep me satisfied.

Leg Irons

2007-07-30T15:42:00.000-07:00

Every year the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service, and agencies ran by the states, place leg bands on a variety of birds across the country. Migratory birds, like ducks and geese, are some of the most commonly banded birds. Harvesting a bird with a leg band on it is a special joy for waterfowl hunters.
After harvesting a banded bird, most waterfowl hunters place the band on their lanyard, which holds the hunters duck and goose calls. “It’s like earning a buckeye sticker and putting it on your football helmet. It’s a badge of honor.” Explained Lyle Sinner, an avid waterfowl hunter and Fargo native.
Traditionally one must harvest a lot of ducks and geese before shooting a banded bird. Therefore, it is assumed that if a waterfowl hunter has a lot of bands, they have shot a lot of birds.
Some people can hunt their entire life and never shoot a bird that is banded. Other waterfowl hunters have shot quiet a few banded birds. It all depends on where you hunt and how many birds get banded in your area. However, you could potentially shoot a banded bird anytime, in any location.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service uses data reported from leg bands to track the flight paths of migratory birds. Bands are also useful in determining harvest information and life span data of specific bird species. A few years ago I witnessed my friend shoot a banded drake mallard that turned out to be 12 years old and was banded in North Dakota about 50 miles from where it was shot.
Each band has a unique number that identifies the species of bird and the specific information about it. When you call a band number in, an operator will ask for the date and location of where the bird was harvested. You will then receive a certificate in the mail containing your name and information on the banded bird.
Along with regular bands, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service puts ‘reward bands’ on some birds. Usually they put these bands with a monetary value on adult birds. Reward bands are typically worth any where from 25 to 100 dollars. The government sends you a check only after you report the information regarding the banded bird to them. Getting paid to hunt, now that’s a nice bonus for anyone!
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife service are not the only ones that band birds. Some hunt clubs put leg bands on birds they release. Pheasants Forever, an organization for the preservation of pheasants, sometimes bands pheasants that they raise and release.
One of the rarer forms of waterfowl bands are Jack Miner bands. These bands have bible verses engraved on them. The Jack Miner family bands the birds in Ontario, Canada. It would be an incredible feat to shoot a duck or goose that was carrying a Jack Miner band.
Nicknames for leg bands are a common place among my friends and I. They are often referred to as: Jewelry, bling-bling, shine, hardware or leg irons. We refer to hunters who shoot a lot of banded birds as having “the force.”
Roughly 3.1 million leg bands have been reported to date. That is pretty small considering that since 1904 about 58 million birds have been banded in North America. Both of these numbers represent hundreds of different species of birds.
It has often been speculated in duck shacks and blinds across the country just what the ratio of banded birds to un-banded birds is. I have wondered this myself and have decided that there just isn’t any way to know for sure. Anyone could shoot a banded bird, and that is a beautiful thing.
Across North America roughly 85,000-banded birds are recovered or recorded annually. They make the hunt just a little bit more memorable and leave the hunter with a little souvenir. The first thing I do when I retrieve a harvested bird is check for a band. I encourage you to do the same. Band information can be reported to 1-800-327-BAND.

The Old Retreiver

2007-07-30T15:40:00.001-07:00

Grey face,
Cloudy eyes,
Never jumps,
Always lies,

Scratch the belly,
Itch the ear,
Toss a treat,
Hold back tears,

Dog of a lifetime,
Companion of the ages,
Friend to the end,
Through all life stages.

Why I Hunt

2007-07-25T20:38:00.000-07:00

In the fall of my senior year of college at the University of North Dakota I spent most of my time outside the classroom hunting. Inside the classroom I was learning valuable lessons taught by professors in the business school. One of my Profs was, Dr. Greg Patton, a great storyteller who related classroom information to real life. The class was Organizational Behavior; there I related many of the psychological theories to my own life.
As a hunter I found, Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, which maps out the path to self-actualization, to have a special meaning for outdoorsmen. The theory states that a person cannot pass to the next tier towards self-actualization until the lower needs have first been satisfied. I believe that by participating in outdoor activities, particularly hunting and fishing, we can see who we truly are.
The first tier on the hierarchy is the basic physical needs that all humans require. This includes; food, water, shelter and warmth. Early humans hunted and fished not only for food, but for shelter and warmth as well. The pelts from large and small game animals were used make clothing and shelters.
In the U.S. today we have plenty of food and shelter, hence we engage in outdoor activities for more spiritual reasons. Yet nothing brings the hunting or fishing more full-circle like the actual consumption of the game. With food on the table and a roof over your head, most humans can easily step onto the second tier in the Maslow theory.
Safety; is security, stability and a freedom from fear in one’s life. Stability can be witnessed first hand with the changing of the seasons. With the end of winter comes spring, with green grass and warm water. Being in the outdoors and witnessing sunrises brings a sense of security that there is more important things in life. Interacting with nature gives one the feeling of actually being alive.
Belonging-Love is the third tier humans most face on the road to self-actualization according to Maslow. This sense of belonging can be received through family, friends and life partners. Spending time with others while hunting and fishing strengthens relationships. A love for the outdoors has taken me many places and allowed me to relate to many people along the way. The hunting trips of my youth brought me closer to my cousins and uncles.
Self-esteem comes from achievement, mastery, recognition and respect. With a passion for the outdoors you strive to be successful at what you are doing. One reads articles, studies game habits, surfs the web, learns new techniques and spends time participating in outdoor activities. Mastering anything is a continual process.
Once you become confident in yourself and abilities one can move to the fifth and final tier of self-actualization. Discovering oneself is all about pursuing your inner talents, creativity and self-fulfillment. Through hunting and fishing you discover who you are by overcoming obstacles and challenging the elements.
I often get asked why I hunt and I try to explain to people that it is my total existence. I am not saying that the outdoors is for everyone. There are many ways in which humans search to discover who they truly are. Through my college education I discovered that I belonged outdoors. I am as sure of it, as I am that the sun will rise over the St. Croix in the morning.

Blake's Ice

2007-07-25T20:36:00.000-07:00

Blake’s Ice

Ice on the motor,
Ice on the decoys,
Sand beneath my feet,

Ice on the river,
Ice on the gun,
A waterfowler’s treat,

Ice on the waders,
Ice on the gloves,
We never face defeat.

Reflections of hunting the Missouri River with Blake Hermal

Ducks vs. Geese

2007-07-23T20:24:00.000-07:00

I have often been asked what I enjoy the pursuit of most: ducks or geese. It is a difficult question for a person who would prefer to spend his time scanning the skyline above decoys for waterfowl. For me, I cut my teeth hunting ducks at my family’s lake cabin with my dad and relatives. On my first hunting trip with ‘the guys’, they harvested the first Canada goose ever on our lake. From that moment on I was hooked on honkers. As the recent years have brought an abundance of geese, dark and light, I tend to tip the scales towards the long-necked waterfowl.
When talking about ducks and duck hunting the conversations often focus on low population counts and the poor state of their breeding grounds. The Mississippi and Central flyways were handed the “liberal” season package for the 2006 season, but these liberal seasons may soon be a thing of the past. Droughts and predators on the prairies have had a negative impact on the duck population.
I will continue to duck hunt regardless of the state of the population and lowered limits. I will just have to hunt smarter, doing little things like making the effort to shoot only drakes. With all the negativity surrounding the population of the ducks, I feel that some hunters are even ridiculed for shooting legal limits of ducks when hunting is not the cause of lower populations.
At twenty-five years of age I have come to the conclusion that Mother Nature plays the biggest role when it comes to duck production. Wet springs and dry summers can help duck populations sustain. Ducks Unlimited does a good job setting aside land for waterfowl, and Delta has done an excellent job raising the need the for predator control. Still at the end of the day I feel that the greatest benefit these organizations provide is an awareness of healthy waterfowl environment and waterfowl hunting practices.
If people are not familiar with the sport, they will never have any interest or concern for it. As hunters we need to encourage others to try hunting, or go at least to gain an understanding of why others pursue it. DU and Delta keep waterfowl hunters out in the public’s awareness through many types of media.
If one looked at numbers, they would conclude that our own government, through Federal Duck Stamp dollars, has done the most for the waterfowl population. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has not only set aside land, they have also trapped predators on that land as well. I know that in the past Delta Waterfowl has encouraged hunters to buy additional Federal Duck Stamps, and I would suggest the same. Funding through the Federal Duck Stamps dollars can produce more birds for your buck.
Personally, I volunteer with a local Delta chapter and help out when I can with the Minnesota Duck and Goose Callers Association. I have helped build wood duck boxes with kids for the Minnesota Waterfowl Association and volunteer at the MWA Woodie Camp. I do my arguing for the ducks behind the scenes in low tones but with firm conviction.
One thing that I have never felt remorse for is bringing a Canada goose to the ground with a load of steel shot. With populations of Canada geese as high as they have ever been, there is no shortage. I encourage others to think of the possibility of more special hunting seasons to help keep their populations in check.
With September seasons for harvesting resident Canada geese and a Conservation Order in place for Snow geese, there has never been more opportunity for hunting. I believe that it is these opportunities that have allowed the younger generations of waterfowl hunters to embrace goose hunting. I myself have fallen into this category where mild weather and liberal bag limits have made hunting geese very enjoyable.
Snow and Canada geese are both vocal and social birds. Their responsiveness to calling and decoys makes hunting them a treat. Goose calling has become a pastime where I live Minnesota, and I embrace it. Calling contests for ducks and geese have created excitement among the younger hunters across the Midwest. It should come as no surprise that Minnesota competitive goose callers have excelled in competitions across the country.
This fall whether I am hunting in Minnesota or North Dakota, I will be setting up for geese. Does this mean that I enjoy goose hunting more? A little, I guess. However I will shoot plenty of ducks along the way. Every waterfowl hunter worth his steel shot knows that ducks decoy better to goose decoys than duck decoys. As much as I enjoy hunting ducks, I will continue to target geese. As waterfowl hunters we could all become conversationalists by targeting the high populations of geese. My suggestion would be to start consulting others for good goose recipes.

Camo Is My Favorite Color

2007-07-23T20:10:00.000-07:00

My mother never dressed me in a camo baby suit and I did not hunt at an especially early age. It’s not that I wasn’t extremely into hunting when I was young. It’s just that I wasn’t raised in the biz. Today I go to Outdoor Expos and I see all kinds of young kids wearing camo and getting involved.
I have to believe that I am one of a few children that actually played ‘hunting’ when I was a kid; minus my neighbor Matt and his brother Andy. While most kids were playing with Tonka Trucks and marbles we were in imaginary flooded timber. In the afternoon we would be lying in the rice fields next to a kiddy pool full of decoys.
I have never claimed to be a ‘trend setter’, but I would like to mention that I wore camouflage on regular basis before it was considered in style. Of course the camouflage patterns I wore were shadow grass and Advantage, rather than the green military camo the kids wear.
I may not have started the camo trend, but I have certainly benefited from it. I have a couple old hats I would now feel comfortable wearing out almost anywhere, especially in Northern Minnesota and North Dakota.
Today I wear a pair of camouflage sandals, shorts and bracelet on a regular basis. Not only do I feel cool, I also feel comfortable wearing the patterns I wear when I do what I enjoy the most. Camouflage is my favorite color.