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Need a new duck hunting spot? Open a map. See those blue lines? They're rivers.
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Late-Season Freeze
Find a pocket of open water and you’re in business. Sean Hammock of Big Sean's Outfitting, who hunts and guides the St. Joseph River in northern Indiana, widens the hole until the ice will support 50 to 100 rester and sleeper goose decoys. Ducks will also work the spread.
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Small Rivers and Big Creeks
You can still achieve good visibility with a small spread if you add a little motion. Tim Herald, host of "The Zone TV" on the Sportsman Channel, places his spread at the edge of a riffle and adds two spinning-wing decoys.
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Early- and Mid-Season
Before the freeze, visibility is key. Even if Field Hudnall, Avery pro staffer and founder of Field Proven Calls, is duck hunting, his favorite spread (see sidebar, above) consists of 90 to 120 floating and full-body geese plus a dozen ducks.
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Deep-Water Divers
Captain Bob Wetherald, pro staffer for Benelli and Final Approach, uses two gang-rigged lines of bluebill decoys to form his V-shaped spread. The “V” points toward the current. A sandbar is an ideal location.
Your whitetail hunting location may be as expansive as a national forest or as small as an uncle’s 40-acre woodlot. In either scenario, whitetails have a knack for slipping by just out of shooting range. Whether using a firearm or archery equipment, you do have options to lure whitetails closer. Consider setting a trap this season for your best opportunity at an ethical, in-your-face shot.
This flexible side-by-side from Heritage Manufacturing is ready for a variety of shooting roles including turkey hunting! Check out the full review of the Badlander here.
No purchase is necessary to enter the Sitka’s Diverge 14 Photo Contest, and the grand prize winner will net gear worth more than $17,500 from Leica, Sitka, Pelican and Adobe.
Simply put, thermal weapon sights represent the greatest technological advantage a hunter or home protector can have since the advent of the firearm itself. The Pulsar Thermion 2 LRF is a great example. Check out Jeff Johnston's Hardware Review of it here.