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Need a new duck hunting spot? Open a map. See those blue lines? They're rivers.
Gallery
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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.
There is no “average” hunter, although don’t be surprised if you’re more run-of-the-mill than you think after seeing the results of the “2025 Hunting Industry Insights” report. The survey, conducted by Untamed Outdoor Agency (UOA), focused on what might be the most active demographic—sportsmen between the ages of 32 and 52.
Editor-in-Chief Scott Olmsted's monthly response column to questions posed by our members. This week, we're discussing mountain lions, poaching and trail camera use.
Trijicon has announced a 2.5 MOA, Green Dot version of the SRO reflex sight. The new model will be available in Black and Coyote Brown anodized finishes.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is awarding more than $6.6 million to federally recognized Native American and Alaska Native tribes to benefit fish and wildlife resources and their habitats. This year’s funding will support 35 tribes for conservation projects across 15 states, benefiting a wide range of wildlife and habitat, including species of cultural or traditional importance to Indigenous communities.
TriStar is noted for shotguns, but Bryce Towsley recently received a test gun from them that’s much different. Check out his review on the TriStar KR.22.
Browning Trail Cameras has released a Security Tree Strap, a durable and dependable mounting solution to keep trail cameras in place in nearly any environment.