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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.
On this week's #SundayGunday, we check out the Honcho, a handheld pump shotgun made by Charles Daly right here in the USA, and marketed by Chiappa USA. It’s a handful, and it’s supposed to be. With its short barrel this pump gun can come in handy in camp or at home for anything that may go bump in the night. Learn more about it in this exclusive video.
An adventurous January hunt into the Sierra Madre Mountains of northern Mexico provided Brad Fenson the opportunity to cook Coues deer in traditional ways.
On Jan. 21 the Boone and Crockett Club announced a long-time Lifetime Associate and benefactor to conservation has provided the opportunity to waive entry processing fees into the organization’s records program. As a result, the usual $40 entry fee will not be charged this year for entries received after Jan. 1, 2026.
Avian-X has expanded its motion duck decoy assortment with the addition of three new species to the Power Butt Kicker lineup: Mallard Hen, Pintail Drake and Black Duck.
More than 200,000 hunters, shooters, anglers, RVers and virtually every other flavor of outdoor enthusiast will attend NRA’s Great American Outdoor Show (GAOS). It opens Saturday, Feb. 7, at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, Pa., and is the place to be if you want to see your favorite pursuit’s latest and greatest, book a trip and more.